Artist:
Ernesto Montano
Title:
Circular Motion
Year:
1994
Adress:
300 W. Cesar Chavez Blvd
www.publicartinla.com:
Montano represented the nations of the world, not by the outline of their political boundaries, but by flags laid out in bands on a curved floor. Immigrants, who are carrying their meager possessions, step over narrow canyons separating the flags as they walk to the viewer's right. Montano used flags from Europe, the Near East, Latin America and Asia, but his initial choice provoked long simmering political and ethnic animosities. Armenians complained about the presence of Turkey's flag, and Taiwanese objected to China's. As a result, Montano substituted Korea's flag for China's and Algeria's for Turkey's.
The artpiece, constructed of plastic vinyl, has a seven to ten year life span. It is located in the elevated frame that held the sign for what was the East-West National Bank. Three Star Sign, which built the fame and fabricated the former sign, assisted Montano by cutting the material he used to assemble the mosaic of flags. Both the title and design of "Circular Motion" refer to migration as a worldwide phenomenon that is circular without end.
www.faireconomy.org:
Ernesto "Eroc" Arroyo-Montano is an educator, artist, facilitator, organizer, youth worker, community activist and a proud father of three. Known for his leadership in a range of initiatives from urban youth program development and intersectional movements building, he has shown his dedication to racial, gender, economic and environmental justice. His contagious passion, warmth and laughter are perhaps his trademark qualities; qualities that he hopes inspires those around him to join the ever evolving movement for peace and justice.
www.publicartinla.com:
It is appropriate that public art dealing with immigration marks entrances to Chinatown. The area has been a portal into the region for various groups since 1769, when Gaspar De Portola passed through on his expedition to Monterey Bay. "The Immigrants", Alberto Biasi's monument at Casa Italiana, stands at the northern entrance and "Circular Motion" by Ernesto Montano stands at the corner of Broadway and Cesar Chavez Boulevard on the south. Together, these two works represent downtown's complete collection of public art directly relating to immigration.
Throughout its history, Los Angeles has been a city of immigrants. First from Spain and its colonies, later from Mexico and the United States, and in recent decades from Latin America and Asia, waves of immigrants have profoundly shaped, altered and transformed the character of the city. While current immigrants provide cheap labor for the region's garment and tourist industries, restaurants, day care facilities, and suburban families needing house and childcare, their presence has not been completely welcomed. After ignoring the education, employment and health needs of all but the most wealthy people in the State of California, Republican Governor Pete Wilson approached the 1994 election with dread. Public opinion had turned against him and the polls showed that he would lose the upcoming governor's race. Unable to campaign on issues that affect the lives of ordinary citizens, Wilson diverted attention from his failed administration by supporting Proposition 187 because it would have relieved the tax burden of his wealthy political supporters by denying basic health care to hundreds of thousands of recent immigrants and throwing unknown numbers of children out of school and onto the street.
Against this emotionally and politically charged background "Circular Motion" was developed. Funded by a $15,000 grant from the Community Redevelopment Agency at the request of the Agency's Administrator, Edward J. Avila, "Circular Motion" was supported by Jovenes, Inc., a non-profit corporation formed in 1989 to provide social services to undocumented and homeless immigrants, the Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, East/West Community Project, Gay Asian Pacific Support Network and the Chinatown Service Center.
"Circular Motion" was the first of a planned three part public art installation that evolved from a series Ernesto Montano began in 1993 called "Migration." The other two public art installations, "Who is the Stranger," which depicts a woman, wearing an eye mask decorated with flags of countries that were dramatically affected by migration, and "Swimming in the Soup," which portrays flags of the world suspended in soup, while a swimmer is surrounded by the symbols of multi-culturalism, were never installed.
Installing "Circular Motion" was part of a clean-up and upgrade of the small adjacent building, which houses Jovenes. The dedication of the mural on December 8, 1994, which was attended by 200 people, coincided with the renaming of the segment of Sunset Boulevard where the artwork is located to Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
www.faireconomy.org:
A founding member of the critically acclaimed and award winning Hip Hop duo, Foundation Movement, he is an accomplished speaker, performer and workshop facilitator. He has given keynote speeches and performed at major conferences, large rallies, protests, schools, prisons and universities. Over his 15 year career, Eroc's work has taken him to countries across the globe including South Africa, Tanzania, Japan, Palestine, Cuba, France and England. As an artist, Eroc has shared the stage alongside such radical luminaries as: KRS-One, Dead Prez, Angela Davis, Eve Ensler, Rakim, Noam Chomsky, Sonia Sanchez, The Last Poets, Saul Williams, Suheir Hammad and the late great Howard Zinn and Amiri Baraka.
His eyes were most opened to the transnational nature of the social justice movement when he joined the Buddhist monks of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji sect in Japan and thousands of local and global activists on a seventy-day walk from Hiroshima to Tokyo in support of nuclear non-proliferation. Locally, he has done a great deal of work, including the development and implementation of a popular education curriculum at an alternative High School in Boston that interweaves art, racial and economic justice, Hip Hop and non-violence, restorative justice, writing, life skills, and history.
His photography and performance-based art has been featured at the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston, the Museum of Science Boston and the Massachusetts State House. His most recent art exhibit 'Son of Atabey' is a community based mixed-media project that focuses on using art as a tool to help heal the trauma of colonization, white supremacy, patriarchy, and poverty. He attributes much of his educational evolution to visionaries such as Paulo Freire, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Pema Chodron, Waleed Zaiter, Kahlil Gibran and bell hooks.
Eroc’s practice has been informed by extensive trainings in systemic oppression, social justice (e.g. Racism, Homophobia, Sexism) and restorative justice from organizations that include: National Conference for Community & Justice; People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond’s "Undoing Racism"; American Friends Service Committee’s "Crisis Conflict Resolution" in Cape Town, South Africa; The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s" Circle of Care" Training for Survivors of Homicide; Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault; and Hollyhook Educational Institute/Gibran Rivera on Evolutionary Leadership. He has earned the Community Star Award -"Survivors of Violence", from Teens Against Gang Violence and Recognition of "Excellence in Youth Work" Award from the community based grassroots Critical Breakdown. The City of Boston declared February 27th, Foundation Day, honoring Eroc and Foundation Movement partner Banjineh 'Op' Browne for their musical talent and commitment to making positive changes in the city of Boston.
www.publicartinla.com:
Ernesto Montano (1958 - ), born in Tecate, Mexico, describes himself as bicultural. He was raised on the cultural and political border of Mexico and the United States. He received bachelor degrees in psychology from the University of Mexico and in fine arts from the National Fine Arts Institute in Mexico. In 1990, he moved to Los Angeles, where he became the Art Director of Angel's Flight and the following year became the Art Director of Jovenes. His artwork is in public and private collections and has been exhibited at profit and non-profit galleries.
Montano represented the nations of the world, not by the outline of their political boundaries, but by flags laid out in bands on a curved floor. Immigrants, who are carrying their meager possessions, step over narrow canyons separating the flags as they walk to the viewer's right. Montano used flags from Europe, the Near East, Latin America and Asia, but his initial choice provoked long simmering political and ethnic animosities. Armenians complained about the presence of Turkey's flag, and Taiwanese objected to China's. As a result, Montano substituted Korea's flag for China's and Algeria's for Turkey's.
The artpiece, constructed of plastic vinyl, has a seven to ten year life span. It is located in the elevated frame that held the sign for what was the East-West National Bank. Three Star Sign, which built the fame and fabricated the former sign, assisted Montano by cutting the material he used to assemble the mosaic of flags. Both the title and design of "Circular Motion" refer to migration as a worldwide phenomenon that is circular without end.
www.faireconomy.org:
Ernesto "Eroc" Arroyo-Montano is an educator, artist, facilitator, organizer, youth worker, community activist and a proud father of three. Known for his leadership in a range of initiatives from urban youth program development and intersectional movements building, he has shown his dedication to racial, gender, economic and environmental justice. His contagious passion, warmth and laughter are perhaps his trademark qualities; qualities that he hopes inspires those around him to join the ever evolving movement for peace and justice.
www.publicartinla.com:
It is appropriate that public art dealing with immigration marks entrances to Chinatown. The area has been a portal into the region for various groups since 1769, when Gaspar De Portola passed through on his expedition to Monterey Bay. "The Immigrants", Alberto Biasi's monument at Casa Italiana, stands at the northern entrance and "Circular Motion" by Ernesto Montano stands at the corner of Broadway and Cesar Chavez Boulevard on the south. Together, these two works represent downtown's complete collection of public art directly relating to immigration.
Throughout its history, Los Angeles has been a city of immigrants. First from Spain and its colonies, later from Mexico and the United States, and in recent decades from Latin America and Asia, waves of immigrants have profoundly shaped, altered and transformed the character of the city. While current immigrants provide cheap labor for the region's garment and tourist industries, restaurants, day care facilities, and suburban families needing house and childcare, their presence has not been completely welcomed. After ignoring the education, employment and health needs of all but the most wealthy people in the State of California, Republican Governor Pete Wilson approached the 1994 election with dread. Public opinion had turned against him and the polls showed that he would lose the upcoming governor's race. Unable to campaign on issues that affect the lives of ordinary citizens, Wilson diverted attention from his failed administration by supporting Proposition 187 because it would have relieved the tax burden of his wealthy political supporters by denying basic health care to hundreds of thousands of recent immigrants and throwing unknown numbers of children out of school and onto the street.
Against this emotionally and politically charged background "Circular Motion" was developed. Funded by a $15,000 grant from the Community Redevelopment Agency at the request of the Agency's Administrator, Edward J. Avila, "Circular Motion" was supported by Jovenes, Inc., a non-profit corporation formed in 1989 to provide social services to undocumented and homeless immigrants, the Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, East/West Community Project, Gay Asian Pacific Support Network and the Chinatown Service Center.
"Circular Motion" was the first of a planned three part public art installation that evolved from a series Ernesto Montano began in 1993 called "Migration." The other two public art installations, "Who is the Stranger," which depicts a woman, wearing an eye mask decorated with flags of countries that were dramatically affected by migration, and "Swimming in the Soup," which portrays flags of the world suspended in soup, while a swimmer is surrounded by the symbols of multi-culturalism, were never installed.
Installing "Circular Motion" was part of a clean-up and upgrade of the small adjacent building, which houses Jovenes. The dedication of the mural on December 8, 1994, which was attended by 200 people, coincided with the renaming of the segment of Sunset Boulevard where the artwork is located to Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
www.faireconomy.org:
A founding member of the critically acclaimed and award winning Hip Hop duo, Foundation Movement, he is an accomplished speaker, performer and workshop facilitator. He has given keynote speeches and performed at major conferences, large rallies, protests, schools, prisons and universities. Over his 15 year career, Eroc's work has taken him to countries across the globe including South Africa, Tanzania, Japan, Palestine, Cuba, France and England. As an artist, Eroc has shared the stage alongside such radical luminaries as: KRS-One, Dead Prez, Angela Davis, Eve Ensler, Rakim, Noam Chomsky, Sonia Sanchez, The Last Poets, Saul Williams, Suheir Hammad and the late great Howard Zinn and Amiri Baraka.
His eyes were most opened to the transnational nature of the social justice movement when he joined the Buddhist monks of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji sect in Japan and thousands of local and global activists on a seventy-day walk from Hiroshima to Tokyo in support of nuclear non-proliferation. Locally, he has done a great deal of work, including the development and implementation of a popular education curriculum at an alternative High School in Boston that interweaves art, racial and economic justice, Hip Hop and non-violence, restorative justice, writing, life skills, and history.
His photography and performance-based art has been featured at the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston, the Museum of Science Boston and the Massachusetts State House. His most recent art exhibit 'Son of Atabey' is a community based mixed-media project that focuses on using art as a tool to help heal the trauma of colonization, white supremacy, patriarchy, and poverty. He attributes much of his educational evolution to visionaries such as Paulo Freire, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Pema Chodron, Waleed Zaiter, Kahlil Gibran and bell hooks.
Eroc’s practice has been informed by extensive trainings in systemic oppression, social justice (e.g. Racism, Homophobia, Sexism) and restorative justice from organizations that include: National Conference for Community & Justice; People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond’s "Undoing Racism"; American Friends Service Committee’s "Crisis Conflict Resolution" in Cape Town, South Africa; The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s" Circle of Care" Training for Survivors of Homicide; Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault; and Hollyhook Educational Institute/Gibran Rivera on Evolutionary Leadership. He has earned the Community Star Award -"Survivors of Violence", from Teens Against Gang Violence and Recognition of "Excellence in Youth Work" Award from the community based grassroots Critical Breakdown. The City of Boston declared February 27th, Foundation Day, honoring Eroc and Foundation Movement partner Banjineh 'Op' Browne for their musical talent and commitment to making positive changes in the city of Boston.
www.publicartinla.com:
Ernesto Montano (1958 - ), born in Tecate, Mexico, describes himself as bicultural. He was raised on the cultural and political border of Mexico and the United States. He received bachelor degrees in psychology from the University of Mexico and in fine arts from the National Fine Arts Institute in Mexico. In 1990, he moved to Los Angeles, where he became the Art Director of Angel's Flight and the following year became the Art Director of Jovenes. His artwork is in public and private collections and has been exhibited at profit and non-profit galleries.