Natalia Anciso: Don't Shoot

Don't Shoot, 2014. Ink, graphite,
prisma, and watercolor on paper, 15 x 19 inches. 

For this week’s artist presentation, Natalia Anciso’s, Don’t Shoot, was the image that stood out to me the most primarily because of its flexibility to be understood among different groups of people regardless of age, ethnicity, religious affiliation and so on. The work depicts three well-geared police men pointing their guns at a young boy who is holding his arms up. When I saw the image, I was overwhelmed with emotions; I felt anger, sadness, hopelessness, and even confusion because the work (aesthetically) speaks of the militarization of the police among other themes. Given that Anciso grew up near the Rio Grande―a hostile geographic location― and seeing the banner, “Police line do not cross,” it is evident that the image was, and still is, a real-life portrayal of police patrolling the borderland from immigrants crossing. However, I believe the image also addresses police brutality on the young, males of color population because they are known as targeted groups in our society. Because the audience cannot see the mens’ faces or the young boy’s, I believe the image can hold even greater implications. Their unknown identities suggest that the boy and policemen are representative of other populations. In the bigger scheme of things, the boy may epitomize a young, innocent group of people who surrenders in the presence of another authoritarian and powerful group. For that reason, this image was the most interesting to me; it is a breathing artwork that can be interpreted in several discussions that concern themselves with issues racism, terrorism, and/or colonialism to name a few.