Judith F. Baca, Killed by a Placa

"Killed by a Placa" is a work done by Chicana artist Judith F. Baca and was completed in 1974. The technique she used was wood stain on paper. The image is of a Jerry Fernandez, a young man who Baca knew because he used to help her paint murals. Jerry was only 17 years old when he was senselessly killed by inner city gang members while he was sitting in his car. Baca was incredibly impacted by this event, and stated, "...it was so overwhelming to see teenagers die, to go through this with a family and the full impact, to see the complete uselessnes of loss, like this death [repeatedly]." Baca wanted her work to not only express her sadness about this event, but also to make a statement about the way that inner city life takes a toll on those who live there, and how much violence is a prevalent and ongoing issue there. The body of this young boy is painted clutching a torso wound, twisted in pain and slumped on the side of a side walk. Near the boy's face is his age, 17 years, painted in the style of street numbers on the sidewalk. Over the boy's face, Baca placed a placa, otherwise known as barrio tagging caligraphy/grafitti to denote the name of the gang that he and his brothers belonged to. This piece is ultimately a critique of the violent machismo behavior that is associated with street gangs and the senseless violence that ensues due to these gangs trying to maintain their "territory." The placa is the way in which these gang members mark their territory in public spaces. This work speaks to the danger and violence associated with this pursuit of "place making" and the societal systems that keep these youths disenfranchised and lead them to live this life in the first place.