Mexican Border Project Documents Those Who Make Art, Not War
In the years since Mexico, under former President Vicente Fox, declared war on the drug cartels of Mexico in 2006, most of the photojournalism from the border has focused on the inevitable violence. With more than 60,000 people dead and another 25,000 missing, such attention is warranted, and vital.
Yet there’s more to the border region than just gunfire and body counts. Stefan Falke’s ongoing project, La Frontera: Artists from the U.S. Mexican Border, examines the borderland’s flourishing arts communities with photographs of more than 170 painters, muralists, art promoters, museum directors and musicians.
“It’s a story as true as those about crimes and violence,” Falke says. “There are a lot of amazing cultural activities going on along the border, on both sides. Artists are the pulse of societies and they can have a tremendous positive influence on their communities.”
Falke, who lives in New York, was born in Germany. His interest in national borders stems from his experience growing up in the shadow of the Iron Curtain.