Ozzie Juarez

Añoranza (Yearning)

Añoranza(Yearning) weaves together visual cues from sources as distant and seemingly dissimilar as Disneyland, urban Mexican culture, and ancient Aztec religion. The stormy seascape combines both decorative and self-taught street art. It recalls aerografías, or airbrushed artworks found throughout Mexico City that often depict lunarscapes on cardboard. Añoranza (Yearning) ties back to the artist’s experience as a professional scenic painter at Disneyland—a connection emphasized by the presence of Mickey Mouse wearing his wizard regalia in the upper left corner. The raging waves allude to Tláloc, the Aztec god of rain, to whom the artist dedicated the work. The title of the piece is rendered in the tradition of rotulismo, a type of sign painting that was very common throughout Mexico and Southern California until recently. The style of the sign also suggests a graffiti tag, an impression made stronger by the metal gate on which the work is painted. As the title suggests, this rich and varied imagery evokes the feelings of longing and belonging among diasporic peoples, particularly Mexican Americans, living along California’s southern border.