Borders ... The River of Blood
Ah, the critique! Everyone was nervous … I was first and we had a heated discussion of “Borders” and of immigration and of the stereotype of “white and brown” … a couple people found the painting offensive in its state of brown/white and all agreed I should try a yellow/purple combination which might unload all the race connotations … I said “Will the concept be clear to everyone if I do that?” The group thought it would be clear that a river of blood runs between the two countries on the border. So I re-painted it … and here it is …
Borders ... The River of Blood II
What are your thoughts on this? Does it work?
Mary P Williams 
I guess the question is, why is it a river of blood? Is it a river of blood because of immigration? If so, I personally think many of the arguments we hear against immigration are, at their roots, racist. If so then white and brown work. Of course it is offensive – racism is offensive.
If the river of blood is because of the violence going on in Mexico and spilling onto our side, then it’s not a an issue of racism or even nationalism but power & money versus society and the general population. It’s an issue effecting both sides of the border and we are all standing or will soon be standing in the river of blood.