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 Vallarta Living | Art Talk | November 2006 
"Narco Chic" Art Attracts Attention in Mexico City
 Tomas Sarmiento - Reuters
| | Watchavato's work, mostly stencil paintings and printed posters depicting gang members, guns and gangsta cars, adorns the walls in many run-down streets and clubs in parts of Mexico City. |
AK-47 rifles, flashy cars and cowboy hats show the violent life of Mexican drug smugglers in the region bordering the United States, which "guerrilla artist" Watchavato has turned into a chic form of street art.
His work, mostly stencil paintings and printed posters depicting gang members, guns and gangsta cars, adorns the walls in many run-down streets and clubs in parts of Mexico City.
A native of Mexico's northwestern state of Sinaloa, home to some of the country's most infamous drug gangs, Watchavato has memories of some of his own schoolmates who lost their fathers to the vendettas that still kill hundreds every year.
The state capital Culiacan "is the cradle of the 'narco culture,"' he told Reuters in a recent conversation.
The state is rife with legends like that of the Robin Hood-like Jesus Malverde, viewed as the "saint" of drug smugglers. It even spawned a folk music genre, "narco-corrido," glorifying the exploits of some of the most audacious smugglers.
Watchavato's street name is a tribute to the ever-present "Spanglish" spoken by Hispanics on both sides of the border. It combines the English phrase "Watch that" with "Vato," northern Mexico slang for "dude."
Amazed at the stream of questions from friends about the drug culture after he moved to Mexico City, Watchavato said: "My work could not speak about anything else but Malverde, the narcos."
Drug wars over control of smuggling routes to the United States have exploded in the last two years. A wave of beheadings of rival gang members and police officers has hit the states of Michoacan and Guerrero.
The idea of putting Watchavato's work on the streets stemmed from his dislike of what he calls the "showbiz" art-gallery circuit.
"I decided I wanted my work to be seen by people as they were going to the store, not by those going to galleries and museums," he said.
But now his art can be found in the streets and sidewalks of some of Mexico City's trendiest neighborhoods. His nonconformist style has been noticed by companies like Vans, which makes shoes for street sports like skateboarding, and is using his paintings in an advertising campaign.
Sitting in a studio on an oversized reproduction of a Vans shoe used in the campaign, Watchavato said he had never been arrested for defacing public areas. But he admitted there have been some brushes with the police over his artworks. |
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