Chroma Zone Murals Begin
Debuting in May was the first of 10 murals being produced this summer as part of the CEZ‘s second annual Chroma Zone Mural & Art Festival, a celebration of artistry and community that leverages the power of public art to promote, connect and engage the people, places and creative economy of our city-recognized district.
Titled Spirit of Misi-zibi, the new work by local muralist Rock “Cyfi” Martinez and located on the south wall of The Wycliff, 2327 Wycliff Street, is a symbolic portrait of the fight for Indigenous water rights in the United States. The artist writes, “The central figure is a female water protector; from her hands the veins of Misi-zibi (Mississippi River) flow out and around her. She is depicted as floating within a blue orb, which represents planet earth. The Misi-zibi can be thought of as the central nervous system of North America and its health is inextricably connected to the health and well-being of all living beings. This work seeks to engage the community in discussion and reflection on the power of water in our lives and the urgent need to protect this precious resource.”
Martinez is a visual artist and muralist born in Tucson, Arizona, now living in Minneapolis. As a self-taught artist, he developed his craft by learning alongside other graffiti writers in his community. This grassroots education and the trials that come from working in a street-culture medium outside of the traditional scope of fine art influenced his understanding of public places and spaces — namely who they are for, and by extension, who was not welcome. Throughout his body of work he explores this tension and seeks to amplify the voices and narratives of those who have been disenfranchised and marginalized throughout history. He draws on his Mexican American and Indigenous heritage to comment on the social, cultural, and natural history of site-specific surfaces, often using allegory, abstraction and pop art devices to layer meaning.
To learn more about Rock Martinez's work at cyfiart.com and Instagram @cyfione