War is a Blind Patriot

Emmanuel C. Montoya

Emmanuel Montoya commented about this work:

"In early 1991, the Mexican Museum and la Galeria de la Raza, both known in the San Francisco arts community for over thirty years, called together over twenty Chicano and Latino artists to produce artwork that responded to President George Bush, Sr. and his invasion of Iraq. Artists were instructed to gather together one early weekend morning in February at the Museum's Fort Mason site to paint on canvas and large 4 by 8 foot wood panels.

As a printmaker I decided to design and carve this piece and pull a print from the Lino block all in one day. My idea was to depict how the average U.S. citizen can get swept up into the flag-waving fervor of "patriotism" marching "blindly" in step as the drums of war are sounded. This image was published, at that time, as a centerfold in the San Francisco Bay Guardian and could be removed and used as a poster for window display. And it was! "War is a Blind Patriot" was seen on windows and walls throughout the City, the East Bay, and other parts of the (San Francisco) Bay Area."