"I
did this painting to depict the ongoing battle of
good and evil for the hearts, minds and souls of Chicanos,
especially our youth. The serpent, representing evil,
is being held at arms length by good, represented
by an Aztec warrior. The bright, colorful plumage
and apparel of the Aztec warrior symbolizes the hope,
heritage and strength of the Chicano people.
We
must proudly look to our history to help us overcome
the challenges of the present, so that we can create
a future safe and secure for our children. We
can never defeat evil and can only strive to keep
it at bay. The serpent’s body goes in and comes out
of the death figure in the foreground, meaning we
are both victim and aggressor in our internal struggles.
The
gun at the tail end of the serpent’s body is representative
of the negative impact that gun violence has in our community.
The faint text at the bottom are testimony that words of
anger and pride said in life mean nothing in death. Finally,
the Aztec calendar in the background illustrates how our
souls have been a battleground for a very long time."
