Kristin Osiecki

An excerpt from a reflection assignment for MICA

Upon entering the city of Estelí one can feel its character viscerally. Despite our urban setting, lush green mountains remain visible to the east and west. The streets are lined with vibrantly painted homes, and businesses are covered with carefully rendered illustrations advertising the goods sold within. Every surface is like a thoroughly worked canvas, rich with color, pattern and texture. It seems as though the people of Estelí possess an innate sense of color and composition. While I came to Estelí knowing that it is home to a rich community of artists, I had no idea that artistic acuity would be so deeply infused in the culture of its people. Never before have I seen such striking and pervasive visual culture.

For me, one of the most striking features of this city are the hand painted signs and murals. Text and image are applied directly to the city’s architecture, becoming part of the visual landscape, rather than intruding on it like modern advertising in the United States. I can’t help but picture the skyline of Boston from the upper deck of 93, now cluttered with at least a dozen Clear Channel billboards advertising everything from the local YMCA to Miller Light. Even walking down the street in Boston, and every other city I have traveled to, the landscape is littered with visual communication that is completely at odds with its surroundings. While every surface in Estelí is saturated with color, texture and pattern it is never jarring. As a designer I find this continuity between culture and visual language fascinating. Even logos for modern goods and services have been skillfully translated into this language. Seeing these familiar symbols rendered in this way throws my sense of time and place off kilter. In general Estelí is a fascinating mélange of past and present, where horse drawn wagons plod down streets lined with cyber cafes.

Note to self, write about celebrating the anniversary of the revolution in Managua on the 19th.

* * *

Today began with a lecture by Israel Lewites, son of the Sandinista leader by the same name, and nephew of former Mayor of Managua, Minister of Tourism and 2006 presidential candidate, Herty Lewites. Herty Lewites died only four months before the election. An autopsy was never performed. Many of his supporters believe that he was murdered.

Israel gave us a run-down of the past thirty years of Nicaraguan political history. It is clear that politics is a loaded subject for him, understandably. Despite this fact I felt as though he was careful to give us an unbiased account and frequently acknowledged where his opinions were coming from. 

Israel currently runs Water & Earth Bio Solutions, a waste water treatment consultancy. He is also a VJ and is working on producing educational television programming. He mentioned that he feels education is the key to positive change in Nicaragua. It’s clear that he wants to enact positive change in Nicaragua, but feels that he can accomplish more outside the political realm. 

“Logic and truth, it doesn’t matter. You don’t need it to run this country. All you need is to repeat your lies.”

* * *

After leaving Israel’s home, we packed in the van and headed for the bus station. There we hopped a bus for Esteí. We arrived in Esteli this evening after a 2.5 hour bus ride from Managua. By pure coincidence I sat next this amazing young woman from Esteli who is studying social anthropology in Managua. She was kind enough to talk to me about about life in Managua and Esteli.

After dinner we went to visit VIMAU, a collective of video artists here in Esteli. We had a chance to share our work with them. This was the first time I got to see work by most of my travel companions. I feel incredibly lucky to be on this journey with such a diverse and talented group of artists. I can’t wait to start creating work with everyone.

I’ll add more detail to these entries later, I’m updating via phone.

Many pictures to follow.

In Granada. Today we hiked a volcano, explored a bat cave and toured the islands of lake Nicaragua by boat, stopping for dinner on a tiny island.

Summer has been pretty extraordinary so far, thanks to all of my friends and family. I am thrilled to be embarking on this journey, but I will miss you all while I’m gone. This page will be the best place to keep tabs on me while I’m in Nicaragua. My twitter feed is visible in the middle column. My flickr and gmail accounts are linked at the far right. To learn more about what I am up to check out the Art of Solidarity web page or our group blog here.

Most of my portfolio pages have been translated into Spanish, so check it out!

See you on the beach,
xoxoko

This past Thursday author and friend Kate Racculia gave her debut reading of her novel This Must Be The Place at Porter Square Books in Cambridge. Sitting in the audience, surrounded by friends and strangers alike, I couldn’t help but feel a bit verklempt. It’s a good thing I keep my sniffing salts in my handbag right under my stash of Werther’s Originals.

I did some baking for the occasion

Kate, you know I wrote this entry in my Terri voice just for you! ;)

xoxoko