No human is illegal. 1994 @Mirta Toledo (Pure Diversity Series)
I met Mirta Toledo several years ago in Fort Worth, Texas. I interviewed her about her Pure Diversity series, her artistic work that showcases the need to celebrate the inclusion of different cultures and all kinds of people.
Her work is relevant now, perhaps more than ever. In those years, Fort Worth was a segmented society, perhaps like the country is now.
Don´t Let You!!! 1994 @Mirta Toledo (Pure Diversity Series)
“The current situation in my country brings back memories of my adolescence, and what’s happening in the United States takes me back to the 1990s, when I moved to Texas,” she mentions in this interview.
She is Argentine, but her art is universal. In this series of works, one can see her fight for inclusion, but also her sadness, her proposal for a better world, one where each of us can coexist, without exclusion.
She has also been a staunch advocate, with her art and her voice, for the recognition of the Afro-Argentine community.
Without a doubt, her art has been revolutionary and needs to be heard, seen, and studied, especially now.
Here is the interview.
No 197, 1994 @Mirta Toledo Pure Diversity Series
1) Explain why you talk about “déjà vu.”
I talk about “déjà vu” because I can’t find a word that expresses my feelings -either in Spanish or English- as well as this French term does. The exact translation is “already seen” and yes, lately this feeling overwhelms me -with great pain-, because I’ve already experienced everything that’s happening. The current situation in my country brings me back memories of my adolescence, and what is happening in the United States takes me back to the 1990s, when I moved to Texas.
2) How important is art for the times we’re going through?
Art was important -still is- and always will be, because it is inherent to the human condition, and that is precisely why it transcends borders. For me, Art is a universal language that expresses and documents Humanity´s Journey in all the confines of this planet we call “ours.”
3) You’ve been an influential artist for 35 years, since you launched your Pure Diversity Series. You’re a universal artist, and your themes are universal too, but they hurt. How do you see this with everything that’s happening right now?
From the very beginning, the persons identified with my paintings and drawings celebrating the Diversity that characterizes all of humanity, so I don’t think my themes cause pain to most people, quite the opposite.
But yes, I do think that my Pure Diversity Series cause irritation and anger to those individuals who want to deny and even “disappear” the Diversity. It makes perfect sense, because these people try to pigeonhole us into “stereotypical molds” in all aspects of our life. That’s what is happening now, and that’s why I feel “déjà vu.” In any case, just as “we can’t hide the sunlight with one finger,” nor can we hide or eliminate the Universal Diversity that enriches us.
4) What would you like to see in the art world and among artists in relation to what’s happening right now?
I have no doubt that every artist- in the whole world- in one way or another is influenced by this crucial historical moment, and each one expresses it creatively. Perhaps is a defining moment -not only for human beings- but for all living beings, and even for the survival of the planet.
If I live long enough, I would like to see as many creations as possible, since each “point of view” is just another piece of the puzzle we call “reality.”
5) Is Pure Diversity still relevant?
Pure Diversity is more relevant than ever because it makes visible what is currently stigmatized, and even hidden: “Ethnic, cultural, sexual, and religious Diversity, the undisputed heritage of the Human Race.” This celebration of Diversity, which I began in the 1990s, has been the leitmotif of my Artwork ever since, because I am still convinced that Diversity “is humanity’s greatest treasure.”
