Bad Ombrés v.2

Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello created these vessels with two different clay materials—one from each side of the US-Mexico border—to form an ombré effect, a gradual blend of one color to another. In early 2017 President Donald J. Trump called out “bad hombres” along the border as part of his campaign to expand border fences. Popular media pointed out that his pronunciation of the Spanish word hombre, which means “man,” sounded more like ombré.

With Bad Ombrés v.2, the artists wish to affirm that, in many ways, the term ombré can refer to a richer understanding of the borderlands, where there is no clear distinction between Mexico and the United States. There is a gradient of languages, cuisine, flora and fauna, and art that is shared across the political boundary.

This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022