Interview with artist Melanie Rodriguez Rosado

The art of a new generation. Picture via @Melmichellerr

By Kevin Lebron

On Saturday, September 14, I approached artist Melanie Rodríguez Rosado via Instagram for an interview. The interview was carried out via text messages. @Melmicherr is a makeup artist who participated in the protests that took place in July, 2019 in response to the scandal involving ex-governor Ricardo Rossello. Rodriguez Rosado is the artist behind the young feminist activist group known as “#hijasdelacrisis.” She comes from a family of doctors who wanted her to continue that line of work. But instead, she pursued her childhood dream: to become an artist. She studied in the School of Fine Arts in Puerto Rico.

What was your inspiration and why did you utilize body painting as a way of protest?

I was inspired to use my art because is the way that I best express what I feel. I dedicate myself to do art in the human body, so what better way to express what I feel than this way? I wanted it to be something that everyone could identify themselves, to portray the feeling of the island in one body.

What message you wanted to express the government of the island?

Through this piece, I wanted to express the collective anger of Puerto Rico. I painted the flag burning in flames. The barbed wires with adhesive tape in the mouth, represent the oppression of the people. The tears represent mourning and pain. To finish, on the back of the girl I wrote the question, “What would you say to Ricardo?,” for everyone who would want to take out their anger by writing on it.

Picture via @Melmichellerr

Picture via @Melmichellerr

How was your experience being part of the protest on the island?

My experience was a gratifying one. I did it genuinely for my love of art and because I wanted to convey my message in a different manner. Never would I imagined that it was going to cause such a big impact for so many people, just thinking about it makes my skin bristle.

Did you experience any problem for being part of said protest?

I was confronted by people who did not understand the meaning of my message and took it the wrong way. Many people criticized me, made fun of me, took pictures of us and posted them online mocking us. But even so I emphasized in completing my objective.

What impact or benefit had for your career exposing your art during the protest?

It benefits me because I gained the respect of everyone that knows me, does who doesn’t, found me for what I did. They consider it as a brave act that marked the history of the island. Professionally it harmed me because as a makeup artist, I want to collaborate with big makeup brands, but those generally don’t like politics topics. After seeing that I was deeply involved in the protest, they prefer to not incorporate me in their events to avoid incorporating indirectly with the situation.

"I received an extremely positive feedback in my pictures, a thousand more times than I imagined. It was amazing, many people throughout the world shared my pictures, thank me and created art inspired in mine. It has been without a doubt my biggest accomplishment in my life and my career." she replied when asking about the feedback received in her pictures.

The people united will never be defeated. Photo via @melmichellerr

"The girl with the flag"

By Alondra Montalvo

19-year-old Anamar Perez. Picture from her instagram @anamarperezgreenrl

On Saturday 28, September 2019 I got the opportunity to interview one of the main faces that represents revolution and feminism using their body as art for the July protest this in year in Puerto Rico.

Anamar Perez Green a 19-year-old, part-time student and model from Rio Piedras. You may not recognize by the makeup and lights but she is believe or not part of a revolutionary movement that went viral over on instagram. The picture that shows Anamar wearing nothing but a thong and sneakers using her body as a canvas where two artist, one of them being Melanie Rodriguez, are live painting her body with the national flag of Puerto Rico, sexist slangs and giving her black tears running down her face. The picture has currently over eleven thousand likes, the picture has been use in several articles, has been painted by artist and have made fan art.

The image that went viral throughout the days of the protests. Picture taken by Valeria Martiro

Perez was contacted for this project similar as for the rest of people who were involved by the person who took the pictures Valeria Martiro who are best friends. Perez expresses how excited she was of the project. Being that this wasn’t her first protest being that she has participated in previous Universidad de Puerto Rico protests she had a fire in her and message she wanted to send out to the island governor.

“It felt great being part of something so eye catching, something that you really felt the emotions,” Anamar says.

“I was ready for the type of art I was representing. I felt a lot of courage with the situation that we were currently dealing with,” 19-year-old said when asked how she felt being a canvas for the type of art she was representing.

The response on the image was taken as outlandish and unnecessary to conservatives and older generations but the majority of the support/positive feedback came from teens and young adults who understand their movement and what they represented.

Protesting in the streets. Picture taken by Valeria Martiro.

How would you react if your image or name was ever used in a history book or museum?

It would take her a while to go through the emotions and the happiness she would have inside because she knows she was part of an big movement.

“People have told me that I will appear in history books so when my kids see it they’ll say ‘that’s my mom’, ”the part-time model added.

Anamar mentioned that she attended majority of the days of protest and five out of those days she went with the same body paint representing the sexist words the former governor of the island Ricardo Rosello used on the exposed group chat with other politicians. Some of the negative feedback she received during those days were those painted on her back and butt

“They sexualized me for the art that was painted on my naked body, was more of a them problem,” the Rio Pidras resident explained why most people did not like her expression of protest.

Would you do it again?

I would do it a hundred times if I have to, it was something very beautiful for me. I would do it alone, with las hijas de la crisis. And at any moment that her island needs artistic representation she will be there.

The activist mentioned she had made lot of friends throughout that experience, powerful woman who wee there because they wanted to not for the exposure.

The casting for this project was tideous, it was Anamar and Melanie who given names of potential girls and would look through there instagram and twitter and analyze it. If they thought you were superficial or fake you would not be chosen, if they saw you were speaking the truth with facts and the way the person would express their activism is what they were looking for they would contact you.

What was the message you were trying to send?

The message they were portraying is a pacific and artistic protest, that you can protest in many different ways. The symbolism for the nudity in the body painting was because Ricardo Rosello's mysogonistic comments sexualizing everything and it's very easy for people to do that and not just simply beauty. They felt like walking pieces of art.

What is a message you would like to send to future protesters and revolutionaries?

The message I would like to give them is, do not back away. If something is wrong and you see unfairness you simply do not back away. Never. People should never stay quiet. [We] need to break [this] toxic cycle. And I will join them forever.

Meet Jorly Flores

By Alondra Montalvo

23-year-old Jorly Flores. Picture is from her instagram @jorlyfloress

On Friday September 20, 2019 I interviewed through a cellphone call Jorly Flores, a participant in the protests of July and part of the viral image on Instagram known as “#hijasdelacrisis” where a line of young women body painted protests for different rights. The 23-year-old, with a bachelor’s degree in Photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York, just recently arrived to the Puerto Rico about 3 months ago after living 5 years in New York and plans to go back by the end of the year.

She talked about how she had no idea when she arrived to the island, she would be participating in the protest against the governor of Puerto Rico.

“The group chat was still not out; it went public 2 weeks after I arrived… I felt like it was a sign from the universe telling me it was the right time to come back," she said.

Flores got a better understanding of the situation in Puerto Rico and the misinformed media by now living both sides of the spectrum, watching everything happening being in the United States and actually living it.

The 23-year-old and the other female actvist that were part of the project met up the day before going to protest, it was a way for all of them to meet and know why they were there. They knew it would an unforgettable and historic experience they will carry on for years to come.

Using your voice for a better tomorrow. Picture provided by Jorly Flores.

Jorly and other girls who participated knew the risks of the protest would affect their health since some of them suffer from asthma and anxiety. The group didn’t stay till late at night and did not go near Calle Fortaleza where most of the protest was being held, taking precautionary measures to not put themselves in danger from the big crowds and tear gas bombs from police force. Flores despite getting sick prior to the protest, she was prepared with the weather conditions she was going to experience those days of protest. Between the beaming hot sun and the heavy rain, she couldn’t continue and needed to take care of her health.

Their main protest was justice for the women who have been killed, sexually assaulted and who have been insulted by former governor Ricardo Rossello. She mentioned the time where the group was kneeling on the ground in a silent protest and a woman came up to them and started to place a flower in front of each if them.

“It was really emotional, I’m not gonna lie. A lot of us had tears in our eyes…when we all kneeled to the ground,” She replied when I asked her how it felt being part of that revolution.

Through her that act of kindness it represented solidarity towards their cause. Another act of solidarity they did was having a moment of silence with lit candles under the bridge of an expressway, where it was raining, for the victims that died during the crisis of hurricane Maria.

Holding hands with her companions of the project in the rain. Picture provided by Jorly Flores.

“That day it rained blood, it rained emotions that day…it was overwhelming,” the photography student said describing the emotions from that day she went to protest.

Was there any backlash from your fanily or social media?

She explained that there wasn’t a lot of “hate” it was more a concern for her safety. Her family didnt have any negative cooments about her participation, just that she be safe since they would see on TV how police would mistreat the protestors by beating them and throwing gas bomb. Even though she didn’t get many comments about it she added that the other young female activists did get “hate comments” on their social media.

If you did not had plans to visit Puerto Rico 3 months ago, and saw what was going on in the island. Would you do it all over again?

She said that she would gladly do it again, she would’ve have bought a plane ticket and came to protest all over again.

An interesting topic she mentioned were the Nuyoricans who were using their nationality for their own convenience. She mentioned how people in New York would criticize her look, attitude and talk as not being “like us”, implying that “Nuyoricans” thought everybody from the island spoke the same as they did. They would comment that she didn’t look "like them" therefore “she must be black”.

“Some people just use [their nationality] it for their own convenience for real, it’s convenient to them," She said.

What would be your reaction if someone decided to put an image of you in a Puerto Rican history book or museum 50 years from now?

She replied very nervous that it would take her about a week to process it and people have actually said that to her and she would be in complete denial.

She added that they can’t compare themselves to none of the great activists in history, but recognize that they were part of something in our history and their actions gives them a spot in history.