Los Disappeared: Deporting the American Dream March 8, 2008

Still and Moving Pictures by Josue Rojas.

The San Francisco Mission District's own Josué Rojas presents "Los Disappeared" a multimedia art exhibition that marries aesthetics and ethics, journalism and fine arts.

This cutting edge collection of paintings and video are inspired by the artist's work/ travels in Central America, and from his interest in capturing the plight of young Salvadorans whose lives were drastically changed by the 12-year-long civil war in El Salvador. As part of the "Salviaspora" these young people have made it back to the homeland through a series of events, displaced by injustice, irony and fragmentation due to civil and urban wars.

The exhibition also speaks to the phenomenon of those that have never left El Salvador and are now participating in cultures/subcultures birthed abroad. The artist brings understanding to the why's and how's of the deported American dream through this captivating ensemble. The artist blends mediums to provide a pictorial and real-time depiction of the deportee experience. "The paintings are my portraits of them, the video is them in their own words."

"This is not just a Salvadoran thing. It's happening to Haitians, Cambodians & kids from every Spanish-speaking country on the continent. This is the story of the Americas during my generation." says Rojas.

Official Website: http://twentygoto10.com/upcoming#josue