The Ghost of Liberty

Over twenty-five years ago, Chagoya adopted the format of the Mesoamerican codex as a vehicle to explore contemporary history. He made this print in the years following 9/11, when Americans questioned President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. Chagoya’s codex, which reads from right to left and is made of amate paper like the historic forms that inspired it, mixes incongruous visual references from the Lone Ranger and Tonto to plumed serpents, dinosaurs, Arabic and Chinese text, flying saucers, and much more. His narrative is open to interpretation, but his title suggesting the eclipse of liberty and his appropriation of Hollywood racial stereotypes offers enough fodder to spark debate.