If we’re going to make it
across this river alive,
we've got to think like a boat,
and go with the tide.

—-

Baddest Bunny
2026
Oil on panel
24” diameter

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The vitriol that Bad Bunny received before, during, and after his Super Bowl Half Time concert perfectly highlights the disassociation of conservative MAGA media and followers. Their vision of a lily white America is at odds with the wide awake, objective long view of the birth/conquer of North America and surrounding hemisphere.

When I look into Benito Martinez Ocasio’s eyes, I am reminded of the Spanish-American War, with the ending of four centuries of Spanish prescience in the Americas. The acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines, along with the changing status of Cuban/US relations… these are historical facts that are often disregarded by conservative Americans who love to pick and choose WHO gets to claim heritage to this “great experiment”. (I am bugged by that phrase) When I meet people of color - I feel the weight of history, and I respect the tenacity and perseverance of humans writ large. Bad Bunny carries the legacy of historical consequences, and he is confident in sharing his “side-eye” otherness/togetherness with the world.

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