‘Lazy Mexican’ sculpture ruffles feathers in Arizona

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A public art project that was intended to depict the image of a snoozing Mexican with his head beneath a sombrero has stirred resentment from some Latinos, even though the sculpture collapsed just minutes after being removed from a mold, reports the Arizona Republic.

‘When I saw the picture and read about it, I just thought, ‘How sad. What a lost opportunity, and what a waste of money,’ ‘ said Zarco Guerrero, a prominent Latino artist in Arizona. ‘For all of my life, that image has represented a lazy Mexican.’

The artists who created a 12-foot statue for a public art program at Arizona State University say their project depicts the complex relationship between borders and culture. Others say the installation in a border region notorious for illegal immigration promotes a negative stereotype of laziness.

The statue, named ‘Solo,’ was commissioned for ASU’s Future Arts Research program, which hosts artists in residence from around the world. The piece composed of sand and water resembles yard ornaments, and was designed to symbolically erode over time.

But Veletta Canouts, administrator at the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Cultural Center, said ‘Solo’ expired shortly after delivery. The project is located behind the cultural center.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City