Alice Leora Briggs has dedicated herself to taking an unabashed look at the terror of Juarez, Mexico—a site under siege by rampant gang and drug related violence. In response, Briggs has taken up her knife…her etching knife that is.

Using an old etching technique from the 13th century called sgraffito, Briggs cuts through dark wood to reveal images of what was laid before her eyes.

Inspiration to create these images comes from the artist’s experiences in Juarez in the morgue, at execution sites, on the street of the poorer colonias (neighborhoods) and at an asylum for former drug addicts who have heavily consumed Mexico's export crops and can no longer function.

Alongside the graphic images, Briggs also incorporates medieval or renaissance scenes like an old-master draftsman. In a recent conversation with Mike Melia, Briggs explained what drew her to violent depictions: "The first time that I went to Italy, I realized that I was part of an extended tradition in Western art. I mean, you go to Italy, walk into any church, and the subject matter is about torture and death and human suffering. And these are things I think maybe are not entertaining, but certainly are worthy of our attention."


"I would any day of the week rather have my head bashed through a window than go to Juarez," Briggs has said. "It is both something that feeds me and that I need for my work, but it absolutely terrifies me until I'm there. When I'm there it is fine, but anticipating each journey there is an incredibly difficult process I go through."

The situation around Juarez has only gotten worse since last year. There have been more than 1,300 murders so far this year. In 2008, there were roughly 1,500 violent deaths, compared to 700 murders the year before.

"I make what I make to remind myself over and over that at least for now, I have the pleasure of breathing," Briggs says in her artist's statement.

For more info, check out Alice Leora Brigg's here.


 

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