In his essay on the works
of Sánchez, Dore Ashton describes La Lucha Continua in the following
manner:
"The folk image
of the priest with his faithful animals is seconded by the photograph
of the communion dress and crucifix of the partly pictured girl...Sanchez
invokes the various gods of the original black population, Chango and
Oshun and Ogun, and indites a prayer, 'may our spirit ring true'"
(1998, 7).
Although Dore is correct
in saying that the print alludes to Santería, Catholicism and Spiritualism,
he does not fully address the complicated syntax of Sánchez's invocation.
What is the objective of Sánchez's invocation to the gods? Who are these
gods being invoked in La Lucha Continua? Why are they invoked
in that manner?
According to Migene González-Wippler
(1999, 268) one of the most popular of prayers of Lucumí or Santería
practitioners is "the Seven African Powers (Las Siete Potencias
Africanas), an awesome septet formed by Elegguá, Orúnla, Obatalá, Changó,
Yemayá, Lucumí, and Oshún." In La Lucha Continua, Sánchez
sets up his own power septet to be "Chango and Oshun, Obatala and
Ogun, Yemaya, Elegua and Oya." He substitues Oyá, the orisha for
burial grounds for Orúnla, the patron orisha for babalawos. The invocation
of Oyá is a call for protection against death, especially in the face
of colonial oppression. Oyá is correctly being invoked since this is
one of her function and powers. The displacement of Orúnla can be rationalized
since the artist himself, is functioning in the role of a diviner in
this piece.
The entire backdrop of
La Lucha Continua is yellow, the color of Oshún. This perhaps
constitutes a very obvious clue of the powerful influence of this Òrìsà
in the life of Sánchez. In the foreground to the right, drawings of
barred wires remind us of the independentistas who are behind prison
walls. On the left
side of the composition, the artist sets up a devotional niche in the
upper section, with the image of St. Martin de Porres, the mestizo Dominican
priest who was born in Lima, Peru in 1579 and died in 1639. The son
of a Spanish 'gentleman' and a 'colored' freed woman, Martin de Porres
was especially fond of dogs and cats (http://saints.catholic.org/saints/martindeporres.html).
He is famed for his intercession in solving marital problems and as
one of the paths of Elegguá, he wields power and guards the home against
dangers.
Recessed in the background
of this image of Elegguá/St. Martin de Porres are three upright palm
trees, the habitation of Changó. Before this devotional niche, Sánchez
invites us to remember the political prisoners, who are in jail for
working for the independence of their homeland. In an ironical swipe
at the U.S.'s claims on democracy, he asks us to pray
for deliverance from the prisons of that democracy that sallied around
the globe undermining peoples democratic rights.
