Plaza De Mayo – Acrylic Painting on canvas by Artist Leslie Deil

Back in 2011, I took a trip with a friend to Buenos Aries, Argentina. That trip gave me lots of inspiration over the years. For example, the La Boca Church has its colorful facade, the cemetery has massive statutes and mausoleums, and the Plaza De Mayo has its protesters.

Starting in the 1970’s and into the early 1980’s, a brutal military dictatorship ruled Argentina. During this time, known as the Dirty War, many people were disappeared by the regime. Starting 1977, the mothers of the disappeared began protesting in the Plaza De Mayo by marching in silence. They continued this protest weekly ever since.

That brings me to the subject of the painting, the two men waiting on a park bench. The husbands, sons, nephews, and even grandsons of the protesting women stand by and wait until the protest is finished. The women are protesting heinous and extraordinary circumstances, yet for the men that bring them to the protest, it is a standing appointment.