Truth Be Sold

  • “Truth Be Sold” is divided into six poignant segments tied together by ribbon. Shown here are the first four.
  • As part of their training process, the girls interview each other.
  • This youth paints directly on the wall over the rough outline drawn with pencil.
  • These women add final details to the mural.
  • The team gathers around their completed work, which emphasizes individuality in a consumer culture.
  • The last two sections of the mural. They show women rising out of consumerism and brand name obsession that weigh down on women.
Groundswell Community Murals: CITA

Project Description

“Truth Be Sold” was completed by twelve young women led by artists Katie Yamasaki and Menshahat Ebron in partnership with the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation. The theme of this mural is consumerism. The girls investigated the entire consumer process including extraction, production, market research, advertising, buying, selling, and disposal. Relating the topic specifically to women, the girls explored how consumption affects women on unique levels. Much of our consumer goods are made by women of reproductive age, and young women are often targets of the advertising industry. Brand logos and consumer statistics are spread throughout the design. Inscribed on the mural is a poem written by Nicaraguan poet Gioconda Belli entitled “Uno No Escoge.” This poem is about choosing consciousness and was selected to speak to the largely Spanish-speaking community of Cypress Hills. The mural explores how we as a society can move from being one that values things over people to a culture that values people over material possessions.

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Project Info

Location: 2836 Fulton Street Brooklyn, NY 11207

Fun Facts

Quote
“At the end of the program, we all had a big clothing swap, creating our own local economy. I overheard multiple conversations about rebuilding their social lives, not basing it around buying things." - Katie Yamasaki, Lead Artist
Research
The average American buys 53 times as many products as someone in China. Over a lifetime, the typical American will create 13 times as much environmental damage as the average Brazilian.
Research
Learn more about Gioconda Belli by visiting her website, www.giocondabelli.org.