Sacred Lies and Profane Truths

The weather, music, literature, news, truth, lies, environment, vaccines, light, driving, politics, family, laughter, misinformation, love, bombs, masks, fear, touch, borders, race, art, community, moon, intimacy, drones, death, history, cosmos, violence, film, trust, relationships, prejudice, human rights, stars, war, friends, sex, studio, pandemic, process, collaboration, and ideas are some of the issues that swirl around in my head on any given day.

And, my work is an amalgamation of many of these issues that intertwines itself with identity—personal and universal, along with pop-culture references. The work has been socially and politically conscious for the most part, but it is usually as an undercurrent and not as overt and confrontational as some of the recent work. Issues of race, fear and violence are current topics in my work as a reaction to the current political climate which has become racially divisive, economically polarizing, politically nationalistic and physically violent at times. As a result, I have created works that try to push back against the inflammatory political rhetoric that demonizes Mexicans in particular, and immigrants and the "other" in general. And occasionally, I insert humor into the cauldron as I shout melodically into the troubled night.

I'm Afraid of Mexicans!
Adapted from "I'm Afraid of Americans" by David Bowie

Juan's in America
Low-riders at the wheel

Americans don't need anyone
They don't even just pretend
Juan's in America

I'm afraid of Mexicans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't

I'm afraid of Mexicans

Juan's in America

Juan wants my job
Juan wants to snort my Coke
Juan wants my woman
Juan's a joke

Juan's in America

I'm afraid of Mexicans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't

I'm afraid of Mexicans

Juan's in America
Juan wants my car
Juan combs his hair
And Juan wants sex in my car

Juan's in America
Juan's in America

I'm afraid of Mexicans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't

I'm afraid of Mexicans

God is an American
God is an American

I'm afraid of Mexicans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't

Yeah, I'm afraid of Mexicans
I'm afraid of them
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't

I'm afraid of Mexicans

Juan's in America
Juan's a Mexican

I'm afraid of Mexicans!

Huerta received a BFA degree from the University of Houston and an MA from New Mexico State University. He was Co-founder, Executive Director and Emeritus Board Director of Art Lies, a Texas art journal. He recently retired as Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington and stepped down as Director/Curator of The Gallery at UTA.

His work will be included in a two-person exhibition this December at Kirk Hopper Fine Art, Dallas, and in April 2025 at Andrew Durham Gallery, Houston. Recent one-person exhibitions include Profane Truths and Sacred Lies at The Gallery at UT Arlington; More or Less: Una Retrospectiva at William Campbell Gallery, Ft. Worth; and Más O Menos: A Retrospective at the Latino Cultural Center, Dallas. His work is in several museum and corporate collections throughout the United States.