A Dominican photographer named Maurice Sanchez has a project called "Flow Tropical" that documents popular Dominican graphics. When I first started seeing his posts on Instagram, they seemed nothing special to me since it is normal for us as Dominicans to see paintings like this in different daily businesses. But over time, I learned to appreciate them and, without realizing it, every time I saw a painting, I took pictures, so I knew they were not as easy to find as I thought; it awakened my desire to document them.
I realized how day-to-day things go overlooked. I asked people about places to go to photograph those paintings, and everyone knew what I was talking about. Still, I was still determining exactly where to find them, or when I went to the places they told me, those were not the paintings I was looking for, so I reflected: how does something so characteristic of us go unnoticed? Is it so easy to forget something about our culture?
Like any developing society, everything is gradually changing; therefore, part of the culture is lost. It is a record of these paintings disappearing from businesses in the country as things become more modern. To find these, I had to go to neighborhoods in the city that still have these paintings and explore outside the city. I took the photos with whatever I had, sometimes with a disposable camera or cellphone.
People do not understand why I like to take these pictures; they do not understand what is so special about them. However, when I explain why I document and publish them, they realize they are less common than they used to be. These paintings represent the beauty of the simple, the everyday life itself, and an expression of Dominicanness. They are humorous, creative, and simple but show the message they want to communicate about the business straight.
Inspired by Maurice Sanchez's "Flow Tropical" project, of which a photo book has already been published, I became involved in a search to document these overlooked paintings that define the essence of Dominican culture. Through this visual exploration, I want to bring awareness to our heritage's subtle and fading shades, encouraging us all to preserve the unique treasures that make us who we are.
