Resistance Through Art
The burgeoning Cartonera movement invades Memphis
The “Cartonera” movement is an arts-based literacy movement that has swiftly expanded throughout Latin America since its birth in 2003. Originating in Argentina in the heat of an economic crisis, the movement aimed to improve literacy rates by making literature more accessible to underprivileged communities. “Cartonera” workshops consist of artists, writers, and other members of the community working in a cooperative setting. These workshops appeared first in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the context of a severe economic crisis and falling literacy rates. Shortly, models replicated and expanded quickly throughout the region. Their goal was to make books out of disposed cardboard and sell them at low prices in order to democratize literature and increase its accessibility to the community.
In addition, the movement’s philosophy behind the production of books has questioned the authority of copyright, highlighting its negative impact on people’s access to literature. Authors publishing their work through the Cartoneras donate the copyright of their stories to the organizations, promoting the idea of “copyleft”, which gives the workshops free reign to reproduce and distribute their stories. Each book made by a Cartonera workshop is hand-made, replacing the mechanical and monotonous mass reproduction of books that is all too common an aspect of the capitalist mode of production. Simultaneously, the movement reaffirms the value of art and artistry in an age that instead stresses the importance of technology, uniformity, and efficiency. Cartoneras have revolutionized how we perceive sustainability, production, and literature’s place in the world, and has highlighted the ability of literature and culture to produce meaningful work that provides voices for the dispossessed and underrepresented in times of hardship.
George Ritzer, in his book The McDonaldization of Society, theorizes that modern society has become hyper-rational. He coins the term “McDonaldization”, the essence of which entails an extreme focus on efficiency, uniformity, and productivity in order to achieve an end or goal. He uses the popular restaurant chain McDonald’s as an example. Everywhere that you go in the world, you find a part of this food chain in which you know exactly what to expect. The meals are manufactured and uniformly produced to cater to the desires of the customer while maximizing productivity. Ritzer believes that “McDonalization” has a dehumanizing effect on society because we know longer value the product we create because we have become so focused on profit and productivity.*
The Cartonera movement, in reality, is a form of resistance to the McDonaldization of modern society. It’s process of book-making is authentic, and maintains the creative aspect of literature. The books made by Cartonera workshops are hand-made works of art, not manufactured products made to meet the demands of its consumers. In other words, Cartonera books are created, not manufactured. Through McDonaldization, the accumulation of monetary capital has become more important than the actual product. But, the Cartonera process is different. It’s goal is not to generate wealth; it aims to democratize literature and increase its accessibility.
The movement is also a form of resistance to the ill-effects that capitalism often has on people’s access to literature, particularly in urban communities. Copyright is a notable factor in this issue because it raises the prices of books, preventing many from having access to literature. Copyright is profit-driven and contributes to profit-driven bookmaking. Due to this, the notion of copyleft began. Copyleft is a key aspect of the Cartonera movement in which willing authors give up the copyright of their literature to the public domain, allowing Cartonera workshops to print freely to help democratize the literature.**
In early 2016, Memphis received its own Cartonera workshop, the first in the mid-south. Local organizations such as Latino Memphis, Abriendo Puertas, and Cazateatro, as well as students of Rhodes College facilitated the start-up and growth of Memphis Cartonera, organizing “talleres” (workshops) in which the first books were created. The process had several steps, the first of which was reaching out to local organizations and putting together the workshops.
I had the opportunity to reach out to and partner with members of Cazateatro, a bilingual theater group whose creativity fit perfectly with the Cartonera movement. We worked at building relationships with the group, before bringing them to Rhodes College to hold workshops to create books. We met three 3 times prior to our first workshop, and even attended a performance of theirs, Monólogos de la vagina (The Vagina Monologues), to familiarize ourselves with this group’s work.
The next step of the process brought members of Cazateatro to the campus of Rhodes College to begin the process of bookmaking. In the first workshop, we explained the history of the Cartonera movement, its origins in Latin America, and it being an arts-based literacy program started in the midst of economic downturn. They then practiced making the “tapas” (covers) of the books. For our project we intended to have them create their own stories in order to compile all of them in what would end up being the first creation of books by Memphis Cartonera. Members of Cazateatro created their own stories, many of which included deep accounts of their experiences immigrating to America and Memphis. In the next workshop we decided the title of their book. After deliberation, we chose Luces, Corazón, Cazateatro! (Lights, heart, Cazateatro!). We then commenced to creating the covers of the books. Each member made their own cover to their book with creative and artistic designs.
Writing authentic stories and creating the physical books are what makes the process a good example of how the Cartonera movement acts as a resistance to the “McDonaldization” of society. Members of Cazateatro found joy in the process of making their own books, exhibiting how books ought to be artistic creations, and how the process of making them should be enjoyable. Throughout the process, no one was concerned about how much money they could make; all were enjoying the opportunity to create something new and unique.
Members of the Dirtsa Cartonera in Maracay, Venezuela explain the essence of the Cartonera movement perfectly:
“Cuando compras algo Hecho a Mano, estás adquiriendo más que la pieza, estás comprando horas de errores y experimentación, frustración y alegría. Te estás llevando un pedacito de Corazón, parte de un Alma, un momento de la vida de alguien.” — Dirtsa Cartonera
This translates to “When you buy something handmade, you’re getting more than just a product, you’re getting all the hours of mistakes and experimenting, frustration and joy. You’re carrying a piece of that person’s soul, a moment of their life.”
In the final workshop, we printed the compilation of stories and binded them to the covers. Those who wrote their own stories were excited to see their finished product. Some became emotional, as many of the stories they shared were personal accounts of struggle and endurance.
After our last workshop with Cazateatro (for now), we focused on disseminating the literature, as well as the spirit of the Cartonera movement. We helped the movement to grow by promoting our accomplishments in the greater Memphis community at Crosstown Art’s Storybooth. Librarians, teachers, students, as well as members of the organizations that we cooperated with joined us to learn more of the movement. There, we presented the process of bookmaking, explained the idea of copyleft and how it applies, and highlighted how the books were artistic creations meant to be sold as artwork with intrinsic value.
The guests were able to move from booth to booth to learn of the different parts of the process. We also gave them the opportunity to create their own Cartonera books so they could experience the process themselves. Children as well as adults took part in the activity.
In addition to each table, guests had the opportunity to look at authentic books made from Cartonera workshops from throughout Latin America.
Overall, our experience in creating Memphis Cartonera was a success. Memphis is a prime location for another addition to the Cartonera movement. Many of the Cartoneras throughout Latin America are centered in urban communities affected by problems like illiteracy and poverty. It is in these ares that Cartoneras are the most beneficial and effective in democratizing literature, as many who may otherwise not have access to books may now have that opportunity.
* Ritzer, George. The McDonaldization of Society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge, 2004. Print.
** Bilbija, Ksenija. “Borrón Y Cuento Nuevo: Las Editoriales Cartoneras Latinoamericanas.” Nueva Sociedad, 31 Oct. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2016