Through the Repellent Fence

Through the Repellent Fence is a profound documentary that navigates the intersections between contemporary art, land art, transcultural identity, and border politics. Directed by Sam Wainwright Douglas, the film showcases the journey and efforts of the art collective Postcommodity, comprising of three Native American artists - Raven Chacon, Cristobal Martinez, and Kade Twist. The artists embark on a mission to construct Repellent Fence, a two-mile-long outdoor artwork that straddles the United States and Mexico border.

The film opens with an introduction to the three artists, their background, their distinct and individual art practices, and their collective undertaking as Postcommodity. The members share the same concern for emphasizing Indigenous culture and tradition in an era marked by border crisis, cultural appropriation, and capitalistic globalization.

Through the Repellent Fence navigates the preparation and execution of the Repellent Fence project. The artwork is composed of 26 enormous balloons - reminiscent of "scare-eye" bird repellent devices, held in a line that extends two miles along the geographical border, visible from a considerable distance in both territories. Through this temporary monument, the group aimed not just to confront ongoing geopolitical tensions but also to remember pre-existing trade routes and unity of indigenous people across the border.

Douglas’ direction taps into the political and cultural significance of this project. He effortlessly blends interviews of the artists, footage of the installation process, and fine cinematography showcasing the landscape's beauty. Additionally, he includes a variety of perspectives on the fence, integrating the voices of people who live and work near the border.

The film takes on political undertones as it portrays the friction between the border's imposed divide versus the interconnected history and lives of those straddling this border. The powerful visual metaphor by the artists aims to resist divisive politics by reclaiming a shared history while maintaining firm roots in their contemporary practice.

Douglas also traces the history of Land Art in the American Southwest, putting Postcommodity's work in a broader context of large-scale artworks interacting with the desolate, beautiful landscapes of the region. The history of prominent Land art pieces in New Mexico and the influence of these giant installations on Postcommodity's work are elaborately described, creating an engaging narrative throughout the film.

In a sense, Through the Repellent Fence also serves as a chronicle, recording the preparations, surveys, permissions, technical obstacles, and residential opposition that plague the creation of socially engaged art in public places. It highlights the artists' persistence, patience, and dedication, giving viewers a sense of the challenges borne by artists when their craft intersects directly with the real world and its multifaceted issues.

This documentary does not shy away from wrestling with complex issues of colonial past, indigenous heritage, border security, migration, and cultural identity. In a remarkable feat of storytelling, it manages to tie together the local history, human stories, stunning landscape, ambitious art project, and the looming border issue into a unifying narrative thread.

Chacon, Martinez, and Twist, as we see them through the film, are not just artists, but mediators, translating their heritage and identity into a universally accessible aesthetic experience. Their characters give authenticity to the narrative and add a human dimension to their spectacular installation art.

In conclusion, Through the Repellent Fence is not merely an art documentary, it is a striking exploration of indigenous identity, community, and unity set against the physical and symbolic background of a border that is as much a political construct as it is geographic. Expect to be taken aback by the simple elegance of the Repellent Fence project and enthralled by the ambitious endeavor taken on by the Postcommodity collective. This film leaves its viewers with profound insight into the complexity of border identities and the transformational power of art.