This heroic portrait of Bolivia’s 54-year-old president, Evo Morales, is one of several national icons portrayed in this block long mural. I waited until a policeman, speaking into a two-way radio, entered the frame, and made this image just as he reached a tree that divides the photo, along with the head of the president, in half. My interpretation is inspired by my perception of Bolivian history and politics. Morales is a divisive figure. Widely regarded as Bolivia’s first democratically elected president to come from its indigenous population, Morale’s eight years in office have focused on leftist policies, poverty reduction, and fighting the influence of the United States and international corporations in Bolivia. I see the tree slicing through the image, together with the role of the policeman talking into his radio, as symbolizing the reign of this colorful but controversial president. Morales is seen by some as a champion of indigenous rights, anti imperialism and environmentalism. He is condemned by many others for ruthlessly suppressing the growing desire for autonomy in Bolivia’s vast Amazonian regions. As I made this image, I also realized that three of its colors happen to be those of the Bolivian flag – red, yellow, and green. Morales himself springs from a field of blue. It is the color Bolivians associate with the “Movement for Socialism,” the political party founded and led by Evo Morales since 1998. Even the pair of automobiles randomly parked at each end of my frame harmonizes with this image – they are red and blue as well.