Bright Pink Teeter-Totters

Artist builds see saws

We know that art serves many purposes. Artwork can be a powerful statement, often times communicating more clearly than words. Two college professors collaborated to create artwork that shows no boundaries, or does it?

Ronald Rael, professor of architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and Virginia San Fratello, associate professor of design at San José State University, came up with the conceptual drawings for the “Teetertotter Wall” in 2009. With the help of others, the two professors created the scene this week near El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juáre, Mexico, and shared images and video of it on instagram. “The wall became a literal fulcrum for U.S.-Mexico relations,” Rael wrote on Instagram, “and children and adults were connected in meaningful ways on both sides with the recognition that the actions that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side.”