- There are so many conspiracy
theories surrounding
Denver International Airport.
It's kind of hard to
keep up with actually.
The Illuminati, lizard people, aliens,
underground governments,
antigens that will destroy the world...
There are over a 100,000
articles and videos about
the conspiracy theories at
Denver International Airport.
And Leo Tanguma's work is
definitely part of that.
- People would call me. "Leo,
did you see the website?"
There were negative things,
saying that my murals were
demonized or satanic.
The commentary went on and on.
The conspiracy theories
put such a scare in people
that it affected us real bad economically.
- [Jennifer] When the
airport was first built,
there was a pretty large
sum of money set aside
to fund arts.
It was very competitive.
- When I delivered my slides
and applications and so on
I was about 50 minutes late,
and so I thought they may
not accept my packages,
but it turned out they did.
- [Jennifer] Leo Tanguma was
a very important, significant
muralist in the Denver
area and the community.
- [Leo] I've been painter
about 50 years, and my work
tries to convey messages of
human dignity, and like magic
we had this opportunity, the
chance to do these murals
that I've always wanted to do.
I was not a big shot until I, I have since
realized that we
had something serious
to say to the public.
There's four murals, two pairs.
The smaller of the two was
going to be the problem.
The other one that was 28
feet wide was going to present
the solving of the problems.
One mural is the destruction
of the environment.
A number of animals are destroyed
by the pollution, and the
second mural, these kids
represent humanity because there's
all races there and they're
coming to replant this special,
beautiful flower.
- [Jennifer] I think at that
time it probably was considered
somewhat edgy, but it was
also pre 9/11, and so I think
interpreting his work then
versus now is quite different.
- [Leo] The conspiracy theories
started years and years ago.
I began to go to elementary
schools, and not a one could
sponsor me doing a mural with
the kids, and that had been
like my livelihood before.
- I'm actually really surprised
at some of the conspiracy
theories, but we get a
chuckle out of them at times.
- [Leo] I told the airport what
the problem was, and I gave
them a whole description of
the mural to be used as plaques
next to these murals so people
could read what this is about
and not be making up theories.
But still the commentary went on and on,
so it did make us feel pretty bad.
These are murals of human liberation.
Liberation from ignorance.
Liberation from violence and
brutality, from war, poverty,
from all those things.
That is what moved me to do these murals.
