Thursday, November 8, 2007
Cynthia Back
This artist Cynthia Back is one that I looked at and really liked her work. I think that something like this would be interesting to the environmental aspect of the show. The three images of hers that I picked and especially liked are attatched; what i enjoy about them is the way that Back makes the images have very organic colors and shapes (especially in Cul-de-Sacs), yet they aren't environmentally natural things. Back describes her work as "referencing our changing landscapes; the spread of suburban environments, mining and other industries, the subsequent destruction of habitats, farms and forests and the homogenization and sameness of much of suburban growth, strip malls and roads". I think that something like this could be a good addition!
Steven Hampton
Customs, 2006
Acrylic, oil, and spraypaint on canvas
84in x 72in
“Every day millions of messages hover, competing for our attention. Advertising, movies, television and the Internet produce so much signification that visual hysteria can result. I believe the influence of these media and the cultural signage they produce are always present, floating in our field of vision. The overlapping of these cultural signs borders on ephemerality while constantly contaminating the permanence of the original message. For clarity, images seem to be accompanied by logos or some form of branding. Colors and imagery specific to advertising slide seamlessly into images of entertainment. Entertainment mixes indiscriminately with news. This leaves us in an indeterminate situation, stuck somewhere between sober attention and thoughtless frivolity. My paintings mimic this visual state. Interrogating what makes themselves possible while keeping a sense of comedy and playfulness present, they evoke experiences that are analogous to the way in which we deal with imagery on a daily basis. I explore the possibility of making paintings with an ongoing war in the background.” – Artist’s statement
This piece isn’t directly about immigration, however customs, or the agency that controls what’s brought in and out of the country, also affects the relationship and perception between America and her neighbors. In relation to one of our border countries, Mexico, the drug wars are a critical factor in the surveillance of what is actually being transported back and forth between the US and Mexico. (This piece might be stretching the immigration and border control idea, I just thought it was interesting and the aesthetics appealed to me, especially since I love street art.)
Lior Neiger
Globe, 2003, Video Projection, 3 min. loop
2003
Video
”Globe, 2003, Video Projection, 3 min. loop (the video can be seen: http://www.bu.edu/prc/neiger.htm ) Divided in two, each side of the screen features a globe turning quickly and slowing to a halt. Each time it stops, a random encounter is created between two geographical areas. Tension is thus generated between the representation of reality in each of the two screen parts and the new place created by the juxtaposition of the two, attesting to the potential of border changes, migration of nations, the movement of continents, etc. The work touches upon questions of immigration, occupation, colonialism, globalization, terrorism, arbitrariness, and play (it contains an element of a casino game). The straight dividing line created by the split screen alludes, at times parallels, to straight borders marked in the course of history throughout the world (such as borders between states in the United States and between countries in Africa). The work elicits questions concerning knowledge and orientation (or the lack thereof), confronting us with the realization that between every two spots in the world there is always some kind of connection (whether economic, political, geographical, historical or cultural). If we do not know what that link is, it is only because we, as viewers, lack knowledge about it. Much attention was devoted to the formal and color accord of the geographical combinations, but the idea of the ”unexpected” encounter is nevertheless
Esperanza Mayobre
Immigration Services, 2006
Mixed Media
Dimensions Variable
Faith in Santa Esperanza, the patron of the immigrants, helps illegal immigrants to obtain their needed green card to remain with legal status in the United States. This piece is an installation of candles of the “Virgin of Esperanza (Hope), Mother of Immigrants” with passport, greencard and money in her hand; aligned inside a wall niche. Beside the wall is a pedestal where you can acquire the Legitimate Dust of Virgin of Esperanza for 25 cents. This dust works eliminating illegal immigrants by spraying it.
“Detail of hand holding passport, money and greencard. At the back of the candle you will find the Prayer of Virgin of Esperanza, Mother of the Immigrants: I come here to implore you help with confidence, that because of your divine motherhood you will hear the prayers of this poor immigrant. Intercede for me, so that your divine son the United States of American will grant the Citizenship for which I now pray. Hail Mary full of grace, etc.”
Enrique Chagoya
"The Pastoral or Arcadian State, Illegal Alien's Guide to Greater America": 2006
Color lithograph : 23 3/4 x 39" : Ed. 30 : $3200
“Enrique Chagoya has created a pastoral pastiche based on George Caleb Bingham's painting "Jolly Flatboatmen" and an Albert Bierstadt painting of the American West. It is a commentary on current immigration concerns with the scene populated by a diverse mix of characters. Using images appropriated from many sources, Chagoya has combined the heads from some images with bodies from others. He has Border Patrol officers with Indian headdresses and businessmen with turbans. He has drawn Humpty Dumpty as the Lone Ranger and many smaller figures appear in the background. Many of the characters have cartoon “bubbles” quoting “artspeak”....in this context the quotes become a satirical self-criticism of the print and its imagery.
“The Pastoral or Arcadian State: Illegal Alien’s Guide to Greater America” is a thirteen color lithograph printed from 10 plates on handmade Amate paper 23_ x 39” in an edition of 30, plus proofs.”
Margarita Cabrera – “Immigrant Backpacks”
Every piece in these works are handcrafted by Cabrera. Everyday items that everyone uses, such as the wallets, rosary, bread, are combined with pliers and a first aid kit to symbolize the journey of the immigrants. I feel these pieces force the viewer to see the “immigrants” as actual people, just like themselves. They make a clear point that resonates with me.
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