What is America? (print)

Description

“What is America?” 5×5 inch print on heavy cardstock. Original painting is acrylic paint on canvas, layered with collaged images from photographs and magazines. The bottom half of the painting features a variety of geometric shapes with images of the “building blocks” of American society — the founding fathers, the constitution, the U.S. flag, etc. The words “Immigrants stole this land” are placed atop these images, challenging the current anti-immigration narrative by pointing the finger of blame at our country’s origins. These historical “building blocks” support collaged photographs of European cathedrals and buildings, hinting at the popular mythology that the Pilgrims sought to escape religious persecution when they landed on Plymouth rock. Growing from these buildings is a tree with two Native American children sitting high in its branches, surrounded by butterflies and a bird – a reminder of the vibrant Indigenous life that existed harmoniously with nature prior to European colonization, as well as the possibility of rebirth and renewal. Small flowers, painted in the colors of Latin American flags, symbolize the countries that are part of the American continent that was once borderless.

50% of proceeds from print sales will go to RAICES, which provides mass-scale deportation defense, bond assistance, and family reunification for detained immigrants, as well as the National Immigration Forum, which drives federal immigration policy reform through bipartisan advocacy, research, and coalition building.