tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49252580987238546532024-03-19T02:54:31.878-07:00The Desert ProjectIn July 2012, I traveled to Rio Rico, AZ to install a very special series of cardboard cutouts in the desert. The Desert Project experience was necessary in order to understand for myself, beyond the media's coverage, the realities of the hostile, national issue. As an American-born child of Mexican Immigrants, The Desert Project is my way of honoring those who have made, as well as those who never completed, the treacherous trip through the unforgiving desert.Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-50291552232547633622013-12-20T12:14:00.000-08:002013-12-20T12:14:11.126-08:00Los Olvidados (2013) short film<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My partner David Feldman directed a short film about the Arizona Desert Project that has been submitted to several film festivals. For any inquiries about the film please contact davelip75@yahoo.com</div>
<br />Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-40533885055033472332013-04-19T13:09:00.003-07:002013-04-19T14:09:37.943-07:00Los Olvidados<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ramiro Gomez<br />
"Los Olvidados"<br />
Acrylic on cardboard<br />
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Photo: David Feldman<br />
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Installed:<br />
Tucson, AZ<br />
July, 2012<br />
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based on sketch I did prior to traveling to the Arizona desert. </div>
Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-18103683767452923482013-04-04T19:39:00.004-07:002013-04-19T13:10:37.619-07:00Rio Rico, Arizona <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Testing a cardboard cutout in the desert.Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-30232203229086534712013-01-30T19:35:00.001-08:002013-01-30T19:38:38.246-08:00Setting up the cardboard cutouts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the end of the trip, after several practice runs and attempts to set-up the cardboard cutouts, we found a location that was perfect for the final set-up of my composition.<br />
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We were in a race against the sunset. This time, we started setting them up earlier in order to have them in place for the moment when the sun is setting and bathes the desert in a warm, dramatic glow as it disappears into the night sky.Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-78633985952851206792013-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:002013-02-04T20:19:33.678-08:00Location scouting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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looking for locations in Rio Rico, AZ to set up my composition of cardboard cutouts was difficult because of the unpredictable rainfall.<br />
<a name='more'></a>In my original sketch of <a href="http://arizonadesertproject.blogspot.com/2013/01/los-olvidados-sketch.html">Los Olvidados</a> , I had drawn the figures assembled in front of a tall, Saguaro Cactus. We were having a hard time locating one that we could access easily and set up the cardboard cutouts. We found a Casino called The Desert Diamond in Sahuarita, AZ off Interstate 19 that was next to a fenced area with a few tall cacti that I felt could work for the composition, but the cloudy skies obscured what little light was being emitted by the rapidly setting sun. The location wasn't ideal because of it's proximity to the Casino security cameras. Regardless, we attempted to install the full composition of cardboard cutouts and had a few people to help with the set-up. One of the people helping me was a border patrol agent, who initially was upset that I wanted to bring my project to the desert he patrols. He is a friend who wishes to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue. We engaged in a civil discussion The night before, over dinner in Tucson about my reasons for the project and he shared with me his own opinions and skepticism of my intentions. He felt that by bringing a biased idea such as my cutouts sympathizing with the migrants, I would bring more negative attention and protests to what is essentially his job. He informed me of his routine patrolling the harsh landscape. The dangers he faces daily. The boredom he sometimes has when patrolling for hours on end by himself waiting for a sign of activity. He was particularly irritated and showed his displeasure at the difficulty of ordering a cheeseburger at McDonalds nearby from a cashier who didn't speak English. As he said this to me, I thought how similar his annoyance was to Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia, PA where they have a sign that reads "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING Please 'SPEAK ENGLISH'". I also thought of my grandmother, who passed away in 2009. She spoke no english. If my grandmother wanted a cheeseburger, I went and ordered it for her because I spoke english. Between my Parents, Aunts and Uncles, Spanish is the primary language, they are all Mexican Immigrants. Between my sisters, cousins and I, English is the primary language. We are all American born citizens. It is very common for us to speak spanglish at home with family because we are essentially a hybrid, living as the first generation with a direct connection to Mexico. The border patrol agent's annoyance at the lack of English skills from an American Mcdonald's Cashier, and the irony of a proud Italian-American eatery like Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia demanding for their customers to order in English, loses sight of the fact that the border patrol agent also migrated to the Rio Rico area for the job he now has, and that Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia is in a proud Italian-American community that not long ago had a first wave of Italian immigrants who chose to settle in that area of Philadelphia and establish their community. There is no winner in an issue as complex as this, and winning an argument should not be what we search for. The fact that I had a constructive conversation with someone who did not share my views and which motivated him enough to go out and assist me in installing my project in the desert that he originally was against, opened a door that was initially closed. The experience of understanding the border patrol agent as a human separate from his job, and him understanding me as a human separate from mine, meeting in the middle, was the victory.
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Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-66095485158050677662013-01-28T00:45:00.000-08:002013-01-28T03:22:28.287-08:00Travel Caution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As we drove around a back road on a rainy afternoon in Rio Rico, AZ, we ventured into a campground with a Travel Caution sign that warned us of the activities in the area. <br />
<a name='more'></a>It gave me a strange feeling to see this sign, similar to something I would see in a Northern California park such as those warning us to not feed the bears. The dehumanizing aspect of the sign upset me, The words illegal and immigration next to smuggling intended to generalize all those individuals crossing as criminals. What this sign does not reflect is that smuggling is intended for an American population's relentless need for those illegal substances, a reality that I see all to often back home in Hollywood while eating out dinner at a fancy restauraunt and overhearing the entertainment industry couple next to me inquiring about where to "score some blow." It is at these same fancy Hollywood restauraunt's that one could take a glance in the kitchen and see an immigrant population responsible for the cooking and cleaning. After we finished the trip and returned home to West Hollywood, my partner David, his Father Bob (who is in this picture), and I were watching an episode of Moyer's and Company and heard, for the first time, the wonderful words of the amazing writer Luis Alberto Urrea describing his book 'The Devil's Highway'. In it, Urrea describes The North American continent as "broad (high, wide, and lonesome)" Mexico was "tall (high, narrow, and lonesome) Europeans conquering North America hustled west, where the open land lay. And the Europeans settling Mexico hustled north. Where the open land was. Immigration, the drive northward, is a white phenomenon. White Europeans conceived of and launched El Norte mania, just as white Europeans inhabiting the United States today bemoan it." His words rang so true as I had time to reflect on what the words in this sign made me feel. <br />
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<br />Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-47354922251176440122013-01-26T01:04:00.001-08:002013-01-28T03:24:13.903-08:00My amazing crew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I couldn't have made the trip and installed this project without my amazing crew. <br />
<a name='more'></a>My partner and Director David, center,filmed and documented my project. His Father Bob,left, a middle school teacher from Philadelphia, PA helped install the cutouts. It was a truly eye-opening experience for them, as much as it was for me.Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-45461731769945973132013-01-26T00:52:00.001-08:002013-01-28T03:19:04.023-08:00In the desert, we are all small<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My experiences observing the border crossing revealed to me the reasons why I wanted to take such a quiet, subtle route to address the issue in a creative manner. <br />
<a name='more'></a>I wanted to find a way to move beyond the crowds, the passionate rallies, the media's coverage, and move into the desert, where the private, daily struggles of migrants, and the agents chasing them, were happening. In the desert, we are vulnerable, and we are small. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUGMof-KAFwDR65q9_svsTUNl2J7yo0nlYb3uDdoHiuHALUmH5MssB-Ov7bSj613Z5K0dlo2V9Ba5i7tUKDu8OfngCgkI8hIM30PzZnTegzMiuHwiZa2A368BFB6w_tv5lUiNHm9UzXI/s1600/AZ-crouchingman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUGMof-KAFwDR65q9_svsTUNl2J7yo0nlYb3uDdoHiuHALUmH5MssB-Ov7bSj613Z5K0dlo2V9Ba5i7tUKDu8OfngCgkI8hIM30PzZnTegzMiuHwiZa2A368BFB6w_tv5lUiNHm9UzXI/s320/AZ-crouchingman.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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"Escondido" acrylic on cardboard installation</div>
<br />Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-8197017346643685322013-01-26T00:18:00.000-08:002013-01-28T03:25:19.970-08:00The border crossing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Mexico were literally divided by this man-made border. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdvOF_phJ5OhsmlbOnaC4rdFiJCJS4Sh35hQJuDMrsHp9e0xfp-eVLEI0Ejv19dxFFrrct2X8loeThwRYe05dJoLioWeQDjOqBCmCQ95A5d9xD8JwXULhzzIXv8z6TJYDDHefERh8aQY/s1600/AZ+Border.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdvOF_phJ5OhsmlbOnaC4rdFiJCJS4Sh35hQJuDMrsHp9e0xfp-eVLEI0Ejv19dxFFrrct2X8loeThwRYe05dJoLioWeQDjOqBCmCQ95A5d9xD8JwXULhzzIXv8z6TJYDDHefERh8aQY/s400/AZ+Border.JPG" width="299" /></a></div>
A strange mix of quiet locals idled around on both sides. A line queued on the Mexico side waiting to enter The U.S. There was no line waiting to enter Mexico. As I observed the customs agents, I realized their cold militaristic demeanor was a direct reflection of the hostile situation covered by the media. Unlike the media's coverage however, the quiet reality of this location was much more complex. "no pictures" was the constant yell by customs agents towards us as if taking pictures was against the law. I realized nothing was calm about this situation and everyone seemed to be in a constant state of alert. The more I sat there, the more I felt that same restlessness and it was incredibly uncomfortable. "What does it all mean?" I asked myself. I do not know, but I hope everyone who has an opinion about the border, could sit there and experience it themselves.Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-57343414987632308862013-01-25T23:53:00.000-08:002013-01-28T03:27:11.586-08:00A migrant's journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnHpPUMAkCC0xGXK4EIluj32-P3AsuXIzJpnjjxyjUP-fMwZV-mS5JJQmJlhayOVyLFIoCjz5yiyG6jH5ZVLjMDq5NhypwC8H1peFOqfzzlBTJ7roSIXMnhS0O0wvM-iGwfDq2KqDHVA/s1600/the+migrant%2527s+belongings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnHpPUMAkCC0xGXK4EIluj32-P3AsuXIzJpnjjxyjUP-fMwZV-mS5JJQmJlhayOVyLFIoCjz5yiyG6jH5ZVLjMDq5NhypwC8H1peFOqfzzlBTJ7roSIXMnhS0O0wvM-iGwfDq2KqDHVA/s400/the+migrant%2527s+belongings.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
As I traveled around the desert with friends and family who came to help me install my cardboard cutouts, we came upon the recurring scene of clothes, backpacks and other item's left behind by migrants on their journey.<br />
<a name='more'></a> This backpack was in a stream running alongside a road on a rainy afternoon. We stopped to investigate and I became consumed by emotion when I held it in my hands. I don't know who it belonged to, their story is something I will never know. What I did know is that I was standing there because my parents, luckily, did make it across. In that moment, holding that backpack made me reflect on what that meant, and it overwhelmed me. Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-53686820895643219252013-01-25T23:37:00.000-08:002013-01-28T03:28:04.087-08:00Mother and Child test shot in the Arizona Desert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkk093qVbITlp3XUZI3_WiZDUYGQuveNXbhNpbgddkGMiTM_SlLElVqE0ZxOx9nJeWDE76rjOk8DAXFgG7iAHzcZoaKgw6tWLLBarRC5GgyMRhyphenhyphenxl42a5ecZRfnSQdIOpXiPxYxqHu5Oo/s1600/Los+Olvidados+Woman+and+Child+test+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkk093qVbITlp3XUZI3_WiZDUYGQuveNXbhNpbgddkGMiTM_SlLElVqE0ZxOx9nJeWDE76rjOk8DAXFgG7iAHzcZoaKgw6tWLLBarRC5GgyMRhyphenhyphenxl42a5ecZRfnSQdIOpXiPxYxqHu5Oo/s400/Los+Olvidados+Woman+and+Child+test+shot.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
We set out on the trip to Rio Rico, AZ, an hour drive south of Tucson, AZ along the border with Nogales, Mexico. Upon arriving, I immediately set out to practice setting up the composition in the desert. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Up to this point, I had only learned to attach my cardboard cutouts with wire to the trimmed hedges in Beverly Hills, CA for my Happy Hills Project. The desert was an interesting challenge because unlike Beverly Hills, there was nothing I could attach my cardboard cutouts onto. I figured Home Depot had something I could attach my cutouts to. I found wood lawn stakes that were perfect, and after hammering them into a space, I stepped back and realized my project was coming to life.
Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-29782077200512432182013-01-25T23:22:00.000-08:002013-01-25T23:22:08.574-08:00Mother and Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLbIENOiZ9JgcfCd5nSO5WzPiFU-RPEaTvkMIqFagppTuqNyI4TxFuT6ipCI1sHlrEDVinwzplhU_byKu77jbx8TZuk418_4w1jWc07jtsCIYdSW850bGtrHtW6iIfOnANgbB2OZze88/s1600/Los+Olvidados+Woman+and+Child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLbIENOiZ9JgcfCd5nSO5WzPiFU-RPEaTvkMIqFagppTuqNyI4TxFuT6ipCI1sHlrEDVinwzplhU_byKu77jbx8TZuk418_4w1jWc07jtsCIYdSW850bGtrHtW6iIfOnANgbB2OZze88/s400/Los+Olvidados+Woman+and+Child.jpg" /></a></div>
This figure was the most important in the composition to convey the Mother's determination to see the journey through safely. Her body language is strong, standing tall and holding her child away from the solemn scene. It is her determination,in the face of unimaginable odds, that will keep the group going.Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-26630682220643348982013-01-25T23:15:00.000-08:002013-01-25T23:15:09.451-08:00The pregnant woman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2Uyqu9Y34eXS-MvwFzt_bs0nJMSQ-xty6F_H4U9OSUL34po56H7LG325SsJct9ve9f1q_VrLmwePS5MiUk-ty9b5GNqMDZ1rWYVrx8utIrp_TeLWF1rzGZiAtdnRUwr19li3IDbuaA4/s1600/Los+Olvidados+pregnant+woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2Uyqu9Y34eXS-MvwFzt_bs0nJMSQ-xty6F_H4U9OSUL34po56H7LG325SsJct9ve9f1q_VrLmwePS5MiUk-ty9b5GNqMDZ1rWYVrx8utIrp_TeLWF1rzGZiAtdnRUwr19li3IDbuaA4/s400/Los+Olvidados+pregnant+woman.jpg" /></a></div>
In the composition, I needed to express visually the generations that rest on the dangerous decision to cross the desert. A pregnant, migrant woman is not only carrying her immediate child, but also that of every subsequent generation stemming from her and hanging on the delicate balance of her survival. Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-68274419182673348952013-01-25T23:10:00.001-08:002013-01-25T23:10:17.401-08:00Continuing the process <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I added the second man holding a hat and looking away from the scene. His image was necessary to express the grief that comes with the loss of a loved one. He is purposely one of the outer most subjects in the composition, his body language was intended to express the need to get away from the reality before him.Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-23846778774546222182013-01-25T23:06:00.000-08:002013-01-25T23:06:01.278-08:00Beginning the process of the cardboard cutouts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uJYs5YV0eTPdjKgZD9b5xUkShjemzy8DNiOpvhsnDfylYnA-Ft2jSFK2Aae43F20I-g6rQESIkoJKtz5hsB7eSAIataD9R_qj7is04LmJb57goKoRIfFTmnsjZ9lqRZldHOg1LBFf0Q/s1600/Los+Olvidados+leftside+man+%2528single%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uJYs5YV0eTPdjKgZD9b5xUkShjemzy8DNiOpvhsnDfylYnA-Ft2jSFK2Aae43F20I-g6rQESIkoJKtz5hsB7eSAIataD9R_qj7is04LmJb57goKoRIfFTmnsjZ9lqRZldHOg1LBFf0Q/s400/Los+Olvidados+leftside+man+%2528single%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
this was the first image in the composition that I began painting on cardboard. Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4925258098723854653.post-60159103788771864612013-01-25T22:56:00.001-08:002013-01-28T03:30:40.834-08:00Los Olvidados Sketch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSeK5f4QVI8c6WbKzatMsuJ-bLt_viCpZhLSPV25OC_-36aQljL-OoNdGVRGyIKdRjfLR0FZTc8nBdtrI6R8f2ScaAqCnlAYnpDyDMtt1csRJ3aEjwz53VWda5XpbZy1N07sr3XtZDi68/s1600/AZ-sketch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSeK5f4QVI8c6WbKzatMsuJ-bLt_viCpZhLSPV25OC_-36aQljL-OoNdGVRGyIKdRjfLR0FZTc8nBdtrI6R8f2ScaAqCnlAYnpDyDMtt1csRJ3aEjwz53VWda5XpbZy1N07sr3XtZDi68/s400/AZ-sketch.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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"Los Olvidados" initial sketch. Bringing an idea to life.<br />
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I watched an episode of Dan Rather Reports about the Angels of The Desert, a search and rescue group active along the Mexico/U.S. border. In the episode, a man searches for his brother who attempted to cross into the United States but disappeared without a trace. His family was suffering through years of uncertainty to his whearabouts and needed closure. The closure came in the discovery of clothes and bones of the lost migrant in the desert, who's brother finally had an answer he was searching for. The brother lead the search party in a circle of prayer and made peace with the loss.
The scene moved me to tears and I was driven to create a composition addressing those who have died in the desert attempting the treacherous journey. I am an American born child of Mexican Immigrants who were lucky to have successfully made the move up north in search of a better life. Other's have not been so lucky, and their souls join the other lost souls of the desert.
This sketch was made in the lost souls honor. It is called "Los Olvidados" and the composition was inspired by the image in the Dan Rather Reports episode of the prayer circle formed around the remains of the lost migrant.
As I was making the sketch, I knew The Arizona Desert was exactly where I wanted to place the cardboard cutouts. However, I had never been to the Arizona Desert and I needed to make a personal trip to experience the area for myself before placing the installation. The Desert project was born.Ramiro Gomezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679869230116838970noreply@blogger.com0