Immigration, Migration or Colonization. What do we do when someone new shows up and what will they do?
So, whether by chose or not, when people end up some place new what will happen next? History has shown that sometimes the strangers are welcomed with open arms and other times they are chastised and decimated against. Yet there are times in history that has shown us it is the new comer that is the aggressor.
I froze the moment in time just before each side makes their chose on how they are going to react to each other. Even though I used symbolism based on the European move to the Americas, it still transcends time and place. Because it sits at the heart of human nature and in truth we are all the same regardless of our differences.
The symbolism in this piece broken down:
The Horse – Reflects on when the first Europeans landed on the shores of
North America. The horse was not indigenous to the continent and
was later introduced. Making it the perfect animals to symbolize the
new comer.
The Deer – Since I used North America as the base, the deer represents the
people who are already occupying the land. Deer are indigenous to
the area.
The Boat – Is used to represent the travels the new comers had to make in order
to reach the new area.
Side note about the Deer and Horse;
Both are four legged, short haired, herbivores who travel in herds. Making them very similar and requiring similar resources. However, they are still very different.
Now What
acrylic on canvas
30 x 17 inches
Displayed in the Jepson Museum
Displayed In Sarasota's Embrace Our Differances