The Migrants’ Visual Dialogue.

My work is focused on creating a narrative by manipulating images to both subtract and add information through folding techniques.  This provides an alternate view of the surfaces of structures created by migrants on their journeys to either flee injustices and persecution in their homelands, or those that are often disparagingly referred to as “economic migrants” who have often left their families at home in order that they can provide the most basic of requirements for them.

Migrant workers are the backbone of the Texas construction industry. As a migrant, my intent is to make work about the surfaces that are maintained by their hands, while making objects with my own. This will be a record of this continually evolving area, and a way to connect with other migrants. The aim here is not a message or to raise awareness, but a way to understanding and to work toward erasing the vilification of fellow Texans. The photographs of the surfaces are used in folding, bookmaking and origami techniques. The paper used is handmade using an ancient skill developed the Aztecs, it is currently made by Otomi Indians in Mexico.

Photography has been the starting point for my art work for many years. My fine art background has allowed me to give myself permission to experiment without fear, break rules and push boundaries. Working in a conceptual way gives me freedom to add and subtract information from the initial photographic images.

The ongoing pandemic lockdown has led to a shift in my work in this module. My work about surfaces and migrants continues with explorations in folding, sculpting, bookmaking and origami. Printmaking has been a constant in my practice, so I am passionate about all different types of paper; from how it is made, to how it looks and performs, to the deckled edges, preserving them, where possible. These edges can also be simulated by hand ripping your paper.

Anna Krentz’s thesis on the various types of deckle edges in photography is a facinating read. This irregular deckle edge below feels inspired by handmade paper as handmade paper dries on the mesh frame, it can form this finish around the edges. This edge can be removed if the desired edge is a straight one however, it is beautiful and organic and you can tell by looking that it is a handmade paper.

KRENTZ, Anna. 2014. Snapshots With an Edge: A Study of the Deckle Edge in the North American Snapshot. St. Francis Xavier University.

The art of sequencing has been an important topic in our group sessions and it is particularly important to me, due to the visual range of my work in this module. It has been difficult to make this series of photographs and objects to cohere but it may be easier to curate in a different setting, such as a gallery.

Digital has created a shift in my work, although I feel comfortable embracing these new challenges. My social media is limited at this time to instagram, which I am fairly new to. Some time has been spent keeping up to speed with this new area however, my current available time is being spent finalizing assessment work for this module.

At this moment I have a jumble sale of imagery that really need a master curator to sort out and I am feeling desperately short on talent right now. Challenges this week have been reworking ideas that were considered failures and this is very much still a work in progress although I am hoping to be surprised that my next idea actually works.