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| Mexican Soldiers Checking the Coastline Border |
Recent U.S. national news on immigration has prompted online discussion about the US-Mexico border. There are many
reasons people seek to leave their own country to illegally enter another.
Natural disasters, endemics and poor living conditions are just among the few. Recent
news revealed a story about Richard Misrach, an American photographer, who has
set out to document the 2,000 mile stretch along the United States-Mexico
border. While photographing, Misrach found objects that had their own story to
tell. Guillermo Galindo, an innovative musician and instrument crafter, born in
Mexico City, in collaboration with Misrach has set out to tell the
story behind these items. He does this by incorporating them into his musical instruments.
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| "Martello" by Leonardo da Vinci |
Misrach and Galindo’s collaborative exhibition will go
on display at the San Jose Museum of Art in 2016. Galindo’s musical instruments
include a hand crank drum made from found objects such as raw hide, an animal
horn, a tire, gloves, a donkey jaw and a shoe. The crank drum is inspired by Leonardo da
Vinci’s “Martello.”
“Martello” is a mechanical hand cranked hammer
invented by Da Vinci well before it’s time. The device was not utilized until
hundreds of years after its creation during the industrial revolution. Galindo’s
other instruments are crafted from empty rifle shells, iron from the border
patrol fence and a four year old child’s shoes. Galindo seeks to create empathy from
his listeners and viewers about the tragedy that forced these objects to be left
behind.
Misrach’s photographic images bring to light the solitude
and suffering of those seeking to find a better life. His vast landscapes of
desert embody a hollow feeling while his close ups reveal objects left hastily behind.
Lost shoes, gunshot casings and tattered clothing hung by
string are just a few of the captured subjects. Another subject, pieces of carpet, can be found everywhere. Travelers tie them around their shoes to avoid imprints in the sand. This lessens the chances of being caught by border patrol. Galindo and Misrach’s
exhibition will tour for three years after the San Jose Museum of Art showing
during the spring of 2016.
Misrach and Galindo’s work complement each other in a way
that can visually portray an illegal immigrant’s struggle for a new life. Behind
what the viewer can already see lies the combined effort of two men, one
American born, and the other Mexican born. They represent, at times, two
opposing sides working together.
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