Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series portrays conditions that precipitated the exodus of African Americans out of the south as well as the complexities encountered by the migrants upon their arrival and settlement in the northern states.
Alejandro Santiago, also, sought to portray a historic event; one which we can witness today. 2,501 Migrants: A Journey consists of life-sized sculptures exemplifying absence. Returning to Oaxaca after a decade abroad, the artist was alarmed by the number of Mexicans leaving their ancestral village to cross a deadly desert in search of a better life. As with Jacob Lawrence, Santiago’s work mirrors the impetus to move from south to north, from rural to urban, and the consequences wrought of that decision and its impact on the family unit. Continue reading “Points of Departure: Understanding Human Migration”