BORDERLANDS EXHIBIT SERIES - POrtraits by xavier tavera

In Progress Saint Paul / circa 2020

This exhibit was co-curated with the Fresh Voices artists of Crookston Minnesota for exclusive presentation at Studio 110. Tavera worked with local artists to select and present the following works. Images will be displayed through September 2020 and isi available for view upon request.

Artist Statement

The history of the representation of the landscape by the Spanish in the Americas and the British in the United States has a predominant colonial position. Expeditions to the American continent frequently included artists assigned to describe the topography for military and proprietary purposes. The image of the landscape was not a contemplative one it was a statement of ownership.

In order to attempt to comprehend the current political problems regarding immigration, race, and identity I traveled to the southern border to document the aesthetics of the borderland landscape. Arid and rugged, the landscape is divided by a man made scar that snakes through the topography in fragmented sections from west to east along the continent.

The political character of this open wound materializes in a wall with sentiments of nationalism, protectionism and absurdity. The borderlands are the representation of a region that belongs to someone else, a stretch of land that attracts and repels us at the same time. For some the borderland is the destination, for others the region is home.

—Xavier Tavera

Borederlands is presented as part of our Fresh Voices Program that supports opening access up to Latino and Latina artists living in Crookston Minnesota. Each year the program offers access to creative making tools, training, and presentation and dialogue opportunities. Fresh Voices began in 1996 and we are still here today.

In Progress is a 2020 recipient of an Arts Access grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is funded in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.