Embedded Files
Jaden Spring
Streetartmap.com
VisitPhoenix.com
Introduction
Introduction
This project examines the connection between street art and migration. Through this exploration, I aim to understand how the experiences of migration and family shape an artist’s work. The project will highlight the artist's personal journey, as well as the stories of his friends and community that influence and inspire his art.
This topic delves into both the artistic forms and the final creations presented to the audience, engaging them in a hands-on experience. A central component of this project involves interviews with an artist, allowing viewers to hear firsthand accounts of overcoming adversity, personal transformation, and the challenges faced by the artist or those closely connected to him. The project invites viewers to reflect on questions of culture and art and to generate their own thoughts on the relationship between art and migration.
These images to the left are in areas of Downtown Phoenix and both were created by an artist named Tom Cady. The top image displays an overview of Downtown Phoenix which also has Cady's name on the side of it as well. The image on the bottom is a really cool design displaying a well-rounded image of Arizona also created by Cady, and shows different forms of migrant art through each letter with a desert in the background which I thought was a really nice touch.
History of Mexican Migrant Street Art in Phoenix
History of Mexican Migrant Street Art in Phoenix
This mural above was made by an artist named Annie Gonzalez who is originally from Mexico but migrated to Phoenix about 4 years ago. She created this piece in Downtown Phoenix to symbolize the American Dream, regardless of your race, ethnicity, religion, etc and how anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
The history of street art in Phoenix has evolved alongside significant social, cultural, and political changes both in the United States and around the world. Today, Phoenix has become one of the most popular places for street art and murals. Phoenix has a very unique urban landscape, lots of different types of culture, and a diverse political and social history.
Street art in Phoenix began to gain traction in the mid-1990s with influential artists like Pablo Luna, who created iconic murals throughout the city. Artists were drawn to Phoenix by its vibrant art scene, which included an ASU-based graffiti collective that helped transform graffiti into a respected and positive form of artistic expression. Street artists have used their work to convey social messages about peace, equality, and cultural pride, creating murals that beautify alleyways, office buildings, restaurants, and walls in popular neighborhoods.
Although street artists first made their mark on downtown Phoenix in the mid-1990s, the popularity of the arts surged post-recession in the 2000s and 2010s. By the 2020s, street artists introduced new styles, themes, and influences, enriching the city's street art scene and reflecting Phoenix’s evolving cultural identity over the past few decades.
TheHoliDays.com
MoreThanMainStreet.com
Overview of Mexican Migrant Street Art
Overview of Mexican Migrant Street Art
The image above was created by an artist named Douglas Martinez who is also from Mexico, but migrated to Phoenix about 8 years ago. He created this piece to show that all migrants go through everything together and that there is always room for love for one another, regardless of the past, or what is going on in the present.
Street art has evolved from a form of rebellion and self-expression to a strong social and political observation, mainly in developed communities. In migrant communities, street art serves as a tool to show struggles, identities, and raise awareness about issues like displacement, discrimination, and an overall sense of belonging. Artists who have migrant backgrounds use murals, graffiti, and installations to help share their personal stories about migration and their life experiences. The artwork that these migrants create transforms public spaces into areas of protests and reflections on history, which helps create a sense of visibility and connection within communities that often times are ignored.
For example, in cities such as Berlin, street art by migrant artists usually reflects the challenges and struggles they have faced as immigrants through vivid imagery and bold symbols. In the United States, murals on the Mexican border wall have become sites of resistance, as many artists use art to represent the challenges of migration and celebrate cultural heritage. Another popular example is the "Migrant Trail" in Los Angeles, which shows the dangerous journey faced by migrants when they cross the harsh deserts into the United States.
NBCNews.com/gettyimages
Art and its relation to Migration
Art and its relation to Migration
The image to the left was created by an artist named Diego Perez who is from Mexico and migrated to New York City about 6 years ago. Diego's idea in this mural is to symbolize how Mexican Americans can live happily in the United States, while also bringing their culture and dedication with them, as America's migrant population is growing with people of all kinds from all around the world.
The connection between street art and migration history can be reflected by the many themes and subjects of their artwork throughout Phoenix. These artists tend to use their artwork to explore migrant related issues, immigration rights, and the experiences in the migrant communities. Street art also serves as a way for these artists to express their cultural identities, stories, history, and cultural pride. Street artists moving to different cities and/or countries shows the unique patterns of their migration, which brings a lot of diversity to the entire street art community.
Street art in Phoenix also shows a strong representation of the city's migration history through its large population of Latinos. Migrants, mainly from Mexico, have used a variety of public spaces as canvases to help express their cultural identities, struggles, and stories as a migrant. Their murals and graffiti often times show themes of resilience, community, and the challenges they face. The artwork that these migrants create not only represents their personal narratives, but also highlights culture, politics, and migration, giving Phoenix a colorful and evolving demographic landscape. Street art over the years has become a form of both resistance and celebration, as the migrants' heritage revolves around who they are, where they are, and who they aspire to be, not only as a migrant, but also as an artist.
Interview audio.movInterview: Darrin Wardle
Interview: Darrin Wardle
The artist that I interviewed is named Darrin Wardle who is a street artist/artist here in Phoenix. He is originally from San Diego, but moved to Phoenix in his mid 20s. His art mainly revolves around his family, himself, and certain forms of migration.
Darrin is motivated largely by his family and his very young daughter, as she inspires him to work hard and follow his dreams, which to him was being an artist. Darrin travels a lot, especially to Mexico, so this got him into doing more artwork and murals on migration as he believes it is a fascinating topic to make art around. He focuses a lot of his migration art on the history of it, as there is so much history to coverage around migration and what led migrants to who and where they are today.
Darrin is also inspired by his colleagues who are street artists from the Phoenix area as well who do similar kinds of art work, artists named Hugo Medina, Chris Vena, and Nathan Baez.
This image to the right depicts Darrins history of living in Arizona, alongside his family which inspires him the most. Similar to the picture you are going to see, this image is about the power of migrants moving into Arizona and marching forward deeper into the country, migrant by migrant. It also represents the challenges that migrants face coming into the United States, as you can see in the picture, it is always an uphill task. It almost seems like often times when one challenge is accomplished, another one arises.
Overall, this interview was so much fun to conduct and taught me a lot of new and important ideas moving into my career and what it truly takes to become something that you have always dreamed about.
DarrinArmijo-Wardle
DarrinArmijo-Wardle.org
Major Sites and Organizations
Major Sites and Organizations
Chandler Center for the Arts
This is a gallery where Latino artists can display their work for Dia de los Muertos. In this gallery, there is an altar to show the importance of the holiday. Marco Albarran is the artist who made this piece and he encourages people to bring in pictures of their loved ones and other objects such as candles, flowers, and sugar skulls.
Ogden Contemporary Arts
Ogden Contemporary Arts is an exhibit that shows the struggle of Latinos. This exhibit has many artists who show different perspectives of their struggle through different arts. Reading about this museum shows that they have a goal to push the message that there is unfair treatment to Latin America.
ChandlerCenterForTheArts.com
OgdenComtemporaryArts.com
DarrinArmijo-Wardle
DarrinArmijo-Wardle.org
Creative Elements
Creative Elements
These are all pieces that Darrin made himself. The image to the left is a representation of his daughter during COVID and how she wasn't able to make friends or experience school at such a young age because of the pandemic.
This image to the right is also of his daughter during the same time period where Darrin wanted to show her what art is to see if she liked it. She clearly did as she started painting the canvas, then moved on to her face.
The image on the bottom right is a self portrait of Darrin as this was one of his first paintings ever made, which led him to become a very popular and passionate artist.
The image here on the bottom left moves more into his art work on migration, as this picture represents Mexican Migrants migrating towards America to bring in new forms of culture and art to the country. Very similar to the image above regarding migration specifically to Arizona.
(Instagram: darrinarmijowardle)
I have created a short post presentation survey. Here is the link and QR Code!
Google Form: https://forms.gle/vGkXU38G44ddEL2k6
Instagram: darrinarmijowardle
AZcentral.com
Bibliography
Bibliography
“Artist | Hugos Art | United States.” Mysite, 2023, www.hugosart.com/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Jansen, Steve. “The Legacy of Phoenix Graffiti Pioneer Pablo Luna.” Southwest Contemporary, 6 May 2022, southwestcontemporary.com/the-legacy-of-phoenix-graffiti-pioneer-pablo-luna/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
“Migration: As a Nostalgic Form of Art | Forbes and Fifth | University of Pittsburgh.” Www.forbes5.Pitt.edu, www.forbes5.pitt.edu/article/migration-nostalgic-form-art.
Links to Walking Tours of Murals in Downtown Phoenix
https://www.viator.com/tours/Phoenix/El-Barrio-Street-Art-Tour/d639-118703P5
https://azingtours.com/ro-ro-street-art-tour.html#/
https://visitphoenix.visitwidget.com/tours/downtown-phoenix-murals-walking-tour-2
https://dtphx.org/post/take-a-self-guided-walking-tour-of-downtown-phoenix
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