Border Crossing by Luis Jimenez - Essay Example

Border Crossing by Luis Jimenez is a sculpture that manages to effectively express and capture emotions effectively on the struggle to realize the American Dream.

            Border Crossing by Luis Jimenez is considered to be one of the greatest modern Chicana sculptures. The sculpture stands about 127 inches tall on a base of about 36 by 50 inches. The material used is Fiberglass with a Urethane finish. The Sculpture was commissioned in 1989 and erected on Iowa State University Central Campus lawn.

Description of the Artwork

            The sculpture is dubbed one of Jimenez’s great works due to its ability to capture the emotions of its subject.  With Fiberglass, Jimenez manages to capture the Journey of two Latinos possibly crossing the border by inferring from the title. The sculpture shows three people. A tall and strong man is carrying a woman. The woman in turn carries an infant baby in her arms while on the man’s shoulder. The man sits on something; the faces of the man and the woman indicate that they are tired of a long journey. The woman is holding the baby in her arms while looking at it with a lot of care in a manner that shows she might be protecting it.  After looking at the surrounding area where the Art is erected, it is clear that this is a Mexican family migrating to the US through a desert. The two major pieces of the artwork look exhausted and tired probably due to the long journey through the desert. They also look fragile and emaciated possibly due to the scorching sun of the desert (Quintuna 6).

The American Dream as shown in the Artwork

            The inferences from the artwork resonate with the history of Mexican-American immigration which has been going on for more than half a century. The man who is carrying his family is the embodiment of strength and through him, the sculpture shows a strong determination of yearning to live the American dream. The man is barefoot as he tries to cross the desert with his family on his back. The new world gives hope to the Mexican family trying to cross the border - this represents hope. The family struggles to ensure that they can cross over to the other side full of hope (Quintuna 6).

Artistic expression

            When admiring the sculpture, one will surely feel the strength and power of the artist. Jimenez is an expressionist and a Post-Modern artist as shown through his choice of sculpture material and the theme of his sculpture. Fiberglass is a postmodern material used by artists experiencing new materials. However, Fiberglass is not easily molded compared to Bronze. It is also not easily used to express live materials. However, their skills of Jimenez are quite good as shown by this piece. He manages to give life to the sculpture by carving the expressions on the face of gathered women and men. The fiberglass is expertly molded to show a near-real depiction of humans and live humans. It is quite easy for someone to confuse the artwork for frozen real humans. The piece is made life by the use of different colors on the fabric making it more admirable and expressive in terms of emotions. This can be credited to Jimenez’s skillful experience (Knight 1).

Conclusion

            Border Crossing is considered to be one of Jimenez’s best works due to the manner in which it has been crafted. The sculptor manages to convey the theme of the American Dream as seen by Mexicans trying to cross the border. They undergo difficulties to ensure they can get to the other side of the border and enjoy American life. Jimenez managed to commission one of the most significant US and Mexico relationship sculptures. The artwork is live, and it shows that in America there are opportunities for women, children, and even men.