Mexican Painting

MIGRACION SELECTIVA

Javier Lopez Pastrana

Technique

Mixed on Wood

Year

2012

Size

80x210cm/ 31x82in

Mexican painting of human migration and language barrier. Crotalic squares with coded letters and footprints symbolize adaptation.

Author Collection

Painting Inspiration and Concept

"MIGRACIÓN SELECTIVA" is a Mexican painting by Javier Lopez Pastrana, which is part of the artist's collection. Created in 2012, this artwork falls within the genre of contemporary art and features a mixed media composition on wood. It is presented in a landscape format with dimensions of 80x210cm (31x82in).

The painting addresses the issue of human migration, particularly Latin Americans attempting to reach the United States, where language becomes a major obstacle that migrants must overcome. The artwork explores the theme of selective migration and adaptation to a new language structure.

Within the painting, there are crotalic squares that contain numerous cubes with letters resembling mechanical typewriter typefaces. These scattered letters, without a specific order, suggest the existence of a coding system. Interestingly, the same letters are used for different languages, but the coding and phonetic structures vary. This signifies that migrants must adapt selectively, based on their individual communication capacities.

The painting emphasizes that individuals who can quickly adapt to the changes in language coding will have an easier time adjusting to their new socioeconomic environment, regardless of their gender. The ability to communicate effectively becomes crucial in integrating into a new society.

Human footprints are once again used as a representation of the migrant journey. They symbolize the steps taken by individuals in their migration process. The composition surrounding the footprints creates a sense of rhythm and movement, further emphasizing the dynamic nature of the subject matter.

In summary, "MIGRACIÓN SELECTIVA" is a Mexican painting by Javier Lopez Pastrana that addresses the issue of human migration, focusing on the language barrier and the process of adaptation. The artwork depicts crotalic squares with coded letters from different languages, representing the selective nature of communication capacity. The use of footprints symbolizes the migrant journey, while the composition evokes a sense of rhythm and movement. The painting highlights the challenges faced by migrants and invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of language adaptation and selective migration.

Artist Quote

"Again I find myself dealing with the issue of human migration.
Latin Americans trying to reach the United States where one of the main obstacles is the language structure to which the migrants must adapt.
Inside the crotalic squares there are many cubes with letters in the style of the typefaces of mechanical typewriters, that scattered alphabet and without a specific order denote that there must be a coding. They are exactly the same letters for different languages. The only thing that changes is the form of coding to be able to communicate both concrete and abstract ideas together with the changes in the phonemes of each grapheme. Hence, adaptation becomes selective according to the communication capacity that each individual denotes.
The migrant who adapts more quickly to the change in the language coding structure will be able to adapt more easily to his socioeconomic environment, without differentiating between being a man or a woman.
Again I use human footprints as a representation of the human walk. To all this, it surrounds a rhythmic composition and with movements."