2006

Untitled

American, born 1964

In this print, Alvarez reflects on his Mexican heritage and his experience growing up along the United States border. The artist uses a variety of symbolic imagery, including references to the Aztec fertility goddess Tonantzin and her Christian counterpart, the Virgin of Guadalupe, to explore the relationship between past and present and the merging traditions of different cultures. The rays emanating from the nude earth mother are typically associated with the Virgin of Guadalupe, while the cropped skeletons bring to mind the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration and the bands of green, white, and red recall Mexico’s flag.