You Are Here

You Are Here

The origins of our American population come from everywhere on the planet, inherently more than any other nation. Our diversity is the thread that weaves together our past, present and future in a distinctive cultural fabric. This work pieces together an international collection of antique and vintage maps into a patchwork that visually links locations spanning the globe across multiple timelines. Seeking graphic elements that flow from one patch to another, postcards, tickets and travel-related documents are also interspersed within the composition to spotlight snapshot moments and memories embedded in our collective consciousness. Antique and vintage American stamps are overlaid on top of the patches, reminiscent of how a passport book or steam trunk may get stamped to mark origins and destinations. Exclusively American stamps were selected to highlight our national identity independent from that of our international origins. Every postmarked American stamp is generated here and each graphic represents the visual topography of who we are and what we value. Embroidered on to the canvas is a single star from a retired U.S. flag to honor the aspirations of what unifies us as one nation. We have come from all over but we co-exist here and are therefore, of here.

My American experience as a first-generation child of immigrant parents, has been to serve as a connector between my parents' cultural identity and that of my American-born children. I often feel like I have one foot firmly grounded in two worlds and my personal identity is to be the bridge that spans both, without fully populating either. My husband and I served in the United States military and lived not only throughout the country but also overseas in Europe and Asia. Through the lens of those experiences, this canvas explores the ideas of finding your place in the world and defining where “home” is and what makes it so. I have lived as a natural-born citizen in multiple regions within my own country and as a foreign guest resident on two other continents. In each place, I have cultivated a sense of belonging, created a home for my family and served as a cultural ambassador of sorts. Having a sense of community comes down to seeking and sharing the best of what we have to offer each other in any given place and finding the common ties that bring us together. The truth is that although our world’s geographies, cultures and traditions are wildly diverse, we are ultimately much more similar than not.

“You Are Here” acknowledges being American in the present moment against the backdrop of our worldwide lineage. The background of this collage is a sample medley of the people, places, eras and moments that have brought us to this point. A myriad of individual components make up a whole whose reach is bolder and broader than the sum of its parts. Compelling beauty is discovered in the work of our hands, with all of its imperfections, tears, and patches. To me, that is what embodies our American soul.

Materials include a global selection of antique, vintage and contemporary:
Maps
Approximately 100 American Stamps
Postcards
Airmail Envelope
Birth Certificate
Claim Check
Bookmark
Game Piece
Embroidered star from a retired U.S. Flag