A monument to the migrant worker combining readymade objects with a figure that represents both the burdens and the hopes of this epic journey.
Carlos Ramirez creates a monument to the migrant worker, a tableau representing both the burden and hope of this epic journey. On an early site visit to Galleta Meadows, Ramirez was drawn to Ricardo Breceda’s sculptural vignette of grape harvesters, bringing to life the long and complex history of agricultural workers in the Borrego Valley. This deeply resonated with him as a son of a farmworker activist and long time advocate for the community of itinerant laborers.
Siting an American dream adjacent to the pickers, Ramirez lays bare the often cruel distance between dream and reality for those who migrate seeking a better future. Ramirez’s keen ability to make found objects sing is on full display here as one of his signature characters manifests as large as life to confront us with difficult truths.
