Monkey Trail
Paint can lids, acrylic, enamel pen, spray enamel, ink and wire
2019
2019
The Monkey Trail Project began in Sacramento, California and ended at the Manila Village marker in Jean Lafitte, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, May 2019.
On my trip to New Orleans I left paint can lids with an image of a monkey at various locations along my route. The stylized monkey is a whimsical character referencing a racial slur directed towards Filipino immigrants in the 1920s and 30s. Over the years this character has acquired new meaning. As I've come to identify with it, it’s now a way to symbolically inject myself and Filipino culture into my work.
I see this trail or journey as a metaphor for migration (MYgration) or immigration (I'm MYgration), and the paint can lids as individuals of color, isolated and stranded in their surroundings seeking refuge or a home.
On my trip to New Orleans I left paint can lids with an image of a monkey at various locations along my route. The stylized monkey is a whimsical character referencing a racial slur directed towards Filipino immigrants in the 1920s and 30s. Over the years this character has acquired new meaning. As I've come to identify with it, it’s now a way to symbolically inject myself and Filipino culture into my work.
I see this trail or journey as a metaphor for migration (MYgration) or immigration (I'm MYgration), and the paint can lids as individuals of color, isolated and stranded in their surroundings seeking refuge or a home.
Locations
- Starbucks, Sacramento, CA
- Powerhouse, Kingsman, AZ
- Corner in Winslow, AZ
- Twin Arrows Trading Post, Flagstaff, AZ
- Two Guns, AZ
- Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, TX
- Canseco's Market, First Whole Foods outside of Texas on Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA
- Jean Lafitte Blacksmith Shop Bar, French Quarter, New Orleans, LA
- Cafe du Monde, French Quarter, New Orleans, LA
- Jackson Square, French Quarter, New Orleans, LA
- Joan Mitchell Center, Studio 3, New Orleans, LA
- Manila Village Marker, Jefferson Parish, Town of Jean Lafitte, LA
