Color Senses Project and THE ART E$TATE Magazine , Miami, presents Visions, A Group Show of International Artists. Among the many works of art in the show are two pieces with similar names deeply convergent in approach and oddly connected.
American Dream VS. American Dreamer
American Dreamer The painting “ American Dreamer” by Ste- phen Shooster depicts a young Native American girl dreaming under the auspic- es of a giant white buffalo who is watching over her. The painting is done in the style of Henri Rousseau, a French painter who was known for his primitivist paintings. The painting’s bright colors and idyllic setting create a sense of hope and optimism. The white buffalo is a symbol of creation according to the Lakota Tribe of North Dakota. The scene is set in the badlands of North Dakota which is also known as the painted rocks. Its horizontal sediments shimmer in different colors depending on the weather. In the background, a drummer beats the big horn sheep into the moon. A wooden flute seems to be animated as it is a snake and a buffalo skull rests in the fore- ground. The skull represents the ancestors, the flute myth, the drummer the present, and the moon the future. The overall story is naive and captivating. The two artworks offer different perspec - tives on the American Dream. The sculp- ture “American Dream” is a more realistic depiction of the modern challenges faced by immigrants, while the painting “Amer - ican Dreamer” is a more optimistic vision of the future. Both artworks share a com - mon theme: The hope for a better life.
American Dream The plastic resin sculpture “ American Dream ” by Hernando Alzate depicts a re- alistically painted portrait of a man with an unshaven shadow of a beard and bright white plastic replicas of the New York Sky - line popping out of its head in an iconic way kind of like the Statue of Liberty. Upon closer look, that man seems to be an immi- grant. The sculpture is a powerful commen - tary on the challenges faced by immigrants who come to the United States in search of the American Dream. The buildings that protrude from the figure’s head represent the hopes and dreams that immigrants bring with them to America. However, the buildings are also a reminder of the obsta- cles that immigrants face in achieving their dreams. The portrait’s eyes are closed in a reflective tone suggesting the task ahead will not be an easy one. The American Dream is not always attainable for immi - grants.
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