Hierbabuena
Digital illustration
“6 Feet of Art” Virtual Exhibition
I was inspired by Justin Favela's Estardas and his work with Jay Lynn Gomez in their joint show, Sorry for the Mess. They spoke about how Vegas was built on the backs of BIPOC and how we all know someone that has worked on or for the casinos on the strip. These people are rarely recognized for the work that they do and I wanted to add a little bit more to what Favela and Gomez had already started. When I began, I just had the idea of translating some vintage signs into Spanish as Favela demonstrated in Estardas, but with my flat design style, it didn't go far enough for me. I then thought of the idea of people carrying the weight of the city or the signs. This brought Gomez's work to mind and how the people she documents retain their anonymity as faceless depictions, going unnoticed in the public eye. I incorporated that facelessness in my piece by shielding the worker with the sign that they carry. The name of the piece is Hierbabuena or mint in Spanish. The sign is from the now long gone casino The Mint. I used the incorrect translation, hierbabuena, referring to the herbal plant instead of the building in which currency is produced or minted, to show the confusion that some people face when learning new languages or trying to converse in a secondary one.