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Seabird Mother

Seabird Mother

January 31, 2025

Seabird Mother is a contemporary digital collage comprised primarily of the iconic Migrant Mother photograph (Dorothea Lange, 1936), and a historic photograph of the "Mother of Exiles", the Statue of Liberty. Both photographs were blended with others from my inventory images to craft this poignant, political commentary on the state of affairs in the United States of America under President Trump and extremist right-wing Republicans. The Migrant Mother's children have been modified to reflect the woes of LGBTQ+ (trans), BIPOC, and immigrant communities. 


Following Trump's inauguration, a series of executive orders and House Bills took the US by storm. The purge of all alleged illegal immigrants became a modern day red scare, where in neighbors began calling immigration authorites on each other on the basis that an individual looks foreign, speaks another language, or works in an industry that stereotypically involves foreign workers. 


Meanwhile, the progress of the civil rights movement of the 1960s in policies and practices, and more recently obtained LGBTQ+ rights – specifically gender-affirming care, education, and discussion – are being overturned and banned. To the majority of Americans that fall into these minority categories, it feels as if our freedom, our quest for equality, our very lives and right to exist are under threat. As if the ultimate goal of the new regime is genocide.


During the conceptulization of this piece, I was enchanted by a song featured on the adult animated series, Bob's Burgers. In the episode, Hope 'N Mic, the character named Marshmallow, a transgender sex worker, help's Bob's kids save an open mic event at the burger shop so that she can perform for her parents for the first time. Her performance is singing a deep, stirring rendition of Seabird, originally peformed by the Alessi Brothers. It isn't explicitly stated in the episode, but it's implied by the importance of the act and her parents' body language during the performance that Marshmallow and her parents have been estranged or endured some great challenges that were overcome to lead them to his moment in each others' presence. 


This moment, for me, represented the great ideals of being an American and what America once held as a promise of a place free of persecution and individual freedom, parted from her people and overreaching establishment taking over her lands. Marshmallow represented all the minorities while her parents represented the government and policies imparted upon us. So, I took this version's lyrics and embedded them in the piece. 


Seabird Mother reflects the anxiety and fears those of us without power are experiencing as we hope for a change to come to the collective hearts and conscience of America.


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