ON VIEW

This work, This Land is Your Land, was originally commissioned for New York's Madison Square Park Conservancy's Mad.Sq.Art program. The installation is a meditation on an immigrant's journey to America, and Iván Navarro’s particular experience of settling in New York City. Navarro recalls being  in awe of the water towers that filled the skyline.  When discussing the work, Navarro noted, "I like the idea of a reservoir of water. This simple and timeless wooden structure contains water, the most primitive and elemental resource, the essence of human sustenance, and a reminder of the basic condition that all humanity shares. We must guarantee our water in order to survive...Less obvious but nonetheless important is their reference to watchtowers due to their elevated position. Although they are benign objects, there is the sense that they are quietly surrounding us, surveying the city below. These water towers metaphorically function as tall ornamental crowns on the tops of the large buildings that dominate the urban landscape. They punctuate the glory of modern civilization while reclaiming its humanity."

Using that image, Navarro questions how his own experience as an immigrant to this country from Chile compares with the promise of inclusion presented by Woodie Guthrie's 1940 folk song, "This Land is Your Land." Uniting Guthrie's drifting laborers with immigrants who travel in search of work and opportunity, the artist utilizes the water tower as a symbol of often unattainable sustenance and shelter. Navarro further dictates the connection between these water towers and the immigrant experience through words crafted in neon, visible only when visitors stand under each tower and look up into the wooden barrel. The neon text has been affixed to the wooden tower between two parallel mirrors, creating an infinite illuminated reflection.

In one tower, the word BED appears—a basic unit of personal property, an object of rest, dreams, intimacy, and comfort. “Bed” acts as a surrogate for “home” as it is literally a place to lay your head.  In the next tower, a ladder reaches forever into a vertical abyss. Navarro has suggested perhaps the ladder represents the climb out of one's country or present condition, a metaphoric means to a better life. The endless nature of the ladder can be read with positive or negative subtext, hinting either at limitless possibilities or the futility of the endeavor.  In another tower, the words ME/WE endlessly flip-flop, oscillating between the isolation from and acceptance within a new community. The words also invite viewers to reflect on the individual vs. the collective experience. This work is deeply personal to Navarro, but speaks to a broader immigrant experience felt by many.