tumbling tumbleweeds

Chamizo volador is the name given in the north of Mexico to the tumbleweed, that icon of cowboy life and American westward expansion. But tumbleweeds are not native to America (neither are cowboys!). They are an invasive species introduced as a stowaway in a shipment of flax by Ukrainian farmers living in South Dakota in the late 19th century. I learned this while reviewing the NMMA's recent show A Declaration of Immigration. I was particularly captivated by Juan Angel Chávez' Trojan Tumbleweed. The sculpture's title is genius, likening the invasive nature of the shrub to the Trojan horse all the while challenging and complicating our ideas about immigrants, immigration and U.S. history. Trojan Tumbleweed is a beautiful conceptual work that is also wholly approachable on an experiential level. It is one of the inspirations for this blog.