Lorena Teurel Language Analysis

The social issue that I have chosen to address is the stigma around immigration and the matters of representation in the media. Currently there are about 84.3 million immigrants living in the US coming from all different nations around the world. The message that I want to convey about this social issue is that immigration should not have a negative connotation and that immigrants, no matter what nationality, should not face racial prejudices. Following artist by the name of Lorena Teurel inspired my idea for my project; Teurel uses visuals to convey unity of many people or faces in her work. I plan to use similar visuals to unify the many faces of many immigrants, to represent not only one ethnicity or nationality but allowing exposure to

The way I plan to captivate my audiences is through the use of line and facial expressions. The reason why I made congress a part of my audience is because they are the ones who can finalize the change that the immigrants and spectators will hopefully solicit after experiencing my piece. I’d like my piece to resemble a mural on the side of a big building where anyone can come see it at their own free will. A heavily populated city would be an ideal place for a piece like mine but there could be a juxtaposition opportunity if it were placed in an area where only one ethnic group is represented. The materials that I will be using to paste my image to the side of a large building are very similar to those a graffiti artist would use such as household paint or aerosol “spray” paint. I am choosing these materials specifically because the connotation that they hold is quite like that of an immigrant. Google defines graffiti as “writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place”. The key word for me is “Illicitly”, this word is important because it translates to unlawful which is what immigrants are represented as. By using these materials I am providing exposure to the stigma around both immigration and graffiti art. In my piece, I want to portray many different ethnicities with varying tones, hues, and different

The tone of my piece is direct and critical; the variance in the expressions of my subjects will add to the tone of my piece because they will each represent one emotion that immigrants feel throughout their many pathways in life. Creating a varied environment by using different faces and expressions adds the level of diversity and exposure that I want to convey. Additionally, it adds to the context of the piece, which is sociocultural. Furthermore, my medium adds another level of depth to the piece creating meaning. Public art helps us see the world differently and allows us to unlock our creativity. In my case the piece is pubic so that it can be readily accessible to everyone, thus raising awareness towards something that may otherwise get ignored in the media. What I want people to take away from my piece is that there needs to be a change and public exposure is the only way that any change will come. Collectively, the parts that add meaning to my piece will help reach the audience on a personal level, whether it is through guilt or empathy. On the topic of audience, in another article the author compares the portrayal of minority immigrants in the media to that of “white/ European” immigrants, providing “shocking results". Not only do minority immigrants get portrayed as criminals but the “white” immigrants are portrayed in “high ranking” and professional positions. This