LAURIE SMITH

One Landscape Divided: Border Wall-Human Crisis

Denver, Colorado • lauriesmithphoto.com

  • Being raised in the borderlands of El Paso and Juarez, I have a deeply rooted bicultural identity, giving me a unique perspective on the current immigration crisis at the borderline. While critical issues of human migration span the globe and more immediately along the 2,000-mile stretch of the U.S.–Mexico border, my focus lies within the landscape where West Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico converge—a microcosm of a divided world.

    The photographs showcase the tangled reality I observe on both sides of the border. The stark presence of the border wall juxtaposes serene landscapes and austere architecture that display both sublime beauty and grave darkness as it stretches endlessly, east to west, across the Chihuahuan Desert. I invite viewers to engage with the border wall up close, from above, and from afar.

    My intent is to evoke compassion and challenge complacency surrounding immigration issues by giving a face to the human cost of the unrelenting migrant crisis and illuminating the moral and social divisiveness occurring at this time in history. By encouraging a deeper examination of the symbolic, humanitarian, economic, and ecological ramifications of immigration, I hope to spark bipartisan dialog focused on fact-based solutions in a time when truth is often obscured.

    If people don’t care, what hope does the world have?

  • Unframed photographs, using magnets or upholstery nails to hang. 30x45 prints unless a different size is specified.