Flowers for the Gringo, 2019

Flower boxes, screenprinting

During the week of Valentine’s Day in 2019, I gathered flower boxes meditating on the countries they were imported from and those who processed the flowers for us to enjoy. Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, Costa Rica, all countries in Latin America. I thought about those trying to cross the US and Mexico border and the struggle they face while the United States willingly accepts their resources and labor in the form of these flowers. Screenprinted on each box are portraits on women working in the floral industry in Latin America, often being exposed to harmful chemicals and exploitation, all so the Gringo can get his flowers.