Calexico, California, U.S. /Mexicali, Mexican Border: Collage 80 cm x 200 cm
From a distance, it should resemble a satellite image of the US/Mexican border at Calexico/Mexicali, while close up it is built of images tell the story of its past and present from news articles and magazines. There is a symbiotic relationship between the small US town of Calexico and the larger city of Mexicali directly across the border. Mexicali has been vital to Calexico’s economy. Mexicans cross to shop at large outlet stores on the American side, while Americans head to the Mexican side on weekends for cheap health care, entertainment, and concerts. In March 2018, President Trump tweeted that the barb wire addition and renovations to the top of the existing fence in Calexico was the “Start of our Southern Border WALL!” The residents don’t see the border wall as a defense to the crime that has perpetuated in Calexico, which mainly comes in through tunnels and through police corruption which has made it a well-trafficked route for smuggling drugs into the U.S. This series of works are focused on the borders we create and the tension that is fueled by a line on a map. Through collage Jessica Russo Scherr creates aerial views of contentious borders that highlight the privilege and turmoil that permeates global migration. She creates views that erase the lines that appear on maps in order to look at the land without the political constructs that cause so much pain and agony. From a distance, the works resemble a satellite image of a border while close up it is built of images that tell the story of its past and present from news articles and magazines.
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