M&TC:
The bottom of paper bags become artifacts of immigrant identity in THE NAMES BELOW by artist Gabriela Alva CALYMAYOR from our Racial Profiling series.
THE NAMES BELOW, BOX SET (4 ACCORDION BOOKS) A series of multi-media work which brings attention to the names of the line workers who supervise the production of bags.
“Every name has the potential to emerge from the background of obscurity to the foreground where it can be seen.” Nine years ago, I began to keep track of the names and dates stamped underneath paper take‑out bags. The names belong to the line workers who supervise the making of each individual bag, eight out of ten workers are of immigrant French‑Caribbean and/or Hispanic heritage. This collection is the physical manifestation of these unanswered questions: “How does a name exist?” and “Under which circumstances are names given?” – Alva CALYMAYOR
