“There is no creation without tradition; the ‘new’ is an inflection on a preceding form; novelty is always a variation on the past.” 

-Carlos Fuentes

 When starting this project, my goal was to create collages that define Tucson. I quickly realized that an integral part of Tucson, in my experience, is the Mexican culture that exists in this community. I began researching the history of Tucson, Mexican traditions, and more so that I could better understand the influence Mexican culture has had on Tucson as a whole. Through my research I discover the quote above, and came to the following conclusion: modern day Tucson is very different from the small Spanish presidio (fortress) it began as, but it will always be tied to Mexico in the cultural influence and traditions that remain; Tucson today is simply a variation of its past. 

For this project, I have created a series of 7 collages, each touching on a distinct quality of the Tucson community. To demonstrate the effect Mexican culture has on this community, I’ve added three physical elements to each collage: gold leaf, silver leaf, and paint mixed with ground cacao. Silver as a mineral accounts for the majority of mining in Mexico both historically and in the present, Gold as mineral has strong ties to the American Southwest (land that once belonged to Mexico), and- dating as far back as Mayan civilizations- cacao beans have been used as currency in Mexico. Each of these added materials has had richness and wealth associated with them in some way or another, so I use them here to represent the richness of Mexican culture that persists and has become ingrained in Tucson’s identity.