"And I Feel Fine / Y Me Siento Bien" Mateo Gutierrez | Artist Talk

Описание: "And I Feel Fine / Y Me Siento Bien" is an ongoing series by Mateo Gutierrez that began in 2019 and examines the intersection of domestic and border-related trauma. This sixth installment continues the exploration of two distinct but emotionally synchronized realities: the aftermath of American mass shootings and the journey of migrants seeking entry into the United States.

Sourced from global news archives and created in collaboration with photojournalists, these images are unified by a shared physical expression of grief and desperation. This specific work pairs the image of a young boy in detention at the U.S.-Mexico border with that of a woman outside Sandy Hook Elementary School. Each piece is meticulously constructed by hand, incorporating sewing, painting, drawing, and embroidery, to reject the speed of digital media in favor of a slow, tactile witness. By merging these narratives, the work exposes a singular American ethos of violence that permeates the national psychology both within and beyond its borders.

About the Artist

Through meticulous hand-embroidery, Mateo Gutierrez renders images of immigrants, individuals in the aftermath of mass shootings, and those who have been “disappeared” in Latin America. Gutierrez works directly with photojournalists in the U.S. and with Indigenous movements in Latin America to source his material. He is on a mission to expose, and hopefully in doing so, help heal the underlying psychological disorder of violence plaguing American society, an ethos of violence that terrorizes both within and outside our borders.

Gutierrez looks directly at the destructive core of nationhood, imperialism, and empire, and its failed concepts of scarcity, fear, and exploitation. His work is about seeing, bearing witness, and, above all else, slowing down to reclaim dignity from those who try to take it away. By examining the violent nature of our society, he asserts that this state of being is by design, not by accident.

The work of Gutierrez is about justice, fairness, inclusion, and a fundamental commitment to equality and sharing. It is about feeling pain as an act of self-dignity as living, breathing humans capable of profound love for one another. Through solidarity, empathy, and knowledge, Gutierrez delivers his work in unwavering support of those who have been harmed at the hands of the few.

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