The inspiration for the Cultural Drift trio came from a question: as a second-generation American, how has my ethnicity’s culture changed or evolved after several decades in the New World?  Dozens of years removed from the source, my generation’s interpretation of our forefathers’ music has changed, our foods have been altered, and even our language has been manipulated or dropped entirely.  My list was quite comprehensive and it led me to other questions: Could I visually depict this cultural evolution as three abstract drawings, in a way that would transcend a specific ethnicity?

Could Haitians dig it, or Cambodians or Cubans?  Could descendents from slavery find something meaningful?  How about native American Indians such as the Narragansett or Navajo?

Americans have histories of genocide, persecution, wanderlust, and ambition—and their ancestors’ customs have been modified and deleted as the current satellite generation continues to grow. This is Cultural Drift, and my three pen and ink flowers attempt to manifest this movement of heritage.

The first piece is titled Those Left Behind, and represents men, women and children in a given home country, as they existed or as they exist.  The heavy black arch is a weighted base that points to the core: "we will always be here."  The petals’ center is loose but unified; the scatter can be regenerated.  Flourishing ethnic curves represent rich art, food, and music. There are no red elements (red is a development of later generations) yet unique tip perforations and striping represent aspects of culture that remain at home.

The last piece, optimistically titled Carnival, represents the established offspring in the New World: my generation.  Detailed pods indicate luxury and technology. The overall rigid structure is confident and well settled; its arch is a counterbalance that greets and welcomes new immigrants. The center bud is solid and concentric, as if to say, "we must stick together". The petals are somewhat flat and practical.  And unique to Carnival is the depiction of birth; the newborn’s scalloped edges are new, but what other shapes and contributions will come?

Each drawing reveals a shared genetic identity with sharp petals and other linking features such as dot scatter patterns and the mix of blues and greens, the proverbial bushy eyebrows and distinctive noses of common genes. The three entities are clearly related but Carnival would not exist had The Refugees’ trek failed.  Certainly, the home culture of Those Left Behind is still functioning, thriving, growing; but that unit’s evolution is a standard cultural shift.

A large part of Carnival’s identity results from immersion with diverse nationalities. This factor weighs heavily, as exposure to other cultures most certainly influences the values of youth.  One factor remains clear: Carnival’s comprehensive checker pattern honors and expands upon a similar arrangement found in Those Left Behind.  Sadly, this feature is something The Refugees could not indulge, but through that group’s horrific sacrifice, its people have survived.

The original freehand drawings have been produced as 11"x14" textured photographs on Kodak professional grade ENDURA paper.