Jamie Jimenez "Juguetes (Toys)"
Brooklyn Public Library (Central)
This event has ended.
Over the past decade and a half, globalization has drastically changed the everyday lives of the people in the Dominican Republic. I find that certain aspects of the culture are permanently lost. Many Dominican families that have migrated to the United States return to the island with toys for relatives and others in need. With more toys available, the creativity of the children has changed.
I used to spend endless days making dump trucks, Matchbox cars, dollhouses, airplanes, boats and toy handguns, all pieced together from the materials made for mass consumption. This kind of work is taken up by many children who are born into poor families. The shape of their toys ends up resembling the real thing. In an increasingly global village, more commercial brand names and logos turn up in these toys. Different parts of the country make different toys, depending on the abundance of any particular material in the area. The idea is to invent anything fun.
My aim is to preserve the memories of these wonderful creations by documenting these children as much as possible. These toys reveal their hopes and dreams. It is fascinating to see what goes on in a child's head. And no memory is more pleasing than that of shared curiosity.
My aim is to preserve the memories of making these wonderful creations. These toys show the hopes and dreams of the children making them. And we always remember our friends. No memory is more pleasing than that of shared curiosity.
[Image: Jaime Jiménez "Canicas, Puerto Plata"]
Media
Schedule
from June 16, 2009 to November 05, 2009