This Land Is Your Land This Land Is My Land

Corn has been a staple in American society. From the time that the first colonists had landed on the soil of the New World, we looked to the American Indians, who graciously taught us to plant and grow this foreign crop.  Corn became a method of sustenance as well as livelihood.  The concept of ownership was not known in Indian culture, so the use of the land was freely given.  Yet, how have we repaid those that initially helped us survive?  Currently, we have taken the farming of corn and run with it to the extent that it penetrates all aspects of our everyday life.  From food, to plastics, to ethanol- everything is corn.  The land is being devastated by the over farming and the demand for corn in everything we use.  The dependence is becoming evident the more draughts rip through our nation.

Mirroring the underlying American Indian history, the This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land series is infused with patterns of Seminole Indian textiles, while present day and historical images break through, blending into a new patchwork.  

In a time where the economy is a critical issue, is progress becoming paramount over preservation?  How are we going to survive when we have turned the ownership of land over to the free market and industry?