Riverland Community College

"Migrations: Sculpture by Alonso Sierralta" opens today in the James Wegner Art Gallery, Austin West Campus. 

Sierralta's sculptures are simultaneously fascinating and strange, creating a sense of both harmony and disharmony. A Chile immigrant at age 14, the artist channels his experience of cultural transplantation into powerful organic metaphors. According to the artist, "(t)he spreading of seeds, roots, pollen, etc. are the basic inspiration for the sculptural form, disparate materials are then selected to create the sense of tension and forced metamorphosis". 

The works address the mixed emotions of optimism and fear that accompany giving up the familiar. Faculty are especially encouraged to use the show as a starting point for discussing the critical issues surrounding immigration. It is an opportunity to examine the issue from a fresh, and visually expressive perspective.