Montando a la Escoba Voladora (Riding the Flying Broom)

Juan de Dios Mora's prints emerge from his close observation of immigrant life in the border town of Laredo, Texas. His scenes of vaqueros (cowboys) riding flying brooms or driving exaggerated, powerful motorcycles, combine fantasy and realism to honor how Mexican immigrants make do and affirm their culture against the odds. The artist's father, who routinely repaired things with discarded scraps of metal and wood, inspired Montado a la Escoba Voladora (Riding the Flying Broom). "Even when you don't have the right tools or technology," the artist said, "you can still be clever and creative." Mora's works also reconceive representations of the cowboy, showing how Southwest ranch culture is indebted to Mexico.   

Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea, 2023