Juan Galceran’s The United States of America
Juan Galceran, an El Paso artist who has made work for Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton, among others, was slated to hang his mural
The United States of America in the El Paso airport in 2005. The work depicts a much-publicized ambush during the Iraq War where a Juarez-born, 18-year-old soldier, Ruben Estrella-Soto, was killed in action.
The United States of America speaks to a history of the displaced, and includes images of bound Native Americans, Black people in bondage, and campesino Mexicans working as migrants. Galceran says of the piece: “ So many of the soldiers in this war like in other wars are minorities. Their people have suffered racism, or still do, and despite all that, so many are willing to sacrifice their lives for this country. That’s an important statement.”