Hummers

Margarita Cabrera’s work continues an ongoing exploration of the defining economic relationship between the United States and Mexico. She is interested in creating an aesthetic platform for political and social-cultural consciousness as a means of survival.

The life-sized Hummer presents a malleable image of a war symbol. In scale, the H2 maintains its status as an American icon and symbol of military might. Its soft veneer, however, refers to its role as a disposable luxury item. Mass produced by anonymous laborers for the few who can afford them, the Hummer embodies multiple metaphors, all fundamentally rooted in the American realities of power and desire, excess, consummerism and waste. War and wealth collapse into a singular image that speaks to our current moment in history and its byproduct: popular american culture.