My American Dream

Senior Thesis

My senior thesis is an exploration of the American dream which has brought me, as well as millions of other immigrants into this country. I wanted to know what it was that we lacked in our own countries which attracted us enough to leave our families, heritage, and traditions behind. I also wanted to know how it is that our countries lacked the opportunity and wealth found in this one. I was unsure of the exact design of the final piece but I knew that I wanted to try new things that I haven’t done before such as working large scale, working in printmaking, and find my own voice as a designer.

process

My search for the answer began by attempting to define the reasons that we left our countries and came to America. Some of the things we lacked were wealth and opportunity. Our economic systems were failing us so we were enchanted by the American consumer culture and all it had to offer. I began creating a series of posters that functioned as invitations to the American spectacle. They allowed me to explore what exactly it is that advertisement aimed to do, which is to sell a product that guaranteed the consumer an ideal version of themselves. These advertisements also pointed out how certain political agenda and ideology is sold to us through a spectacle of the ideal self.