Virgen de Mickey, Blue
TOM KIEFER’S VIRGEN DE MICKEY, BLUE (2017) is part of El Sueño Americano (The American Dream), a series that uses objects confiscated from migrants at an Arizona Border Patrol facility where he worked as a part-time janitor. This photograph shows a child’s red Mickey Mouse zip-up sweatshirt, covered in dirt and paired against a contrasting, bright blue background. The title references the Catholic Virgen de Guadalupe, a popular saint in Mexican culture who protects and watches over her followers. The positioning of the sweatshirt, especially its draped hood, recalls images of the holy Virgin.