Time Traveling Ancients

What if one of your ancient ancestors showed up out of the past and into the present?

Think of what they’d make of smartphones, airplanes, autonomous vehicles, skateboards, and a whole bunch of other things that are part of our daily lives.

This is the premise behind my ongoing Time Traveling Ancients series, which imagines our Mesoamerican ancestors journeying into the 21st century to explore the world their descendants now inhabit, and the broader Chicano/Latino experience. Intrigued by modern technology and culture, these travelers are also seeking to reconnect with those who’ve carried their story forward: us.

They want to know what happened to the knowledge, traditions, and values they left behind. What have we carried forward? What have we transformed into something new?

And, of course, they’re having a little fun along the way. They’re fascinated by the technology and culture of our world, and they enjoy all the new things they can play with. They’ve even discovered the joy of the selfie. I’ve been exploring these ideas through my art: sculpture, public art, 2D work, and storytelling – and I’m currently developing a couple of stories for presentations at venues throughout Arizona.

But beneath the humor and whimsy, I imagine them asking us a more serious question:

“Are you holding up your end of the eternal bargain?”

The American Southwest; a historic corridor of trade, ideas, and cultural exchange, has long been a place where people, cultures, and stories converge, evolve, and continue forward. Arizona is a natural place for these travelers to visit. Their ancestors traded with and interacted with people throughout the Southwest, creating connections that continue to this day.

I’m enjoying exploring what these time travelers might do and what they might encounter. There’s plenty of room for humor, curiosity, and adventure. I like to think my ancestors had a healthy sense of all three.

But perhaps they’ve also come to remind us of something else:

We, too, are traveling through time.

And someday, someone may look back at what we’ve left behind and wonder what we did with the time we were given.