The Making of There-Bound by Enrique Martínez Celaya

The artist explains how he wove together the stories of California highways, migratory birds, T.S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets,” and a searing self-portrait into a sprawling but cohesive work.

“Borderlands” is The Huntington’s permanent collections installation that explores American art through themes of place and migration. The first piece most people encounter—before they even reach the gallery doors—is Enrique Martínez Celaya’s There-bound. This avian mural, painted directly on the glass inside the gallery’s north entrance, is an exploration not just of the physical “skin” of the building but also of the border land between interior and exterior.