With all that has been happening in this country and in this world over the last year or so, I’ve continued to feel myself draining. With the constant battle of fighting for equality and injustice, the loss of my village at the hands of those who are meant to protect, and the ongoing pandemic, I feel my mind fogging and my heart heavy. I feel hallowed.
That is why I’ve created this piece. A piece that’s a statement and a message to the world, to the oppressors, to the killers, and to the affected. I created a coffin that holds the national symbol of American patriotism and promise for freedom and equality. On the American flag, I’ve written the names of the black Americans that have been killed at the hands of police. I wanted this piece to symbolize the black bodies that have been taken by the system that’s meant to protect them and place it in a space of mourning, a cemetery. After my first project that required woodwork, I wanted to do the same for this piece by creating a coffin with a glass top for the viewer to see the flag inside. Since this installation is also a memorial piece, the location needed to be a place of grief. I used a larger American flag that belonged to my deceased grandfather who served this country to sit the coffin on top of; the coffin sits in front of a monument of Jesus on the cross with Mother Mary in front as a symbol of faith, whether that faith is waning or growing as we progress.
I hope to convey my message that this is a fight that needs to continue to be fought, for black lives matter, and I hope to create more work that will be successful in doing so.
3 ft. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. (coffin)
Plywood, plexiglass, large American flag, 3x5 ft. American flag, acrylic gesso, matte and gloss spray paint, marker, screws, 10x8x1/2 in. wooden board, paint marker, gel pen
Location: Mount Olivet Cemetery
3 ft. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. (coffin)
Plywood, plexiglass, large American flag, 3x5 ft. American flag, acrylic gesso, matte and gloss spray paint, marker, screws, 10x8x1/2 in. wooden board, paint marker, gel pen
Location: Mount Olivet Cemetery
Raw canvas, burnt paper, 6 in. railroad spikes, 3 in. nails, fake blood, twine, charcoal, ink, butcher paper, acrylic paint, coffee
3 ft. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. (coffin)
Plywood, plexiglass, large American flag, 3x5 ft. American flag, acrylic gesso, matte and gloss spray paint, marker, screws, 10x8x1/2 in. wooden board, paint marker, gel pen
Location: Mount Olivet Cemetery
3 ft. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. (coffin)
Plywood, plexiglass, large American flag, 3x5 ft. American flag, acrylic gesso, matte and gloss spray paint, marker, screws, 10x8x1/2 in. wooden board, paint marker, gel pen
Location: Mount Olivet Cemetery
3 ft. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. (coffin)
Plywood, plexiglass, large American flag, 3x5 ft. American flag, acrylic gesso, matte and gloss spray paint, marker, screws, 10x8x1/2 in. wooden board, paint marker, gel pen
Location: Mount Olivet Cemetery
3 ft. x 5 ft.
American flag, paint marker
3 ft. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. (coffin)
Plywood, plexiglass, large American flag, 3x5 ft. American flag, acrylic gesso, matte and gloss spray paint, marker, screws, 10x8x1/2 in. wooden board, paint marker, gel pen
3 ft. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. (coffin)
Plywood, plexiglass, large American flag, 3x5 ft. American flag, acrylic gesso, matte and gloss spray paint, marker, screws, 10x8x1/2 in. wooden board, paint marker
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