MACDOWELL RESIDENCY
[Peterborough, NH, 2016]
Temporary paper sculptures
“Beyonce', Brutalism, Brutality, and Black Lives Matter”
F O R M A T I O N:
The organization of this installation was inspired by a video released by the singer Beyonce' on the day I completed these small-scale sculptures. In the video and ensuing Super Bowl performance she invoked both the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black Panther Party.
At the time I was considering the purpose for these constructs and possible deployments for them. The video and particularly the title, resonated with me.
"They Won't Be Naming No Buildings After Me..."
The first installation led me to consider the ways other artists have incorporated activism into their work, especially Black woman who have been not only central to, but catalysts for much of the recent activism surrounding police brutality.
"They Won't Be Naming No Buildings After Me..." are from the lyrics to the song A.D. 2000 by Erykah Badu which was dedicated to Amadou Diallo, a young man from Guinea who was killed by police in 1999.
Conflating the Brutalist designs of these constructs in order to create small memorials to those killed by police brutality was very much in sync with the lyrics of the song.
As this was more of a temporary exercise than a final installation, I would imagine filling a room with these structures and having their size correspond to the age of the victim being memorialized. This is how they're are configured on the butcher's block table.
