Archive Mode. Call "Us Reimagined" Invitational Exhibition of Visual Arts: Works by Contemporary California African-American Artists ended on 1/4/23, 5:00 PM. Call settings are read only. See Current Open Calls
Mixed Media Collage, Acrylic and Watercolor on Watercolor Paper - Framed
Many sources influenced my creation of "Peace in the Midst" from the Gospel song lyrics in Shirley Caesar's "Peace in the Midst of the Storm" to Photographer Bill Hudson's 1963 iconic image of the Civil Rights movement depicting a police dog viciously attacking a peaceful protester and the 1989 photograph of Jeff Widener, "Tank Man", better known as "The Unknown Protestor," depicting a single peaceful protester standing in opposition to a fleet of aligned military tanks. My most profound influence comes from the civility and visual discontent depicted in Photographer Jonathan Bachman's highly viral arrest photo capturing two riot-geared policemen appearing to be charging towards Ieshia Evans, a sole-standing yet peaceful protester. A full line-up of more riot-geared police standing in formation behind the two charging officers heighten the unbalanced scale of a hyper-militant force against the sole non-threatening African American woman. Although this occurrence was actually non-violent, the captured moment reflected volumes of race-related police violence, which the protest was in opposition of. My work attempts to re-contextualize the captured contrast in Bachman's photo, both seen and perceived. My application of signifying collaged elements also examines the juxtaposition of racial equality, strengths, purpose, peace, and protest in subjugation over violence and policing.
