WET FLOOR SIGN
2018, 2.5ft x 1.5ft, beads, thread, wet floor sign
TRAFFIC CONE
2019, 2.5 x 1.5ft, beads, thread, traffic cone
FIRE HYDRANT
“Hazard” is a collection I have been working on since 2018. The pieces were prompted by political events happening in Louisville, Kentucky during this time.
Pay attention to how people in power, in whatever societal structure, pay attention to those, not in power, and more so, those oppressed by the ones in power. Things are being said and done to say things have been said and done. Is this helping or hurting? And does that question weigh heavy on those in power, the way it crushes those experiencing the effects? The idea of safety and hazard is more up for interpretation than it seems.
A wet floor sign is usually used to place over a mess, to encourage people to avoid the mess. This sign works as a placeholder, until someone comes along to clean up. People in charge use wet floor signs to pay attention to a mess, without necessarily being the one that tends to it. The sign sits and waits until someone has been held responsible for the clean-up. The mess sits and waits as well. Pedestrians sometimes pass by completely missing the mess, because they see the sign first, and the sign implies that the mess is being taken care of. But, by who? And when? Does the sign work to help the mess, or to help those in charge, and those who may not care, avoid the mess?
2 years later and we are seeing the effects of this over-policing in the west end of Louisville. The police utilized racism to pursue false claims fabricated by police themselves and ultimately murder an innocent black woman. This is followed by hundreds of assaults and arrests of protestors. More charges were given to protestors fighting for justice for Breonna Taylor, than to the cops that broke down her door and took her life. Then there was a $12 million settlement to her family from the state. Some people thought this was unfair, others thought it was justice, but the cops still walked free. It was once again a way to acknowledge that there was a “mess to clean up” and the settlement is just a wet floor sign. Now it has been months since we discovered that Attorney General Daniel Cameron never gave jurors the option to charge officers Mattingly and Cosgrove (2 of the 3 cops that murdered Breonna Taylor), also finding other lies that he presented in the case. The mess still exists, it was just covered up for those that choose to pay it no mind.
videos worth watching on this topic:
State lawmakers urged to vote down 'anti-gang' bill
links to readings on this topic:
Opponents call gang bill 'a mistake' as it moves forward to Kentucky Senate
Gang bill critics say targets black men and children passes Kentucky legislature
ACLU of Kentucky and Louisville Urban League urge legislators not to pass ‘gang bill’
A traffic cone is placed along a road or highway, to control traffic. Traffic cones utilized in work sites and lane closures to keep drivers moving forward in a different direction than originally intended. Most of the traffic cone’s job is telling the individual what to do in order for the work to be done. It is the driver’s job to switch lanes or take a detour that are put in place by people in charge. There is a focus on the individual being responsible for changing routes in hopes that the work will be finished when they return, while the person in charge has a larger role in creating these boundaries that we simply cannot cross.
Another issue in this fight for sustainability and climate recovery, is the issue of environmental racism. Looking at Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell’s history, you can see the racial bias in his policies over time. The fight for sustainability cannot happen without the discussion of race and class as well. During the protests when people were expressing themselves through the destruction of capitalism through looting, there was an upset about the only Kroger (Grocery Store) in the west end being wiped clean. A lot of people that were not in support of the protests called people stupid for “getting rid of their only resource for groceries”, as if having one source for groceries was just. The one and only Kroger in the west end is constantly lacking in produce especially in comparison to Krogers in Prospect or St.Matthews. This maximizes the need to buy packaged foods, leading to more waste. It also restricts diets for those who want to be vegan, or for those that have health conditions that require them to eat healthy. That is the real looting.
A fire hydrant is part of a municipal system used specifically in the streets. They are used to extinguish fires at a large scale to prevent the fire from spreading. That’s what the words of protestors did in July 2020 during Greg Fischer’s ribbon cutting for the Portland low-income housing development. This came after claims that the housing development facilitated the death of Breonna Taylor. Gentrification is rooted in and supported by colonialism. It is dangerous, it runs through neighborhoods destroying what previously existed, it displaces families, and much like a fire, it can only be extinguished by those with the power and tools to do so. But the protestors on this day came in smooth and occupied space without destruction. They entered like a wave with their chant “fire, fire, gentrifier” covering the sounds of the housing development ceremony. They wash away Fischer, as he cowardly walks away from the confrontation. For as long as the fire burns through the city of Louisville, there is a large wave that is following from the streets.
links to readings on this topic:
Protesters interrupt Mayor Greg Fischer's ribbon-cutting in Portland
Breonna Taylor warrant connected to Louisville gentrification plan, lawyers say
Council Demands Fischer Release Documents Related To Gentrification Plan, Taylor Killing