The recent death of George Floyd has shed a global light on the long standing problem of police brutality against black people in the United States. This single event symbolizes so much more than just one death, but the hundreds of lives that have been lost by the hand of the police from the same cause. It symbolizes the scale of inequity that spans our whole nation disproportionately affecting black families. It symbolizes the tension between a black man and a white police officer, black people and the police, and the symbolic power of the State vs the collective voice of its people. The tensions felt in these dualitys echo out into many other issues that have resurfaced in our cultural dialogue that are all too often pushed aside and ignored.
Photo by Caleb Hawkins at the Mass. State House
As an artist of color and designer I look for the ways these tensions are manifested, and how they can be amplified for awareness through art and design. The awareness that has come already through online platforms and social media has already brought about a profound sense of urgency for action. Apart from the protests and the reposts, I found many people are asking what is it that I can do now?
I found myself asking the same question. As an artist and designer I look to the things that I already do, but I look for new ways to apply them to new things. That’s when I turned to projection mapping. I see it as a medium in art that can give a voice, tell a story and is also about impact, with the size, scale and boldness of light in the darkness.
The recent projections in downtown have been both a tribute to commemorate the recent loss of George Floyd as well as a statement of protest. The symbolic imagery of the projection on the symbolic architecture of the State brings out a certain compositional tension that enriches the depth of meaning that’s woven between them. Just like any other protest, location matters and that made all the difference when we projected George Floyd onto the District A-1 Police Station in downtown Boston.
Recently after the protests and the events from the evening of May 31st, much of downtown was boarded up with stationed national guardsmen on every other corner. Most of the streets were empty once darkness fell so we knew there wouldn’t be a huge audience of the general public and the risk of running into authorities was likely given the frequent patrols passing the buildings. After leaving the State House, our next stop was going to be Boston City Hall but we passed the station on the way. As we approached the array of cruisers and the blue sign of the station we slowed to a stop and parked across the street.
Within a few minutes of parking we had set up and the projection was mapped to the brick facade of the station. It wasn’t long before a group of officers gathered below looked up and started speaking amongst themselves. As we saw them talking, we knew it wouldn’t be long before someone came to shut us down. An officer came up to us with an arm out. We thought he was going to unplug the projector, but instead pointed to the wall, and said “I love this.”
We eventually found our unexpected audience of the evening, the local police. The group eventually gathered near the projector as we began speaking about the work, the symbolism of the piece in context to the recent events. After the others left I had the chance to speak with a black officer for some time who had been on the force for 32 years. Hearing what he had to say about it all, his thoughts on the deeper issues and where they stem from was very cathartic for me. As the conversation unfolded and we shared perspectives, a larger sensitivity to the bigger issues was gained. As we wrapped up they allowed us to take our time and kindly reminded us that we were parked in police parking.
While leaving the site, I found that the art itself had created this space for dialogue through the actions involved in producing it. The message of the projection was one thing, but the act of going out there and taking the risk was another. Being active and taking part in a collective voice for something I believe in is something I’m thankful to be able to do. It’s not just the content that I have found impactful as an artist but the process as well. In regards to taking action against racism in America and providing a perspective on the question we may all be asking. What can I do now? It’s not always what is done, but how it’s done that matters.
~ Caleb Hawkins
Photo by Aram Boghosian
