Postcards from the AnthropoScenic Byway

As Shield

Tokens of Affection

Skyscapes

VOICES

Junk Drawer

Shallows

Fog

Americana Blues

Mushroom

Rock People

8mm

Nature Study

Floored

COLLECTIONS:

Places & Things

People

Nature

About the Artist

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VOICES: Day 40

VOICES
Abstract Expressions

VOICES is a collection of photographic works originating from graffiti at the Robert E. Lee Memorial statue in Richmond, VA during Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests to demand an end to systemic racism and police brutality. The work began on June 8, 2020.

Jere Kittle. Photo by T. C. Moore

The graffiti-strewn scene at the statue - now known as Marcus-David Peters Circle - was a visual cacophony of loud and colorful voices expressing a range of emotions from outrage to healing. During my earliest visits to the site, I began to see through the painted words and symbols, to explore the abstract images they unwittingly form; overlapping and intertwining gestures shared in communal outpouring. Each stroke or splatter of paint represents a physical act of expression that speaks to me in ways that the words cannot.

My attraction to abstract imagery is born of the enigmatic quality that invites me to connect with the creator and the act of creating. In this series, that connection ties me to the hands and hearts of those who found a place and a way to speak their innermost truths.

I returned to the statue often and for more than seven months when a chain link fence was installed around the site's perimeter. With each visit, I met new people and found new voices within the ever-changing displays of graffiti. Each time, I sense that I was immersed in a profound, caring energy. It is this energy that I seek to share through these works.

Gallery exhibition 2020

An exhibition of works from this project was held at Artspace Gallery Oct. 23 - Dec. 13, 2020.

As Shield

“Your silence will not protect you”
 — Audre Lorde

Portraits

Proceeds from the sale of works in the 2020 exhibition were donated to PrettyPurposed.org – a community-based program that works to empower girls in the Petersburg, VA area through mentorship and activities that promote healthy physical, social and emotional development.