When I first had the idea to start up my graffiti weaving practice, with the intention of focusing on activism, I thought I would just hit up the rural areas. The areas that aren’t as ethnically diverse, and can feel so far removed from the cities.
But I had a change of mind: the cities still need visual reminders just as much as the small towns. There is still so much hatred & fear & ignorance. It almost feels as if since pandora’s box of racism opened (justice for George Floyd) the worst is yet to come.
Therapy can be like this: to try and heal from abuse, one needs to address the trauma, and the behaviours that furthered the trauma, usually self-sabotaging like drugs/alcohol abuse. As the individual progresses through recovery, there will be times that one will take three steps forward, and then relapse. It takes the awareness of starting the process of recovery to fully see the damage that going backwards can inflict. Ideally, each relapse won’t be as bad as the first; Each relapse will bring more self-awareness and propel the individual forward with more clarity and wisdom. I believe this is where we are at in society with systemic racism- we are in the beginnings of truly trying to heal and recover from generations of cyclic, systemic abuse. We are hurting, and we can hurt no longer. This is our rock bottom. We can only move upwards.
I liked the idea of a bridge for this graffiti- it’s a pretty traditional spot for street art, bridges and trains. But the metaphor of the function of a bridge is like the metaphor of a weaving- bringing two elements together to connect as one. With weaving, I always thought that it was the perfect metaphor for society- how the warp and weft can come together to create something new, each supporting each other, each unable to exist without each other.
graffitiweave 