I have to say, from a strictly artistic practice perspective, it was exciting being back in Chicago, the city I first came up with the idea of graffiti weaving, while attending school at SAIC (School of the Art Institute Chicago). It was also exciting putting up some graffiti alongside other street art. It gives my piece some framework. And it’s a sloppy weave- I wove the warp into the structure, and weaved the weft into the woven warp- like a double weave.
Maybe I subconsciously double weaved this because I know that a visual reminder, these black squares, is needed even more so right now, in all of our cities. Like I’m metaphorically holding on even tighter.
I did, unknowingly at the time, the same afternoon Jacob Blake was shot in the back 7 times in front of his three children. It was intensely hot that day, and then crazy thunderstorms rolled in. It started to rain while I was finishing this piece. I’m still trying to process the horror of children watching their parent be shot by a gun. 7 times. Unarmed. I’m not sure if I will ever be able to process this. I’m speechless & still horrified.
All I know is that we cannot give up protesting, and having our voices heard. We cannot give up fighting. Black Lives Matter.
graffitiweave 