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The piece is a fragmentary, exploded view of a Confederate monument pulled down by protestors in Durham, NC in 2017. When the protestors pulled it down, the cheaply made bronze figure crumpled into a warped and twisted version of itself, with the head vanishing into the chest and the barrel of the rifle twisting and turning. The object itself is now in storage in Durham, and it seems to encapsulate so much of American history in its densely folded, gnarled form.
From the Civil War to the legacy of white supremacy enforced by the installation of these mass-produced monuments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, to the urgent calls and direct actions taken in the last several years to forcibly dismantle these oppressive signifiers, this figure embodies so many of the contested, painful narratives of American history.
This work was created for the 2021 Taoyuan International Art Award.
Disposable Monument II (After The Boys Who Wore Gray), 2021.
Polymer modified gypsum, graphite, aluminum, polypropylene, nylon, brass, cherry and pine.
60” x 84” x 53”
Detail of hands and rifle barrel.
Detail of nylon strap.
Rear view of work.
Detail of plaque, showing the date when the monument was pulled down.
Disposable Monument II (After The Boys Who Wore Gray), 2021.
Polymer modified gypsum, graphite, aluminum, polypropylene, nylon, brass, cherry and pine.
60” x 84” x 53”