Fugitive Monuments
Chapter One: The Savannah Project
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Paintings by nature are monuments of an artist's ideas, social beliefs, and personal vision. This series is my testimonial to Black History. Through these images, I pay tribute to the enslaved people that built this country and the sordid history of injustice that has been erased.
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The initial idea for the Fugitive Monument project was inspired by the tour of Savannah's Black HIstory given by the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. We visited the Laurel Grove Cemetary, First African Baptist Church, and many significant homes and historic sites. I was struck by the sad state of disrepair of the majority of the sites. In a historic city such as Savannah, this neglect was especially poignant. I was moved to make a statement using my art as a vehicle. The paintings evoke both the melancholy of these abandoned sites and the hope that someday they will be remembered and honored.
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The series began with intense research. Black and white photographs, Confederate memorabilia, and Slave narratives established a foundation for the initial drawings. I unearthed a history of plantations and segregation that was woven into my own family history. I also wanted to portray a warmth of feeling as I paid homage to a history that was connected to my own heritage. I want these paintings to stand as a monument to my ancestors and the people lost in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
