Picturing the Constitution, curated by Katherine Gressel at The Old Stone House
336 3rd Street, Brooklyn, NY (between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, Park Slope)
October 20, 2023 - January 7, 2024
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There has always been a gap in the Constitution—between its ideals and the realities by which this country has been governed. At times, the gaps are horrific chasms; sometimes they begin to close, promising rights more equally distributed.
My allegorical visual narratives explore the profound consequences of a constitution written by white men, the majority of whom were owners of enslaved people. They address ways that the ideals of the Constitution have been selectively applied or ignored, leaving many outside its stated principles and protections, particularly concerning voting rights, reproductive freedom, and the right to asylum.
Sinkhole presents a ballot worker diligently performing duties in a sinkhole of suspicion and harassment, surrounded by long lines in districts purposely assigned fewer polling stations, shorter voting calendars, and increasing restrictions. Above her are ghostly gerrymandering politicians who skew the democratic process, promoting disenfranchisement and undermining the spirit of our founding documents. They represent an unbroken lineage of efforts to thwart voting protections guaranteed by constitutional amendments.
Image: Sinkhole, 2023, Ink and gouache on Yupo paper, 37.5 x 24.5 inches
