LET THERE BE LIGHT
The Curse of Those Who Do Nothing in the Face of Evil

21.75” x 14.5” x 7.5”

Mixed Media

Inspired by the story of Dante's "cowardly angels” as he entered Hell. Sometimes called neutrals or opportunists, 'fence straddlers' were guilty of the sin of cowardice in its most basic form. Fearing to commit or to act in the face of evil, and unwilling to shed their blood for any worthy cause in life, they remained spectators to life, and in death they had nowhere to go.

The Klan cross is wrapped with material from an authentic ‘flour sack’ Klan robe circa 1870 from Carthage, Arkansas. A veil of hatred over 146 years old. I find the fragile, worn material striking since it mimics the same worn out mentality of today. The knife has a more interesting background. I have had it for a while now in my personal collection, and had purchased it for it’s story. Legend has it, it was the first thing removed from a cruel, dead Klansman’s body and was passed down through the same family for several generations. The African American family that owned it finally decided to part with it and sell it.

Evil has come out from the shadows and shown it’s face openly again in our society disguised as 'Salvation'. This is what it looks like.