WHITEWASH

65” X 52”X 9” - Mixed Media

While driving through Harrison, Arkansas, I passed a dusty ‘compound’ on the edge of town with a large gate and numerous confederate flags marking the surrounding property lines as well as the gate entrance. It’s hard to miss.

With the gate and the confederate flags being such a strong visual to me, I picked up this old wooden gate in an antique shop around the area, and wanted to create a piece that reflects the entrance into the dark world of White Supremacy. Antiquated, but still standing, in secrecy and anger intertwined with hatred, ignorance and fear. The two wood boards on each end, as well as the hinges and barbed wire were not original to the gate but were added. I then cut the flat tops of the gate pickets into a 'hood' image and carved a faded white Confederate Flag into the wood to represent the same flags from the compound. When I positioned the lighting at a 45 degree angle, it then created 'ghosts' behind the gate, lending an element of recognition to the old term 'Invisible Empire' from back in the day.

WHITEWASH is comprised of wood, metal and paint.