It is a crazy time. With all the stories in the news from George Floyd, Amy Cooper in the park, and Ahmaud Arbery, it just puts your world into a little more perspective. In the protests there are so many voices, so many powerful messages that deserve to be heard. When I'm unsure whether my voice adds to the cacophony of it all, I turn to what I know best. Creating art. When I hear all those stories that are cascading across my social media, I have come to realize that perhaps, we haven't come as far as we (or rather I) think we have. We've heard about the great leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and it seems like it was so long ago. Over half a century and we're still protesting and fighting and unable to see each other for the content of our hearts instead of the color of our skin.
As I approached this piece, I had first though to do it in stark black and white to symbolize the primary 2 races at odds, then I realized upon further contemplation that it isn't about not seeing color.... it's about seeing the harmony in all the colors. It was at that point that it only made sense to paint MLK in all the colors in my palette. The dripping red background seemed appropriate as I wanted to symbolize not only the blood spilled in the past, but the blood that continues to be spilled today. This is my way of adding to the mellifluous voice of our humanity.
If you would like to order a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. print of this, please check out my store for more details.
