It seems to be the nature of contemporary life that history erupts upon the surface of our lives in ever more frequent waves. There seems a volatility in the fabric of society that has created tension and unease. The papered over cracks of history are being torn apart as the oppressed and discriminated seek justice and an end to hegemonic institutional power structures.
George Floyd’s death was shocking, despite it being part of a long history of violence against People of Colour, especially in the United States, but also all around the world. But (white) public apathy is being held to account- silence is increasingly recognised as complicity. Finally the dominance of colonial power is being seriously challenged to make meaningful change.
I wasn’t sure how to respond to the death of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. Can and should a white / pakeha male on the other side of the world be involved in this conversation? Of course the answer is “Yes”- i believe any such violence is a human rights issue that transcends nation and state, colour and race, class…
There was a backlash against “Blackout Thursday,” a music industry initiative against racism and police brutality that utilised social media platforms such as Instagram. Perhaps this ephemeral gesture was rightly derided as meaningless, indeed a hindrance to the exposure of other content being promoted through the #BLM hashtag…
But it was for me a spur- so simply in its form- the black square, it seemed impossible to ignore the potential to shift this digital gesture into the real world. Perhaps I was inspired also by the Hand Medal Project that had then recently been taken up around the world- create an accessible piece of jewellery that could demonstrate solidarity with people of colour and the Black Lives Matter movement against systemic racism.
So I made some pendants in stainless steel; squares painted black, with a simple black cord. Reluctantly, and with trepidation I created a post on Instagram offering to give them away, the only criteria that the recipient considered making a donation to a related charity that would impact People of colour in some way.
It was interesting the positive responses i received, but the relative lack of uptake on the offer. It transpired people felt quite uncomfortable saying “yes- please, I’d love one,” even when they wanted one…
Interestingly this time coincided with talks with Gabi about public interventions, disruption and citizenship, as I had been thinking about jewellery interventions in urban space. Gabi introduced me to the work of Hannah Arendt, who wrote on these topics, and others, such as civil disobedience and protest. So all of this fed into the idea of the pendant pieces, but also to some larger pieces I made to intervene in public space. The pendants themselves were about 45mm square, but I also made large squares, one from stainless, others from galvanised steel, approximately 500mm square. These I attached displayed in public spaces, usually attached to fences with cable ties. One I hung in the university Robertson Library stairwell, but it didn’t last there long. Perhaps this is the distinction between public and private spaces- I felt that if i was brave enough to intervene in a public space, it would take equal bravery to remove it- a dilemma not shared by those in command of private spaces. It was a good lesson.
I extended the idea of protest and intervention to the pendants also, providing each whom requested one also with a 2” nail. People could then choose whether to wear it, or nail it to a public space.
My ambitions to flood the urban environment did not materialise unfortunately, and my small and limited efforts have gone largely unnoticed I am sure. But nonetheless, the pendants facilitated conversations which would have otherwise gone unspoken. I’m still wearing mine, still having engaging conversations on the state of the world, our hopes for the future.
Creating this work has been a small gesture, but for me an important one. Thank you to all who shared their thoughts, experiences and wisdom by engaging with this project with me. Kia ora.
