This piece was inspired by contradictions of one of Americas greatest industrial behemoths, the cotton industry. Here the cotton industry’s portrayal of itself through advertising campaigns has been mashed with actual imagery of cotton pickers. Overlayed is a symbol of the underground railroad which was known as a secret message sewed into cotton quilts for slaves seeking to run. This symbol warned slaves to seek a safe house. I was attracted to the irony of the material of the industry that fueled the slave trade was secretly appropriated to aid the underground railroad. I am attracted to idea of creating something beautiful out of polar extremes.
This piece was inspired by contradictions of one of Americas greatest industrial behemoths, the cotton industry. The idea of creating something beautiful out of polarities excites me and often influences my work. Here, the polarities are the cotton industry’s portrayal of itself through advertising campaigns contrasted with actual imagery of cotton pickers at work. Overlayed, metaphorically stitching them together is a symbol of the underground railroad which was known as a secret message sewed into cotton quilts for slaves seeking to run. This particular symbol warned slaves to seek a nearby safe house. I was attracted to this irony; the material manifestation of the industry that fueled the slave trade was appropriated as a secret communication system that aided in the underground railroad.