Jon and I lay in bed this morning looking at photos on his iPhone of the protests and riots that are taking place all around the country.
As it turns out we are largely removed from the worst of the Coronavirus (there are few cases in our area) we are also physically removed from the violence that is happening all over the country and even just an hour away in Albany.
Jon was up late last night writing his piece One Man’s Truth, Last Stand of The Angry White Man. For days ideas and images swirled through my head as I tried to figure out a way to express what I was feeling.
Then I thought of my Corona Kimono.
The fear surrounding the virus has mostly subsided with the murder of George Floyd. We have moved on to another kind of plague.
But many protestors are wearing masks. It was the photo of a woman wearing a face mask with the words “I Can’t Breathe” written on it that tied together the virus, peaceful protest, and violence that the country is experiencing.
Face masks have become the symbol of the coronavirus just as the words I Can’t Breathe have become synonymous with the death of African Americans as the hands of the police.
Around the image of the woman wearing the mask, I used some of the words from protest signs that people were holding and the date.
Hi Maria,
It occurred to me as I saw your latest kimono post that this could be in a museum or touring exhibit that would chronicle 2020. Thinking of just one aspect, it’s the centennial of women’s right to vote and yet, because of the virus, some women are becoming housewives again. Temporarily, I hope.
You have pinpointed so many heartbreaking moments and details that I think people should see this for years to come. For me, it is a significant piece of American art and history.
Thank you Larua. I appreciate your seeing so much in my Corona Kimono. I hadn’t thought of the connection between the vote and the housewife issue. it’s a good point.