OBELISKKK

2018
Nine captioned and framed photocopies, hand-cut vinyl letters
12 x 18” each (frame)

The obelisk is an ancient and enduring symbol of Rome’s conquest over Egypt; for example, eight ancient Egyptian obelisks currently reside in prominent locations throughout the Italian capital. Interpreting the obelisk as an emblem of power, supremacy, and domination, I discovered that many Confederate war memorials throughout the US utilize the obelisk as their main if not only design feature. As a result, I chose to visualize the word OBELISK as the foreground to nine, southern-situated Confederate monuments from both a literal and figurative perspective. By replicating the final letter in the word, the meaning of the work was extended—the series of three K’s evokes the white supremacy group that historically and currently aspires to conquer the disenfranchised and promote systems of conquest over opportunity, freedom, and equality.