Miniature cotton bale, animal trap, acrylic paint, oil stick on canvas. 36” x 12.5” x 3”. 2020.

I came across a mini cotton bale at a secondhand store with the tag souvenir. I felt dirty doing it, but I had to buy it. It sent me down a dark path of American History, reading multiple books, studying slave spirituals, and reading first hand accounts of slaves - an excerpt of one such account is inscribed in the background of the piece. The making of this piece had a profound effect on me and came at a time when our country was experiencing increasing racism and violence. This is not an uplifting piece of art. It is a reminder of where we have been, who we are, and hope for a better future.