ABOUT THE PROJECT

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How does one dismantle entrenched systems of oppression? How does a society endure and prevail through cataclysm? How do you survive a nightmare? Facing a pandemic and civil unrest, the artist looked for answers in the stories of the American Civil War, a moment in history where the survival of a nation and the abolition of slavery demanded extraordinary collective action. Larger than life yet strangely relatable, the Civil War reveals ordinary people confronting their own "unprecedented times."

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Through their stories, the artist found lessons still resonant in today’s America. Far from the traditional narratives of singular heroism, the series emphasizes the Civil War as a story of collective effort—a tapestry woven from the contributions of ordinary individuals whose coordinated actions altered the course of history.

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Anchored in 19th-century daguerreotypes, the artist reimagines these historical subjects through a modern lens, using the visual language of 20th-century graphic styles and 21st-century digital methods. This multidisciplinary approach bridges eras, offering a modern interpretation of these figures and distilling their identities into forms both iconic and immediate. Each figure is presented as an archetype essential to the collective effort, inviting the viewer to reconsider the individuals who shaped this pivotal moment and offering a meditation on the enduring relevance of their struggle in today’s cultural and political landscape.

The Orator

Frederick Douglass, de stijl, “What to the Slave is Your Fourth of July?”, nerve, style

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The Victor

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Ulysses S. Grant, pop heroic realism, the Fall of Vicksburg, earnestness, restraint

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The Leader

Abraham Lincoln, bauhaus, Second Inaugural, humility, premonitory dreams

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The Ally

James Montgomery, totalitarian kitsch, Bleeding Kansas, fanaticism, Sharps Model 1853

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The Harbinger

William T. Sherman, vaporwave, terminal classic Mayan murals, the Atlanta Campaign, contempt, fire

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The Storyteller

Harriet Beecher Stowe, art nouveau, *Uncle Tom’s Cabin*, drama, banned books

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The Liberator

Harriet Tubman, mid century travel ads, Combahee River Raid, moonlight, resolve

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The Saboteurs

Elizabeth Van Lew & an image associated with Mary Richards Bowser, art deco noir, conspiracy, Richmond, VA

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The Martyr

John Brown, Mexican folk art, Harpers Ferry Raid, loss

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