Artist Statement

“The Talk”

Artist Statement by Michael Darough

These images were created in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement. The faceless men represent individuals affected by this systemic issue. Those images void of the figure symbolize the stories that struggle to be told; they are the ones that do not receive news coverage.

Incarceration rates, racial profiling and fatalities from law enforcement disproportionately affect individuals of color. Police officers have the difficult task of protecting and serving our communities. They are people we depend on in common and extreme situations. I have nothing but respect for these women and men who risk their lives daily, but every black family still must have “the talk” with their children; especially their sons. Every few months a high-profile story emerges about another individual who is a victim of the criminal justice system. These situations have become all too common.

Social media and the digital age have given us access to see how excessive force has been used in several situations with individuals of color. These problems are not new. As a country we transitioned from slavery and Jim Crow laws to segregation to civil rights. These issues went from overt to covert. Although these matters regarding race are better than they have been in decades, we still have problems within our society that have yet to be properly addressed and fixed.