-
Jordan Seaberry
-
2018
Grant Summary
Fellowship.
Keywords
Artist Statement
My grandfather was chased out of Mississippi by the Ku Klux Klan. His family, like millions of others, fled up the river to Chicago, a city notorious for its segregation and its homicide rate. This, resultantly, would be my home. How do moments of violence define us? I dream of engaging grassroots movements in ways that transcend traditional “movement artist” involvement. I want to link stories from victim perspectives into narratives of incarceration and gang-based violentization. I want to investigate personal loss, the myth of democracy, the emptiness of exceptionalism. Most importantly, I want to talk about these things in a new way that actually builds material power. Through organizing and legislative advocacy, I’m afforded the opportunity to address issues of violence within a context of economic equity, racial justice, and reconciliation. As an artist, this means bringing along a framework of restoration and creativity. These all converge on the canvas.