“In September 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that "45 percent of people of color live within three miles of a Superfund site – places highly contaminated by hazardous waste. Living near these sites can bring lots of problems: odors, noise
pollution and depressed home values (source linked at end of email). Living in Columbus for the majority of my life gives me unique insight to how displacement due to gentrification is also related to the overall health of residents. I can think of where water treatment plants are placed, landfills, where runoff flows, and it disproportionately impacts BIPOC residents of Columbus.
Toxic environments impact everyone, and this is something that everyone should be concerned about, because everyone would benefit from changes to this system. This piece deals specifically with the air quality in urban settings, and how it is much poorer than in suburban or rural spaces. This house resembles that of homes being gentrified in Columbus for the sake of "beautification" and "community betterment", but who is this actually better for? The green tone represents greenhouse gases, hence the green home in the front and the gas station in the background. My hope is that people would think about the impacts of toxic waste and environmental hazards on communities around them.
My work overall takes much inspiration from artists such as Felix Gonzales-Torres, who made stunning yet simplistic pieces that tackled hard issues through double meanings. His work was beautiful, yes, but the messages and concepts were concerning. The shift in the viewer when they became aware of the true message is something I am drawn to, and therefore incorporating into my own artistic practice.”
