Brown, Bell, Garner

Recent work by Titus Kaphar addresses the human and civil rights crisis currently underway in the United States criminal justice system. This work responds, in particular, to the persistent, deadly assault of unarmed black men by law enforcement in America. This monumental drawing mourns the premature deaths of Sean Bell (1983–2006), Michael Brown (1996–2014), and Eric Garner (1970–2014). Kaphar sketches headshots of these young men in white chalk, layering one on top of the other on a ground of black asphalt paper. The resulting image appears to flicker between individual and collective portrait, challenging the viewer’s capacity, and willingness, to perceive these men as singular beings beyond any demographic group.