By Syndicated Content
By Aleksandra Michalska
NEW YORK (Reuters) – For New York artist Tanda Francis, the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020 were an historic event.
To honor those who participated and create a permanent tribute to the racial justice movement, Francis took plywood used to board up storefronts across the city last year and turned it into a sculpture called “RockIt Black.”
“To transform this plywood that was on the streets during the Black Lives Matter actual uprising is… amazing,” Francis told Reuters. “In my work, I actually use the color black and actually try to elevate it, kind of contrast to how it’s been sort of stigmatized in our culture.”
New York artists turn plywood from Black Lives Matter protests into sculptures
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New York artists turn plywood from Black Lives Matter protests into sculptures
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Last summer, as tensions rose over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, store owners in New York boarded up their businesses in anticipation of rioting or looting.
Now, weeks after former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of Floyd s murder, a a group of artists have taken the wooden planks used to board up those shops and transformed them into outdoor art.
The artists were chosen from among 200 entrants to participate in the Plywood Protection Project, using some 200 pieces of plywood sourced from local stores.
Their sculptures address a variety of issues, from Black Lives Matter to the return of public performance in the wake of COVID-19.