Palimpsest - April 2025
Palimpsest- a manuscript or piece of writing material reused or altered, yet the original writing still bears visible traces
For this work within Palimpsest I have critically engaged with one of the core tenets of capitalism - the prioritization of profit over the wellbeing of the people and planet - through the case study of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
It often helps people to engage with contemporary politics if they can see where the problems originated from. Sometimes those histories are buried, either subconsciously or systematically. A basic principle in the process of solving future problems relies on learning from the past in order to prevent the repetition of destructive ideas. It is when we choose to ignore or become ignorant of the past that we become trapped in a cycle of pain and suffering.
Through this series of prints I aim to open up a space for reflection between what has happened and what can be done. Displacement, Contamination, and Erasure are each comprised of digitally collaged photographs of sites in Grand, Rapids, large screen printed elements meant to convey opposing views in dialogue with one another, and smaller block-printed images (linoleum cuts) which illustrate key ideas related to the theme of each work.
