Equality, a Work in Progress

Equality, a Work in Progress

40 Women Pulling at The threads os Social Discourse Exhibition. 2020

CAMP Gallery - FAMA 

In 1920, after years of struggle, women gained the right to vote. The journey to enfranchisement was extremely difficult and has to be viewed in the context of the societal conventions of the time. The Suffragist Movement, which led that journey, had its struggles and internal divisions, but their achievement was monumental. This piece seeks to pay homage to that journey while giving voice to those left out of the achievement.

The knots and loops were chosen to represent the movement’s struggles, the advances and setbacks, the alliances and the divisions, and the groups left marginalized: while black men were enfranchised under the 15th Amendment and women under the 19th Amendment, women of color could not exercise their fundamental right until the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The colors chosen were the suffragettes' own: purple for dignity, yellow for light and life, and white for purity .

The struggle for true equality has progressed in America, to be sure, but in 2020 I believe equality remains a work in progress.

Techniques used: Triaxial weaving and tapestry weaving in a rigid heddle loom.