Between Summer 2021 and Spring 2022, I lived in Tulsa, Ok, inspired to plants roots there as a descendant of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Despite my best efforts, 2022 was a limbo year for me, but I still managed to make something out of nothing. Memories of driving alone between Texas and Tulsa were some of the more hopeful experiences I had from that time. Horses galloping in the rain, a graveyard filled with VW Bugs, hoarded antique shops, and crumbled buildings with chipping paint. Typical of my artistic process, I was inspired by my surroundings.
Back in Texas, without a studio and a nothing budget, I walked to the Tom Thumb grocery store and asked for boxes before they hit the dumpster. I kept food packages too and created a sizable collection of drawings and cutouts throughout 2022. I made cardboard cutouts resembling something between an antique wooden sign and a retro neon sign from Route 66. The letters were made backwards as if looking in a car’s rear view mirror. Quilts were made from imaginary cloth and clothing was made from imaginary thrift shops. As always, I continue to pick and poke at what I’ve made while growing the collection over time.
*My original artwork is not for sale. All artwork is copyrighted to me and I maintain image rights to my body and likeness. Thank you.
Have a Pleasant Day
-Rae
