Do I Offend You?

spraypaint, a thrifted sculpture, a thrifted mirror, acrylic marker

in defense of defacing public monuments in richmond, va

I used this project as an opportunity to respond to the monument vandalizations in Richmond during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. There was a public uproar after the Robert E. Lee statue—a Confederate general from the Civil War—was defaced and vandalized. The city eventually removed the monuments, and people grew angry. “You’re erasing our history!” they cried.

Yet there was little to no consideration for the Black and Brown citizens of the city who drove past those Confederate monuments every day. How did it feel to see those statues towering above them, looking down, knowing what those men represented? It was a slap in the face.

I align with the belief that the monuments should remain—but the vandalism should too. Vandalism is a social art form that reflects the times; it reveals how society feels in a particular moment and place. So, destroy the monuments that glorify oppression—except for the ones that now bear the marks of protest. Those scars are important. They tell the truth of our era.