Signal

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS • 24″ x 30″
$1400 • Email julie@juliemeridian.com to buy this artwork ⇢

I have a handful of photos I’ve collected over time for future paintings. This is one of those photos, taken back in 2002. It didn’t quite fit in with anything until now.

Because so much has changed, this is an especially apt time to reassess our surroundings. Symbols in our public space are gaining extra scrutiny for the worldview they present. This is a statue of Thomas Fallon, who is memorialized as one of the first mayors of San José and for many a symbol of early American imperialism. He was known for his hostile treatment of the native population. This statue was originally created in 1988 and, being controversial from the start, was stored in an Oakland warehouse until quietly installed away from the city’s center 2002.

I captured a stormy day while they were still under wraps, to envision how they may look once more when we reconsider what they signal and remove them from this public space.