An exhibition featuring works inspired by Mike Brown's killing and the Charleston shooting could prove thought-provoking. This one doesn't.
"Confronting Truths: Wake Up!" opened at Chicago's Gallery Guichard on Friday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The pieces include a mini-Statue of Liberty in blackface, an assemblage of Premium saltine boxes called "Cracka Please," a replica of Mike Brown's crime scene, and a reworked American flag containing the phrase "Make me wanna holler, the way they do my life."
The artist responsible for these works—Ti-Rock Moore—is a white woman from New Orleans.
Prominent activist and organizer Johnetta Elzie live-streamed her visit to the appointment-only gallery over Periscope this past weekend.
Elzie—who was featured in the New York Times Magazine for her work in the #blacklivesmatter movement—takes particular issue with the fact that these pieces are priced at thousands of dollars, none of which appear to go to the families of the slain muses.
"The Last Stand of the White Man," a purported critique of the Tea Party, is selling for $5,000.
Which is a lot, considering you can buy what appears to be that same Disney Princess tea set for $16.99 on eBay.
And on Amazon, it retails for only $14.95.
Far be it from me to come for found art and readymades, but it feels kind of suspect to charge a $4,983 assembly fee in the name of anti-racism.
I've reached out to Gallery Guichard and Ti-Rock Moore for comment. I will update if I hear back.
Bad at filling out bios seeks same.