George Floyd Two Years On — 'I Can't Breathe!' Abstract Art Series

I Can't Breathe! (2020) ⓒ Nicole Moore

Abstract Series
I Can't Breathe!
2020
Transparent Watercolours
10 x 8 inches

Today I'm sharing what compelled me to make I Can't Breathe!, which actually started off as a series of abstract art pieces that I completed in an A4 size sketchbook. This piece was made with Pelikan Transparent Watercolour Paints in June 2020.

The Painting:

The painting, I Can't Breathe! came first, the words came second arriving on 2 June 2020.  I wrote them on my phone that evening. 

I used Canva graphic design software to add the words, so as to tie the painting together and produce it as a piece of mixed-media abstract art.

The Motivation:

The motivation for the I Can't Breathe! painting, evolved as the world watched the visceral horror of George Floyd's slow public execution under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer in the United States. 

The unforgettable sight cut through the global consciousness in a way not seen since the police attack and killing of Rodney King in 1991.

In June 2020, I posted a YouTube video:

In the video, I stated: 

I stand in solidarity with the African American community, the African Caribbean community, the black British community and with the black community throughout the world. 

I'm aligned to the spirit and soul of Black Lives Matter everywhere. I think the world has woken up at last and is listening.

On 2 June 2020, I also posted a photo of the I Can't Breathe! painting on my Instagram account stating:

Justice will only be achieved when the police culture in the US (and UK) is dismantled and those racist cops are expelled once and for all from brutalising Black people when they should be protecting them!

Violent Policing:

Two years on, where are we in the UK particularly with regards to police brutality? There's no doubt that George Floyd's murder sparked an unprecedented global reaction and the Black Lives Matter movement generated peaceful protests unheard and unseen before. However, it is widely known in general that the use of force especially but not exclusively by the Metropolitan Police has increased over the last two years, with black people four times more likely to have force used against them than white people.

In my Birkbeck College — Culture, Community, Identity assignment completed in April 2022, I discussed the debates relating to police violence and stated that the issue of police accountability is at the heart of police violence and how outrageous it is that not one police officer in the UK has ever been convicted for the death of a black person in custody. 

BBC London News — Call to Action:

When the former Commissioner Cressida Dick announced her resignation in February 2022, I was relieved, because, for many years, she had been in denial that institutional racism existed in the Metropolitan Police Force. In February 2022, I felt compelled to respond to a call to action from BBC London News for 'Thoughts on policing priorities for London and the next Commissioner.' In response to the call to action, I wrote a lengthy email stating how I had lost faith and confidence in the leadership of Cressida Dick a long time ago not just because of her denial that the Metropolitan Police were institutionally racist, but because of her big errors of judgement which under her watch led to a litany of failures — too many to mention here. 

Racist Ideology:

I emphasised in my email to BBC London News how policing in the UK is steeped in racist (and sexist) ideology and until those ideologies are independently uprooted, deconstructed, evaluated and reviewed with appropriate cutting edge research, together with significant action, then real change is not going to happen. And by change, I mean change that's in line with our current twenty-first century and the sophisticated demands of that twenty-first century, especially institutional racism, as it is one of the most major concerns for black people living in the UK, particularly for young boys/men.

The roots of policing policies and practices have to be pulled up and new thoughts and ideas that are revolutionarily inclusive and diverse have to be replanted. It's not just about placing a big dressing on an open wound or police culture because that open wound has been festering for many years. It's about a complete change of police recruitment training and promotion policies that root out any racist, sexist, misogynistic, and homophobic attitudes and behaviours.

New Commissioner:

When it comes to a new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, it's not about gender, i.e. a new Commissioner being a woman or man. It's about the right person to lead the Metropolitan Police; someone that has the vision to see a police force with all its systemic problems and failures, someone who has the ability and vision to make some very revolutionary decisions and critical changes within the force — changes which in reality stop new and unsuitable police recruits slipping through the net because of inadequate recruitment screening. 

It is absolutely imperative that the new Commissioner has the courage to shake up the current Metropolitan Police Force so that police officers are held accountable for their actions, and in serious cases of gross misconduct, are sacked rather than given a slap on the wrist and later on given the privilege of promotion. In other words, a complete overhaul and restructuring of the Metropolitan Police is crucial and urgent.

Comments welcome!

Thanks for reading.

It's My Country Too! — Acrylics Painting Series

Shangwe · It's My Country Too!

It's My Country Too! (2021) ⓒ Nicole Moore

Geometric Abstract Series #3
It's My Country Too!
2021
Acrylics
7 x 7 inches

This is the third and final part of a series of geometric abstract paintings, using the Kuba Design of eight triangles within a square. For the first piece, I used four Liquitex Professional Body Acrylics — Magenta, Bronze Yellow/Titanium White mix, Purple/Titanium White mix, Emerald Green/Titanium mix. Mixing in white with those colours really enhanced the pigment of the paint into a lovely creamy consistency, which is particularly noticeable with the colours purple and emerald green, as it results in a really smooth coverage. It's always a good idea to experiment with colour mixing.

It's My Country Too! (2021) ⓒ Nicole Moore

The title of this second piece — It's My Country Too! — arrived towards the completion stage, as a result of an experience of a racially motivated incident that took place on the same day that I worked on the painting (22/09/21). 

Cultural Diversity:

The person in question had said (briefly), "I don't believe in cultural diversity ... this is my country ... it's  not yours ... I'm English." I responded by saying, "So because you're white and English, you think this is your country? It's my country as much as it is yours." He didn't agree. There endeth our 'conversation'!

This is the first time that I've titled a painting in this way. It seems quite appropriate and poignant to turn a negative experience into something creative and positive.

To be even more positive, I was able to take this racially motivated incident further on a more formal basis and action was taken against the perpetrator. 

Zero-Tolerance Policy:

As a black person who was born in London (England) and has lived and worked here for many years and is someone who is personally and politically committed to anti-racism activism, I have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to racially motivated incidents. I will continue to call out racism by reporting it if/when it happens again.

Anti-Racism Resources:

Click here for anti-racism resources, where you will find a selection of recommended books, articles, podcasts, audiobooks, films, documentaries, TV series, seminars/talks, websites, and so much more!

Comments welcome!

Thanks for reading.

No To Racism — Transparent Watercolour Painting Series

Shangwe · No To Racism

Geometric Abstract Series #2:
No To Racism No 1/2
2021
Transparent Watercolour
5 x 5 inches

This is the second of a series of geometric abstract paintings, using the Kuba design of eight triangles within a square. Still feeling inspired by African American artist Faith Ringgold's Love Black Life, particularly its colour scheme. 

I did a modification No To Racism No 1/2 and as per the previous painting Being Black, Being Abstract, Being Invisible 1/2, I used four colours: Pelican Transparent Watercolours this time — Carmine Red, Prussian Blue, Lamp Black, and Ultramarine Blue. This combination of colours isn't of my choosing as I tend to prefer vibrant colours. Sometimes, it's a good idea to go against your own idea of what colour scheme might work. I do like how striking the Carmine Red is against the remaining colours. 

Geometric Abstract Series #2:
No To Racism No 2/2
2021
Canva Graphic Design
4.75 x 4.75 inches

You could say that the No To Racism No 2/2 is a semi-abstract piece, since it incorporates text using a Canva graphic design adding a very different dimension. 

I like that one abstract piece can be used graphically. This eliminates the idea of writing the actual words freehand on the original. There's something really satisfying about making two pieces of art from one!

Culture, Community, Identity:

No To Racism was integrated as a symbolic gesture into my Birkbeck College Culture, Community, Identity assignment completed in April 2022. The assignment involved discussing the civil unrest of 2011 and whether this event was the culmination of decades of discriminatory and violent policing.

The civil unrest of 2011, more widely known as the London riots, erupted as a result of a 29 year-old Black man, Mark Duggan, being killed by the police on 4 August 2011, in Tottenham, north London. 

In my assignment, I discussed how decades of discriminatory and violent policing played a significant part in the London riots. I considered the debates relating to policing and resistance in Britain and explored the range of reactions to the riots that included government responses, rioters' perspectives, and those of the police themselves and discussed whether police violence has changed.

I included my own reactions to the London riots; Birkbeck College encourages students to illuminate our own arguments throughout assignments thereby foregrounding our own voice rather than the work of other writers. 

I shared my reaction to the London riots by way of a visit on 24 August 2021, to the Institute of Contemporary Arts exhibition: War Inna Babylon: The Community's Struggle for Truth and Rights, curated by Tottenham Rights activist, Stafford Scott. Here is an excerpt that depicts a reflection ten years on of my memory at that time:

I remember the police killing of Mark Duggan particularly well because I was working in Tottenham at the time. But that wasn't all. I was close enough, (Edmonton, north London) to know that something appalling was going on. I and many Black people I know watched in horror at the TV footage of Duggan's killing and we were outraged by it. And the outrage led to anger when the police refused to communicate with Duggan's family members as they congregated quietly and humbly outside Tottenham police station. The missed opportunity of a decent and respectful communication was the downfall of the police and elicited yet more distrust and lack of faith than ever before. The nationwide uprisings that followed were inevitable yet could have been avoided. 

War Inna Babylon:

The War Inna Babylon exhibition shone a light on the collective action, resistance, and grassroots activism of Black communities across the UK in response to over seventy years of societal and institutional racism, in particular how the resuscitation of the Victorian Vagrancy Act 1824 in the form of the 'Sus' law gave rise to a generation of Black youth who were harassed and criminalised as a whole.

Violent Policing:

It is widely known in general, that the use of force by the Metropolitan Police has increased over the last couple of years, with Black people four times more likely to have force used against them than white people. 

I have witnessed TV footage many times of police officers' 'treatment' of Black people as if they are sub-human, who in the process of policing often dehumanise innocent people and use discriminatory practices and behaviour. In this context, Black bodies are not valued, and Black lives are seen as expendable and often criminalised by the police from a very young age, leading to adultification, as in the recent shocking case in 2020 of a fifteen-year-old Black schoolgirl known as 'Child Q', who was strip searched in her school in Hackney, East London, while menstruating.

Police Injustices:

Civil unrest is often sparked as a result of police injustices and police brutalities and ignited when those injustices are integrated with a failure by the government and the police forces to fully understand the complexities of urban, social, economic, political, and cultural challenges that continue to permeate inner city residents. 

Decades of discriminatory and violent policing played a significant part in the civil unrest of 2011, despite the unrealistic reactions and superficial narratives from the government and the police themselves that criminality was the cause. The police continue to deny that they were, and still are, a big part of the problem, and therefore remain a big part of the solution. 

Institutional Racism:

However, failures in policing Black people are clear to see by the general public and the media despite the denial of institutionalised racism that is embedded in the UK police forces, especially the Metropolitan Police Service. 

The denial of institutional racism continues to blame and stigmatise marginalised communities rather than investigate how disappointed those marginalised communities actually have been historically, and still are today, with being treated unfairly by oppressive and repressive policing tactics, that stem from discriminatory and violent policing. 

The Way Forward:

There is so much more that needs to be explored by way of media and political commentary that contributes to rather than detracts from the realities of discriminatory and violent policing. 

Fortunately, I sense hope that a new generation of young people who have peacefully demonstrated that Black Lives Matter, will continue to stand up to racial injustice and violent policing for many decades to come, until policing in the UK and especially in urban cities, is completely reformed.

Comments welcome!

Thanks for reading.

Being Black, Being Abstract, Being Invisible – Gouache Painting Series

Shangwe · Being Black, Being Abstract, Being Invisible 

Being Black, Being Abstract, Being Invisible No 1/2
2021
Gouache
6 x 6 inches

This geometric abstract painting series consists of a total of six pieces divided into three pairs. Nos 1 and 2 will be showcased here over the next few weeks. This series — Being Black, Being Abstract, Being Invisible — started its life in my 'Race' and Representation sketchbook, an explorative art project that I worked on in 2021.

For the paintings displayed here, inspiration came from African American artist Faith Ringgold, who first used the Kuba design of eight triangles within a square in her painting Love Black Life (1969) where she borrowed a compositional format from Kuba textile designs of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Within Faith Ringgold's design, she created a multiplicity of word associations, simultaneously reading "LOVE BLACK LIFE." 

Working on Being Black, Being Abstract, Being Invisible, knowing of its African history and African American artist's influence, felt like I wasn't working completely alone.

Being Black, Being Abstract, Being Invisible No 2/2
2021
Canva Graphic Design
8 x 4.5 inches

The title Being Black, Being Abstract, Being Invisible came first, along with the text: 'Black People DO Have HISTORY,' which I incorporated using Canva graphic design software, which evolved into the second piece, made specifically to accompany a piece of creative writing — nonfiction narrative: 'It's Not Just My Skin I'm Living In'.  

The existence and importance of Black history was a relevant response to counteract the notion and belief that 'Black people don't have a history'. This became a significant feature of the creative nonfiction narrative, with its broad theme of racism in the workplace.

It's Not Just My Skin I'm Living In — Analysis excerpts:

Genre:

A creative nonfiction narrative was chosen as the best genre to tell a true story of a historical event that took place between 2003-2004. The short story form enabled me to use literary/fiction techniques such as setting, description, and tension. 

I used recollected conversation, rather than verbatim dialogue. All of these techniques worked as a method for storytelling and as a means of presenting factual information.

Theme of Racism in the Workplace:

My aim was to write a story that could be related to any workplace in the UK, especially, although not exclusively, one with a predominantly white majority workforce and specifically one without a history of Black managers. 

The aim was not to convince the reader that racism in the workplace exists, instead the aim was to document the experiences of racism from the perspective of one Black female manager, i.e. myself, as a critical race counter-storytelling response thereby creating an opportunity for open conversation.

'Race', Law & Literature & The Importance of a Single Story:

One of the things that a creative nonfiction narrative can do is open a single story and expand the relationship between 'race', law and literature, in order to interrogate the literary representation of marginalised people. This enables a writer to recraft what and how we think about the past, as we are still living with its historical legacies. 

The triad of 'race', law and literature provides a fascinating way to explore, examine and explain the subject matter of racism in the workplace. Storytelling can also be a creative method for mapping out legal arguments/intervention, providing a roadmap outside of restrictions of legal acts/actions. 

Literature references can support a story by bringing in an important point of view and relevant position to expand critical thinking. 

Narrative:

To manipulate time, I chose two first-person narratives: 1. As the omniscient narrator and authorial voice telling the story in the past, as is a usual way of telling a story. 2: As the reflective narrator to show how creating and exploring the story now, sheds new light not just on the single story but also on the wider and contemporary issue of racism in the workplace. 

My aim was to merge the two narrators from time to time when necessary and I certainly didn't aim to make them two distinct and separate entities. I added hashtag symbols merely to add a pause so as to help clarify the different aspects and layers that the story brought forth while telling it.

A balance of omniscient and reflective narrators ensured a consistent writing style that was conversational while being informative and factually accurate.

Comments welcome!

Thanks for reading.