"CREEP is a cyanotype installation about the cultural impacts of violent and incendiary political language. As children we are told that sticks and stones may break our bones, but words can never hurt us. However, research shows that extreme rhetoric by political leaders can bring about increased agitation, division, and violence. It degrades political discourse and creates an environment in which societally unacceptable language and behavior become more acceptable. It also divides groups of people, creates targets, and can embolden individuals to act on views they had once hidden. The word stochastic means “involving chance or probability”, and stochastic terrorism refers to violent acts arising from the dehumanizing language used by public figures. While politicians don’t directly request the public to carry out violent acts, their incendiary language can inspire action and increase the probability that a violent act will occur. In the last few years, there have been many acts of stochastic terrorism committed because of political rhetoric, as well as an increase in the willingness of people to commit violence for political reasons. It’s alarming that this troubling rhetoric targets not just those who are already marginalized, but also the core tenets of our democracy. My hope is that this project raises awareness about the seriousness of the issue, especially for people who don’t regularly read the news or who dismiss derogatory political language as non-consequential."

CREEP
toned cyanotypes
$2,500 ($500 individually)
dims variable, each print approx. 12x17"