The Second Grace: Purity

Jjenna Hupp Andrews, American

The Second Grace: Purity, 2016

This sculpture reminds individuals that justice for the City of Flint has not yet been served. The Justice Scales juxtaposed to the water bottle containing contaminated water draws a direct connection between the Flint Water Crisis and the lack of response from public officials. The addition of Flint water within the human figure itself seems to suggest the ways in which contaminated water affects all parts of the body, while also suggesting the permeability of the skin. The use of plastic bottles not only alludes to the residents’ reliance on bottled water as their sole source of clean, safe drinking water but also of the sheer abundance of water bottle waste and consumption that accompanies this crisis. Label by Grace Moser

American Heartbreakers

Desiree Duell, American

American Heartbreakers, 2016

Desiree Duell utilizes art in multiple mediums to strengthen and heal deprived communities. Duell directed “America’s Heartbreakers,” which was a performance that consisted of women dressed in white hazmat suits with a red broken heart on the chest, surrounding the word “FLINT”. The broken heart dripped down the front of the suits, puddling around the crotch. The performance occurred to raise awareness about the impact the Flint Water Crisis had on women’s reproductive health. Many women had miscarriages as a result of consuming poisoned water. “America’s Heartbreakers” had three primary objectives including helping those participating heal, reveal the hidden trauma in Flint, and exhibit how devastating the Flint Water Crisis was on a physical and emotional level. Label by Elsa Rall

Flint

Ti-Rock Moore, American

Flint, 2016

This piece shows a white water fountain with brown-colored water coming out of it, with the sign “COLORED” above it. This relates segregation laws from the late 19th century to the modern predominantly black community in Flint, Michigan that receive poisoned water; a “different type” from other cities with clean water access. The constant water flow shows the ongoing struggle of black communities not only affected by this water, but also by flawed infrastructures that seems to unjustly favor white communities over them, further explaining why this crisis took so long to resolve. The fountain itself being purely white highlights the power and privilege white communities have by constantly providing black communities this poisoned water, while black communities are forced to deal with this situation without much help. Label by Sebastian Rios-Melean

Born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Ti-Rock Moore has worked primarily with public exhibition since 2014. Despite being a white woman, Moore has chosen to study the racially charged components of the Flint crisis through this work. The height of the stark white water fountain symbolizes the challenges in acquiring resources placed upon neighborhoods of color, yet seemingly nonexistent in primarily affluent white communities. The continual flow of dirty water attests to the ongoing violence that affects families in Flint, and other areas with contaminated water supply. The piece is able to combine visually arresting aesthetics with passionate activism in such a way that it confronts viewers with nothing but truth. Label by Kristin Rheins

This piece of work titled “Flint” is by Ti-Rock Moore. It is a water fountain painted snow white under a “colored” sign with rusty water flowing from it. The white paint is used to signify white privilege and white supremacy to symbolize the ongoing issue of environmental justice through limitations placed on communities of color due to flawed infrastructures with a particular aim at the Flint Water Crisis. The display of the rusty water is used to show the contamination of the water in Flint and how it is particularly affecting “colored” people due to Flint being a majority black community. Moore aims to exemplify the contemporary practices of racism that are in reality just contemporary iterations of slavery. Label by Callie Sties

A quote from artist Ti-Rock Moore is an effective beginning to the thread that runs through the theme of deindustrialization, environmental racism, and slow violence: “to deny that this is an issue of racism leads us right back to the root of the problem.” Her work, Flint, employs important semiotics to convey this connection between racism and the Flint water crisis. The label “COLORED” provides an indexical sign through its assignment of people of color to the water fountain it sits above. At the same time, it forms an iconic sign; “colored” may also refer to the polluted hue of the water it spews. Given the otherwise entirely white color of the work, Moore reflects how white people have assigned the foul water to the largely Black and poor citizenry of Flint. Label by Hannah London

Ti-Rock Moore is an artist originally from New Orleans. Her work is masterfully done; it is simple yet so powerful. The water running from the faucet is brown to reflect the color of the contaminated water of Flint, which forces people to use only bottled water to drink, cook and bathe. She also uses a symbol of racism from the 1960s when water fountains were segregated by race. These two elements together highlight the environmental justice issue of Flint, where the predominantly Black community is struggling to get their basic human rights met. The water contamination is leading to health issues that have affected generations. Label by Riley Kelley

Stepping Stone Falls 3 Y3M1C2

Matthew Brandt, American, born 1982

Stepping Stone Falls 3 Y3M1C2, 2016

When the city of Flint, Michigan switched its water source to the local Flint River in April of 2014, its underprepared water treatment plant failed to treat the water correctly, leading to contamination by lead and dangerous bacteria to make its way into residents’ homes. Brandt’s photo series Waterfalls (Stepping Stone Falls) depicts the architecture of the Flint River dam behind the vivid yet ominous colors and patterns generated by their exposure to water from the Flint River. By using materials found on-location, Brandt both experiments with his artistic process and comments on the ongoing water crisis in Flint. Label by Sarah Roberts

This piece shows the Flint River Dam in Flint, Michigan. Brandt used the toxic river water to develop the image and create unique water marks on the paper. This piece was intended to be shown using a lightbox to emphasize the moment and vibrancy of the river. However, I believe this piece is compelling because it is a metaphor for the way in which America has viewed Flint. The bright colors are easily scanned over, but the deeper and industrial background of the polluted river being choked by the dam is murky. The real problem in this piece can easily be ignored if you aren’t looking closely. Similarly, the lack of clean drinking water in Flint is easily ignored by the public, especially as the 24-hour news cycle deems the story as last week’s headline. Label by Sam Dutilly