Shield

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Artist: Virginia Mahoney

Title: Shield

Attribution: Shield, 2021, Virginia Mahoney

Year: 2021

Materials: reclaimed fabric, vegetable net, thread, copper

Dimensions: 30x26x4 inches

Image Statement: The images from the demonstrations in the spring and summer of 2020 showed many types of protective gear used by both demonstrators and law enforcement. I wondered if these shields created more division, and worried that the incessantly-broadcasted images were not necessarily a good thing. At that point, we were all protecting ourselves with masks, staying inside, and putting up barriers, both physical and psychological. It’s hard to know what the affect of that isolation will be on us in the future.