Artist's work captures gravity of George Floyd's death, highlights racism in America
In the days following the death of George Floyd, artist Charles "Mark Phi" Smart watched the gut-wrenching video of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinning his knee on the neck of the 46-year-old Black man as he pled for his life.
While Floyd's death prompted international protests, riots and renewed cries for social and racial justice, Phi felt compelled to create an art piece that spoke to his emotions.
"I felt like I wanted to do something, and I felt helpless in what I could really do to move the needle," Phi said. "I felt like the protests were the same thing we always do, but nothing really changes. These people get fatigued, and they stop and they forget about it when it's no longer top of mind. So I wanted to figure out a way I could do something."
Rather than joining others in protest, the self-described "ARTivist" developed a four-part docuseries called "Conflict Coward" that explores racism in America. He paired the project with a painting titled "46 Pleas" that depicts the gravity of Floyd's final words, with "I CAN'T BREATHE," "MY NECK HURTS" and other words placed across a gallery-stretched canvas.
Plans call for "46 Pleas" eventually to be displayed at Ohio State University's College of Education and Human Ecology, although the exact location and length of the exhibition are still being finalized, according to OSU officials.
On Wednesday, Phi addressed the motivation behind the project, how Floyd's death impacted his art and his perspective about Black people's place in society during an hour-long, virtual discussion held by Ohio State University's College of Education and Human Ecology.
The event was moderated by College of Education and Human Ecology Dean Don Pope-Davis and Noelle Arnold, senior associate dean and educational administration professor.
"In keeping with our college's appreciation and support of the arts and our commitment to racial equity and justice, Mark Phi was (a natural) choice for engagement with his painting and docuseries to have a home here in the College of Education and Human Ecology," Pope-Davis said in a statement. "The idea is that Mark's work might simply be enjoyed by the public, but also be used as a tool to reflect and discuss systemic issues in our community and society."
While the project was sparked by Phi's conflicting emotions, he said his hope is that it ignites other forms of activism and broader conversations that directly lead to progressive steps going forward.
"I think being able to put some of the conversations that we're having in our community to other communities that need to understand where we're coming from — that need to understand our plight and need to understand the depth of what we're feeling — will spark a conversation," he said. "Conversations will lead to inspiration and inspiration will lead to action."
The artist said these conversations are ones that will be the catalyst for change and need to be had by a wider audience than those who too often are the subject of such fatal police shootings – Black people.
Along with pushing for more conversations about race, Phi said there needs to be a collective move toward unification and compassion, which will create a positive change in people's hearts and minds.
"There are many people out there who feel like George Floyd got what he deserved, but that has nothing to do with any laws written anywhere, that has to do with the hearts and minds of people and how they perceive things," he said. "So we need to figure out how to shift people toward being more empathetic, and that's what this body of work is really about."
The "46 Pleas" painting and "Conflicted Coward" docuseries can be viewed online at MarkPhiCreations.com/docuseries. A recording of Wednesday's program can be found here.