The Rescue Project

According to Love146 (an abolition movement) two children per minute are forced into slavery, 1,048,320 is the yearly result of this atrocity. Here is a list of twitter connections to anti-slavery organizations and individuals.

Rescue is an art project focused on raising awareness about slavery and modern day abolitionists and movements.. This project will focus on raising awareness and funds specifically for the Red Thread Movement for 2012. Visit their website to see the tremendous work they are doing to not only rescue people from human trafficking but also give them a hope for the future. http://www.redthreadmovement.org

This series of three 6 x 6 concrete cells focuses on the darkness and tragedy of slavery and oppression. The light of hope for freedom that people who refuse to be silent can bring is expressed by an intense light source that will cast a shadow through a window or hole in the wall of the cell (see concept images below). Light exposes acts that are only done in darkness, and while Rabbit and Fly Away focus on longing for escape, The Monster is about the terror that the victims must feel.

Visually these pieces will be grim. My hope is that the concrete medium will invoke a cold and harsh depiction of the desperation these people feel and at the same time a hope for their future. The "cast shadow" aspect of the work is very intriguing to me as an artist and I feel like it will make the work impacting in many ways. The work will be exhibited in various settings with each space venue presenting the work differently. In a gallery I see a fixed presentation, a very reverent hush. The energy and bustle of a city street will have give the pieces a very different vibe when they are exhibited on a street corner or a parking lot and the cast shadow is 40 tall on the side of a building.

The finished exhibit will be three (3) individual concrete cells. The cells will be approximately 6' in height and will be lit in such a way that the shadow cast will represent the individual idea from each piece on a nearby wall.

The exhibit will also include individuals actually staying in a cell for a 24 hour period, a 24 Hour Abduction of artists, pastors, activists or community leaders local to the area of the exhibit.

This work will be instrumental in raising awareness about this very important issue and is too important to not be developed.

This project will be very intensive. I will be constructing the sculpture in Styrofoam and concrete using a modular design that can be disassembled and moved for presentation. The pieces will also be spot lit for impact which, depending on the venue, will necessitate a small generator and spotlight(s). Each place that the works are shown will include literature and contact information for various groups that are focused on making an impact on this important topic.

The funding goal needed is $3,500 to cover the cost of materials and the time needed to focus on creating the pieces. If the entire amount is not raised then I will either scale back in size or develop the small scale pieces and as many of the large scale as possible.

Other Ways You Can Help

Please share this project with your friends, families, colleagues and organizations.