Under the Vest: Attack on a Police Officer

Under the Vest

“Under the Vest” (2022) is a mixed media tapestry on canvas that explores the experience of a police officer’s life-threatening wound.

The Backstory

“Under the Vest” is one of the pieces where I understood what it was telling me from the beginning. So, instead of interpreting in hindsight, I was able to create with foresight. As I painted, cut and glued, I made color, material and technique represent the parts of this officer’s story.

• Blue is a police officer’s uniform
• Silver leaf is the officer’s badge
• Areas of solid yarn in pink, black, yellow and green represent the officer’s family
• Weaving represents the tapestry of the officer’s life
• The yarn hanging to the right of the family is life passing before the officer’s eyes
• The square shape is the vest
• Red is the officer’s blood
• The red and black drips is the blood flowing and coagulating in the street

At the time I made this work, the U.S. was busily defunding the police. All I could think that fewer police officers meant more deaths of civilians and officers. There are jobs where you need backup, a battle buddy, someone trained to watch your six as you watch theirs. The officer represented in this piece did not have the advantage of someone to watch out for her, and now we don’t know if she’ll ever return to her family.

The Process, Beginning to End

A Beginning

I remember telling my professor that I would create a piece called “Under the Vest” about a police officer who is stabbed under their vest. He gave me a look that I interpreted to mean that the idea was too gory, or perhaps too political, for class. Well, I went ahead with the idea anyway. Besides, without asking him, how could I really know what his look meant?

Moving along, I planned for the piece of wood glued to the canvas to be a badge, and you can see light and silver paint over it. But instead, it will be this officer’s protection vest…and her life story.

Description

This abstract artwork is in progress. We can see a thin square of wood glued onto a canvas. There are splashes and drips of red, pink, purple, blue, black, and green paint. The drips of red paint run down the wood onto the canvas, and several strands of red yarn are attached, adding texture to the composition.

The What-Am-I-Doing Stage

It seems that every artwork has at least one phase where I want to throw it away and start again. I rarely do that though. It is fun to “crack the code” as Ms. Rosevear, my art teacher, told us in high school.

This is one of the frustrating stages in this work. It’s taking so long to create, and I cannot see the shape of what’s to come. Even so, the work will be finished from this point. I chose not to cut it up and start over.

Description

This piece continues to evolve into a captivating blend of textures and colors. Still in its beginning stages, layers of red, pink, brown, purple and blue paint complement the intricate yarn-work, with strands of yarn in various hues woven and glued onto the canvas. As this painting progresses, we see the painted background and the woven textures continue to develop, creating a dynamic and engaging visual experience.

Final Stage

In the end, I decided to weave some of the yarn on the canvas. I think that decision changed how I thought of this piece. It finally became something I could feel, and I hope it strikes an emotional chord with you, too.

Description

“Under the Vest” developed into an abstract artwork showcasing a rich tapestry of textures and colors. The canvas features a vibrant base layer of red paint, accentuated by a striking turquoise and blue yarn triangle at the top left. The central focus is a slightly elevated piece piece of wood, meticulously adorned with intricate weavings and a diverse array of yarn types and hues. This creates a dynamic interplay of textures that draws the viewer’s eye across the canvas. Anchoring the composition at the bottom is a prominent turquoise woven triangle, adding a cohesive element to the overall piece.

Artist’s Statement

In this tapestry of symbolism, each hue and shape narrates a piece of a police officer’s life and sacrifice. The blue cloaks the canvas as a symbol of the officer’s uniform. Red, stark and arresting, marks the canvas with its visceral hue, a solemn reminder of the blood shed in the line of duty.

Silver leaf glints to reference the badge. The badge is a symbol of the duty to serve and protect, a heavy promise. The blocks of solid pink, black, yellow, and green, shows the heart of their world – their family. Both family and the badge are always there, never forgotten.

The weaving across the artwork is the officer’s life story, a rich tapestry interwoven with moments of courage, duty, and humanity. Yarn to the right of the family represents the fleeting nature of life, a constant stream of memories and moments that are now flashing before the officer’s eyes.

Dominating the center is a solemn square, a vest that is both a shield and a symbol of the peril faced daily. It is a silent guardian, an unspoken vow to protect others at great personal risk. But today, it couldn’t do its job. Today, the officer was stabbed under the vest. The red and black drips that descend are the blood spilled, a visceral representation of the ultimate sacrifice, seeping into the very streets the officer has sworn to guard, coagulating on the pavement.

This artwork is not just a collection of colors and shapes—it’s a visual story that honors the life of a police officer, the unseen struggles, the vibrant life beyond the uniform, and the impact of their longing to save all of us damaged people from the most evil among us.

AI Critique

Unconventional Craftsmanship: Exploring Depth, Texture and Color on Canvas

This piece is a vibrant exploration of texture and color, created with yarn and wood on canvas—a medium that evokes the traditions of both textile art and assemblage. It exhibits a tactile quality that encourages viewers to contemplate not only the visual aesthetics but also what the work might feel like if they could only touch it.

The work seems to draw inspiration from the textural innovations of Art Informel and the expressive use of materials in Abstract Expressionism. Art Informel, which emerged in Europe in the 1940s, emphasized an intuitive, gestural approach to brush strokes, while Abstract Expressionism, dominant in the 1950s in the United States, celebrated the emotional resonance of color and form. This piece similarly uses no representational forms to hint at a badge, a uniform, not even the weapon that stabbed this police officer. Instead, it uses emotional expression through the physicality and variety of the materials on the canvas.

The artist has cleverly incorporated a variety of colors, including earthy greens, bold reds and calming blues, in their work Under the Vest. These carefully chosen hues may be indicative of a deeper connection to natural or emotional landscapes. The vertical yarn strands add an interesting dimension to this piece – reminiscent perhaps of Jackson Pollock’s paint dripping techniques or more traditional weaving methods. The resulting composition is one that exudes movement and flow due to these vertically placed elements.

Notably, the inclusion of wood offers a contrasting texture which could symbolize stability and structure amidst the fluidity depicted by yarn. It can also represent the sudden transition from order to chaos experienced by an injured police officer who was stabbed while wearing his vest.

This piece of art showcases the artist’s skilled technique through a deliberate layering and combination of materials. By exploring beyond the traditional two-dimensional surface, they demonstrate their curiosity for the sculptural possibilities of canvas. The thoughtfully chosen textures and colors interact with each other to create an abstract yet evocative landscape.

A raw, organic energy is present in this artwork, reflective of the artist’s personal touch in its creation. The tactile quality invites viewers to imagine how it would feel to touch while also drawing their eyes across its complex visual elements that reveal hidden details and depths within its interwoven components.

Artwork Specs