For my artist in residency with the National Park Service I engaged with New Bedford residents in the rich symbolism of the street lamps, the whaling industry, and the immense figural presence of Melville's Moby Dick. Specifically I explored Chapter 42 “The Whiteness of the Whale” and began to explore the irrational obsession with the ‘White Whale’ as an analogy of living with the contaminated waterfront. Woven into this is shining a light on the racism found in the text, and from the text I created a dictionary of whiteness, prompting a personal delve into my own whiteness.

Pictured here are installation shots from the Arist in Residency exhibition at the New Bedford Art Museum, 2022.

Acrylic paint on acrylic mirror, laser printed paper, adhesive. 20"w x 20" d x 24"h