Artist Steven Parlato Speaks to Systemic Racism and Violence Against Black Americans in "They Are Not Disposable" - Exhibit on Display From July 26 - August 24

Image Credit: Steven Parlato on Instagram

Artist Steven Parlato Speaks to Systemic Racism and Violence Against Black Americans in "They Are Not Disposable" - Exhibit on Display From July 26 - August 24

As with all our lives, Prof. Steve Parlato’s 2020 sabbatical plans were disrupted by COVID-19. While he continued to devote time to writing, an unexpected project became a main focus of his creative work. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Parlato was reluctant to join the marches mid-pandemic—but wanted to make a statement about systemic racism and violence against Black Americans. He chose to do so through art.

On June 5, 2020, to honor her birthday, he created a portrait of Breonna Taylor, killed by Louisville police in March 2020. Crafted from household recyclables, the portrait, which Parlato posted on social media, became the first in a series of collages. Titled “They Are Not Disposable,” each depicts a Black American slain as a result of racial violence. 

Over the course of the next several months, Parlato continued crafting these works with the goal of memorializing the dead and sharing the stories of their stolen lives. The ongoing series currently depicts fifteen individuals: Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Cynthia Graham Hurd, Rayshard Brooks, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Medgar Evers, Elijah McClain, Tatiana Hall, India Kager, Kalief Browder, Lamar Smith, Dr. Susan Moore, Lt. Aaron W. Salter Jr., Eleanor Bumpurs, and Vincent Demarius Steen.

Parlato’s choice of subjects, like the collages themselves, is multi-layered. In deciding whom to portray, he intends to reflect the broad scope—of all ages, from multiple eras, and across the gender spectrum—of those whose lives have been taken due to racism. Whether a child killed by police, or a librarian or Civil Rights Activist murdered by a white supremacist, each portrait represents a specific life taken. Another consideration is the subject’s first initial, which appears in each collage. In the completed series—sixteen total—these initials will spell out the declaration, “Black Lives Matter.”

Each portrait incorporates household discards: used wrapping paper, magazine pages, junk mail, a to-go container lid, for example. Parlato selects some materials for a specific connection with the subject. For instance, in his portrait of Aiyana Stanley-Jones—a child who loved Disney princesses and was killed while sleeping beneath a Hannah Montana blanket—he incorporated material from a Disney Store brochure. The portrait of Cynthia Graham Hurd, one of the Emanuel Nine, murdered in her Bible study group, includes bits of biblical verse salvaged from Mass cards.

Parlato is also writing poetry to accompany the images, with the end goal of creating a book. His intention is to use proceeds from the sale of that book to support the cause of equal justice. Another hope is to exhibit the collages widely, perhaps one day finding a permanent home for the collection. As someone who has always created art, Parlato says, “This work feels like a calling, something I’m meant to do. My goal goes beyond just creating a pretty picture; it’s about opening minds, provoking conversation that leads to change.”