By Kelley Gray
“Bearing Witness: Installations by Margi Weir” was yet another successful one at Valdosta State University located at the Dedo Maranville Gallery in the Fine Arts Building on campus. The exhibition deals with the more serious issues in our society today, including political and racial issues.
Upon entering the gallery, the viewer is met with massive panels spanning the walls of the gallery, each depicting scenes and events from issues in the society we live in today. Vinyl, sticker-like objects are spread throughout the gallery, placed on the glass doors as well as the walls. The eye is almost overwhelmed by the pieces. The viewer can immediately tell the pieces are very emotional and try to bring about awareness of the situations they depict. The artworks’ lighting brings out the bright colors they broadcast. The exhibition gives off an overall theme of oppression among people of color, showing artworks that depict issues people of color face in America.
The first artwork that the viewers encounter is Weir’s Don’t Shoot Gun Birds. These vinyl laser-cut stickers show numerous oddly-shaped birds. The bodies of the birds are made up of guns and hands for the wings, often with the words, “Don’t Shoot” written on the gun. These vinyl stickers are spread throughout the gallery, stuck on the walls and the glass doors. The message in this artwork is as clear as day upon first glance. The big current issue in America is the police brutality problem, especially toward people of color in America. Hundreds of videos and cases are being brought to light showing an American citizen of color cooperating with police officers. However, when they make a wrong move, they end up being shot and killed. Most of the time that these men and women are shot is when their wrists are bound in cuffs and they are unable to move. The vinyl stickers show the two hands to be bound together signifying the importance that the person who owns the hands is in cuffs and cannot defend themselves. The gun signifies the police officer pointing the gun and firing at the helpless person. The bird, I believe, stands for that longing of that person to be free of the hate crimes committed against the people of color.
The next piece that stands out is Weir’s piece entitled, Blue is Not a Neutral. This piece is an acrylic painting on a Plexiglas panel. The piece depicts black silhouettes of police officers, “police” written in white letters on their chest. Around the police officers are different blue things including blue birds, water drops, symbols, and phrases. In the middle of this piece is the saying “BLUE IS NOT A NEUTRAL.” This phrase is saying that police officers aren’t always the neutral party in certain situations. There are quite a few police officers that kill people for no reason other than because they felt threatened, even when the person is helpless and bound.
All of Margi Weir’s pieces relate to issues like these in our society. They are issues that require attention and need to be fixed. Her artworks show that these issues need our attention and need to be taken into hands that will fix the issues. These issues often deal with race and unfair treatment of people of color. Her works express thoughts and feelings that victims of hate crimes cannot say because of their unfortunate demise, in hopes that these works will bring about a change in our society.