From Absence to Presence, The Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland (St. Mary's College of Maryland)

From Absence to Presence, The Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland (St. Mary's College of Maryland)

Subject (Topic)
Mid-Atlantic United States
Public art
Public sculpture
Slavery--Maryland
St. Mary's College of Maryland--History

Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture

"In From Absence to Presence, the tectonic form of a slave quarter materializes from the ground up evoking how this history was uncovered from archaeological research – making the invisible visible. The surfaces are gradated in a pattern of staggered and alternating Ipe wood clapboard and mirror-polished stainless steel, recalling the staggered pattern of erasure poetry. In our design, rows of text on mirrored surfaces are 'redacted' by clapboards to dramatically reveal an emergent narrative. Activist Angela Davis described the sacredness of slave quarters in the lives of enslaved peoples as 'the only space where they could truly experience themselves as human beings.' As artists, we envision the private space of the slave quarters as a symbol of resilience, determination, and persistence." From RE:site Studio.

Allbritton, Shane
RE:site Studio

Lee, Norman
RE:site Studio

Baker, Quenton

Photographs by Renée Ater

November 20, 2020

The Commemorative Selection Committee; St. Mary's College of Maryland; Governor Larry J. Hogan and the State of Maryland; Dr. Jeffrey J. Byrd and Mrs. Elizabeth A. Byrd; Maryland Heritage Areas Authority; Maryland State Arts Council; and Southern Maryland Heritage Area.

St. Mary's College of Maryland, 47645 College Drive, St. Mary's City, Maryland, 20686

To see the dedicatory ceremony, please click here.

JPEG

English

Building and Structures
Visual Arts-Sculpture

47777 Mattapany Road, Lexington Park, Maryland, 20653, United States

Sculpture