Description
A Black soldier sits in the center of this mural behind a grey wash, his gaze penetrating the viewer. He wears a camo helmet with text saying, “war is hell.” The mural is split into two different times, 1970 (on the left) and 2020 (on the right). Red and green tubes flow from the man to different societal and political issues within each time period on their respective sides of the mural. On the left 1970’s side, grey washed text boxes read “end the war in Vietnam,” “equal equality,” and “civil rights.” The artist’s handles @sjk_171 and @mike_171 are also present. On the right 2020’s side, grey washed text boxes read “black lives matter,” “vote,” and “do the right thing.” The artist’s signatures “SJK 171” and “Mike 171” are present. The text uniting the two sides sit above and below the solider. The top text reads “S.O.S” and underneath “same old shit.” The bottom text reads “common-unity” and underneath “New York City.” This mural is a collaborative piece between two artists commenting on the similar political and societal issues black individuals face in American present and past.
This mural was created as part of the project Shared Freedom Protest Art 2020 which took place in the East Village section of Manhattan from September 13th- November 3rd.