Jere Kittle

This work is from the VOICES project, an ongoing photographic survey of graffiti at the Lee Statue (Marcus-David Peters Circle) on Monument Avenue in Richmond VA. I have visited the “Circle” dozens of times since protests began in early June 2020. I am drawn to the abstract images that lie between the words and symbols; unwittingly beautiful, overlapping and intertwining gestures shared in a communal outpouring of voices. For me, the abstract compositions evoke a personal connection to the protesters themselves that tie me to the hands and hearts of those who found a place and a way to speak their deepest truths. Each time I visit the site of this monumental work of protest art, I find new voices within the ever-changing displays of graffiti. Each time, I sense that I am immersed in a profound energy and I seek to share it through this body of work.