Desiree Morrison
You know the people that sit in the state capital, they make these decisions and make these laws, they don’t have a clue…. I shoplifted out of Winn Dixie on Claiborne, because I was nine months pregnant and nobody would give me a job. I had my first son and the son in my belly and both of them need to eat.
Artist Statement
After reading about and then meeting Desiree’ Morrison, the key words that resonated with me were, “Ain’t No Pity Party Here.” As tragic as her story was, she still maintained what she needed to do next to survive, and not to sit in anger or self-pity. After making attempts, we came to the following common understanding in the way Ms. Morrison sees the world, and how my work describes in general terms the world and how we are all a part of it, and how we see ourselves in it. The world is made of many simple elements, as complex as it appears; each element is a part of the whole. Black and white are simple yet complex in their stark contrast. Charcoal is a simple material made from the burnt branches of a tree. I make marks with it on another simple material, cotton, to make a drawing. The key part is a portrait of Ms. Morrison, being lifted up in full color. There are several hands reaching in the main body of the drawing - representing the many that have helped her survive. Although she had many reasons to be down on herself and the rest of the world, it struck me in her interview and her life she kept her positive nature. “The only one who goes to a pity party is you.”
No Pity Party, Saved, Broken, Called, 2018