In my paintings, I rely on my twenty years experience as a New York Police Department police officer. My experience is the research material and the process I use in my artwork.
In this collection, I paint about cases and incidents with which I, or my colleagues, have been involved, exploring some very sensitive social issues. The collection is special in my opinion because of its relevance. As police officers, we have feelings, opinions or important points of view on a wide range of common issues, however, ours is a shared voice that is not often heard - we are simply pigeon holed as racist.
Through my artwork, I explore the complexity of being a black police officer working in minority communities on issues such as domestic violence, youth violence, and the whole landscape of confrontations that contribute to police involved shootings. My aim is not to change opinions, but to simply tell our stories.
