RIOT
Last year saw massive public outcry against the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Strickland created this work to commemorate the grand jury decision in the Breonna Taylor case. The imagery in RIOT recalls various protests, riots, and the public outrage at the loss of Black and minority lives at the hands of law enforcement. The figure in the foreground refers to a photo taken by Algerina Perna of the 2015 Baltimore riots sparked by the death of Freddie Gray. The man in the gas mask is Greg Butler, who was arrested and faced twenty-five to life for puncturing a hole in a fire hose during the riots.