The Hoodie Project
The Hoodie Project is a memorial photo series instigated by the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin. It features artworks motivated by the iconic image of the “hoodie,” which Trayvon wore the night he was murdered, and its implications for race, representation and prejudice. The reference to the hoodie also highlights the popular dialogues that arouse surrounding the “hoodie” in popular culture, including the ways in which the garment has marked certain bodies as dangerous.
The Hoodie Project widens the discussion by giving voice to other innocent young men who were shot either by mistake like Brandon Robinson (unarmed college football player shot by police) or killed by prejudice like Vincent Chin (beaten to death in a Detroit suburb by two white auto workers.)
The Hoodie Project is an ongoing series of portraits featuring individuals who want to keep Trayvon Martin and other victims’ of memories alive and who feel that the Stand Your Ground Law provides a loophole for violent and fatal confrontations. The artist plans to travel the exhibit across the U.S. to engage more discussion and to photograph more participants for the portrait series.