The American’s dilemma, pt. IV: the Ballad of chuck’s Requiem; we are gathered here today depicts Americans, gathered in a space created specifically for them. They’re dressed in mourning colors, surrounded by pockets of red, white, and blue. They hold space between the mirrors that stand alone and float above, which depict surreal reflections of withered flowers seated amongst the clouds. The Americans themselves turn their attention to the viewer; with their eyes obscured by blindfolds, the viewer is almost asked to see for them, through their eyes.   

In September of 2025, a man’s life was taken in a very violent manner; this led to months of polarizing discourse, wherein Americans are expected to honor him & his legacy, while disregarding the violent American traditions he championed with his life’s work.   

By enforcing mass mourning for a man who spent his life advocating for the very traditions that would lead to his own eventual murder, the crux of the American’s dilemma illuminates itself like a burning cross: we are gathered here today, because we are the fixation of many of America’s violent traditions, and our experience with resilience and Ancestral veneration is consistently demanded of us with impunity.    

The Ballad of chuck’s Requiem is not in honor of the man he was; it’s the wailing reminder that America is a cross we Americans are forced to bear; we hold space for each other’s loss, for our Ancestors’ stories, & for those who can no longer hold space for themselves.

Shot on Canon EOS 6D Mark II, color and composite work in Adobe Photoshop; Archival Matte Fine Art Paper in black matte frame.

IMG size w/o frame: 24” x 36”

Framed: 37.50" x 25.50"