"Revised Histories" Morris-Jumel Mansion
This work was part of a solo exhibition, "Revised Histories" at the Morris-Jumel Mansion, and it investigates the history of the space through a de-colonialist lens. Bars of Ivory soap are constructed into cinder blocks and stacked together to build a partial house foundation in the basement, which is yellowed, cracking, and eroded. This piece uses Ivory's advertising slogan as a title to address ideas about "whiteness". Historically the color white became synonymous with purity and things that are good, addressing the harmful nature of white privilege. Cinder blocks illustrate how these ideas have become systemic structures within our society, while the metaphor of soap eroding symbolizes the washing away of these hateful and dangerous ideologies.