Law Enforcement by Darrell Van Mastrigt
Medium: Acrylic on canvas primed cloth
Dimensions: 14 x 22
Artist Statement: Before even trying to describe the reasons this controversial piece is so important to me, I need to acknowledge the Design of Law Enforcement in our communities is not always a good one. Law enforcement is designed to enforce laws, often bad, discriminatory, outdated ones that seem to only benefit the select few with power, influence and wealth. Law enforcement members have inflicted on many people: physical injury, pain, emotional and psychological distress, financial ruin, character assassination, imprisonment (false and otherwise), terrorism, destruction of family units and death. I fully acknowledge that law enforcement actions can cause negative, long lasting destruction to certain communities that are deemed a threat to others. That is one of the primary purposes the laws, and those employed to enforce them, were created in the first place. Now to be fair, this design also of law enforcement is also to help those who are unable to help themselves and to protect those things and values that have importance to us all. Law enforcement protects us from "those" people who will and have inflicted on many people: physical injury, pain, emotional and psychological distress, financial ruin, character assassination, rape, child molesting, false imprisonment, trafficking, terrorism, destruction of family units and death. Law enforcement actions can create positive assistance and help to those in need and help create positive change in communities that are seriously distressed, under-served and vulnerable. Those men and women who choose law enforcement as a life path and career are from our families and communities. They are our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and neighbors. They have chosen to be an active part of our community, taken responsibility for their lives and those around them, opened their eyes to the world and become aware of both what is needed and what is possible. They have chosen to take action where it is needed, even knowing that action will either help or hurt the situation. Most of these people do the best they can to help people. Their positive actions should be supported, encouraged and admired. Because of our experiences with the negative designs of law enforcement, we fall into the design to hate them, oppose them and label them as sellouts, frauds, traitors and evil. When their actions are hell bent on hurting us, our families, our communities and oppressing and silencing dissent, they deserve the criticism. When they are the people hiding their faces and identities to inflict pain, chaos and death with impunity on communities not their own, we need to raise our voices. That is part of the design as well. Just remember, we, as prisoners, don't like to be lumped all together as bad and evil. We don't want to be associated with what the worst of us do. It is also part of a design that prisoners are all viewed as vicious predators, drug dealers, rapists, gang members, child molesters, thieves and murderers. We hate the design that punishes all of us and our loved ones for what one may do. We want desperately to change the design that makes our families and neighbors and communities fear us, want to punish us, and hate us forever. I often ask myself how I can expect people to see me as a changed, positive and deserving person to give a second chance to. I'm asking people to Defy the Design and believe in me and trust that my actions of 40 years ago should not define who l am today. l'm asking to be seen as a person, a family member, a loved one, and part of the larger community wanting to help others and create positive changes. Therefore, I'd be a complete idiot to not recognize my need to Defy the Designs that create division, isolation, hatred and harm. Any design that creates an "us" v. "them" paradign needs to be defied. Too often the people around us do not want us to succeed. Because they are dissatisfied and hurting, they bring down the people around them. People who attempt to better themselves are often ridiculed and ostracized by designs we don't see. We all need to stand up and actively better ourselves, to separate ourselves from the negative designs of our popular culture. Our future is all of us, together, as one. If we expect Law Enforcement to Defy the negative Design of Law Enforcement and see us as a person, we should Defy our own Designs and see them as a person first.
Image description: Very detailed acrylic painting with a series of overlapping montage scenes. Around the top, bottom, and sides of the painting are the phrases “Defy the Design,” “As One,” “Let’s Get Free,” and “Our Future Is All Of Us.” The central scene is a Black main wearing a BLM shirt kneeling and clasping hands with a police officer in uniform, who is also kneeling. Going around the image clockwise are the following scenes: A Black uniformed police officer talking with children; a uniformed police officer leaning over and assisting a feminine person who is doubled over; a person wearing a backpack and a uniformed police officer doing an arm bump, a row of people chanting at a march or protest, linking arms, some wearing “March for Our Lives” t-shirts, and one uniformed police officer; a uniformed police officer leaning over to look at something someone is painting; a person wearing and American Indian Movement shirt shaking hands with a police officer in riot gear; and an older Black woman shaking hands with a uniformed police officer.