The four tall white columns represent both the institution of racism, and the individuals. The blue rectangles symbolize the police insignia on their uniforms. The horrible nine minutes of Mr. Floyd’s murder is represented by his breathe being squeezed out of him and the red streak is the heartbeat slowly being taken away from an innocent black man whose pain we will all feel whenever we hear his name or think about his life and tragic end. I want my work to be a part of the responses of artists that will remain long after the protests have ended, and an emotional reminder of what Mr. Floyd went through. I think art’s role is to convey the truth of what people feel and to interpret experiences more fully than what a photograph can convey. The inside of a person is what counts, not their outward appearance. The cops all have sharp edges, cold, a rectangular institutional feel. I tried to convey to the viewer that Mr. Floyd and everyone like him has been bleeding inside for a long time. - Paul Cahan, 2020
