"Camo Carpetbag with Voting Rights Act of 1965" by Robert Dewitt Adams

Carpets, plastic plants, paper, inkjet print, bolts, thread

28" x 23" x 5"

‘Carpetbaggers’ were Northerners who supposedly threw together luggage from old rugs and rushed to take advantage of Southern society after the Civil War. In actuality the term was used to demean those supporting civil rights and justice. It is part of the 'Lost Cause' mythology that continues to fuel white supremacy. I use humor and absurdity to lampoon this revisionist history. I add an element of hope by including documents exemplifying positive influence between North and South. In this case it is the landmark bill currently being dismantled by the regressive Supreme Court. My bags have various thematic designs, and this one's ‘camo’ suggests that progressive ideas must be stealthily snuck into the South.