TONI SCOTT

My artwork is a reflection of my belief that the world can be a better place. A more empathetic and understanding one. Through the use of art as a tool, history as a resource, and ancestry to draw parallel connections, I hope to inspire dialog that builds bridges, educates, and encourages harmony between all peoples and nations. 

"Death at the Hands of the Police"

Life Cast of Model Michael Sydney

Plaster Bandage, Acrylic Paint, Chalk, Wood, Cotton

8'L x 4'W x 12"D

2015

Life body cast of a young African American man lays dead on the ground after a brutal encounter with police that ultimately leads to his death by their hands. The man was an innocent victim of the crime "walking while black."  The figure features a target on his chest symbolizing injustice often targeted at blacks. The names of over 70 people of color are written in chalk, individuals who died as a result of police encounters.  Chalk is used to add to the list and also symbolizes the easily erased memory of the dead. A white cloth is laid over his face with text written "I can't breathe," the last words of Eric Garner expressed over eleven times while lying on the sidewalk. The white cloth symbolizes a shroud for the dead, and represents restraint imposed upon those who vocalize injustice with protest; the white color symbolizes a system that tends to undermine the disadvantaged.

Featured
Your Father, Our Father, My Father, The Children of George Washington No. 2 © Toni Scott, 2009. Used with permission of the artist.

Your Father, Our Father, My Father, The Children of George Washington No. 2 © Toni Scott, 2009. Used with permission of the artist.

Remembering Delia © Toni Scott, 2009. Used with permission of the artist.

Remembering Delia © Toni Scott, 2009. Used with permission of the artist.

(Detail) Death at the Hands of the Police, 2015. Life Cast of Model Michael Sydney. Plaster Bandage, Acrylic Paint, Chalk, Wood, Cotton, 8'L x 4'W x 12"D © Toni Scott, used with permission of the artist.

(Detail) Death at the Hands of the Police, 2015. Life Cast of Model Michael Sydney. Plaster Bandage, Acrylic Paint, Chalk, Wood, Cotton, 8'L x 4'W x 12"D © Toni Scott, used with permission of the artist.

Death at the Hands of the Police, 2015. Life Cast of Model Michael Sydney. Plaster Bandage, Acrylic Paint, Chalk, Wood, Cotton, 8'L x 4'W x 12"D © Toni Scott, used with permission of the artist.

Death at the Hands of the Police, 2015. Life Cast of Model Michael Sydney. Plaster Bandage, Acrylic Paint, Chalk, Wood, Cotton, 8'L x 4'W x 12"D © Toni Scott, used with permission of the artist.

(Detail) Death at the Hands of the Police, 2015. Life Cast of Model Michael Sydney. Plaster Bandage, Acrylic Paint, Chalk, Wood, Cotton, 8'L x 4'W x 12"D © Toni Scott, used with permission of the artist.

(Detail) Death at the Hands of the Police, 2015. Life Cast of Model Michael Sydney. Plaster Bandage, Acrylic Paint, Chalk, Wood, Cotton, 8'L x 4'W x 12"D © Toni Scott, used with permission of the artist.