Project 34

For awhile I had access to a large warehouse studio. I utilized it for one of my biggest endeavors, PROJECT 34. Below is a brief synopsis of the project.

Due to budgetary constraints the Mayor of Gary Indiana, Rudy Clay, laid of 30 firefighters on New Years Eve. (4 having been laid off prior) All delusions aside, times are tough everywhere. The economy is a disaster and people get laid off. That is a sad fact of life. What is appalling in this instance though, is the fact that the Mayor has used money from taxpayers to purchase a Hummer for use as his own personal mode of transportation. (despite his $113,000 a year salary)

In addition to this, Mayor Clay has spearheaded a project to build a Michael Jackson Memorial/Museum/Mega/Auditorium at the estimated expense of $300 million. It has been stated that this amount of money will not come from tax payers but private investors. However, if Mayor Clay has the time, effort, and ability to secure that amount of money from investors... surely he could have done something to save a few jobs for those who are actually willing to die on the job saving the city.

Artist epyon5 has chosen to commemorate and memorialize those who have lost their jobs by creating 34 life sized stenciled works of firefighters (each with it's own number) and will place them randomly throughout the city of Gary Indiana. These works not only serve to honor those men and women who are now unemployed, but to also remind Mayor Clay and his administration of what they've done, and could have prevented had they not mismanaged funds for personal gain and enjoyment.