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Got pain? Tire (tire, tire) Stretching, retching Not on my watch Let’s look out for each other No, you won’t be downhearted forever You can (you can, you can) Amazing things are happening here: hope, head, bird nests. Your tears are only salt meeting with god Understanding is love’s other name
Kate Bennion (she/they) is a writer and full-spectrum doula in New York City.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Found media
Living in a city with so much signage, graffiti, and text feels like being in constant conversation with one’s surroundings. Much of it is noisy or ugly, but it can also be funny, profound, moving, or even poetic. When I see something that speaks to or strikes me, I take a picture.
This piece is formed from various messages spotted everywhere from a Walmart parking lot to the Metropolitan Opera House, bits of text strung together into a poem like beads on a string. I enjoy looking for and capturing such messages, finding meaning in the random or mundane (in some cases literal trash), and the challenge of synthesizing disparate voices into something cohesive and deeply felt. This process has become a sort of walking meditation/active listening practice with my environment, wherever I may be.
Kate Bennion
@brkate
