What's in the Numbers? (Homicide Data Project)
Statement of Work:
The Homicide Data project is an on going project of collecting data from police reports and Baltimore Sun to make a series of drawings and sculptures that visually discussions who is effected by homicide in Baltimore. This is a new and exciting process for me as a digital artist, because I am using digital fabrication processes. I see the drawings becoming more like patterns. Multiplying as each year goes by, the data starts with 2015, and will go to 2020. The drawings are based on age, gender, race, place and time. One of my most recent data drawings based on the influences of weather and moon phases had on homicides in the city. I was thinking about the saying how people act on full moons. Since, I have moved here in 2008, there has been a strong stigma about the violence of Baltimore. Living in Hollins Market in West Baltimore is the first place in which I have lived where I feel that I belong to a community. In the beginning of our monthly neighborhood meetings, the community had a police officer come in and report on the crimes in our neighborhood for the month. The data was always very discouraging for me, and added to the culture of violent and trash in our neighborhood. I have a strong interest in the data created in the police reports and newspapers, because I feel that it offers an opportunity to stay updated on current events. However, I am looking at the data from another perspective outside of the negativity, but I am interested in the patterns and possible stories or connections in the data. The digital art pieces are just another way of viewing and understanding this data, and I am excited to see where this project goes in the coming years.