JEREMY BIGGERS: be safe out there bro
Some variation of "be safe out there bro" has become a standard farewell amongst a number of Black men. It's become so standard I don't think we even realize we're saying it anymore. It's a succinct mutual acknowledgment that the world we move through is unwelcoming. And by virtue of us both being Black men, "I have your well being in mind". So when you leave this moment, do what you have to do to keep yourself and your family safe. Do what you need to do to make it back home tonight. Make decisions that protect yourself.
"be safe out there bro" is as much a command, as it is pleading with someone to take care of themselves, because you care. Whether you are both strangers or they are one of your loved ones, you both understand that you're part of a fraternity and there are experiences you both share, that no one else does.
For as many external forces as there may be, "be safe out there bro" is a reminder to keep your guard up at all times, even and especially when the person trying to hurt you, is yourself. For as seemingly small of a phrase as it is, it's a reminder that in this moment. this exact moment right here, someone else is thinking of you and your well-being.
"be safe out there bro" features a brand new series "Combustible".
"Combustible" is a series of works based on the James Baldwin quote, "To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage, almost all of the time - and in one's work."
James Baldwin said this more than 60 years ago, and in far too many ways, nothing has changed. It's infuriating. It's sad. It's exhausting.
This new series is about that constant rage that's always under the surface for a lot of Black people and attempting to suppress it and questioning why we feel we need to in the first place. It's about that moment just before the eruption and making a decision about whether you're going to keep it in, or if it will finally reach a critical mass where the explosion is inevitable.
Do you want to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, or keep that job, or save that relationship, or do you let it consume you and you deal with the consequences afterward. Being in a constant state of "fight or flight" is taxing and makes how that rage is manifested and channeled unpredictable.
These works are an exploration of that feeling, that moment, just before what comes next.
“Both Daisha Board (curator) and Jeremy Biggers (artist) bring an unapologetic level of integrity to their work that is meaningful and impactful. I have watched Mr. Biggers’ work mature and shift these past few years, and so this is an audacious time for him to debut his new body of work. Ms. Board’s gallery in Dallas has been on the cutting edge of mindful exhibitions and her presentations have always been thought-provoking, which is no surprise to her curatorial debut here at Band of Vices.”
Terrell Tilford, Creative Director