All Power to All People 2017
All power to all people was a temporary but iconic installation. It is an art piece, combining the Afro pick with the black power fist. It is a symbol of black and African identity and empowerment. This piece is supposed to involve the conversation of African-American art within public spaces, especially art that demonstrates the history of African-Americans in America and the black power movement during the 1960s. In addition of being a power symbol, it is also a tool that has been used throughout Africa and the diaspora a tool that is used to pick hair into an Afro shape, which was a representation of black identity during a time where black hair was seen as not something that could be commercialized or should be worn out in public.
The Afro Pick
The Afro pick dates back almost 6000 years old to West Africa, East Africa, and ancient Egypt. You can find many different types of Afro picks through that span of time and to this very day it is still used by people in Africa and in the Diaspora. During the 1960s and 70s, the black power movement started to rise and the Afro was seen as a source of power, strength, persistence, and resistance to oppression. Such figures like Angela Davis wore her Afro proudly as a form of resistance, using her hair as a visual language of empowerment.
The statue
All power to all people is an enlarged sculpture of an Afro pick with a black power fist the top of the comb where the fist is is casted in aluminum and then sprayed with a high gloss black spray. The metal combing part is made out of stainless steel. It is approximately 8 feet tall with a base that is supporting its weight under the concrete, making it look like the statue had got stuck into the ground, giving it a slight tilting effect. This piece weighs around 800 pounds.
Hank Willis Thomas 1976- today
Hank Willis Thomas was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, but is based in Brooklyn NY. He is a conceptual artist who primarily worked with themes like perspective, identity and pop culture. His work also includes utilizing recognizable symbols from popular brands and marketing campaigns using these icons or other pop culture references to encourage his viewers to question consumerism that is represented and racial stereotypes that go along with these marketing.
Power move
Around the same time, the statue was put up for public view. The Octavius catalogue statue was put up in front of City Hall. It is considered the first monument in Philadelphia dedicated to a black historical figure in public view. While this was all going on the Frank El Rizzo statue was starting to get more pushed to be taken down due to former mayors, controversial passes, especially, the police brutality against African-Americans. The all power to all people statue was placed diagonal to the Frank L. Rizzo. While the Frank L. Rizzo statue is a reminder of the hard injustice that happened to Black people during the 1970s while he was mayor the all power to all people statue is a reminder of that period of time where the black power movement was in full swing, provoking a conversation about equal justice and an empowerment to African-Americans. Statue Hank recalls the scale of Pop artist Claes Oldenburg’s monumental everyday objects, such as the Clothespin and Paint Torch, while marking the lack of commemorative statues that address equal justice and belonging.
