Ongoing series documenting the increasing but unfortunate presence of R.I.P. memorial wall murals and makeshift memorial shrines/altars being created throughout various parts of New York City,for deceased loved ones.
Mourn For Me
In numerous economically depressed & disenfranchised neighborhoods in N.Y.C, inhabited by predominantly people of color, the presence of R.I.P. memorial wall murals and makeshift memorial shrines/altars, unfortunately are commonplace, along side other omnipresent perennial structures: liquor shops, funeral parlors & Chinese greasy spoons.
Makeshift memorial shrines/altars and R.I.P memorial wall murals are democratic in nature, no matter how diverse your walk in life, no one is immune to being immortalized via a wall mural: musicians, some iconic, police brutality victims, children, athletes, neighborhood locals, suicide and disease victims, wrong place, wrong time innocent victims, the common hard working law abiding woman/man, your mother, cousin, daughter and an overwhelming percentage of fathers, uncles, brothers, grandfathers and potential future fathers.
As I encounter an R.I.P memorial wall mural, I’m always in awe by the magnitude and artistic flare that went into these heartfelt & emotional portraits, whether life like or caricatures. Seeing these various R.I.P memorial wall murals as another variation of tombstones, my heart & compassion always goes out at the site of a commemorative wall, as well as makeshift shrines/altars, whether I know them personally or not. Over time, encountering scores upon scores of these R.I.P murals & makeshift shrines/altars leaves me overcome with a feeling of great sadness and a feeling of deep loss as a people; so many perished lives and unfortunately, so many future lives that the ‘hood will consume due to a multitude of contributing factors.
As a compassionate human being, acute observer & photographer, I’m intrigued by this kind of humanity, this compelling inner desire by loved ones, fans, strangers, friends, biological as well as street family, to pay homage /tribute/reverence via makeshift shrines/altars and, or commissioned & non commissioning of beautiful, colorful & artistic memorial murals of the deceased, who obviously have impacted them tremendously & has left a painful void in their hearts.
R.I.P memorial murals erected for the deceased for all to see and hopefully forever to be remembered, long after the shrines/altars and murals are gone.