Bridge

I saw Bridge on a rainy Saturday during Snallygaster beer fest. It hangs from the rafters of an old warehouse with a dirt floor and leaky roof, swaying in the breeze. During WWI and WWII, the warehouse functioned as an electrical substation for the Navy Yard complex, although that Saturday it was more of a useful rain shelter. As I shuffled in with tipsy festival goers, my eyes immediately shot upward. From far away Bridge's scale and directionality act as a connection between viewer and open space, emphasizing its volume. On approach, however, the bridge 'planks' are actually casts of athlete Tommie Smith's right arm in the shape of a fist. In the 1968 Olympic Games, Smith won the men's 200m and raised his fist on the podium in solidarity with victims of racism and oppression. For Smith's actions the IOC expelled him and fellow athlete John Carlos (who protested alongside Smith) from the games, a controversy within which both men received regular death threats.

Los Angeles based artist Glenn Kaino created the piece as a physical manifestation of the narrative surrounding Smith's salute. The winding form represents changing perceptions and ideologies associated with a known symbol and the resulting path toward justice and equality. For those unaware of the event or its significance, Bridge breathes life into Smith's legacy and reiterates struggles still faced by many today. Viewers standing under its arches may not know about or remember Tommie Smith, but a noticeable hush falls as they gaze upward and feel elevated.