PLEASE I CAN’T BREATHE (DETROIT) 2020

Curator: At first glance, the sharp verticality in this composition creates a visual tension. Editor: That’s right. This is “PLEASE I CAN’T BREATHE (DETROIT),” a photograph taken by Jammie Holmes in 2020. The urban landscape, caught on camera, speaks volumes beyond the architectural elements we see. Curator: Indeed, Holmes utilizes photography as a powerful medium to reflect on social justice issues, particularly in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. The banner pulled by the airplane becomes a haunting focal point, almost spectral against the crisp sky. Editor: And that phrase cuts right through the architectural detail; notice how it contrasts with the density and stability suggested by the surrounding buildings. Those buildings—they stand tall and silent, while the ephemeral sky-banner speaks out. Curator: The placement within Detroit isn't accidental. Consider Detroit's history of racial tension and economic struggle— Holmes is positioning this event within a specific and resonant locale. He’s using the public arena of the sky to broadcast an intensely personal plea, leveraging art's capacity for protest. Editor: It’s compelling how the formal elements echo the message; the high-contrast photography accentuates a stark division, and the composition, almost rigidly structured by the building facades, enhances that feeling of oppression. It is visually unsettling. Curator: Absolutely. And while seemingly straightforward, its deployment via sky banner complicates it. Sky banners historically have been tools for advertisements; it forces us to reckon with how messages of protest, memorial, and grief circulate in a capitalist society hungry to monetize everything, even sorrow. Editor: I am left feeling deeply affected by the simplicity of the message against the complexity of the framing. Curator: This is more than just a photograph; it’s a visual testament to a moment—or a series of moments—demanding systemic change. A crucial record and provocation.