LOUIS CAMERON

Last Words is a series of poster installations quoting the “last words” of Black people in the United States unjustly killed by police and others. The killing of George Floyd was a catalyst for the project. The phrases in the works are taken from individuals, within a time span starting with Trayvon Martin, killed in 2012 to George Floyd, killed in 2020. This time frame allows for the project to have a specific focus. The phrases are taken from moments before individuals are killed to those spoken up to a week or two before. Out of context many of the phrases appear banal. It is only after reading the title of the works that the context is revealed for the phrases.

In this project groups of vinyl posters are tiled together on a wall to spell phrases, each poster contains a letter. This format allows the works to be site responsive, scaled and arranged in different formations depending on the space they’re exhibited in.

The works in Last Words operate as an expression of mourning and memorial for those we have lost to the violence of police and others recently.