An original two color risograph print. This piece was made by layering an archival photograph from the Austin History Center of an in-named African American man with the the blooms from the medicinal High John the Conqueror. The cocky tilt of the mans hat, and the easy confidence in his gaze evokes the folk hero of High John. This medicinal plant grows wild in the southern United States and in Mexico. The root was carried as a balm for courage and protection for journeys to freedom.

Part of Holding Ground: A cultural cartography of freedmen settlements in Austin Texas. Limited Edition

11 x 17 inches