Protectors: Veterans Arrive at the Dakota Pipeline
Protectors was conceived from documentary photos of U.S. Veterans confronting private oil company security and the state government during the North Dakota Pipeline protests (DAPL) in 2016. Inspired by the gestures of peace and support offered by the Vets who volunteered at DAPL, I contrasted a rocky, verdant grotto with the stark, intimidating lights of the hired security representing the Pipeline investors. A soldier offers a helping hand to a female soldier ascending from the surreal grotto on the near side of the mechanically lit bridge. On the right, above a rock formation, a female breast is anatomically exposed below a green nipple, blending into the green hillside.