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Empirical Evidence
2021
Mount Vernon 3rd Ave Bridge (New Haven Line)
Metro-North Railroad
Damien Davis’ artwork for the 3rd Avenue bridge in Mount Vernon, "Empirical Evidence," references ancient and contemporary cultures through non-linear abstracted and stylized symbols that — like an urban landscape — constitute a whole, made up of distinctive parts. Davis’ artwork measures approximately 400 square feet across 11 panels, fabricated by KC Fabrications, installed on the bridge’s east facade.
Empirical Evidence is made up of interwoven shapes that form a new visual lexicon and iconography of symbols from Black history and popular culture. The artwork’s title, "Empirical Evidence," directly references the scientific use of the term: concepts and/or information received by means of observation and the documentation of patterns and behavior. This title and its meaning also allude to Davis’ continued artistic pursuit of unpacking the visual language of cultures both domestic and abroad, questioning how these cultures code and decode representations of Blackness and Black people.
The artist shared, "Ultimately, the work is about language and how powerful language can be, for both clarity and confusion. I want all the work I make to serve as a bridge. I think about language as a bridge, and symbols as language. For me, the question becomes how we take these larger complicated ideas, that can be hard to explain, break them down into simple shapes, and then allow new dynamic, complicated conversations to form around them. That is my hope for this project.”
"Empirical Evidence" invites the public into dialogue and interaction, providing myriad cultural reference and entry points for the multifaceted Mount Vernon community. "Mount Vernon has existed for a very long time as a site of Black excellence," Davis said. "When I think about the history of Black excellence in a larger context — the ancient, the current, and the future — I see Mount Vernon as having a critical role in all of it. I see this project as a celebration of, an amalgamation of, the work we have done; the work we continue to do; and the work still needed to be done."
Empirical Evidence is made up of interwoven shapes that form a new visual lexicon and iconography of symbols from Black history and popular culture. The artwork’s title, "Empirical Evidence," directly references the scientific use of the term: concepts and/or information received by means of observation and the documentation of patterns and behavior. This title and its meaning also allude to Davis’ continued artistic pursuit of unpacking the visual language of cultures both domestic and abroad, questioning how these cultures code and decode representations of Blackness and Black people.
The artist shared, "Ultimately, the work is about language and how powerful language can be, for both clarity and confusion. I want all the work I make to serve as a bridge. I think about language as a bridge, and symbols as language. For me, the question becomes how we take these larger complicated ideas, that can be hard to explain, break them down into simple shapes, and then allow new dynamic, complicated conversations to form around them. That is my hope for this project.”
"Empirical Evidence" invites the public into dialogue and interaction, providing myriad cultural reference and entry points for the multifaceted Mount Vernon community. "Mount Vernon has existed for a very long time as a site of Black excellence," Davis said. "When I think about the history of Black excellence in a larger context — the ancient, the current, and the future — I see Mount Vernon as having a critical role in all of it. I see this project as a celebration of, an amalgamation of, the work we have done; the work we continue to do; and the work still needed to be done."
