arming by clara

“arming by clara” is a 12-foot sculptural monument and self-portrait commemorating the life of Clara Ford and the lives of Black bodies, whose survival is often read as threatening or encoded in a grammar of militancy. “arming by clara’ is inspired by the story of Clara Ford, a Black, Toronto-born person accused in 1895 of murdering a wealthy White man who assaulted her. Known for wearing men’s clothing and carrying a loaded revolver, Clara appeared in court in a Victorian dress, ultimately leading to her acquittal.

In my conversations with artist Anique Jordan about the process of creating these sculptural monuments, she noted that she developed the shape of the figures by creating and working from a self-portrait image. This detail really fascinated me, as I was delighted at the thought of photography being the integral tool in recreating a visual emblem of a distant memory. Photography plays a further role in the activation of this work. Viewers are invited to stand with the figures and document their stance with this narrative.