Publisher's Synopsis
Theaster Gates (born 1973) is an artist, curator and urban activist whose work aims to galvanize communities and act as a catalyst for social change. For My Labor Is My Protest, a fall 2012 show at London's White Cube, Gates created a multi-faceted installation that investigated themes of race and history through sculpture, installation, performance and two-dimensional works exhibited both inside and outside of the gallery. In "Raising Goliath," Gates used theatrical pulleys to suspend a classic red fire-truck from the ceiling of the gallery, counterbalancing it with a huge metal container, housing hundreds of leatherbound issues of African-American magazines such as Jet and Ebony. For "My Labor Is My Protest," he parked a yellow fire truck at the entrance to the gallery and partially covered it with tar. Also included in the show and accompanying catalogue is documentation of The Johnson Library, a library on black American culture installed at the gallery.
