I saw this photo getting some play on Facebook today, so I thought I'd highlight it. It's from artist Norm Magnusson's 'I-75 project', a series of 'historical' markers.
I've been creating what I call "art of social conscience:" tv spots, viral emails, paintings and posters, but none of it has engaged viewers as much as this series of "historical" markers, each one a small story containing a discrete point of view.
The types of people who stop to read them are collectively defined more by their curiosity about the world around them than they are by any shared ideological leanings, which makes them a perfect audience for a carefully crafted message. And unlike most artworks on social or political themes, these markers don’t merely speak to the small group of viewers that seek out such work in galleries and museums; instead, they gently insert themselves into the public realm.
I-75 extends from the Michigan-Canada border to the tip of Florida, through a bunch of mostly red states.
