I like the phrase ‘opposite and equal’. We often talk about similarities when we discuss equality, but it is enlightening to discuss differences.
This piece represents the brutal killing of George Floyd by then Police Officer Derek Chauvin and the equal and opposite reaction of worldwide protest in the midst of the pandemic that followed.
Will this moment become a period of Great Awakening leading to systemic and social change to eradicate the entrenched racism of American Society? Only time will tell.
I was surprised and amused by how often personification was used to explain the returned force of the “equal and opposite reaction” on science websites. A phrase something like “when you jump on the ground, the ground pushes you back up” inspired this piece.
Newton’s 3rd law of motion, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,” is represented in the kneeling then standing of the first two pieces. Part of Newton’s 1st law, commonly summarized as “An object in motion stays in motion” is shown in the standing and moving of the second and third pieces. (“An object at rest stays at rest” too, but this is a reflection on unrest in 2020.) Newton’s 2nd law, “Force = Mass x Acceleration,” is represented in the mass protest, one of the forces that will accelerate the pace of change in our society.
In elementary school, there was a fundraiser that offered prizes depending on how much you sold. When I saw this water rocket as a prize, I was determined to sell. I was able to earn this prize and it was every bit as thrilling as my creative, hopeful mind anticipated!