The  Barney work was conceived during the Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police movements in 2020-2021.  In my hometown of Los Angeles, the anger toward law enforcement has created a great divide in the community for decades.  

 

I empathize with the Black Lives Matter movement with a heartfelt belief that there are great mistakes that have been made because of racial profiling and by the hand of the law to people of color.  Simultaneously, I believe that the majority of individuals in law enforcement are doing their best to serve the community in a thoughtful manner.  It’s a wide brush, a gigantic mix of different types of people and personalities that wear a badge.  Inside me, there’s great conflict about where to put my energy and support.  I believe in the plight and fight against racial profiling and Police brutality.  Simultaneously, I support law enforcement’s mission to keep order on our streets.

 

The Barney was created to display some trace of humanity, rationality, and sensitivity within every man and woman wearing a badge.  It is neither Pro and Anti anything, but instead a portrait displaying the human qualities that exist in a fabricated law enforcement officer.

 

Part parody, The Barney is an assemblage of Andy Warhol’s Double Elvis portrait and the face of comedic actor Don Knotts as he portrayed “Barney Fife” from The Andy Griffith Show.  The Barney Fife character exemplifies the humanity of law enforcement in my eyes.  The character displayed very human qualities like compassion, clumsiness, panic and distress.  Surely, these are all qualities and emotions that many Police Officers have within them.  The Barney is designed to depict this visually.