Hugs

These were left at every single memorial last June. I call them “hugs.”

Many still remain. I claimed two for archival purposes.

For me, they have a totemic power. There is something very stark and evocative about the act of someone placing one of these at each memorial; often, the fabric “arms” had been carefully wrapped around the stakes on which the memorials are mounted.

An embrace.

Some people think it’s an octopus or a spider. It’s clearly humanoid, though – right? Two arms.

Oh.....for the first time I realized the arms are in the air, above its head.

“Hands up; don’t shoot.“

Most of these photos are from June 21 or 22. I’m pretty sure that was the day the state and city issued a “proclamation”/ordinance declaring the space off-limits.