Collected Portrait of Richard J. Davila by B. Douglas Smith

From Richard’s sister Carmen Pagan: My name is Carmen Pagan. I got involved in the Souls Shots Project through a friend. My oldest brother Richard Davila was murdered on 01/03/16 and it shook the foundation of everything I stood for. I have had experienced gun violence, but not directly.  It was always a friend or someone not directly connected. Death by gun violence is almost like a way of life In the badlandz, where the zip codes define how long our life expectancy is. My brothers death has forever changed my life.

From the curator: This very large, striking portrait is imposing in its stark choice of color and its bold composition. The white ribbons seem to collapse toward one another much as Carmen writes of her foundation being shaken. Richard’s form stands tall, however. The other image that comes to mind is a volcano finally bursting under pressure. The collective anger of all our citizens is what is needed to fuel a a movement of change and redefine our priorities as a society. A zip code should not be a diagnosis of an early demise.

Collected Portrait of Richard J. Davila by B. Douglas Smith mixed media paper 4’ x 2’ 2018