So, in 2016, I was commissioned to produce a photo essay about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. And that's been going on since 2014. And I accepted the commission with the idea that I would photograph three generations of women dealing with the crisis on a daily basis.
2016 年, 我受委託要製作一本相片特輯, 內容是密西根州 弗林特的水資源危機。 危機從 2014 年就開始了。 我接下了這個委託, 因為我認為我可以拍攝 三個世代的女性 每天都在處理這項危機。
I was fortunate to meet two best friends, artists, activists and poets Amber Hasan and Shea Cobb, who took me around Flint. As a school bus driver, Shea Cobb became the central figure of the photo essay, along with her mother, Ms. Renée, and her eight-year-old daughter, Zion. I obsessively followed Shea's school bus routes. And when Shea wasn't driving the bus, she would be watching over Zion, making sure she was studying. I embedded myself in every intimate facet of Shea's life. When Shea took me to Zion's school, and I saw the water fountains covered with signs that said, "Contaminated. Do not drink," I couldn't pick up my camera to photograph it. It rocked me to the core to see that in America, we can go from fountains that say "Whites" or "Blacks only," to today seeing fountains that say, "Contaminated water. Do not drink." And somehow, that's acceptable?
我很幸運能夠遇到兩位最棒的朋友、 藝術家、活動家,及詩人, 安柏哈山及希亞柯柏, 她們帶我到佛林特各處去看。 希亞柯柏是校車的司機, 她成了這本相片特緝的中心人物, 另外還有她的母親,瑞妮女士, 及她的八歲女兒,吉昂。 我著魔似地跟著希亞的校車路線。 當希亞沒有在開車時, 她會去照顧吉昂, 確保她有在讀書。 我進入了希亞生活中的 每個親密面向。 當希亞帶我去吉昂的學校, 我看到飲水器上滿是標牌,寫著: 「受污染。不可飲用。」 我無法拿起相機把它拍下來。 我感到非常震撼, 竟然會在美國看到這種事, 我們過去的飲水器可能會標示 「僅限白人」或「僅限黑人」, 現在竟然會看到飲水器標示著 「受污染。不可飲用。」 而這竟然是可以接受的?
The residents in Flint have been forced to drink with, cook with and bathe with bottled water, while paying the highest water bills in the country for water that is infected with deadly legionella bacteria.
佛林特的居民被迫要拿瓶裝水 來飲用、煮菜,和洗澡, 還要支付全國最貴的水費帳單, 得到的水卻受到 致命的軍團菌感染。
It was natural for me to go to Flint, because industrial pollution, bacteria-contaminated water were all too familiar for me growing up in my hometown, Braddock, Pennsylvania, where my mother and I battled cancer and autoimmune disorders like lupus. Our 14-year collaboration, "The Notion of Family," was created out of our struggle to survive environmental racism, healthcare inequity and chemical emissions that were being deregulated and released from the United States Steel Corporation, making Braddock the town with the highest asthma and infant mortality rates in the country. From the Monongahela River to the Flint River, in the words of W.E.B. Du Bois, "The town, the whole valley, has turned its back upon the river. It has used it as a sewer, as a drain, as a place for throwing their waste."
我去佛林特是很自然的事, 因為工業污染、被細菌污染的水, 對我這個在賓州布拉多克 長大的人來說實在太熟悉了, 在布拉多克,我母親 和我曾經要對抗癌症 以及自動免疫系統疾病,如狼瘡。 我們十四年的合作成果, 《家庭的觀念》, 立基在我們的掙扎上, 我們努力求生存, 對抗環境種族主義、 健康照護不平等, 以及因為管制解除, 美國鋼鐵公司開始排放化學物質, 讓布拉多克成為全國氣喘 和嬰兒死亡率最高的小鎮。 從莫農加希拉河到弗林特河, 借用 W.E.B. 杜波依斯的說法: 「小鎮,整個山谷,都背棄了這條河。 小鎮把河當作下水道、排水溝、 丟棄廢棄物的地方。」
General Motors has been cited for dumping chemicals in the Flint River for decades. When my photo essay "Flint is Family" came out in August of 2016, it was released to remind America that although Flint was no longer headline news, the water crisis was far from over. And, of course, I knew it was going to take more than a series of photographs on my part to bring relief to the people in Vehicle City. Shea and I bonded over our mothers and grandmothers. Amber and I bonded over our battles with lupus. Together, we decided to remain in each other's life and continue our creative efforts.
數十年來,通用汽車都因為 將化學物質棄置在 弗林特河裡而被傳訊。 當我的相片特輯《弗林特是家人》 在 2016 年八月推出時, 目的是要提醒美國, 雖然弗林特已經不再是頭條新聞, 水資源危機卻還沒結束,還差得遠。 當然,我知道 光由我這裡推出一系列照片 不足以為這個汽車城的人減輕問題。 希亞和我是因為我們的 母親及祖母而產生連結, 安柏和我是因為 對抗狼瘡而產生連結。 我們一起決定要繼續 留在彼此的生命中, 繼續做出有創意的貢獻。
In 2017, Shea and Amber cofounded artist collective The Sister Tour, whose mission is to provide a safe space for Flint artists. One year later, I mounted my solo exhibition, "Flint is Family," here in New York City at Gavin Brown's Enterprise on West 127th Street. As the audience approaches the facade of the building, they see a 30-foot billboard. The 30-foot billboard is made of three large color negatives with the message "Water Is Life," spelled out in Nestle water bottles by The Sister Tour. Nestle, the largest water-bottling company in the world, pumps 400 gallons of water per minute out of aquifers in Lake Michigan, nearly free of charge. The company also extracts millions of liters of water from First Nation reservations, while they have no access to clean water at all.
2017 年,希亞和安柏 共同創辦了藝術家集團「姐妹之旅」, 旨在提供安全的空間 給弗林特的藝術家。 一年後, 我舉辦了我的個人展 《弗林特是家人》, 地點在紐約市西 127 街上的畫廊 「 Gavin Brown's Enterprise」。 當觀眾接近建築物的正面, 他們會看到一個 三十英呎的廣告牌。 這個三十英呎的廣告牌是由 三張大型彩色底片做成的, 上面訊息是「水就是生命」, 姐妹之旅用雀巢的水瓶 把這些字拼出來。 雀巢是世界上最大的 瓶裝水製造公司, 每分鐘能從密西根湖的地下 蓄水層將四百加侖的水抽出, 幾乎完全不用花錢。 該公司也會從原住民保留區內 抽取數百萬公升的水, 而這些原住民根本 無法取得乾淨用水。
This is a fundraiser print that I used to raise money to send The Sister Tour to different venues to educate people on the ongoing crisis. I also continued to keep it in the public eye by producing countdown flags that were raised on institutions across the country. This past June, Amber emailed me with the news that Michigan's attorney general dropped all criminal charges in the Flint Water Crisis investigation, where eight state and city employees were facing charges as serious as manslaughter.
這是個資金籌集的記號, 我用它來募資, 讓姐妹之旅能夠前往不同的地點 針對當前危機進行教育。 我也讓它持續公開曝光, 製作倒數旗子, 立在全國各地的機構上。 去年六月,安柏寫信 告訴我一個消息, 密西根的首席檢察官 放棄弗林特水資源危機 調查案的所有控告, 本來有八個州和市的員工 要面臨控訴,嚴重到殺人罪都有。
I could no longer idly stand by and wait for the government to do its job. Justice has been delayed, and justice has been denied. It's been five years, and we're still waiting on justice for the men, women and children in Flint. I asked Amber, "What can I do?" She told me about a man named Moses West that she met in Puerto Rico, who invented a 26,000-pound atmospheric water generator. Amber took Moses to elected officials in the city of Flint. None of them seemed interested in bringing the machine for relief to Flint at all. Amber needed to get the machine from a military base in Texas all the way to Flint. Nobody in Flint had that kind of money lying around. And it was at that point that I decided to take the proceeds from my solo exhibition "Flint is Family," along with the generous match grant from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and sent it to Moses West.
我不能再袖手旁觀 等著政府盡責了。 公義已經被拖延, 公義已經被否認。 已經五年了, 我們還在等弗林特的男人、 女人、孩子得到公義的對待。 我問安柏:「我能做什麼?」 她告訴我,她在波多黎各 認識了摩西 · 維斯特, 他發明了兩萬六千磅的 空氣製水機。 安柏帶摩西去見 弗林特市的民選官員。 他們似乎對於用這台機器 來解決弗林特的問題不感興趣。 安柏得要把這台機器 從德州的軍事基地 一路帶到弗林特。 弗林特沒有人有那樣的閒錢。 那時,我下了決定, 把我從《弗林特是家人》 個人展得到的收益 和羅伯特 · 勞森伯格基金會的慷慨贊助 都交給摩西 · 維斯特。
This past July, Moses West and his atmospheric water generator arrived to Flint, Michigan, on North Saginaw between Marengo and Pulaski, and is actually still there right now, operating. This community that sits three miles from downtown has been stripped of its schools, access to healthy grocery stores and clean water. Socially, it's viewed as a violent, poor community. But I see something completely different.
去年七月, 摩西 · 維斯特和他的空氣製水機 抵達了密西根州的弗林特, 設置在北薩吉諾, 馬倫哥和普瓦斯基之間, 現在它仍然在那裡運作。 這個社區離鬧區有三英里的距離, 已經被剝奪了學校, 沒有健康雜貨店,也沒有乾淨用水。 在社會面上,它被視為 是個暴力、貧窮的社區。 但我看見的完全不同。
Moses, an officer, Ranger, veteran, was very clear about his water rescue mission: Bring relief of free, clean water to the people in Flint. Teach them how to use the machine, teach them how to take care of it, and most importantly, take ownership of the machine. Tell everybody across the city to bring all their containers and come and take as much water as they can stock up on, especially before the winter season hits; the machine doesn't extract moisture in freezing temperatures. This technology pulls air through a high-volume air filter. It mechanically creates condensation, which produces 2,000 gallons of water per day. Residents are free to walk up to the machine anywhere between 9am and 8pm daily and take as much as they want, alleviating them from standing in long lines for bottled water.
摩西是個軍官、騎兵、退伍軍人, 他非常清楚他的這項 水資源拯救任務: 把救濟用的免費、 乾淨用水帶給弗林特的人。 教導他們如何使用這台機器, 教導他們如何照顧它, 最重要的,是為它負責。 告訴全市各地的人, 把他們的容器帶來, 能帶走多少水就帶走多少水, 特別是在冬季到來之前; 在冰凍的氣溫下, 這台機器無法取得濕氣。 這項技術是從高量 空氣過濾器取得空氣, 它會用機械式的方法造成凝結, 每天能產出兩千加侖的水。 每天早上九點到晚上八點, 居民可以免費去用這台機器, 想要多少水就拿多少, 讓他們不用大排長龍 去取得瓶裝水。
I've been at the machine, interviewing people, asking them, "What does it mean to see Moses and his machine in [your] community?" And, "What has it been like living without access to clean water?" Alita told me, "It's a miracle that God gave Moses the knowledge and technology to provide us with pure drinking water." She also told me that prior to the machine coming, she had severe headaches, and the water made her so sick to her stomach, she couldn't eat. Tina told me that the lead-contaminated water made her hair fall out. Usually, she's weak and very light-headed. Since using the machine, she's had energy and strength. David, he was overwhelmed with joy that someone from Texas cared. When he tasted the water, he thought to himself, "Now, this is the way God intended water to be." He brings three seven-gallon containers to refill to use at his barbecue stand.
我在那台機器旁 進行訪談,我問他們: 「在你的社區看到摩西 和他的機器,有什麼意涵?」 及「無法取得乾淨用水的 生活是什麼樣子的?」 艾莉塔告訴我: 「這是個奇蹟,神給予 摩西這些知識和技術, 來提供我們純淨的飲用水。」 她還告訴我, 在這台機器到來之前, 她有嚴重的頭痛, 水讓她連胃都很難過, 到無法進食的程度。 蒂娜告訴我,被鉛污染的水 讓她的頭髮掉光。 通常,她都很虛弱且會頭昏眼花。 從開始用那台機器之後, 她便有了能量和力氣。 大衛,他實在太高興 德州會有人會在乎這件事。 當他嚐到水時,他心想: 「神創造的水應該是這樣子的。」 他帶了三個七加侖的容器來裝水, 要用在他的烤肉攤上。
Through creativity and solidarity, Amber Hasan, Shea Cobb, Tuklor Senegal, The Sister Tour, myself, the people of Flint, Dexter Moon, Moses West and his atmospheric water generator have been able to provide 120,000 gallons of free, clean water.
透過創意和團結, 安柏 · 哈山、希亞 · 柯柏、 圖克勒 · 山尼葛、姐妹之旅、 我自己、弗林特人、 戴克斯特 · 慕恩、摩西 · 維斯特, 以及他的空氣製水機 得以提供出十二萬加侖的 免費乾淨用水。
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The people in Flint deserve access to clean water. Water is life. It is the spirit that binds us from sickness, death and destruction. Imagine how many millions of lives we could save if Moses's machine were in places like Newark, New Jersey, South Africa and India, with compassion instead of profit motives.
弗林特的人本來就應該 要能取得乾淨用水。 水就是生命。 這個精神連結著我們, 對抗疾病、死亡,和摧毀。 想像一下,我們還能拯救多少生命, 只要我們能把摩西的機器 安裝在新澤西州的紐華克、 南非,和印度, 且動機是同情而不是利潤。
I loaded my camera, I locked my focus, and I placed my finger over the shutter release, as Shea and Zion went to take their first sip of clean water. When the shutter released, I was overcome with a deep sense of joy and righteousness. When I sent Shea some of the photographs, she wrote, "Thank you again for the light that you bring to my city." I immediately replied, "The light was already there within you."
我準備好我的相機,鎖定焦點, 我把我的手指放在快門按鈕上, 等著希亞和吉昂 去品嚐第一口乾淨水。 按下快門時, 我充滿了深刻的喜悅和正直感。 我把一些照片寄給希亞,她寫道: 「再次謝謝你把光帶到我的城市。」 我馬上回覆: 「光早就在你的內心了。」
It's been four years since I've been photographing in Flint, and finally, I've been able to render a poetic justice. No matter how dark a situation may be, a camera can extract the light and turn a negative into a positive.
我在弗林特拍照是四年前的事, 終於,我讓正義得以伸張。 不論情況有多黑暗, 相機能都取得光線, 把底片(負面)變成正面。
Thank you.
謝謝。
(Applause)
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