PEOPLE ARE YOU READY?
Mural using calligraphy / Atlanta, GA - c.2020
Created for: THE CREATIVES PROJECT / Atlanta, GA
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and during 2020’s racial and political upheaval in the U.S. –this piece was the artist’s response to protests and demonstrations calling to end police brutality against Black Americans, ensuing riots, and consequent militarization of Atlanta. Sadler took inspiration from the lyrics to De La Soul’s “Trying,” as narration and call to action.
Sadler’s text-based approach in this work was an intentional departure from his previous mural work, which was largely dominated by figurative imagery. In the end, written words embedded into the surrounding environment and coupled with the palette of the site (red text, white wall, blue columns), melded together to whisper an image of the American flag.
“People are you ready? Yes we’re ready! Are you really ready? We wanna be ready! Ready for the change that may approach you? Yes! Follow down the path that you supposed to? Yes! People are you ready? Yes we’re ready! Are you really ready to try? We wanna try harder! You know mistakes are trials that we learn from? Yes! In order to live life, you must earn one? Yes! People are you ready?”
