Made with neckties and wood, Jacob’s Ladder Joy and Pain by Kevin Cole is an intensely powerful work that the artist created after a poignant conversation with his grandfather about the importance of participating in the election process. ⁣
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When Cole turned 18, he told his grandfather that he didn’t see the point in registering to vote. His grandfather responded by taking him to a specific tree, where at one point in history, African American men had been lynched by their neckties on their way to the polls.⁣
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“My grandfather tried to instill in me the reason we should vote,” Cole said. “The experience left a profound impression in my mind.”⁣
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When you go to the polls on this election day, remember that your vote is your voice and your conversations will impact generations of voters to come.⁣
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Image: Kevin Cole, Jacob’s Ladder Joy and Pain, 2002, Mixed media on wood, Gift of Yolanda and Greg Head⁣