Artist Statement
Leading up to the 1950s, cannabis grew profusely throughout New York City – from underpasses to vacant parking lots. In 1951, the “White Wing Squad,” headed by the Sanitation Department and involving NYPD, was charged with destroying the plants that had sprouted up across the city. This painting draws from a 1951 photograph taken by the squad (Brooklyn Public Library: White Wings and Dream Stuff) featuring an officer rooting out a cannabis plant during this mass eradication.
Original $1000. Prints from $150, please inquire.