> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: michael wichita <mwichita@risd.edu>
>> Date: Fri Apr 17, 1998 9:00:34 PM America/Halifax
>> To: J. B. <xxxx@erols.com>
>> Subject: hi
>>
>>
>> hi
>> my brother
>> was beaten to death
>> with a baseball bat
>> lastnight
>> at 830pm
>>
>> i miss him and
>> i did not know him
>>
>>
>> michael
>>
>> ps i'm at school
>> so don't call
>> at home
>> even though
>> we have a phone again
>>
>> mw
>>

Added to the list of murder weapons are a knife (or knives) and a pool ball in a sock. The attack happened on April 18th, 1998 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. My brother and a friend were killed another friend survived 17 stab wounds.

Three of the pieces I created each use one of the weapons used in the attacks as there starting point. Stabbed, is made up of three posters similar to the ones my brother had in his room as a boy. I took a knife and stabbed the poster (from the front) to either outline or follow the countors of the image on the posters. They may look like small pricks, but when added up the total number is the number of days my brother was alive. Over 7,000.

The photograph, Bat Bed, is taken showing only the very top of the bat. I wanted to show the scrapes on the top that might appear on a well used bat that became a murder weapon.

Ball Drawer, appears to be a drawer of socks rolled up neatly in a drawer. On closer inspection you notice that one sock is not balled up with its partner. The sock is large enough to hold a pool ball inside and is longer to allow for it to be easily swung. The sock also has red stitching on the toe.

2599 Days, is the number of days betwen the day my brother was murdered and the opening reception for “re:place,” represented by 2599 stright pins in a grid. There are eight columns, six of equal height; the outside two are are “missing” a portion, the top on the left side and the bottom on the right. This forms a giant wall calendar of slow steady progress from the day my brother was murdered and a reminder of his death at the same time. The installation of this piece alone was over 40 hours.

Pig Noise, comes from the pig-like “oinking” noise my brother would make as a child to entertain us. As a young boy I made a clay sculpute of a pig and gave it to him for his birthday. I always wanted it back, thinking he would eventually destroy it somehow. When he was murdered it was the only thing I wanted of his. I got it back, with one broken ear. It now sits on my desk, as seen in the photograph.