Chuck Avery
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK concentrates on issues of historical memory. Important sites of labor’s past struggles were documented as they are seen today. The photographs were then compared and contrasted with the images from the time of the event. The viewer is left to reflect on the changes, perceptions and meaning.
Chuck Avery is a documentary photographer living in Minneapolis. He is a McKnight Fellowship recipient and has exhibited his work nationally and internationally.
Minneapolis, Minnesota—July 20, 1934
Police used a decoy delivery truck to ambush Teamsters striking for a broader representation on this corner. When unarmed strikers confronted the truck, police opened fire with shotguns and Tommy Guns, killing two and wounding at least 67.
The Blood In The Streets photography project ask questions: What aspects of our past have been deemed worthy of commemoration? How does the contemporary landscape reflect those past histories? What do they say about us, our society and culture? There are stories embedded in these landscapes that delve deep into the ongoing struggle of capital versus labor that continue to define our society and influence how our lives play out today. All we have to do is look. The aim is to shine a light on those patterns within American labor history.