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The Knotted Line

Evan Bissell, Author

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The Knotted Line - Thoughts on Freedom







The Knotted Line
started, in part, as a personal exploration; how is it, that in a society where
freedom is the central political rhetoric, that we have constantly confined
large portions of our population? That discrepancy, once glimpsed, became the
spark of my politicization and search for other narratives. I wanted The
Knotted Line to be a digital age dub -- a mix of Zinn's 'People’s History' with
Lawrence's 'Great Migration'; Chang's Can’t Stop Won’t Stop with hooks'
Teaching To Transgress. In so doing we created something that draws from
populist historical traditions, visual art, and educational theory.



 



What I have come to
understand through this exploration is that ‘Freedom’ in the United States is
tethered to the idea of confinement. 
Freedom only gains traction when contrasted with the hypervisible
invisible: the confined other. Race, class, gender, citizenship and sexuality
are shifting markers of freedom or unfreedom, of exclusion or inclusion that
define who is or isn’t part of the American mainstream.  The rhetoric of Freedom does not define
what freedom is; instead it defines who has the right to freedom.



 



Who has the ‘right to
freedom(s)’ was, and is, a question of power.  Within this rubric of freedom, those who are free are those
who have the most institutional access, generally, though not exclusively,
along a spectrum that places the white, straight, Christian, wealthy, male at
the top. While this is a thesis that has been illuminated by many, the key
point presented in The Knotted Line is that the rhetoric of freedom has been a
central organizer of social structure and hierarchy in the United States - from
the Pilgrims to the Patriot Act.



 



In exploring the
political rhetoric of freedom as essentially one of disenfranchisement and
exclusion, my hope is that The Knotted Line will add to a web of people,
communities, art, work, and education that has defined freedom as an
autonomous, spiritual and grass-roots concept.  Indeed, this is where much of my research has sprung from
(included in the moments of Re-imagining and Self-Determination), as an effort
to expand not only understanding, but also the possibilities, strategies and
tactics of collective liberation. If the ‘freedom’ that is offered within the
American mainstream is built on the confinement of another, is it not our
responsibility to move past ‘reform’ to offer our own definitions freedom that
prioritize new ways of being, interacting and creating community safety? To
echo Grace Lee Boggs, I see The Knotted Line as part of a larger movement away
from protest and towards a movement of collaborative envisioning and
personal/social transformation.



 



Thanks



The Knotted Line has
followed a long and winding path to completion.  It began with a truncated, hand drawn version on butcher
paper that I used on a Thursday morning workshop in San Francisco’s San Bruno
Jail in 2009.  As part of a larger
project focusing on the impact of incarceration on families, workshop
participants (incarcerated fathers and youth with incarcerated parents) placed
their own experience with incarceration within a broader social context.  The power of that initial gesture
remains the spark that guides The Knotted Line. Chey, Liz, Sadie, Darren, Teak,
Melvin, Joe and Ben – I remain grateful for your honesty and commitment to
growth, and to Community Works for making that project possible.



 



The Knotted Line is born
out of a rich conceptual soil. 
Thank you to all those who have helped me understand freedom and the
complexity of these histories.  In
particular the works of Michelle Alexander, James Baldwin, Sujatha Baliga,
Grace Lee Boggs, Jeff Chang, Pema Chodron, Brett Cook, Paolo Freire, Ruth
Gilmore, bell hooks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Winona LaDuke , John Trudell,
Gina Ulysse, Loic Wacquant, and Howard Zinn have helped me walk the path.



 



This project would be
nothing without Erik Loyer’s masterful work, ease of collaboration, and
sensitivity to content and design. It’s been fun making a mess with you!



 



Tanya Orellana helped
expand the research from that initial workshop and conceptualize the threads to
be included.  Lisa Nowlain was
responsible for much of the research included in Re-imagining and
Self-Determination.  Claude Moller at
Freedom Archives and Jewels Smith offered invaluable insight and review as
well. Lucas Guilkey for editing and poring over the sources. Ian Gordon for his
precision edits. Angela Jones pointed me in the direction of a number of good
resources early on as well. Nate Gong and Dania Cabello provided opportunities
to test out the project with high school students while still in development
(thank you students in these classes as well!). Josh Begley has been there to
constantly bounce and refine ideas and pushed to make sure it got off the
ground in the first place.  Diana
Cohn and Panta Rhea for believing in the idea of it off the bat and supporting
it through. East Bay Community Foundation and the nearly 100 individual donors
who committed to making the work come alive. Scalar for taking on this
experiment. To my family and friends who put up with my skipping so many things
for time at the computer or in the studio. To my mom, for all her edits and not
settling for good enough.  And of
course to Kendra, who lives through self-determination.



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 

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