Many artists are known for their curiosity that extends outside their fields, but few excel as well at synthesizing disparate ideas and mediums than internationally renowned artist Tavares Strachan. He’s transported 4.5 tons of ice from the Alaskan arctic to his native Bahamas, sent a sculpture to space, and completed training as an astronaut. Aeronautics, astronomy, deep-sea exploration, and extreme climatology are but some of the thematic arenas out of which Strachan creates monumental allegories that explore the cultural dynamics of scientific knowledge.
Now, he’s branching out to the wilderness of Telluride, Colorado, where he will stage the Together project, a multi-pronged community engagement project sprung from years of collaboration with local residents. The project will culminate in a large-scale neon sculpture _WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER_, which sits on a mountainside under the free gondola transportation system that ferries locals and tourists alike from the town to the ski resort. The project is produced by The Telluride Foundation, in collaboration with the local Ah Haa School.
Given the sudden societal turmoil—on the eve of the unveiling of the sculpture this summer—the artwork has taken on an eerie prescience. "We are in this together" is a phrase being bandied on all sides of the aisle to a panicked nation; and suddenly doesn't seem so reassuring. [We are all in this together](https://www.brides.com/note-from-team-brides-corona-virus-4800290), say all the brides with weddings postponed. [We are all in this together](https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/85335), says Trump, as he bails out the airlines and cruise lines over the suddenly unemployed. [We are all in this together](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXX2Ps_MeSM), says a CBS ad of B celebrities.
The text-based sculpture was conceptualized years ago by Tavares as a call to arms, an anthem and universalizing message for the social, economic, and cultural comment. The message? That collectivity, unity, integrity, and identity are inextricably bound. This particular mode of address is a gesture of solidarity typical of Strachan's lexicon and effort to mobilize community and societal change.
But now the phrase hangs in the air — ARE we all in this together? What happens if we're not? The sculpture is now imbued with a layer of worry and paranoia. The text will serve as a basis to address the fears and worries of the local community, with Tavares staging various local activations that elucidate themes behind the work: equality, democracy, and other core tenets of humanism. Strachan’s interest lies in shifting perceptions about place, emphasizing the people and the work here, illustrating the diversity of the local and surrounding communities, and creating tools to aid neighbors in need.
“This project seeks to bring the community together and to add to the narrative of Telluride. I was interested in shedding light on local issues around housing, climate, food, education, giving and immigration and coming together to research, and address some of these questions at a local level that resonate more broadly in our current climate. In this moment of nationalism, it’s particularly difficult to manage any global issue without zooming in on local issues,” said artist Tavares Strachan.
The work was conceptualized as an acknowledgement and illustration of the coexistence of different communities in this tiny resort town, and the struggles of locals with housing, education, food, and immigration. Tavares is using the sculpture as a jumping off point for discussions around these issues. In his lexicon, this message WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER is just the tip of the iceberg.
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