On March 7, 1965, hundreds of people marched from Selma to Montgomery to protest voting discrimination, and photojournalists like James “Spider” Martin were on hand to document the historic demonstration. Here, Thomas memorializes and reinterprets one of Martin’s photographs from that day. On the right, a group of Black civil rights activists stands firm before the approaching White state troopers who, moments later, would beat and tear-gas the nonviolent protestors. Thomas has fragmented the image into nested triangles that mimic a basic shape of quilt making, each surrounded by a mahogany frame recalling the ones around flags presented to the families of deceased veterans. The pyramidal structure of the work simultaneously heightens the dramatic tension of the moment and emphasizes the event’s iconic status, recalling the pediments of ancient Greek and Roman temples that featured significant religious and historical scenes.

—Text taken from the Carter Handbook (2023)