1993
New York, New York
The Whitney Biennial attempts to expand the roster of
gay, women, black, and brown artists, exemplifying the
then-radical idea of multiculturalism. Included among the
exhibits is a video installation displaying an unedited clip
of the Rodney King beating and Daniel Joseph Martinez's
work of museum buttons, titled Museum Tags, Second
Movement, which read: I CAN' T / IMAGINE / EVER
WANTING / TO BE / WHITE. Martinez's controversial
work makes the cover of Artforum (twice) as negative
reviews of the show pour in.
JULY 7, 1993
Seattle, Washington
Mia Zapata, lead singer of the influential Seattle rock band
the Gits, is murdered in a dark alley just as the national
press discovers the so-called grunge movement of the
Pacific Northwest. Contemporaries of Nirvana and Pearl
Jam, Zapata and the Gits will not enjoy a major-label
record deal, never get MTV airplay, and never grace a
Rolling Stone cover. A phantom sighting.
1995
San Fernando Valley, California
God speaks to a Salvadoran Pentecostal car mechanic
named Gody Sanchez and tells him how to transform his
polluting leaf blower into an electric version. Gody's new
design helps to end a hunger strike of gardeners protest-
ing the ban in Los Angeles of the leaf blowers they need
for work.
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