L.A.P.D. Uniform, 1993

Chris Burden
United States, 1946–2015
Editions 1/30 and 6/30
Fabric, leather, wood, metal, and plastic
Modern and Contemporary Art Council Fund
M.2000.151.1a–v, M.2000.151.2a–v

Listen: Music Selection

Read: Liner Notes

Chris Burden launched his L.A.P.D. Uniform series in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Enlarged to fit a cast of imaginary officers measuring nearly seven and a half feet tall, the menacing uniforms tower above most viewers, but they might as well just be moth dust in the face of Freestyle Fellowship’s incendiary 1993 manifesto, “We Will Not Tolerate.” Their powerful chant hurls straight to the rotten cop on top: “We will not tolerate Daryl Gates, hates, beats blacks Creates mistakes, false facts—fuck that.” Burden’s L.A.P.D. Uniforms represent imposing, authoritarian symbols but they remain deflated under Freestyle Fellowship’s blast back.