Mick Hangland-Skill
Artist Statement
I think of Portland as a union town. Despite lamenting billboards yearning for the good old days of food carts and airport carpet, the Portland of my mind is characterized by strong labor unions. My family has been in Portland unions, namely the ILWU Local 8, for nearly 100 years. My generation of workers—the generation of young people born after 1997—has fewer opportunities for union membership and the benefits they bring during employment and retirement. As corporations post record profits, wages have remained the same despite record increases in worker productivity. It is this environment that best equips my generation to build, join, and support labor unions across the country.
This body of work was catalyzed by the recent energization of the labor movement right here in Portland. On August 10, 2021, workers at the Nabisco bakery on N. Columbia Blvd. went on strike demanding scheduling reform, overtime pay, and better healthcare. With a groundswell of community support, both financial in the form of donations and physical in the form of people on the picket line, the strike lasted over one month. A deal was reached on September 15 and ratified by the union shortly after.rnrnPhotographing the picket line along that busy stretch of roadway was a practice in documenting history, reporting the news, and building my own visual political voice through art. A project like this fits well within my photographic interests and my intent to explore the space between fine art and photojournalism. I combine these seemingly conflicted motives to explore current events and show support or the people I photograph. Naturally, I have interest in these topics having grown up in a union family. Though seeing as union work is currently out of reach for myself and others my age, this is the only way I know how to connect with the movement. As the reënergized labor movement continues to thrive in 2022 and beyond, I intend to continue this body of work and expand its reach.
Mick Hangland-Skill| Clackamas, OR