The Tower is a tarot card that can represent upheaval, unexpected change, destruction and other ideas associated with radical change. Looking at the world in which I have been working on this tarot series, I see no more fitting symbol for this time that of the tower card. I chose to make it a commentary on the shift around policing in the US and the radical upheaval of the current institution’s public support.
In this card, we see the tower, which has been updated to look a bit more modern. Falling from the tower is a police officer with their firearm on their side. The falling officer symbolizes the fall in public support for armed police response and the system that bolsters this. The lightning which has struck the tower is initiated by the fist of resistance, in this case, the fist of a black person. This is to represent the catalyst for change which is the black lives matter movement. We see the fires of destruction coming from the windows at the top of the tower and fragments of the building raining down. The sky is cloudless and there is a full moon, which is often associated with full clarity and a peak of power. The full moon is also often associated with uncommon behavior among people or unrest in a population. Gainst the moon we see the police shield which once adorned the top of the tower, falling from its high place, another symbol of a loss of power or authority that the police seem poised to face.
The tower its self largely has no windows beyond those few at the top. This symbolizes the lack of transparency which leads to limited accountability. The police shield once again is present with sades of blue representing the way in which the police are understood to protect their own regardless of conduct. Below, there is a scene which is not unfamiliar for the time when this was painted. To the left we have several police in riot gear. To the right we have protesters in common clothing, many wearing face masks to protect against the spread of Covid-19. One of the protesters holds a BLM sign while several other have their first in the air. There is clearly a much larger number of protesters than police, though there visibility is obscured by the smoke of tear gas deployed by the police. One tear gas canister is on the side of the mountain while another is being “returned to sender”, mid flight toward the police line. The entire setting is rooted on a mountain peak symbolizing seeing some resolution to a long challenge, as climbing mountains tend to symbolize struggle and difficulty.
Like other paintings in this series, “Turris” is titled in Latin as to not limit the audience of the painting and to feel congruous with the roman numeral numbering. The title translates to “The Tower” in English. The card generally appears as the 16th Major Arcana in a tarot deck and is numbered appropriately at the top in roman numeral. In the left bottom corner is the symbol for the element fire with which this card is associated. In the right bottom corner is the symbol for Mars which is the planet with which this card is associated. Both the element and planet are very fitting for the subject matter.