The Eviction Of Carol Allison
18" x 11", mixed media.



This is a depiction of an event from real life. Carol Allison was elderly, alone,
and mentally inadequate. This rendered her unable to handle her own affairs.
She also had her rent paid by the Human Resources Administration of New York.
If you were careful in reading of the last line you could ask the question:

"How does someone with subsidized rent actually get evicted?"

In this case, a new yuppie landlord in an up and coming gentrified
neighborhood couldn't answer except that he moved to evict Carol for
non-payment. Carol's social-worker couldn't answer on how the rent checks
were forwarded to another state (Kentucky) for 8 months, which accounted for
her non-payment of rent. In fact the artist himself found Carol at night on a
bench in Riverside Park and put the pieces together. He contacted a pro-bono
attorney and the district's council-woman who appeared in court in Carol's behalf.

She was able to retain her residence and her way of life...,
no matter how ungentrified that might seem.
© sol robbins

1 of 7 images