Atlanta Perpetrator Project, 1995

15,000 bar coasters; 20,000 bookmarks; 100 subway posters; and a 30-second public service announcement for TV

Chosen to be a City Site Works artist for the Arts Festival of Atlanta and fueled by an ongoing concern for domestic violence, Diggs interviewed batterers, prisoners, parolees, counselors of violent men, and social service workers in Atlanta. After discussions and interviews with abusers, rapists, counselors and prison workers, Diggs generated 16 rough ideas for a public project that positioned perpetrators as the audience. Diggs then showed these studies to the men involved and together they looked for a focal core issue. In the end, they came up with this message: "Name the problem: You choose to be violent," accompanied by this: "Take responsibility: Make the decision to be powerful." The graphic images portrayed both scenarios. The participants decided that the message should be communicated through bookmarks (to libraries), bar coasters (to downtown bars), subway posters, and a TV spot to reach a wide range of abusers in the community.