My project is on Racism, it is on a sculpture of African American Women. In Crer, the article 'What is Racism", states that racism can be "discrimination against a person or people on the basis of their racial or ethnic group" P1. I chose this topic because many people say that they are not racist even though some "could be fairly described as ‘racists’, but anyone can behave or think in a racist or xenophobic way. As previously explained, structural racism is deeply ingrained in our society. The result of this is that minority ethnic people, especially those who are more visibly minority ethnic, experience everyday racism. This has a big impact on their lives. It pervades all areas of life and is hard to challenge, so in some ways it can have a bigger impact than obvious forms of racism"P1.
This project fits into my professional aspiration because I am majoring in psychology. Psychology has a lot to do with this projects because these negative emotions that these women go through can cause depression but if they fight it there self esteem can go so high that it will help these women surpass anything. I have always wanted to help others, so helping these woman see that they are not just a woman but that they are worth a lot.
I used The Interventionists book and used some quotes that I believed would fit in to my project. These quotes revolve around power structures and how they should be approached. Although only tangentially related in their topic, the importance of understanding power when understanding racism and sexism is key to combating it. Oppressive power structures serve to disempower the underclass and empower the majority class, by point out these discrepancies, artists and activists undermine that power structure and force the majority to come to terms with their role in it. The quotes I chose are “A strategy is a plan made by those who have the power to predict and change the lived landscape.” (Thompson et al., 2005).... “[The Situationists] hysteria finds validity in the increasing privatization of culture, in the form of intellectual copyright and in the shrinkage, policing, and control of public space.” (Thompson et al., 2005) ...“I came to the conclusion that I would have to be active in two camps: both ‘inside’, in the museum and art centres…” (Thompson et al., 2005)
Some of the artists who inspired me are the following. One of the most prolific and well-regarded artists in this field of work is Lorna Simpson. A mixed, Afro-Caribbean and African American, woman, she has a lot of perspective into several cultures and modes of thought. Her Montage Series, 2018, is a haunting foray into the mind of the Black woman (Simpson. 2018). In dark and somber colors, a woman is displayed alternating between what seems to be a night of deep sleep and the edge of a window. There is a lot wrong within the frame: “is she dreaming of the ledge? Is she depressed and suicidal? Why is she fully dressed and in bed?” Simpson has contemplated on these images and created them as a reflection of societal views of gender and race. Life in America for many Black women feels like waking and sleeping at once: the struggles of harassment and work inequality put many of these women almost at a precipice, where they feel as though they have no way out — yet at the same time, the struggle to improve their lives drives protest, civil action, and change for the better. In a series of panels, Simpson is able to convey this dream-like haze that Black women have been living in for over 400 years.
A young up-and-coming artist from Mozambique, Cassi Namoda, has devoted much of her art to social dynamics and racial identity. Her work acts to screenshot a single moment from a larger picture, whether it’s a man waiting for a witch doctor or a nude woman combing her hair. One of her main focuses is the “decolonization of the black female body” (McClodden, 2019). Decolonizing the body means self-actualization and self-definition for black women, it means removing fetishization and growing appreciation for the female body, and not just its “blackness.” Namoda’s work often has images of women staring directly at the viewer, or sometimes directly away from the viewer; I see this as a challenge to the viewer’s gaze: “what do we look for in a woman’s body? How are these ideals shaped by society and race?” These are important questions that are heavily integrated into the experiences of Black women.
Another artist, one who has been making strides for nearly 40 years, is Mickalene Thomas, an African-American artist that uses collages and photography to explore the body. Her challenging use of angles and poses represents a challenge to the male gaze and colonialism. Two of her most striking works are “Lovely Six Foota,” and “A Moment's Pleasure In Black And White.” In each, the subject stares at the viewer while their bodies are sprawled on couches (Thomas, 2007). In “Lovely Six Foota” the woman’s legs are open but she sits taciturn almost challenging the viewer to sexual her. Powerful imagery that cuts straight to the point of the issue at hand: these are people whose forms, bodies, and identities have been co-opted and controlled for generations and this is a way of challenging said control.
Pictures:
Sculpture made with paper Mache.
Made her a crown with feathers, added words (feelings) she could bee going through due to racism.
Added Some stones to make her eyes pop, I chose two different colors of rhinestones to catch attention.
Here you can see how her crown has the negative feelings she can be facing but in the bottom you can see the positive things that make her keep pushing on through life.
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