Caitlyn Cathel Salas
Acts of Resistance
Professor Cacoilo
Kinfolk
What messages do these works convey to the audience about identity, power, race, gender and social justice? Are these works activist? If so, how? 800 words
Although Danielle Scott has created a number of memorable works, there were two in the gallery that stuck out to me the most. The first one was close to the entrance that was titled Queen of Angels, 2020, mixed medium assemblage on vintage ironing board. In the lower part of the iron board, collections of old newspapers and documents are put together in an unorganized way in order to highlight key terms that are both relevant to the times in the past as well as the present. One phrase in particular, "art heals" caught my eye from the moment I saw it. One thing Danielle made sure to emulate was the importance of art when telling stories of the past and how we can use art to receive some healing from what has happened. Art is not only to educate or entertain, but also provide guidance and healing from past transgressions.
With that being said, her piece reminded me an article by Lizzie Fison regarding meme art. In the article, How Memes Are Making Protest Art More Powerful, the author wrote "Insert hastily drafted, legally dubiou, economically destabilizing order here." Although this author was referring to memes, one can correlate how Danielle Scott used her creative mind to create pieces of art that not only set the tone for the whole room, but also show the audience the effects of how this country is running has on individuals, families & communities. Danielle's piece based on her mentor visually presents the struggles of the times this woman had endured, and the picture of her walking with such a power stance goes to show that she will not falter and had pursued her goals despite the hardship.
The second piece that caught my attention was Hatwell, Gray, Bernaby and Eugene, 2020, mixed medium assemblage and resin. Much can be interpreted from this artwork, but what I analyzed was the boys' facial expression. While reading Understanding Patriarchy by Bell Hooks, she explains how "patriarchal gender roles are assigned to us as children and we are given continual guidance about the ways we can best fulfill these roles" (p. 18). Notice the seriousness in all four of the boys faces? Bell Hooks put it best when she says "To indoctrinate boys into the rules of patriarchy, we force them to feel pain and to deny their feelings" (p.22). These boys grew up in a time where they were not given shoes, let alone an actual name, and were forced to withheld their thoughts and emotions for the sake of their own life. One looks bored, the other tired and the other two look more serious than the one next to them. These boys were not shown that it was okay to express emotion, therefore their faces feel rather solemn and almost lifeless. Boys at that age should be laughing & playing; instead, they all sat together with what seems as a heavy weight on their shoulders.
Danielle's work is enriched in the sublime quality of art. According to The Art of Activism, Duncombe and Lambert define the sublime as "beautiful or it can be horrific; in either case it is beyond direct description, beyond measurement, beyond even comprehension" (p. 26). The boys in the photo have bits and pieces of vibrant colors in their clothing added ontop of the original black and white photo. The use of stained papers of freed slaves bordered with layers of gold and orange is what will draw you into the piece. But once you get close enough to observe & read all the visual and legible information on the piece, you are now left with questions and thoughts and opinions and strong feelings about what you are viewing. The book describes how "The ancient Greek philosopher Longinus believed that the power of the sublime lay not only in its capacity to provoke awe, but in its ability to persuade" (p.26). The exhibition Kinfolk leads you in, and you become left with your mind pondering about a number of different things. Looking at Hatwell, Gray, Bernaby and Eugene provokes questions such as: What were their lives like? Are they slaves? Why weren't they allowed shoes? Why did people of color get treated in such an inhumane manner? and many more. That is the power of the sublime; she wants to encourage you to do more research, to become more activist and push her audience to begin making their own change in the world.
With everything being said, both Danielle and her artwork screams activism. The power she has to invoke not only questions and thoughts into her audience, but also push some actual change reins deep in all her pieces.
The selfie you are currently looking at is to emulate Danielle Scott's "Queen of Angels." The art piece has Scott's mentor in the middle of the iron board, in a position where she was walking in such a power stance. Through my perspective, she was on her way to get something done. The selfie I am using is me getting ready to seize my day. I was dressed a much more professional than I usually am, but serves the purpose of me taking a quick glance before I take on the rest of my day. I'm sure her outfit probably had a miniscule amount of effect on her goals, but oftentimes the way a woman carries herself in her stance and her ensemble can determine the direction of how her day goes.
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