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Seeking Love and Justice for All

10/11/2020

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Art has provided a means to document social injustice and structural racism in ways otherwise impossible given established socioeconomic and political structures, as well as a powerful means of engaging and mobilizing its audience to take action. In our assignment for this final week of Modern Art and Ideas, we were asked to curate a set of images that explore one of the themes discussed. I chose the last theme, an exploration of art's place in society, and curated a set of five artworks, as I am drawn to art as a means of expression and mode of communication when voices of a group are marginalized and silenced. 
In the first piece, the image is of a "yarn bomb": crocheted or knitted street art that can communicate a message or make a statement. Usually, the piece juxtaposes the cold metal of urban surfaces or the rough bark of a tree with a wrapping made from soft fibres that typically in other contexts will denote comfort and safety. The example below shows a yarn bomb on a chain link fence facing the White House in Washington, DC; the artist shares the names of Black Americans harmed by the continuing structural racism and violence in the United States, along with protest slogans and messages of positivity and engagement. 
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Tapestry: London Kaye (@madebylondon; 2020)
In the next image, a photograph of black cops stand near the words "Alive" painted on a wall behind them in New York City, NY. The photographer muses whether they would indeed be alive if they were not wearing the blue fibres on their bodies. 
Picture
Image: Chris Facey (@coco.butter.shutter; 2020)
The next image in my set is a tapestry on display at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City, IN.  A modified version of the American flag, with different size stars, and a vertical rather than a horizontal orientation, is the background for a new Pledge of Allegiance created by the artist. National symbols, and what meaning do they/should they have, has played a significant role in the ongoing discourse around structural racism. I was drawn to this piece because of the overall message from creating it: that it really can be that easy to change an existing and oppressive symbol, like a flag, a pledge or an anthem, and create something new that is more inclusive.
Picture
Tapestry: Shannon Downey (@badasscrossstitch; 2020)
Words are again the focus of the next piece, in which the photographer creates an image that highlights the people in a protest in Washington, DC, exercising a freedom of speech that is literally based on the words written on the wall in the background but while being actively monitored by a government helicopter. 
Picture
Image: Paul Thacker (@housethacker; 2020)
Posted to Instagram, the final image shows a protester running from a crowd of policemen during the Baltimore BLM protests in 2015. The photographer did receive national attention once Time Magazine used one of his images for a cover (not once, but twice); however, like the other artists in this set, his social media feed communicates the authentic narrative to what is happening in his community - narratives which may not be communicated in the same manner or detail if left to other, more traditional, media streams. 
Picture
Image: Devin Allen (@bydvnlln; 2015)
I loved this assignment:  the opportunity to think more critically about the place of art in telling a story, but also how these stories were complementary yet unique, once combined into a curated set. ​Please consider following the artists whose work is shared above, and learn more about their stories through their art:
  • Devin Allen: @bydvnlln
  • Chris Facey: @coco.butter.shutter
  • Shannon Downey: @badasscrossstitch
  • Paul Thacker: @housethacker
  • London Kaye: @madebylondon
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    Personal blog for Bryn Robinson, PhD. All opinions are my own.

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  • Home
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