In lieu of class on Tuesday, please read/explore the following pieces. These are works that revolve around two central themes: American race relations and the refugee crisis (you may also think about what we saw of I Am Not Your Negro in relation to these pieces).
After you’ve explored these works:
- write a response (~200 words) articulating the argument of 2 of these works, placing them in conversation with another.
- comment on 2 of your classmates’ responses/comments (~100 words each)
These should be submitted by 5 pm Tuesday. What we are going for is a thread that resembles a class discussion. Feel free to introduce external ideas and artifacts into your responses.
Theme 1: Race
Danez Smith, Dinosaurs in the Hood (you should watch the video and refer to the text as reference) (n.b. Smith identifies as nonbinary and therefore goes by the pronoun they/their/them. Please refer to them as such in your response)
Awol Erizku, Girl with a Bamboo Earring (this is just one photograph)
This American Life, “Past Imperfect”
Black Contemporary Art Tumblr
Theme 2: Refugee Crisis
Ai Weiwei, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
This American Life, “Field of Interrupted Dreams” (You can also see their interactive map that accompanies the episode)
In addition, the Creative Remix assignment has been posted to the Assignment section of the blog. Under resources, you will also find links to some of the technology and guidelines we discussed in class. Come to class Wednesday with your project proposal and ready to discuss some of the projects posted here.
Both Awol Erizku’s and Kenesha Sneed’s paintings imply that Black women are beautiful. In Awol Erizku’s painting, she replicates the iconic painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by showing a Black woman wearing a bamboo earring. Erizku may have done this to show American society that Black women are considered unique because of their different features compared to White women, such as darker skin complexion. More importantly, Erizku wants to reach a “large” audience to the extent where “ ‘the conversation to be louder and amongst as many people as possible.’ ” Erizku’s message is very similar to Sneed’s painting. Like Erizku, Sneed highlights the beauty of Black women. For example, she paints four different Black women that are of a large size to stress that Black women should appreciate their curves or body proportions. On the other hand, Sneed’s painting appears to be more modern than Erizku’s painting, which takes on a classical approach.
Erizku’s and Sneed’s paintings are heavily related to the main message in James Baldwin’s “I Am Not Your Negro”. The reason why they created these paintings is because throughout most of American history, Black people were portrayed as subservient or unappealing to the eye in advertisements. This was in relation to the segregation and long racial discrimination that Blacks faced in America, as they were limited of their basic human rights and treated like animals. These paintings are a way to express that Black people possess beauty in every form possible and those past advertisements do not reflect that at all.
I agree with your idea that Awol Erizku’s and Kenesha Sneed’s paintings imply that Black women are beautiful. Both paintings are meant to show the significance of African American women and to display them in a state of self acceptance. Also, I believe it is true the Erizku’s painting speaks louder than any other in the Black Contemporary tumblr page because it targets a larger audience and results in a historic painting being viewed in a different light. In addition, these paintings reveals a drastic contrast to the past when Black people were treated as objects rather than human beings. These paintings not only show a new perspective when observing Black women, but also reveals the independence that they hold to be able to make these type of statements. It shows that no matter how others view them, they will never give up their pride and dignity.
I definitely agree that both paintings are intended to highlight black women’s beauty, with emphasis on their differences from white people. In Kenesha Sneed’s painting, the women portrayed are wearing bathing suits, showing comfort and confidence in their curvy bodies. They also all have different hair styles, and some of these hairstyles generally differ from those of white women. This emphasizes the uniqueness of the black women and that these differences make them beautiful. Awol Erizku’s painting of “Girl With A Bamboo Earring” aims to do the same thing while at the same time spreading the issue by having the picture in a museum. They point out that the issue must be recognized first in society first, however, showing that both these painters are bringing attention to the same thing.
It is true that advertisements and artwork of the past do not reflect black culture and its beauty because the public’s view of beauty was solely based on white individuals living wealthy lives. However, do you think this is completely changing in today’s society? I feel like we, as a nation, need to emphases the diversity that the nation has and encourage everyone to embrace our differences since, we all have different perspectives of the world. We still see discrimination occurring to minorities and inequality in pay amongst male and females so, I believe this message of recognizing the beauty of black culture also goes to say for all minorities in America.
I agree that Awol Erikzu and Kenesha Sneed’s artworks both emphasize the beauty of Black women. The women in these painting have confidence and are comfortable in their own skin which is important to see despite how some people may view them. I also think that in the past white people were thought to possess beauty opposed to Blacks and other races. Even though there is still a lot of racism in modern day society, this idea is slowly changing over time as more and more people like Erikzu and Sneed bring awareness to the discrimination against Blacks.
I definitely agree with your decision on these two pieces of art. These two pieces go well together because they almost share the same message, that all black women are beautiful. I believe this message should be said about all types of women. I also agree with the point that Erizku is trying to target a larger audience, because of the way the photo is portrayed. It’s just like a historical painting, “Girl with a Pearl Earring” but instead, it’s a black woman with a bamboo earring, which has been an artifact in the African American culture for a long time. This photo is more of an updated version of the “Girl with a Pearl Earring” painting.
Both Awol Erizku’s, “Girl with a Bamboo Earring” and the Black Contemporary Art on Tumblr use images and visuals to convey ideas of American Race Relations. For example, the paintings and photos on the tumblr page are meant to raise awareness for Black African American lives. Furthermore, these images reveal the creativity and purpose the African Americans can play in the world of art. There have not been a great deal of Black artists compared to White artists throughout History. All of these photos and paintings contain art from a new and overlooked perspective, the perspective of African Americans. Also, to go into some important aspects of some of the paintings displayed, many depict black people without a lot of clothing and some even nude. This idea is mean to represent the pride that African Americans feel towards their appearance, no matter what others say. Similarly, “The girl with a Bamboo Earring” depicts a black woman in the place of a white woman. Erizku’s painting is a parody of Johannes Vermeer’s, “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. This parody is meant to highlight the absence of African Americans in art History. However, unlike the tumblr page, Erizku specifically targets a painting and alters it to be viewed in a new perspective. In my opinion, this painting hold a little more weight than the black contemporary images because while the tumblr is just highlighting artistic qualities of African Americans, Erizku is making a statement by altering a popular painting of the past.
I agree with you in that Erizku’s painting is making a bigger statement as it shadows a famous painting whereas the Black contemporary art on Tumblr is more general. Also, the art on Tumblr does show the women wearing little clothing, which implies that Black women should appreciate their body weight or curves and not hide them from the world. However, both paintings are significant because they symbolize the beauty that Black women always have had despite being oppressed or discriminated against. More importantly, this movement is very important because beauty is no longer dependent on the whiteness of somebody’s skin, but the varying skin tones of our nation’s people.
I definitely agree that altering the original painting of Johannes Vermeer was a bold act of Erizku, in a sense of developing the message of embracing black culture because it was inspiring to see a black women replacing the white women in order to be viewed the same by the eyes of the public. This beauty that is brought to light by the art on the Tumblr page and by Erizku does not depend on social perceptive of race however, on the natural beauty that is founded by diverse individuals. The message of this movement is similar to current movements among women of embracing their body types and hair types.
I find this very interesting because at first glance I did not get the idea that this art was created to “represent” black people in the world of art, where they are not credited or represented enough. When I took a closer look at the description for Awol Erizku’s, “Girl with a Bamboo Earring”, I was interested to find that it was a paraody to another similar painting, only with a white woman. This also made me realize that the fact that it is bamboo emphasizes black people’s less western origins, and how the way pearls are decoration for white people, bamboo can be decoration for black people, which is still beautiful but also brings attention to their difference in culture.
I absolutely agree that the point made with the image was an impactful one! It made a statement through the simple use of a painting, but the painting encourages dialogue. The Black Contemporary Art tumblr does make a lot of under the radar statements as well, but it’s more able to make multiple statements at once through its use of multiple photos, videos, etc.. Both the sources in a way make similar statements. The painting of the “Girl With a Bamboo Earring” shows a lack of representation, but if we really observe the tumblr, it’s making a similar statement. There is a lack of representation of black art, black love, and black contributions to America’s culture. I feel that the point of the blog is really making the same statement about a lack of representation, but it’s just able to do it with more than one image. The images, videos, gifs, podcasts, etc. chosen specifically highlight a lack of representation as well while bringing light to these underrepresented pieces.
Both the Threads Excerpt by Kate Evans and the interactive map Good Fences Make Good Neighbors by Ai Weiwei show a clear opinion that is shared by the two authors, which is that not accepting refugees is immoral. In the graphic novel, this point is made by appealing to the audience’s appeal to pathos. Kate tells a story where a very welcoming foreigner is extremely hospitable to his guests despite having nothing. She also shows how difficult and cruel their life is as a result of their setting. This is intended to make the reader see how it is wrong to deny such people an opportunity to be happy, because their unhappiness is very difficult to help in their current situation. This also appeals to pathos because seeing a welcoming person feel unwelcome seems unfair, and the person who is welcoming deserves better, but is not getting the good karma they deserve. Similarly, in the interactive map, Weiwei includes photographs of people that were “taken during one of the artist’s team’s visits to the Shariya Camp in Iraq, where displaced Christian, Yezidi, Shi’a Turcomen, Arab, and Shabak ethnic minority communities and religious groups have been forced to flee after being targeted by ISIS.” This makes a similar argument as Evans, because it is showing how hard the lives are of some people in certain countries, and by restricting immigration you are taking away possibly their only chance at happiness. Also, Weiwei includes images of structures that were connected to immigration, which is effective because it shows the viewer that immigration is a part of our culture and restricting it does not make sense.
I think that you make a very good point about refugees and how they should be welcomed anywhere with open arms. Kate Evans’ excerpt shows that although refugees encounter difficulty in their lives, they are able to hold ethical values, like being kind to strangers. Also, refugees should not be disregarded or looked down upon. These people have been through horrible atrocities, such as being targeted by extremist groups like ISIS and no longer have a place to call home. As humans, we need to treat refugees well and offer them comfort from the destruction of their homes or loss of loved ones. If we treat them with respect, then they may be able to assimilate back into daily society and slowly cope with their tragic situations.
I agree with the idea on refugees and how they should be welcomed anywhere with open arms. In my perspective I feel that refugees should first be understood, in order for people to decide whether their actions can be justified or not. As people we should try and put ourselves in their positions and realize that if their is anyway we could help we should. I feel that Kate’s method of using story to convert the refugee issue is one that can appeal to a large audience. It gives readers a chance to understand the issue for themselves. In addition, Weiwei photographs conveys a similar idea and is able to incorporate this message into the daily lives of a large number of people.
I agree with you that refugees should we welcomed. They face many atrocities in life and are displaced. They should be offered a place to stay and the opportunity to return to a normal life. Kate Evans’ does an effective job at showing the hardships many refugees face, even after fleeing the dangerous areas they live in, they struggle to start new lives and assimilate into society. Weiwei’s piece shows that refugees should not be viewed negatively. Weiwei shows several instances where refugees have made lasting impacts on the places they fled to. Take for example, Walter Gropius who fled Nazi Germany and became a teacher in the U.S.
I agree that refugees should be welcomed with open arms- to a certain extent. It is often a large task to ask certain countries to take in large amounts of refugees and be able to provide them with basic necessities and to be able to provide to the economy. Looking at Africa for example, several countries are currently overran with refugees, while those governments can’t even properly take care of their own people. That is why these refugee camps are such horrible places to be, the government often doesn’t have the means in order to provide better for the refugees, as they must place their citizens first.
I totally agree what you said about not accepting refugees are immoral. We don’t know what these people been through and what made them ended up in the camps. We should be welcoming them and helping them instead of building walls and rejecting them. Kate Evans took us on a tour to visit the life of a refugee, so we could easily understand the help that they need. Even the government gave up on them; we shouldn’t reject them just because they are from another country.
I agree that both authors used pathos to evoke emotion from their audience, and using these sad stories as examples is important because they are not exaggerations but unfortunately commonplace. I think Weiwei’s incorporation of what immigration has brought to us is extremely important because America is a country made up of immigrants. When was it decided that the descendants of the immigrant population no longer were open to immigrants. This is a common issue with those against immigration and refugees, because they fail to acknowledge that immigration is what built this country. Those who once fled the king of England did not deserve this stolen land anymore than those fleeing from dangerous groups such as ISIS and horrifying situations.
I agree that the life of an immigrant is hard. They want to come to America or any open country in order to fin happiness and safety. However, I think that restricting immigration is extremely important nowadays. There has to be a limit in the amount of foreign people allowed in all countries. If borders were completely opened it would be much easier for dangerous people or organizations to do what they want to. In addition, everyone needs to wait their turn and come through legally. My grandma had to wait 3 years to come to America because of her poor health and terrible hospitals in China, everyone else should have the same treatment.
I agree that refugees do not deserve to be treated different than others. I also think that Evans and Weiwei appeals to the reader’s pathos by showing someone who is so generous to others not receive the same treatment. This makes the reader feel sympathetic towards the refugees and even frustrated about how unfair this is. People are often taught when they are young to treat others the way that you want to be treated so it doesn’t seem right that these refugees don’t get the respect they deserve. Weiwei’s use of cagelike fences gives people the feeling of being trapped in the hopes of making them see how nobody should have to feel like this.
Two different activists have created art to shed light on the same topic – the refugee crisis. Both activists are pro-refugee, and they deliver their arguments through different mediums. Kate Evans is a cartoonist who created a graphic novel titled “Threads”, which gives a personal anecdote of her experience with a Kurdish refugee living in a camp in France, named Hoshyar. Hoshyar lived in a 7-sq. ft. hut with another man for months. In this small space, he was able to cultivate a new life, starting from the ground up, since when he fled from his dangerous hometown, he had nothing. His goal is to travel to England, so he can live with his uncle, but the travel cost is 5,000 pounds, which he doesn’t have. He was also recently robbed since there is no security in the refugee camp. Evans illustrates his heart-breaking story, and is therefore able to capture the sorrow in Hoshyar’s expression and the tiny space he inhabits. Since this story is being told through the lens of an established English artist, it will reach a wider audience. Many people have preconceived notions against refugees and are unwilling to listen to their “sob stories.” But Evans, who comes from a more privileged background than Hoshyar, tells people the harsh reality that refugees face. By putting his story out into the world, people may learn more about the truth behind refugees rather than the populist-fueled prejudices against them. Refugee activist Ai Weiwei does something similar to Kate. He has created a city-wide, multi-media exhibition in NYC. Weiwei spreads his message through displaying images on monuments, buildings, bus shelters, lampposts, ad platforms, and other structures. The images on lampposts are portraits of immigrants and refugees, using positive and negative space to symbolize the “often-ambiguous status of refugees and migrants.” On ad platforms, he presents his “Good Neighbors” photo series, which can show refugee camps, portraits, action shots of people escaping, etc. Through this exhibition, Weiwei humanizes refugees by showing the reality of their lives. There is a large stigma against refugees because many people believe they are criminals who have come here illegally, or are taking jobs away from citizens. Weiwei captures the struggle of people whose lives have been destroyed by warfare/oppressive governments. Both activists attempt to capture the reality of the refugee crisis by showcasing refugees’ hardships.
I agree with your comment, both Weiwei and Evans are able to depict the hardships faced by refugees through their mediums. Their works offer insight on the struggles refugees have to face. I feel that the media often evaluates refugees by making generalizations such as refugees will bring more crime into the United States and take away job. However, both Weiwei and Evans goes against these stigmas by showing individuals who are refugees. These refugees do not want to impede on the lives of others, they simply want safety.
I think these negative connotations against refugees often come from the news we see or read. For example, my mother, who is from Europe, does not want refugees to come into Germany or France because she thinks they wreak havoc. My mother tends to make generalizations about whole groups of people, so once she sees one news story about a refugee committing a crime, she jumps on the bandwagon of hating them. I find that many conservative or populist news networks will paint refugees in a negative light, while more neutral networks such as BBC will report on their hardships and also the positive thing they are doing to help their community. I hope that the vitriol against refugees, who are stereotyped and misunderstood, will transform into compassion and empathy. One way for this to happen is to make a personal relationship with a refugee. We often just hear about them on the news, and therefore characterize them by the news we hear. By forming a friendship with a refugee, one will become more open-minded and welcoming.
I really agree with what you’re saying about how it’s great that the body positive movement is becoming so popular but that it’s imperative to honor black history that is often glazed over or forgotten. Things like the Black Contemporary Art Tumblr page provide a safe, inclusive platform where black art can commemorate black history. I also really like the idea of reevaluating history with an eye for black culture and narratives. Or going back in history and replacing white figures that are frequently remembered for their prominence in art and media with black figures, examples being Awol Erizku’s “Girl With A Bamboo Earring” or Hamilton the Musical in which the show’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda casts white historical figures as people of color.
sorry I didn’t mean to comment this here and I can’t figure out how to delete it!
I agree with what you said and I find it especially sad that these artists have to “humanize” the refugees in order for people to understand where they are coming from. People also tend to just blindly follow one side of the story without looking into the other. A lot of people fail to see that the refugees are also people who are working towards a better life and they come not just from a place of hardship but also constant threats of death. In “Fields of Interrupted Dreams,” there are a lot of tragic stories that come up and it really opens the readers eyes to how terrible the situation is. It is true that personal relationships would help so much in understanding, but even just listening is enough to see that the refugees really don’t have any other options.
I liked how you connected “Threads” with “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.” I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how refugees are seen in America, and New York City in particular. I feel like “liberal” and “leftist” communities think they understand the refugee crisis and create art similar to that of Evans’ and Weiwei’s. Sometimes I wonder how accurate or helpful these kinds of art are, even though they are well intentioned. Perhaps they do help to publicize refugee crises and serve to make people who are anti-refugee and anti-immigrant uncomfortable with their views. Something that I think could be really affective if it was implemented more widely was the portal art installment that we had at Baruch a little while ago that let people enter a “portal” and talk to people across the globe. One of the times I went into it I spoke to some guys who were in an Iraqi refugee camp, I think that direct communication really puts people at odds with each other and is effective in unlocking humanity in people who might not ordinarily care about people so far away.
These pieces by Evans and Weiwei are effective in that they do broadcast the struggles that refugees are facing, but I agree that they may not be that effective. Many that read it, or view it can say that it is a mischaracterization of the situation. The “portal,” that you mentioned is much more effective since it allows you to talk to someone and see the human, rather than the inanimate photograph. I also went into the portal and talked to the men in the Iraqi refugee camp. I didn’t have much time to talk since the connection stopped for some reason, but that short-lived conversation was quite memorable.
Both the Black Contemporary Art Tumblr and Awol Erizku’s, Girl With A Bamboo Earring celebrate black culture and people.Awol Erizku’s piece parallels Johannes Vermeer’s famed Girl with a Pearl Earring. However, Erizku’s piece offers representation for black people. Erizku’s piece strongly emphasizes the impact of black culture in society. Bamboo earrings have been an iconic piece of jewelry in African American style. Similar to Girl With A Bamboo Earring, the tumblr posts highlight the uniqueness of black people and culture. The first post, by Keneisha Sneed, highlights that black people come in many different shape, sizes, and color. The paintings by Samuel Fosso, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami and Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi also capture the natural beauty of black persons. For centuries, Africa and its people had been taken advantage of for natural resources and labor to further financial goals for Europeans, at the cost of black livelihoods. This sentiment is reflected in Beverly Buchanan’s image which highlights the poverty and hardships faced by blacks in the past and in the future. Overall, both the Black Contemporary Art Tumblr and Awol Erizku’s, Girl With A Bamboo Earring, celebrate black culture and people.
I completely agree that both the The Black Contemporary Art Tumblr and Awol Erizku’s, “Girl With A Bamboo” celebrates black culture and people. I think Ezriku does it in a unique way by replacing a white woman with a black woman and also replaces the pearl earring with a traditional black accessory. The Tumblr Art also did a good job both showing the hardships, which didn’t hit me until I read your comment, and also the way black people view themselves positively.
In Awol Erizku’s Girl With A Bamboo Earring and in the Black Contemporary Art Tumblr page, they both portray the beauty of the black culture, which is lacking representation in history as well as today. Erizku recreates the painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring, where a white woman is the center of attention because he wants to illustrate the absence of black culture in art history. However, in order to do this, Erizku states that the beauty of black culture needs to be recognized by the society at “large” first and then the reformation of history can be made. This recreation is similar to the image on the Tumblr page by Kenesha Sneed because it demonstrates black women of different sizes being equally represented. Sneed rendered four African American women whom all have distinctive curves as well as hairstyles while, giving each person their share of space on the image. The message of this image is empowering women, especially black women, to be abrasive of their bodies and hair because that is natural beauty. This movement of loving your body and natural hair is currently taking place hence, Sneed is claiming blacks should not be excluded in this historical change compared to the past.
I agree with your point about the beauty of black culture being erased in history, which is why Erizku’s going back to old paintings is important. Recreating those paintings, instead of creating new ones forces people to bring the depiction of white and black culture to the same level. I also think it’s really important to acknowledge that Sneed depicts a variety of black women with different body shapes and hairstyles. It is unfair and unrealistic for representation of black women to be centered around a specific type of black women that white society has decided to embrace. I feel this with Zendaya and Amandla Stenberg, because they’re both biracial and light skin actresses that have been recently overwhelmingly used in many films. While any sort of representation is better than none, artists like Sneed are doing the important job of expanding the socially acceptable image of the black women.
When I first saw the photograph of the Girl With a Bamboo Earring, I knew it was a recreation. I thought it was very clever of the artist to do that because it indeed made me compare the images and evaluate them side by side. While they had depicted different cultures, the two images gave off a similar vibe and are both beautiful. By recreating a work, the artist is giving the viewer something to relate to if they did not already with image itself. And I agree that despite the increased appearance of colored actors and actresses in films, there is still underepresentation. What you said actually reminds me of the SNL video about Beyoncé when Lemonade was released. While of course it was an exaggeration, it showed that black people have to fit a white mold. And when they try to come out of it, that is unacceptable. And in order for this to change, people have to be made more aware of black culture so they can learn to appreciate it for what is it and not how they choose to see it.
I really agree with what you’re saying about how it’s great that the body positive movement is becoming so popular but that it’s imperative to honor black history that is often glazed over or forgotten. Things like the Black Contemporary Art Tumblr page provide a safe, inclusive platform where black art can commemorate black history. I also really like the idea of reevaluating history with an eye for black culture and narratives. Or going back in history and replacing white figures that are frequently remembered for their prominence in art and media with black figures, examples being Awol Erizku’s “Girl With A Bamboo Earring” or Hamilton the Musical in which the show’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda casts white historical figures as people of color.
I really liked the way you connected the Bamboo Earring photograph with that of a historically white cultural dominance. Personally, I think that the best way to allow more diverse portrayals of greatness is by letting places like the Black Contemporary Art tumblr flourish. It’s interesting how typically Black art is often criticized endlessly in the media – for example, much of Beyonce’s “Formation” was not inherently political. However, because it espoused a message of solidarity and empowerment, perhaps people in power simply felt threatened. Any cultural battle is one that occurs over dozens of years – as long as we keep seeing positive, remarkable works from people of all races, maybe there can be a change in the viewpoints we see dominate the cultural conversation.
In Danez Smith’s “Dinosaurs in the Hood” they invite the audience to imagine a movie for black people. A movie that is about black people, without the race, culture, and people stereotypes that existing movies insist on incorporating. With the use of the imperatives “don’t let” and “can’t be” Smith creates a call to action. They go further to ban not only stereotypes but also Tarantino, Will Smith, and the Wayans brothers. This is not to be a stereotypical movie where the black boy gets his hands on a gun, and not a dinosaur toy. This is not about the absent father, or a “cheesy yet progressive” movie, because what really would be progressive would be to treat African American movies like any other normal movie. Normal plots but with the realistic setting, and representative actors. When movies like this are released, they tend to be dismissed because the actors aren’t white or the typical hollywood favorites. I think a big issue lately has been the overuse of certain actors and actresses to play the part of the one black character. People love Zendaya and Amandla Stenberg, but they continuously receive every role allocated to young black women. This leads people to question if the face of black feminism is biracial and light skinned. Both these actresses are wonderful, but it is hard to ignore that dark skin women like Viola Davis are not commonplace. Awol Erizku’s Girl with a Bamboo Earring has a clear resemblance to Johannes Vermeer’s famed Girl with a Pearl Earring. In Vermeer’s piece the focus is on the large pearl earring, while Erizku brings in the bamboo earring. Bamboo earrings have significance in black culture, and by going back and recreating historical paintings like this is important because black people were rarely depicted in such paintings. Both Smith and Erizku want to involve black people in areas where they’ve been historically erased.
You say that Smith and Erizku want to involve black people in areas where they’ve been historically erased, but these people seem to be doing that in diverging ways. Smith imagines a movie with black characters that doesn’t play up their stereotypes, culture, or race. Yet, Erizku is embracing the history of black culture by re-imagining Vermeer’s white subject with a black woman wearing a bamboo earring. It is important to note that not all black people follow the same way of thinking. Smith dreams of black actors being cast in a role where their race isn’t a pivotal part of their character. While Erizku’s photograph of a woman wearing traditional African jewelry was taken in 2009. Of course, these are two different situations. Smith is talking about the film industry while Erizku is challenging the European beauty standard instilled by centuries of art. Because of this, I agree with your concluding sentiment.
I believe the only way to start to really have more dark-skinned black people in films is for the director and the company to actively choose black people. The world is too racist to care about non-whites. Look at the low amounts of Southern and Eastern Asians. The only TV show or movie that I can remember having Asian actors is Star Wars where there was one Chinese man who was blind and portrayed a monk. Are all old Chinese men wise old monks? No, but they were cast as so because the white power believes that doing this allows them to be free of criticism. This works because a lot of people are dumb. Similarly casting people like Zendaya who’s half white half black, and is light skinned is used as a marketing ploy to say, “Oh hey, we casted someone black, give us credit!”
I feel like the argument that ‘Black’ movies have a fixed plot is false, the artists that create movies, write plots, act characters, do so to portray a specific image of the word either as they see it or they wish for it to be seen. One real problem I have with that idea is that no one is stopping writers or directors from producing a different kind of ‘Black Film’ except that as the author mentions they historically are not successful movies. The question shouldn’t be how can we have more dark skinned actors but maybe why it is that the public doesn’t respond well to the one that has been made,
I agree with the idea that both pieces want to involve black people in places but its not that they have been erased, it is more so that they haven’t been recognized at all in those areas. The way in which both works aim to reintroduce black culture is slightly different however. Smith’s idea is to reintroduce black culture through the use of movies, without stereotypes or the false stigmas that plague them simply for being black. Erizku’s artwork is a way in which black artwork and culture can be instilled where they previously had no representation in the history of art.
I agree with the conclusion that both of these pieces of art want to include black people more into society. In Danez Smith’s “Dinosaurs in the Hood,” he speaks about making a “black” movie without the stereotypes and what not. Erizku’s painting portrays a beautiful black woman who has confidence. However, these two points are a bit different, because Danez is trying to change the racial stereotypes, whereas Erizku’s painting is reflecting off the culture of the Afrian Americans. These two pieces of art are both compatible and different at the same time.
Both the excerpt of Threads by Kate Evans and This American Life’s “Field of Interrupted Dreams,” demonstrates the struggles of those in the refugee camps and how they are forced into the situation they are in. The refugees have no other option when finally decided to leave their country. In Threads, Hoshyar is separated from his family and he tries to join in his uncle but cannot and is stuck in the camp. He and Alaz has the little they own stolen from them by smugglers whom they have to rely on. They live in tiny tent with nothing but scraps given to them by others. In “Field of Interrupted Dreams,” the many refugees risked their lives to come to Greece. There is nothing left in their country but crumbled homes and deceased loved ones. And they have to live everyday knowing that their future grows dimmer by the day. However, despite this, they are still kind and considerate to those around them. Hoshyar serves food to his guests every time they come and does not hesitate to give his bed to people who have homes of their own anyway. And the refugees in Greece have an agreement not to go to the beach on the weekends. They heard complaints from the Greeks and they want them to be able to enjoy themselves on the weekends. They do not the Greeks to think of them badly. They all do the little that they can. Both pieces are from an outside perspective peering into these lives and from these direct interactions, we see the different situations and feelings of the refugees. We see that the refugees are stuck in a limbo and the only way to help is to open up borders and allow them a second chance at life.
There are some interesting points in your comment. I think that we should allow anyone to do whatever they want. Of course, now if someone is a criminal that is a different story. However, the notion of someone deciding on a candidate for a job based on the color of their skin seems odd. It, however, is done quite frequently making for a very biased society. I think we need to be independant thinkers and rely on foremost ourselves to make lasting change. Furthermore, we should seek to help others to achieve a feeling of self-fufillment. One must fully adopt this in order to change. I just feel like there is too much blaming going on. If you want to be an actor, become one. We all create our paths.
I agree with your comment on Kate Evans Thread and This American Life’s “Field of interrupted Dreams.” It is clear that Hoshyar is really a generous and nice person even though he doesn’t have much to offer. He would still provide his guests with the best he got. I like what you said, “they have to live every day knowing that their future grows dimmer by the day.” They don’t know when the government would decide to take away all they have. They don’t know when they will be able to reunite with their family. We should really give them a chance to build their own life again.
In watching Danez Smith’s “Dinosaurs in the Hood” and reading an excerpt from Kate Evan’s graphic novel, Threads it is apparent that normalization is what communities of color and refugee communities are striving for. Not normalization of their plight, but rather normalization of them as regular people who have lives just like the white people who are often centered and normalized in American society. Smith calls for a movie about people of color that isn’t a “black movie,” a movie where a black boy can have big, real, uninhibited dreams without them being ceilinged by societal standards that tell him that he can’t dream so generously. Whiteness is seen as a default and “gains currency by being unnoticed,” (Sarah Ahmed, who wrote a journal on the phenomenology of whiteness) so perhaps it would be radical to notice whiteness and the way that it so insidiously dominates much of American culture. In order for this to be effective however, this normalization of previously ignored narratives needs to be implemented. I think things like Evan’s graphic novel help to do this, they turn ideas of people into real, human stories that someone across the ocean can read about and imagine in their minds. Additionally, a movie like the one that Smith proposes would show that not only do people of color exist in our real American society, but also in a fantasy screen world that has previously been reserved for white people.
I definitely loved the phrasing you used – “perhaps it would be radical to notice whiteness and the way that it so insidiously dominates much of American culture”. I think one of the reasons why it’s so hard to have a discussion about the privilege inherently received by white people, whose race is never questioned, is because having this dominance makes it far too easy to control any cultural discussion or belief. My mind jumps immediately to the whole “PC culture” debate. Is it really that ridiculous and challenging to ask that people watch their language or phrasing to avoid perpetuating racial stereotypes and beliefs? Simply asking white people to acknowledge the advantage of their race and the advantage of being able to say whatever we want is a step too far, an insane request.
I looked at Awol Erizku’s, “Girl with a Bamboo Earring”, and Ai Weiwei’s, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors” exhibit. Given that these two pieces I chose are extremely different, I will try to juxtapose them. The Girl with a Bamboo Earring showed that black females can be beautiful too. Erizku took inspiration from Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and showed that black people too have culture and an identity. The artist felt that there wasn’t enough colored people represented in art history, and strived to use her piece as a stepping stone for other similar art pieces. Speaking of colored people being underrepresented, Weiwei grew up as an exile and immigrant. He hoped to use his piece in order to show what fences meant to him. Being an immigrant, he was surrounded by fences in his exile camps, and at borders where immigrants were trying to get in. I feel like his goal is to show that fences, gates, and walls separate us and don’t make us stronger and more united. Similar to Erizku, both artists are shedding light on important issues missing in our society.
I agree that the point of “The Girl with the bamboo earring” was to show that black females can be beautiful too because of their culture and history. Colored people are underrepresented in art as photographers are more hesitant to shoot them because of the way that society would react. They often are not considered as attractive as fair skinned people in our society today. This does relate to the fence exhibit just as you described. Both pieces of art and artists intended to bring about a problem in our society that needs to be addressed. They each did it in their own particular way but they shared a common goal.
“Threads” provides an especially poignant take on the refugee camp in Calais, driving home the fact that the people from Refugee camps are not treated with the minimum sense of decency afforded to other groups of people with greater wealth, or whiter skin. The author points out that authorities cared more about the communal spaces made by European volunteers than the living spaces survived in by refugees for months – they couldn’t bare to destroy the volunteers’ work but readily trashed lived-in homes. One piece of art from the Tumblr was the work “Black Children Keep Your Spirits Free”, by Carolyn Mims Lawrence. It feels like a portrait of a people striving for normalcy and excellence, a celebration of culture and a reminder for black children to value both their culture and the color of their skin. Both of these works embody a very simple yet unfortunately controversial statement – that human life is worth celebrating or protecting regardless of the individual’s background or ethnicity. In both the excerpt from “Threads” and a number of the artworks featured on the “Black Contemporary Art” Tumblr, groups of traditionally marginalized people express and argue for a future in which white, brown, or black lives are treated with equal care and empowerment.
I agree with your points here and believe that many people judge other people based on the color of their skin and other external things. This of course is not the way that we should carry ourselves through life. We should be accepting of everyone. I think the artwork portrayed does play a huge role in promoting the values of the people. The African American empowerment movement is something that everyone should be aware off and contribute to.There are many sterotypes in our culture that we often overlook. These sterotypes really hurt us as a society. We have to begin to understand why people feel a certain way. One prominent leader to look at was MLK. He felt a certain way and promoted it relentlessy. Did he have haters and doubters? Of course, but he continued to fufill his purpose.
The two excerpts show the value that these two authors put onto minorities. They discuss the notions of how white Europeans are being talked about more as opposed to the refugees. This shows some sort of inbalance in the idea of equality. There has always been a sense of a victim mentality amongst every group of people. The one photo of the woman with the bamboo earing showed what her values were and how she portrayed these values. She had strong beliefs. Another group of people may judge this as something “odd”. However, she believes in it. Black empowerment seems to concurrent in these excerpts. Each piece really is very powerful and allows the reader to really feel what the writer felt when he was creating the photographs. No matter the color of the skin we have to value everyone. Everyone is worth something and offers something to the world. Most people have a hidden treasure chest, they have to find the gold. The authors seemed to very scared about the future of the African American culture. With the difficult past many African Americans have been somewhat scarred. We need to be welcoming to everyone.
The thread by Kate Evans and Ai Weiwei’s Good Fences Make Good Neighbors are both reflections on the issue of the immigration crisis. Kate Evans tells the story of a man who is already has had everything taken away from him continuously try to stay positive and look on the bright side of life. He is very welcoming and accommodating towards people despite him not having been treated with the same respect in the past. I found it interesting that someone who has lost so much does not play the victim and wants is able to stay optimistic. Evans wants to show that this man along with others refugees are being wrongly treated and discriminated against, especially because a lot of the time they have done nothing wrong. Furthermore, Weiwei brings awareness to the issue of the refugee crisis as well through his artwork. As a refugee himself, Weiwei builds fences in areas with a large immigrant population around New York to represent the barriers that divide people. I actually visited one of his pieces of art in Central Park and was very moved by it. Walking into this fence made me feel like I was in a cage and it showed how many immigrants feel restrained as they come to a new country. Evans and Eeiwei show that innocent people who are just trying to live their own lives are treated as animals who should be locked up and don’t deserve to have anything.
Weiwei’s artwork and even his ironic title “Good fences, make good neighbors,” relate to the individual experience of being a refugee. I also saw his piece in Central Park, and I also felt the feeling of restriction, especially since there are gaps in the cage that would allow you to see the outside world. This is kind of similar to Hoshyar who could see the U.K from Calais. He is trapped in France and this feeling is made worse since he could technically see the U.K from where he is.
I remember also when I saw the fence around the bus stop for the first time and I remember thinking much more about depression then immigration. One of the things I find really unique about art is that the artist has one goal in mind but communication is measured by what the audience understands. I think that the sculptures don’t really force the people to question anything in a new light, the very idea of refugees does not necessarily have anything to do with fences. I feel like this kind of art at times only furthers the gap between people on different sides of an issue because very seldom will it cause one side to see something new and different.
Both Awol Erizku and black contemporary art tumblr show that blacks are often portrayed by themselves and are beautiful according to different standards. One of the pictures on the tumblr is a young black man wearing a plethora of different shirts. One of these shirts says “even though you’re black, you’re really beautiful.” This is to bring the point that a lot of people consider blacks separate, rather then just calling one beautiful, it must be distinguished that for a black they are beautiful. As if that diminishes the compliment in a specific way to make the black person feel worse. This is true of Erizku work as well, the lady is portrayed wearing head scarf and a bamboo earring as a way of somewhat conveying that blacks need to be spotlighted by their traditional values, otherwise they would not be good enough to make a newspaper or magazine.
In Kate Evans “Threads” and Ai Weiwei’s “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors” both illustrated the struggles of being a refugee. Kate Evans started off with introducing a day of Hoshyar. Starting from the guests paying a visit to his tent and leading it to what his life actually looks like which take place in an eight-foot shack. We started to get to know Hoshyar and learn that he is separated from his family. Though he is very desperate to leave this camp to reunite with them, he has no choice. He doesn’t have a passport for him to go to UK or money for him to smuggle out of the country. He deeply wishes that the guest can just take him with them to the UK. Though he knows that is impossible. Looking through Hoshyar’s life we know the terrible living condition they’re in. These people didn’t commit any crime or done anything wrong. They are forced to be put in this situation where they have nowhere to go and nothing left on them, yet, the government still wants to take away the little things that they have left. They just want them to disappear. It is very disturbing to see how cruel the world treats these people. Also, learning through Weiwei’s art, we know that this world treats immigrants very brutally. We set up fences and walls to stop these people from getting the help that they need, though what we should really be doing is embrace them and help them.
In Kate Evan’s piece, she explores the human, individual aspect of the refugee crisis in Calais, France. At Calais, the refugees receive poor housing and are under threat of having their housing destroyed, which eventually the French government does destroy the housing at Calais. This leaves the refugees without homes and they are forced by the French government to relocate. While Ai Weiwei’s piece focuses on the macro elements of the refugee crisis. His title of the piece “Good fences make good neighbors,” is a way of criticizing border policies. In retaliation to the refugee crisis, countries like Hungary have built border fences to stem the tide of refugees. These fences may seem like they made good neighbors, since after all the Hungarian government is now happier, but overall the refugees that couldn’t pass are not made better. This phrase is also originally used in a Robert Frost poem that questions if borders are even necessary. This applies to the Kat Evan’s piece since, in her piece, the ideal scenario would have been easy access to the British Border to enable Hoshyar to live with his uncle. However, due to the strong border control, they could not do that, forcing Hoshyar to live homeless in France.
The two pieces I enjoyed were Past Imperfect and Good Fences Make Good Neighbors. These two pieces of art really allow the reader to conceptualize a different way of seeing the world. Azie Dungey breathes to life this tale where we as a reader can understand just how continuous are the struggles from slavery to today for African Americans. I am not generally someone who enjoys contemporary discussions on the oppressions of minorities in this country. I generally find them to be very repetitive and not well thought out; however in this example the facts were presented not only in a credible manner but also in a way that was simple and unbiased. The idea that the challenges faced by slaves are of a similar nature to those faced by African Americans today. The second piece of art expressed through Ai Weiwei is also extremely important to understanding the ever changing mediums that today’s society can use to discuss relevant issues. Weiwei takes the issue of immigration, another issue which is saturated in today’s news climate, and he addresses it by allowing people to really see and experience what captivity or separation is like. Both artists employ their skills to help the audience understand the world through a diverse set of eyes and forces the viewers and listeners to respond to what they are seeing.
Both Awol Erizku’s, “Girl with a Bamboo Earring” and the Black Contemporary Art on Tumblr use images and visuals to convey ideas of how positively African Americans view themselves. For example, In Eriku’s painting, she paints a black woman with a bamboo earring when she is replicating the painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” This difference may point to have different the black and white cultures are and how black people are more unique in more aspects than just in appearance. The Black Contemporary Art on Tumblr shows the creative aspect of the black community. In some of these paintings, the subjects are African and they are nude. This may indicate how comfortable a black person in their skin. They are proud of how they look and most likely proud about all aspects of their lives. Historically, white people have looked down on them and have told them they are not beautiful, however, these pictures show how other’s opinions have not shaped their own. The black people have their own identity that will not be corrupted by other people. It is nice to see exhibits that celebrate black people and its culture rather than try to destroy and tarnish it.
I agree with the idea that the works of arts represented in those pieces are used to represent positive aspects of African culture. Both pieces empower Africans by giving them a larger space in the sphere of culture. It shows that they have their own culture and there is a sharp differentiation in culture from black and white. Despite the difficulties in the history of African Americans, they’re still able to establish their own identity and culture that gives them a sense of who they are. White people still do have their influences within the culture however, and it is the goal of some of the artists to give the representation that they believe Africans deserve.
That’s a great reading of the blog. I absolutely agree that it’s a creative space that explores all the beauty of a culture. I connected this reading to the poem by Danez Smith. Personally, I feel as if the blog does a great job of exhibiting artwork, as well as testimonials and videos exhibiting some of the struggles of just living as black in America. I think that in addition to the art, an important part is a statement made by certain pieces. For example, the pieces atop the blog that show the gentleman wearing different shirts that open a dialogue about race and the use of the word “nigger.” Not only is this art, but it’s also an important statement about how black people are viewed. I do, however, agree that the blog is definitely exhibiting a culture that’s sometimes ignored. From the photos depicting black love that the media likes to pretend doesn’t exist, to the post featuring dances that flourished from African-American culture, there is certainly a great representation of an often ignored culture!
In Danez Smith’s “Dinosaur in the Hood,” and Awol Erizku’s “Girl With a Bamboo Earring,” both show the problem with the lack of black culture within contemporary and past culture. The lack of black representation in movies and arts is represented in the two pieces presented. In the first piece, “Dinosaur in the Hood,” Smith is talking about an idea for a movie. A movie that lacks the traditional sense of stereotype for minorities, a movie purely based on the purpose of being a dinosaur movie and representing the idea that the black boy has a future, breaking false stereotypes of being born a black child. In “Girl With a Bamboo Earring,” Erizku’s painting is a replica of Johannes Vermeer’s painting named, “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” with a purpose to represent black culture and the lack of it within the sphere of art and culture itself. Both works are used to represent problems in race relations and stereotypes due to a lack of understanding. One critiques traditional stereotypes as a way that limits cultural understanding and equality. The other critiques a lack of understanding due to an underrepresentation in art and culture.
The “Dinosaurs in the Hood” poem by Danez Smith implores a very interesting argument. They point out the fact that basically, black people, as well as other people of color, are often depicted in such stereotypical ways. The discussion is always about race and about the pain that people of color go through. Instead of having a movie that delves into these issues, Smith is begging for a representation of black people that goes without all of the underlying racial tones. Smith also says the most important part of the movie would be the little black boy in the beginning playing with his dinosaur. That is where the child is still innocent and has hope and wonder for the future. This portion speaks volumes. Just seeing a hopeful child before all the pain and racial discussions is important. Children of color are becoming aware of race and racism sooner than ever, and a movie where a child doesn’t yet feel the restrictions of his race is needed in Smith’s eyes. This point brings me to the Black Contemporary Art Tumblr. Viewing that Tumblr after watching the poem really makes me think about the depictions of black people that Smith mentioned. There are beautiful images, but for most of them, the goal is to spark a conversation about race. In my eyes, this completely contradicts Smith’s point. We’re so consumed by race conversations consistently. Most of the pieces of artwork, videos, images, etc. are race based on the blog. Smith’s point seems to be that sometimes it’d be nice to not have the pressure of that conversation constantly looming over you. It’d be nice to just exist without thinking about how people of color are portrayed or painted. Sometimes there’s an overwhelming feeling of having no control when there are so many racial conversations happening. I believe the blog itself is beautiful and stimulates the mind in regards to race, but sometimes it’d be nice to just exist as we are without any other looming stereotypes or discussions of race.
The tumblr and the photo by Awol Erizku both include art pieces that help see how African Americans are portrayed. Both with the same result, beautiful people. In Awol Erizku’s “Girl With a Bamboo Earring” it’s a simple photo that says so much. This photo is a different variation of the photo “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, but in this photo is an African American woman, instead of a white woman. I believe this photographer is trying to tell us about how beautiful African American Women are, since their race has been bashed on so severely throughout society. On the tumblr, the painting by Kenesha Sneed tells a lot. It’s a simple painting but you can see from it, that there’s a resemblance of four African American women, in almost nude. This painting tells me that they are beautiful no matter what skin they have. These two art pieces go well together because they both portray the same message that no matter what people say, African American women are beautiful in all shapes and sizes.
The spoken word poem “Dinosaurs in the Hood,” and “Girl with a Bamboo Earring,” both speak about black art and movies not being recognized or undermined because of their colors or stereotypical target audience. The spoken word poem describes the ideal movie as a combination of “Friday” and “Pursuit of Happiness,” possibly because it describes the everyday routines in the hood and problems depicted “Friday,” and the attempt to get out of poverty and strive to become something greater. What’s interesting is that both movies the cast is black. And The author says that “This can’t be a black movie. This movie can’t be dismissed because of its cast or its audience.” The stereotypical belief that the audience is mostly black so it would be ignored and not acknowledge as other films whose cast are mostly white. It’s very sad but true because in the photograph of the “Girl with a Bamboo Earring,” the girl in the photo is black and dressed in vibrant colors to addressed the absent black women in art history. The girl in the photo name Awol Erizku recognized growing up that there isn’t a lot of black people in museum exhibits. She felt she needed to make an impact and give her “two cents.” Overall both images prove that there is lack of acknowledgment in black art and black casted movies. These shouldn’t be overlooked because art is a way of expression and shouldn’t be restricted. And the author of the poem even says that ”I want to make this is for that first scene anyway: the little black boy on the bus with a toy dinosaur, his eyes wide & endless.” As the boy is young his imagination is free and limitless as he imagines the toy dinosaur to be real in his hand. His imagination shouldn’t be restricted but allowed to make an impact and be able to be acknowledged like the movie he stars in “Dinosaur in the Hood.”