Artist Statement
Civil Disobedience
Noun
Nonviolent and collective refusal to submit to certain governmental commands as a means of forcing concessions from the government.
Dear Viewer,
This exhibition may make you feel uncomfortable. This is my intention.
During the time it took for me to create the work seen in my show, hundreds of black trans women have been murdered and Tamir Rice’s family went without justice. I saw the prayers in the aftermath of mass shootings that mask the resistance to change in gun regulations. The city of Flint, Michigan still lacks a lead free water supply and a narcissistic bigot currently leads in the polls for the Republican presidential candidate. From this events came the realization that as a biracial, bisexual, cisgendered woman, there are many places in this country where I and so many like me are unwelcome.
Often members of the minority are called upon to explain and defend this overwhelming feeling as delicately as possible, for fear of sounding angry. Why? What makes us afraid of being seen as angry? My artwork rejects the tendency to shy away from uneasiness and outrage. Sex, race, religion; these are all contentious, often taboo subjects. Rather than avoid the implications of controversial subject material, my drawings shove these issues into the foreground, so close to the picture’s surface that they feel like they may tip out into the viewer’s space. Unbound by borders or frames, my drawings transgress into the viewer’s space, establishing a tense and confrontational atmosphere which forces the audience into direct engagement with their own agitation. In order to fully experience my show, exploration of America’s layered past and introspective reflection on the legitimacy of emotion is required. Look to the material choice, titles, and content, which work in tandem to help dissect challenging topics.
Noun
Nonviolent and collective refusal to submit to certain governmental commands as a means of forcing concessions from the government.
Dear Viewer,
This exhibition may make you feel uncomfortable. This is my intention.
During the time it took for me to create the work seen in my show, hundreds of black trans women have been murdered and Tamir Rice’s family went without justice. I saw the prayers in the aftermath of mass shootings that mask the resistance to change in gun regulations. The city of Flint, Michigan still lacks a lead free water supply and a narcissistic bigot currently leads in the polls for the Republican presidential candidate. From this events came the realization that as a biracial, bisexual, cisgendered woman, there are many places in this country where I and so many like me are unwelcome.
Often members of the minority are called upon to explain and defend this overwhelming feeling as delicately as possible, for fear of sounding angry. Why? What makes us afraid of being seen as angry? My artwork rejects the tendency to shy away from uneasiness and outrage. Sex, race, religion; these are all contentious, often taboo subjects. Rather than avoid the implications of controversial subject material, my drawings shove these issues into the foreground, so close to the picture’s surface that they feel like they may tip out into the viewer’s space. Unbound by borders or frames, my drawings transgress into the viewer’s space, establishing a tense and confrontational atmosphere which forces the audience into direct engagement with their own agitation. In order to fully experience my show, exploration of America’s layered past and introspective reflection on the legitimacy of emotion is required. Look to the material choice, titles, and content, which work in tandem to help dissect challenging topics.