Gallery response- Melanie Uraga

My selfie was inspired by a mix of Williams art. I decided to combine her portrait of  Black Goddess with Golden Lips with her Red Sister Reflecting portrait where she portrayed a black woman figure in the woods/forest as well. I purposely only showed part of my face faded into the woods as she did with her BGGL piece. 

Black Goddess with Golden Lips

Black on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black

A piece that stood out to me from Antoinette Ellis Williams exhibition is titled “Black on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black.” This one stuck out to me in particular because it stands out amongst a room full of color and it is quite literally entirely black. At first, I did not understand the point of the piece until I looked into it more thoroughly and read the artist’s statement. In her statement, she mentions, “As colonialization, capitalism, racism, patriarchy, and misogyny slithered into their garden their agency was tempered through physical, sexual, emotional, and spiritual violence, poverty, and oppression. Their culture was decimated, re-appropriated, and appropriated into unrecognizable splinters” (lines 9-12). In reading this, the painting started to make sense. The more I looked into it; the more scenarios/stories started to flood into my head. It was almost as if I could visually see the stories in the painting when I stared into it. The texture of the painting was not smooth. It was very textured with bumps. These bumps could symbolize the struggle that her people might have been going through. Such as the emotional, poverty, and oppressional struggles. Although the painting is entirely dark when you look into it the light of the room sort of reflects. This might not have been intentional but rather coincidental, and it could be interpreted as despite all the struggles that she was going through, at the end of the day she was trying to prosper and move forward. 

Another painting that stood out to me was one called “Black Goddess with Golden Lips”. In this painting, we see part of a woman’s face. In that small portion that we are able to see, it looks like the woman is upset with tears in her eyes. There is an image of a cloth that has been branded with what looks like an iron. The iron could represent the misogyny that is going on, as people might think that cleaning and ironing is a woman’s job. It could also represent struggles that were “branded” or placed onto them because of the color of their skin. I thought that the color choice of the cloth was interesting because It really pops up against her complexion. This could indicate that yes, she wanted you to see her face, but also, she really wanted the audience to notice the cloth that is coming forth through her face. I believe that this painting was made to show how hard their life was because, for one, the woman does not have a smile on her face, and although we can only see a small portion of her face, it is enough to see how hurt they are. 

 

Finkelstein, The Art of Self Invention 

“the story is inflected with the modern psychological theme of transcendent true love and the psychological tricks that can follow the trauma of deep loss” (47-48). 

I did not really take this into an art consideration but it was interesting to note how trauma can affect behavior/themes. 

 

“The twin and the double reinforce a belief in a deep-seated anxiety that appearances can lie, that the surface reality can fall away and reveal a more dreadful universe” (49)

This quote talks about the story where one wants to reinvent themselves for social advantage. I consider this quote to help show that a painting/image can be a little deceiving because it might appear to be one thing when in reality the story behind it might actually refer to something entirely different.

John Berger, Ways of Seeing

“The way we see things is affected by what we see know or what we believe” (8)

This quote definitely makes sense even outside of art. Taking the painting Black on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black for example, if I did not know anything about the history of black people or their hardships, the painting would simply be a black painting with no further meaning. The way we grow up also affects the way in which we see things because it is what we know to me. The same thing goes with what we believe in. Some people might not believe in ghosts and when entering an abandoned building they might have all sorts of feelings or beliefs rushing in, but to someone that does not believe, it is simply an old building. 

 

  

“The visual arts have always existed within a certain preserve; originally this preserve was magical or sacred. But it was also physical: it was the place, the cave, the  building, in which, or for which the work was made” (32)

This quote reminded me of how the work of art is more than just the painting/image. It is also where it is placed, the story goes beyond just what meets the eye. 

Gallery Response - Riya Bhajan

 

Antoinette Ellis-Williams’ exhibition BURN: Origins & Resistance was an extraordinary production, representing Black women and their sustained struggles. Dr. Ellis-Williams’ description of her exhibition was very striking, she states “In the beginning, black women loved and lived in communities as leaders, teachers, healers, innovators. judges, and mothers…They found ways to ease the pain and bring joy…In the beginning, black women created tools, crafts, art, music, dance, storytelling, and food to nourish the bodies, minds, and souls of those around them. Black women celebrated their beauty with vibrant colors, elaborate hairstyles, and unique cultural flair.”  Antoinette Ellis-Williams’ emphasizes “In the beginning” throughout her description, it’s like she is indicating that without the discrimination of the rest of the world, Black women were able to thrive in peace and abundance. “But as colonialization, capitalism, racism,

patriarchy and misogyny slithered into their garden their agency was tempered through physical, sexual, emotional, and spiritual violence, poverty, and oppression.” (Antoinette Ellis-Williams) 

The amount of pain and abuse Black women have to struggle with is beyond belief, Dr. Ellis-Williams perfectly embodies and captures this struggle in her work and reclaims it to embrace how strong Black women are. 

The first artwork that stood out to me is “Black Goddess with Golden Lips” (2020) This digital portrait shows a dark skin black woman almost disintegrating with only her eyes and lips covered in gold and hair peeking through. In the background, there is a fabric-like texture with a set of teeth on the left. The woman’s eyes are captivating because it almost looks like she is crying. In Dr. Ellis-Williams’ Artist talk she mentioned that she was very intentional in making the foreground of the Black Goddess’s mouth placed right in front of the teeth. Dr. Ellis-Williams states “Your voice may be silent but you have not lost your teeth.” Usually, the way of identifying victims from a fire tragedy is by their teeth since the teeth are the only thing that doesn’t burn out. To me, the meaning behind this artwork is that after death, an individual black women’s voice for equality and peace may be silent, but her impact and her value as a black woman are still left behind in this world. The impact and value are visually represented as teeth in this circumstance. As if she can never be silent.

The second artwork that was inspiring to me was “My American Stitches Flag” In this piece Dr. Ellis-Williams has made her own flag made out of different textile fabric with bold prints and patterns. The stitching that holds all the fabric together is evident, there are also safety pins throughout the flag. In the middle of the flag, there is a circle of cowrie shells. In Dr. Ellis-Williams Artist’s talk, she mentions that her Jamaican Immigrant grandmother was a seamstress and had all of these vibrant pattern scraps, so she made these scarps part of her flag. “I wanted to think about ‘What is the African American, the Black woman’s flag…This is MY American Stitches flag, with red white, and blue” It is as if Dr. Ellis-Williams is reclaiming and reinventing to have a flag that represents her, her identity, her family, and her struggles. Who she is as a black woman. Dr. Ellis-Williams mentioned that the cowrie shells represent money because that is what people trade with and the safety pins are what people fight with. She also mentioned that she is going to continue this artwork, add to it and make it a bigger scale.

The third artwork I would like to talk about is “Autumn’s Fire/Breonna’s Forest” (2020) this is a painting with vibrant colors made out of acrylic and cold wax on canvas. Dr. Ellis-Williams states that she created this painting after the death of Breonna Taylor. Breonna Taylor was a Black medical worker who was shot and killed by White Louisville police officers in March 2020 during a botched raid into her apartment, she was shot while she was sleeping. This story is one of many police brutality against a black person in America who was also completely unarmed. This painting reminds me of an abstract impressionism painting, abstract meaning nonrepresentational, and impressionism meaning the artistic style that seeks to capture a feeling or experience rather than to achieve accurate depiction. (Oxford) With impressionist art you let the movement and flow of the brush and paint showcase the overall imagery of the artwork. It encapsulates attitudes and emotions through nonrepresentational means. The sense of emotions I get is a free spirit and the act of boldness. In Dr. Ellis-Williams Artist’s talk, she mentioned that with the painting she didn’t want it to have a dreary look, “I wanted us to have this boldness in remembrance. I wanted us to think of the fire and think of the colors that are there, but always remember and say their names”  Dr. Ellis-Williams made this piece as commendable artwork to give a spot to the innocent black lives, black women lives that were tragically lost and Breonna Taylor is only one of those women.

Sources: Antoinette Ellis-Williams Artist Talk: https://www.antoinetteelliswilliams.com/post/njcu-burn-artist-talk-video

I created my own flag inspired by Dr. Ellis-Williams's "My American Stitches Flag" I wanted to showcase and represent what inspires me as a Caribbean artist. The struggle of being a Caribbean artist involves not having a lot of support from a Caribbean household and also not having enough representation, so I wanted to showcase some thriving and successful Caribbean artists to remind myself that it's possible. Each square (except for the second one on the second row) are all artist that inspires me and my style of work. The squares at the top row plus the 9th square are all Caribbean artists that I admire such as Ebony Patterson and Zak Ove. The second row has artwork from artists that inspire my aesthetic such as Van Gogh and Claude Monet. The square with an eye at the second row is a self-portrait painting I did last year.

3 Quotes from the readings: 

The Art of Self Invention 

1. “The ubiquity of deception in popular culture is an invitation to consider the possibility that behind the surface of appearances there are other realities.” (page 2) 

This quote reminds me of the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover” The appearance of people especially on social media is all fabricated. What they showcase is only the positive parts of their life.

2. “Popular culture is not simply diversionary; it circulates ideas and brings complex questions to our attention.” (page 24)

It is beneficial that media, art, even social media gives a platform for issues to be addressed and for a worldwide of people to know.

Ways of Seeing

3. "Images were first made to conjure up the appearance of something that was absent" (Berger, 10)

In the circumstances of artworks, images can visually express emotions and tell a story based on the colors, compositions, or subject piece. To me, I believe the 'something' that is absent is the voice of the artist since in this case, it's only an image they can't express the meaning of the image or the story they want to tell using there voice they can only rely on what is happening visually.

Gallery Post - Donovan Arroyo

The BURN Project is an interdisciplinary craftsmanship and scholarly undertaking. Burn is used as an allegory to assist with reexamining the numerous ways black women have been scorched across the world. Examples include unemployment, gentrification and physical and sexual abuse just to name a few. 

The first piece that stood out to me was “Cloudy Night”. The picture is blurry and it is a dark and gray afternoon. There’s no cars or people on the streets. I feel that it shows the oppression that black women faced and gives a visual representation of what their headspace was like during those times. Black women assumed a functioning part in the battle for all universal suffrage. They took part in political gatherings and coordinated political social orders. They went to political shows at their nearby churches where they arranged procedures to acquire the option to vote. In the later part of the 1800s, more Black women worked in churches, schools, and universities, which gave them a bigger stage to advance their thoughts. After the Nineteenth Amendment was approved in 1920, Black women were approved to vote and held political workplaces. Numerous states passed regulations that victimized African Americans and restricted their opportunities. They kept on battling for their freedoms.

The next piece I decided to talk about was “Three Dancers”. This painting shows three black women dancing with a distorted blue and white background. Dance can imply bliss, celebration, and the expression of an idea or emotion. This painting shows us all the problems African Americans had to face and them celebrating how they fought the system. In the twentieth century U.S., African American nationalists women who upheld for freedom, monetary independence, racial pride, solidarity, and political self-assurance arose as key political pioneers on the nearby, public, and, surprisingly, global levels. At the point when most black women in the U.S. didn't have the right to vote, these ladies intensely defied the false reverence of white America, regularly drawing upon their insight into history. Also they did as such out in the open spaces-in mass local gatherings, at nearby stores, and on the streets. These ladies saddled the force of their voices, energy, and the crude validity of their political message to mobilize black women around the world.

GALLERY RESPONSE

“Black on black on black on black on black on black on black” is exactly as the title describes. Layers upon layers of black oil and wax folding onto themselves, making little rivers and valleys throughout the canvas. The texture is rough and jagged, there are no smooth surfaces on the piece other than its wooden frame. The darkness of it is a vacuum in the room, sucking in all the light that is thrown at it, even the spots that are more illuminated still feel like shadows, and it seems so angry. Maybe anger isn’t the right word, it’s more frustrated than anything. From across the room the painting is solid black, and you wonder if there was a mistake in hanging it in the gallery. Then you get closer and see all the tiny details you couldn’t see before. This is a very powerful piece, each little ridge and bump is like a scar, hidden from the common spectator but easy to see if you look close enough. Williams uses these “scars” as a metaphor for the common experience of black women (particularly in america). Forced to endure centuries of hate and indifference, these women have hidden emotional scars just as this piece does. The following two quotes I believe speak to this kind of inequality faced by women of color:
"Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between men and women but also the relation of women to themselves. The surveyor of woman in herself is male: the surveyed is female. Thus she turns herself into an object of vision: a sight"-john berger

Women are depicted in quite a different way than men- not because th feminine is different from the masculine- but because the “ideal” spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the woman is designed to flatter him-john berger

“2nd degree burn” is probably the most literal of the pieces in the gallery. I’m immediately drawn to the textures and materials she used, especially the use of bubble wrap and dead leaves. There is real bubble wrap in the painting itself as well as the bubble wrap texture throughout the canvas. Something tells me that there’s a memory there, perhaps someone commented to her that her skin looked or felt like bubble wrap or red stones (a man, in my imagination). While this is a literal depiction of a real burn, this is also representative of the “burn” that williams is expressing throughout the exhibition, the burn of society on black women. The scars (real and emotional) that the status quo has thrust upon them with no say, leaving permanent reminders of the horrors of american society and capitalism as a whole. the following quote speaks to this:
Talking with black female spectators… i noted the connection made between the realm of representation in mass media and the capacity of black women to construct ourselves as subjects in daily life. The extent to which black women feel devalued, objectified, dehumanized in this society determines the scope and texture of their looking relations-bell hooks

BURN: Origins & Resistance- Alanna Ciarlandini

BURN: Origins & Resistance

     Art is a beautiful way to express the inner workings of the people around us. Everywhere we go and everything we see can be perceived as an art form including with the clouds scattered across the sky and the concrete pavement we walk on which when you look closely can form subtle patterns beneath your heels. Art has been found to be a positive contributor when it comes to helping develop motor skills, inventiveness, language skills, and what I find most important: the gift of intuitiveness. Art not only encourages us to conceptualize the world around us but it grants us lessons on how to observe the world around us with an open mindset. 

     Antoinette Ellis-Williams' piece Black on Black, On Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black is a wonderous piece that hangs at the NJCU gallery. Black on Black… is an oil and cold wax piece that was created on a portrait canvas. There are many ways to interpret this spectacle of art which is what makes it so unique to those it captures the eyes of. When seeing the painting for myself I saw numerous meanings set on that lonesome canvas. Despite the name being a dead giveaway of what this art is physically I feel as if it is so blatant that it tells you every possible inner meaning, it could have. It is clear the brushstrokes left by the artist were intentionally scripting it to portray that every stroke had a meaning. It is a representation of covering up the pain of the millions who struggled before her. The brushstrokes found on this piece can also represent the recurring obstacles in life and that life is never always a straight path for some. I also see this painting as a portrayer of cycles in society and how some mistakes could be covered with the mistakes over and over again until the cycle is broken. Any other color could have been chosen but black is the color of power and evokes the emotions of anger and sadness. The struggles of African Americans have been seen for years and somehow we as a people still fail to recognize ongoing racism and other political issues going on in the country. This painting represents the erasing and covering of political injustice. I and other viewers can all agree a type of lingering sadness conveys out of this piece further proving it is an empathetic view. 

     Another piece of Antoinette Ellis-Williams’, My Americans Stitches Flag 2021. My Americans Stitches Flag 2021 is an art piece that represents what I interpret as an island and the textiles remind the viewers of what the artist may have worn in the region the artist came from. Pulka shells are centered on the piece in a circle which has a spot left for one shell in the middle probably being a representative of the heart of the piece. Since her artwork is titled “My Americans Stitches Flag” it is no surprise that this art can be interpreted to be what makes up the artist herself such as how her piece is stitched together of different articles that can represent different aspects and attributes of her life and image. Perhaps she conjured a flag of her own because the American flag did not make the artist feel included enough or accepting of her ethnicity and culture which is what makes this project so warm and welcoming to those who feel as if they may not belong. 

    In my piece, I take inspiration from Antoinette Ellis-Williams’ Black on Black. The foil imaged is crumbled and every time it is touched another wrinkle is added to its being making it impossible to revert it back to its natural state. Every wrinkle, similar to every brushstroke of black pain on Williams' canvas can not be easily undone and leaves an impression every time it is touched. This can be an allusion to the actions people take and how they impact us. 

"Every image embodies a way of seeing." (Berger, 10). This is a quote that reigns true for everything you observe throughout life. There are so many symbols that surround us that share great inner meaning and knowledge. These symbols can be seen through color and creations making everything we see derived meaning even when we do not seek its answers. Those who do recognize these signs further embody what makes us so cultured in all that we see teaching us not to take sights for granted.

Gallery response- Aida Deleg

  

Time to speak up

Gallery Response

 

"BURN Alter" - Antoinette Ellis-Williams

 

"Black on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black"- Antoinette Ellis-Williams

 

My Selfie inspired by Antoinette Ellis-Williams' "Orange Leaves Sister"

 The exhibition BURN: Origins & Resistance entails Antoinette Ellis-Williams exploration in her own self identity when it comes to her struggle, journey, and experiences of growing up as a black woman. She uses her artwork to display her as well as other black women’s suffering of the “Burn”. It’s an amazing exhibition that truly executes how strong black women are when it comes to dealing with so much intolerance from such a young age. Some of her work in the exhibition were more personal than others but that didn’t take away from the overall message she’s trying to portray.

            The first piece of artwork that stood out to me in this exhibition would be her piece called “BURN Altar”. There are two separate pieces to this display, so my focus is going to be the one shown in the photos above. Immediately, the immense scale of the artwork is what initially caught my eye with the piece taking up a large portion of the wall. You can see the large woven cloth that slowly begins to unravel as it descends to the floor. Behind this is a mural that is covered in the names of famous black women as well as the names of objects and other influences that have an impact on her. Some of the names listed are Michelle Obama, Breonna Taylor, and Ella Fitzgerald among others. What I admire about this piece is its showing of all who have had a significant impact on black women throughout the years and empowered them to get them to blossom to where they are today. In one of our readings called “The Photographed, Collaged, and Painted Muses of Mickalene Thomas”, which discusses the artist Mickalene Thomas and her messaging behind her work, she stated, “By portraying real women with their own unique history, beauty and background, I’m working to diversify the representation of back women in art” (Dunne, 2). I think that this quote greatly describes this work of the exhibition. In this piece, Antoinette Ellis-Williams uses the history, beauty and background of her culture and ancestors on mural with the big wording. Another quote from this reading is, “The curation, which consists of four distinct parts in a kind of nesting doll arrangement, lets the viewer draw her own connections between Thomas’s work in various mediums and that of her influences” (Dunne 4). I feel that this can relate to Ellis-Williams’s piece as she also incorporates her influences that have led the way for black women.

            Another piece from this exhibition that I really liked was her piece titled “Black on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black, on Black”. On the surface, this painting may not look like much. But after looking deeper into its meaning, this painting has a much bigger picture to it. Upon its first viewing, one might just see a black square as I did at first, but as you get closer to the painting you can see that there are little bumps, edges, and texture to the painting that were intentional by the artist. Though there isn’t much description about what the painting is meant to be portraying, I feel that I have a good idea of what Ellis-Williams intended when making this interesting piece. I feel this painting is meant to be symbolic of her skin. She is a black woman who has gone through so much struggle that it was managed to leave bumps and scars on her being from going through a lot of injustice. So I believe that the texture on the painting are meant to symbolize these scars of her past. I may be wrong but I think it’s an interesting take on this painting. In a quote of the same article it states, “But the social commentary in her work is never heavy-handed or preachy; her approach throughout is both playful and political” (Dunne, 4). I think this quote describes what I feel Ellis-Williams is doing with this piece. She doesn’t create a dramatic image that tells the story of what she’s trying to say. Its message isn’t in your face and as clear as day. You have to stop and look and try your best to understand the photo on your own, and that I feel is what makes this painting so interesting to see.

The Art of Intervention

Quote #1: "Bertrande was found innocent; her crime was being a woman and thereby intellectually inferior and thus susceptible to persuasion and trickery." (Finkelstein, 44).

    - I find it interesting that her "crime" is simply was a lot of people think of women especially when it comes to inferiority. Some think of women as small and weak and easily fooled, which obviously isn't the case. 

Quote #2: "Martin may have felt the pressures of family expectations to build on the successes of the migrant experience." (Finkelstein, 47). 

    - I kind of relate to this quote because as the daughter of immigrants, it's sometimes hard to meet what they expect of me. It's understandable that they just want their children to succeed and to live a good life, but putting such expectations and pressures on your children will cause nothing but harm to the child further down the road. 

Ways of Seeing

Quote #1: "Every image embodies a way of seeing." (Berger, 10).

    - Every image created has its own story to it. With having its own story comes the viewer who looks at the image and uses perspective to come to their own conclusion about the image. A new image means a new perspective of it. A new way of seeing.

Quote #2: "Even a reproduction hung on a wall is not comparable in this respect for in the original the silence and stillness (of the original paintings) permeate the actual material, the paint, in which one follows the traces of the painter's immediate gestures." (Berger, 31).

    - I think this topic is actually something that is relevant today because people tend to compare things with another. Whether it be a TV show with a reboot of itself, or a film with the same idea. Nothing can compare to an original as it has its own feeling in it that the creator intended for those who viewed it to feel. When looking at a reproduction of an image, you don't get the same feeling. 

Gallery Response - Dominique Ciaffone

 

                                     Blue & brown breasts 2021 Red breasts with Burlap 2021 

Charcoal fenced breasts 2021 Dis- Respect Breast 2021

                                                      Red Sisters Reflecting 2020

The BURN project by Antoinette Ellis-Williams has opened my eyes to the pain and hardships Black women, and all women face with identity, gender, social justice, race and power. Dr. Williams' exhibit displayed a variety of personal artworks, each had their own very special meaning and message. While looking at the artwork, the two that stood out to me were “Red Sisters Reflecting (2020)” and “Blue & Brown Breasts, Red breasts with Burlap, Charcoal Fenced Breasts, Dis- Respect Breasts (2021).” Both pictures personally affected me, and inspired me to look into the detailed messages the artwork conveys. 

“Red Sisters Reflecting (2020)” personally stood out to me because everything in the picture looked like it had a particularly deep message that I wanted to unpack. The first aspect that stood out to me was the bold red color of the woman in the picture. She didn’t have a face, only a silhouette of her body was shown which placed more emphasis on the color itself. The red stood out because to me, it represents the “BURN” that Dr. Williams talks about. The “BURN” stands for the physical and emotional pain, isolation, abuse, exploitation and more that women face on a daily basis. Especially Black women, the burn affects a person in ways some people will never understand. The woman being the color red in this picture means she has been affected by the burn, so much so that all you see is red and not her facial features/ color of her eyes/ natural skin color. All women have felt suppressed in life as if they’re not enough or not equal to men. Our bodies are constantly being objectified and seen as other people's property. However, the fact this woman is the color red, means to me that she is her own savior, and portrays she is the light that leads her own way. Although red represents the pain women go through, it also shows women have been single handedly healing themselves from their trauma for years, because through the burn she is able to light the way for herself. Another feature that stood out to me in this picture was the trees in the back of the woman. Nature represents freedom to me, and is a very healing aspect of life. The trees in the picture represent the healing and freedom that all women are working towards. For as long as I can remember, racism has existed and has been detrimental to many lives worldwide. Being a woman dealing with racism is something many people will never understand the pain of. Although many people will never understand this pain, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Healing from the trauma of racism, and the disadvantages of being a woman is very hard and takes time. The trees in the background of the artwork also represent the beauty of Black/ all women even though there are people who don’t believe in this beauty. The aspects such as the trees and color in this picture raise awareness of injustice and racism. They remind us of the struggles women still face on a daily basis, and are a reminder to keep working towards a change. 

The art series “Blue & Brown Breasts, Red breasts with Burlap, Charcoal Fenced Breasts, Dis- Respect Breasts (2021).” Propelled me to write about the isolation and injustice toward women and their bodies. In “Blue & Brown Breasts” and “Dis- Respect Breasts (2021),” the color blue portrays the sadness that racism and discrimination has caused in women's lives. Blue represents the trauma, and loss of their true self. Most of the time, the emotional trauma that women endure can force them to lose pieces of themselves through the years, which can be very hard to get back. The naked breasts in the four pictures represent women learning to love and embrace themselves through the hurt. Women often feel the need to cover up, physically and emotionally. Countless women are seen as weak for expressing their emotions. Their nurturing qualities are seen as a lack of power and strength. The fact that the breasts aren’t covered in the pictures means letting go of the false narratives women were told about themselves, and beginning to see their feminine qualities as strength. In “Charcoal Fenced Breasts 2021” the fence is there to remind us that women are still not seen as equal to men, and their freedom/ power is not as important in comparison to men. Black women especially haven’t been given the same opportunities as men, and probably feel caged/ unable to speak their mind. The fence portrays the feeling of being stuck, and not having the same power as men. It truly makes you question why racism and injustice is still occurring, when Black women and all women are just as capable as men. In the picture “Red breasts with Burlap 2021” the orangey/ red breasts are there to remind us of the true beauty women have. Through the hardships and struggle, women still shine and don’t let it dim their nurturing qualities that society has deemed as weak. The color reminded me of a sunset, because of the golden- orange color that represents beauty. Many women embody this warmth, and become a light for hurt people who have endured the hardships of being a woman. 

Dr. Williams has opened my eyes to the racism, pain and struggles of being a woman through her artwork. Each aspect of the pictures represents a detailed message, and raises awareness to the problems women face daily. The “BURN” is the injustice women experience in their lives  whether it be due to their skin color, feminine qualities and more. I am glad this artwork has made me dig deeper into the struggles of being a woman, and hope Dr. Williams' work will inspire others as well. 

"Beauty, Trauma and Freedom"

My selfie represents the trauma and beauty that comes along with being a woman. The blue light represents the pain many women have felt in their life, but the red light represents the beauty and healing. The leaves also represent healing and freedom, which many women are still working towards.

Quote 1: Thomas’s jazzy photomontages of women’s limbs and facial features can be construed as commentary on how female bodies are brutally picked apart in contemporary visual culture. - The Photographed, Collaged, and Painted Muses of Mickalene Thomas (Carey Dune)

—Woman bodies are constantly being picked apart which is a big part of our struggle. Many woman have trouble loving their body because of how critiqued they are by people. 

Quote 2: “This woman can stand in for me and for you; she can stand in for the audience, she leads you into history. She’s a witness and a guide,” Weems told fellow photographer Dawoud Bey in a discussion for Bomb magazine in 2009.”- Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems’s Landmark “Kitchen Table Series”

—This quote reminds me that all women can relate to each other. Many women go through the same troubles and hardships, so it is comforting to know you’re not alone. 

Quote 3: “By portraying real women with their own unique history, beauty and background, I’m working to diversify the representations of black women in art.” Hyperfeminized and hyperpowerful, in disco-era fashions, some women lounge odalisque-like on couches, while others in modelesque poses stare directly at the camera.- The Photographed, Collaged, and Painted Muses of Mickalene Thomas

— This quote is powerful because it explains that every woman is beautiful in their own way. Sometimes that is hard to remember when comparison is so prominent in todays society. A woman loving herself is her greatest superpower. 

Kaitlyn Arroyo - Gallery Response Essay

Kaitlyn Arroyo

Professor Cacoilo

Self Image: I

February 20th, 2022

Autumn's Fire/Breonna's Forest (2020) Acrylic and Cold Wax

My American Stitches Flag (2021) Mixed Media

BURN: Origins and Resistance 

     Dr. Antoinette Ellis-Williams is a Chair and Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies. I was highly intrigued to learn that she was our new artist for this week's lesson. Miss Williams created the BURN: Origins and Resistance exhibit found in New Jersey City University and remains there for local students to view in the Visual Arts Gallery. What makes William's so unique and stand out from other artists who present the same genre of artistry, is that she works at the college, and hosts monthly seminars to talk about and share her artwork to inspire students who are willing to learn more about her.

    Artist Antoinette Ellis-Williams wanted to create an exhibit that embodied her culture and tested the boundaries of growth and triumph over an African American woman. The BURN project was meant to shed light on the culture for African Americans while embracing the American way of life when traveling here. Williams interviewed 14 different women who spoke about their own experiences of the "burn," and what it truly means to reminisce on the past and speak on behalf of their own personal struggles. When we talk about the burn, it is associated with fire. Fire spreads and leaves scars that heal over time, but it is never the same again. That's the analogy I believe is presented and correlates with her work. 

    Upon exploring the artworks of Williams, there were two portraits that captivated my attention. Both had a sense of familiarity and warm presence to it. Autumn's Fire/Breonna's Forest is a landscape portrait created with acrylic paints and cold wax on canvas. Different mediums were used to affect the texture and color of the art. Primary colors were blended together to get those layers of purple, green, and orange values. The way the painting provoked the viewer by the use of color schemes and brush strokes gave texture to the piece when viewing it closely. At first glance, you don't know what you're looking at, which is common for Miss Williams' work because it is to be determined by the viewer alone. Everyone interprets things differently, so when we imagine things we're able to make sense of it. In the image, I can clearly visualize a river that overtakes the majority of the painting. There are trees scattered around to bring the focal point into view.

    My American Stitches Flag is created by the use of fabrics and cowrie shells that are used as currency in Africa. However, it is more than just money. It also represents power in trade and symbolizes wealthy communities. The loose fabrics are sewn together to incorporate everything coming together as one single art-piece. Fabrics are a major form of expression, as the patterns are a popular means of communication. Wearers who look at these particular pieces of fabric would easily be able to recognize what religion, culture, and society they came from. Unity is represented as everything is drawing you to the middle, which makes it seem like it's trying to reach a destination. The choice of color was very interesting because it looks like the flag is in the middle of a body of water, and the whole thing is encapsulated in this majestic royal blue. The flag is made to express African heritage and used for commerative purposes such as political or tribal events.

     My sister and I compared how we interpreted the above images, and what we inferred was the imagery that is placed in the background, midground, and foreground of the pictures. My sister saw a bridge that overhung the river landscape and by observing closely I was able to visualize it. In the American Stitches Flag, she was able to detect the textures used to create the piece: fabrics. Autumn's Fire title describes the end of a new beginning: Fall. We describe this season as the growing cycle of ripeness and maturity, because this is when multi-colored leaves start growing and falling on trees. Seasons come and go, but they will always turn up again. Both images are embroidered on a golden frame which directs attention back onto the artwork. Frames are chosen to complement the work and are a tool so that the viewer can fully immerse themselves into the painting. 

    Everyone could learn a valuable lesson from Antoinette Ellis-Williams. It doesn't matter who creates the artwork: but how we determine, comprehend, and treasure it. What I'm able to perceive from viewing the gallery is there is a central theme of social justice. There is a powerful message of "We're all in this together" - and talking about life experiences makes the viewer relate to the artist on a more personal level. Though there is no direct correlation between the two artworks, I believe the message behind it is much more powerful. Everyone associates the burn with something different and is used in her artwork to empower and heal those who seek treatment.  

Kaitlyn Arroyo,  Embracing the American Culture, 2022

    Provided in the image above is a selfie that I took with the American flag to represent patriarchy, and the culture my country presents. Truly living in America means that everyone is living under protected rights to announce everyone as equals. We are given rights and are allowed to vote, pay taxes, and live the American Way: adheres to the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Here I am embodying my culture and not being ashamed of who I am. This relates to the works of Ellis-Williams because she appreciates her culture and is not afraid of her own self-identity. 

Carey Dunne 

Excerpt from: The Photographed, Collaged, and Painted Muses of Mickalene Thomas

One Quote 

"By portraying real women with their own unique history, beauty and background, I'm working to diversify the representations of black women in art." (Dunne 1) 

Miss Williams interviewed 14 different women to get inspiration for her artwork, so they could all bring something new to the table, and talk about their experiences to live through the "burn." More representation is needed in the art industry, as artwork is made for everyone to enjoy.  

John Berger

Excerpt from: Ways of Seeing 

One Quote

"The compositional unity of a painting contributes fundamentally to the power of it's image, but here the composition is written as though it were in itself the emotional charge of the painting." (Berger 13) 

Composition in a painting relates to how different forms of mediums are set aside, but generally come together as a whole, making it the most structurally pleasing and appealing to the viewer. This was most effective in Miss Antoinette Ellis-Williams artwork because she used digital media and paints to draw emotion to her prestigious BURN project, with the help of numerous women volunteers who supported her. 

Joanna Finkelstein

Excerpt from: The Art of Self Invention

One Quote

"This evidenced a new manner of thinking about people and their identity." (Finkelstein 44) 

Thinking about our identity helps us to strengthen our character and builds us to become more aware/comfortable with our bodies. Everyone is born unique as their own individuality defines them as a person, and I believe that shines the most in Miss Williams work with self reflectment and appreciation of being an African American woman. 

Gallery Response Essay - Nicolette Capua

 

Orange Leaves Sister, Ellis-Williams, 2020

          

Fight the Power Sister, Ellis-Williams, 2020

       The first image I chose was called “Orange Leaves Sister” by Ellis-Williams. This image is the sculpture of an African American woman's body from the chest up. We do not see any features of this woman. Over her body and around the whole image we see tree stems with orange leaves. Throughout the image, the leaves are spread out but on top of her head and hair the leaves are scrunched together. There is a yellow light trying to shine through these leaves on her head. The message I interpreted from visiting this work was that, through the beautiful bright color orange, we see this woman's beauty as well as her power she tries to hold onto. The yellow light shining through the top of her head could be representing the sun and hope that this woman will take her freedom and power back for good. Her whole body is not completely covered by all the leaves yet so this could mean that she is still feeling the pain and is exhausted from the “burn.” However, little by little, she is gaining her identity back and will heal. When she is fully covered by the leaves, this could mean she is finally free from the pain she has expressed for many years.

    The messages this work conveys to its audience about identity, power, race, gender and social justice is that this woman was “burned” by the loss of social justice she's received, tortured by the gender norms she had to follow, and had little power to stand up for herself in society to just then be pushed away and silenced. This image shows the growth this woman has achieved by fighting for her rights and herself as a woman.

    These personal narratives raise larger questions and raise awareness about race, justice and history by showing these women and their stories to the world so everyone can see what they have really gone through and experiences they had first hand. Through Williams' work she expresses beauty, pain, loss, gain, light, and darkness all together. Her work tells years of stories that can influence others to take a stand and speak up or engage in helping others who feel like they connect to these women’s stories in the images.

    The second image I chose was called “Fight the Power Sister” by Ellis-Williams. This image is the same sculpture of the women’s body from the chest up. In this image, there are baby blue colors over her body as well as a few red, yellow, orange, and green lines. There is a fence behind the colors on her head. The background of the image is faded light blue and white. The fence is also faded behind her in the background. The message I interpreted from visiting this work was the changing of this woman's “burn.” She is starting to gain her independence back, slowly shown by the red, orange, green, and yellow colors shining through her body. This woman is starting to face her fears and accept challenges she would have never done before. Although the “burn” has slowed her down she will never give up. The faded fence in the back represents how she feels trapped, not wanted, and unloved.

    This work conveys several messages to its audience about identity, power, race, gender and social justice. This piece is showing how black women as well as every woman have to struggle for acceptance of their gender. This image provides the message of how particularly black women experience racist commentary in everyday life and have to deal with it to the best of their ability. This leaves these women with trauma and depression. This image is also showing how not every woman's “burn” is the same. Everyone experiences different situations in their life that leave them with unique “burns” so they are not all the same.

   These personal narratives raise larger questions and raise awareness about race, justice, and history by illustrating this woman's sculpture of her body hidden by darkness and spots of color that show her healing phase. This personal narrative demonstrates how not everyone has the same pain or the same story. We need to be open to hearing these women's stories and helping them heal some of the damage the “burn” has caused.

    I believe both these images are activist because they represent a political and social change to these women's lives. These images demonstrate the growth from the “burn” they have experienced and how they are overcoming it over time. Black women have struggled for years upon years searching for acceptance as a woman and for their skin color. Every woman has their own experiences representing different “burns”, but at the end of the day these “burns” have left scars and they are ready for a change to finally come. These narratives from Ellis-Willams artwork have brought in captivating messages for everyone to internalize and take action on.

 Taking Back Power, Nicolette Capua, 2022

       This image is showing a women turned away from all of the negativity in society and the struggle she has to take on everyday. By turning back around, the woman depicted in the image is showing confidence in her ability to handle the adversities of everyday life. This shows her starting to stand up for herself as she takes her power back. The "burns" she has experienced will not take her down as she slowly gains her freedom and voice back. 

The Photographed, Collaged, and Painted Muses of Mickalene Thomas

By Carey Dunne

Quote 1- “By portraying real women with their own unique history, beauty and background, I’m working to diversify the representations of black women in art” (Dunne 2).

   This quote connects to both artworks I chose because it represents black women in an empowering but also emotional way. These images express the women's beauty but also shows the pain she has gone through and the hurt she keeps inside. Just like in Mickalene Thomas' work, she likes to express all of her models' individual stories. Similar to Thomas, Ellis-Williams created her images based on her own story as well as other women's stories on expressing the “burn” in their lives.

Ways of Seeing

by John Berger

Quote 2- “The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe” (Berger 8).

    This quote illustrates and connects to both Ellis-Williams artwork I chose because it is explaining how everyone can see the same image but think of it in a different way because of the unique individual experiences we have all gone through. I see both these images as the beauty one has but also the pain and anger hidden inside oneself.

The Art of Self Invention

by Finkelstein

Quote 3- “Anges knew she was not as she outwardly appeared, but she also knew that most people trusted appearances - thus all she needed to do was to perform successfully as a girl to become a girl” (Finkelstein 56).

     Appearance is something we all trust right away. Although someone can appear to be happy and full of life, inside they feel broken down and weak. Just like in both images I picked, in one image the colors are brighter and exciting but still show her rage and anger. In the other image I chose, the colors are dark but there are still splashes of bright colors on it that could be expressing the little bit of hope and power she has left.