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.
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.
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