Those Who Influence Me

 Michael Pantaleon

Although I am a graphic designer, my first love was and always will be illustration (and if you're curious about my graphic design work, come visit us at our BFA show in April, where I will be presenting TUNNEL, my fashion magazine). Being easily inspired creatively, narrowing down the list to only five was the hardest part.

Here are some of the artists/identities that I consider most influential:

Jack Kirby; Long Gone

Growing up as a child, a number of my uncles introduced me to the realm of superheroes, the Marvel Universe to be particular. This fascination has never been abandoned and ultimately has become a top influence in my creative journey thus far. None of this would be a possibility without the geniuses behind these beloved characters and stories. As much as we give Stan Lee his flowers, and rightfully so, a shared appreciation should also shine upon Jack Kirby. The flat applications of bold colors, heavy use of black inks, and an emphasis on line weight variation all became integral elements that I have implemented in my style of illustrations.

Salvador Dali; Perception of Time

The most frequent critical feedback I receive from my illustration work is the lack of backgrounds, where the focal figures seem to be floating in space. Though somewhat intentional due to my inexperience with creating environments, this concept of white space encapsulating all my pieces explores the cohesion of a conscious mind, allowing themselves to all coexist and act as an extension of my inner thoughts in a visible manner. Salvador Dali and his inspirations with philosophy have allowed me to grasp these surrealistic qualities and use them to my advantage.

Junji Ito; Eye Am I

Junji Ito is a manga artist that I am very familiar with, yet never indulged fully into the context of the popular images. His renown ability to alter the human body in horrific ways is nothing less than admirable. Inspired by his own fears and for the thrill of creating weird entities, I find my most desired aspect of Junji Ito is his comfort in being uncomfortable, and being able to express those urges directly through freedom.

Kim Jung Gi; Passerby

In my opinion, nothing can compare to the simplicity of a sketchbook session. The physical nature of laying pencil on paper, then refining that with sharpies and micron pens has been a tried and true method of creating that has been engraved in my artistic habits. The masterful display of black and white illustrations of Kim Jung Gi and his extensive body of work pushed my understanding of sketchbook art. He creates whatever, whenever, wherever, without the fear of being judged based on the intrusive randomness of a composition he imagined.

Disney; Tangerine Dream

Impossible not to mention, Disney in its entirety is unfathomably mesmerizing from top to bottom. That’s it. That’s all I have to say. I’m sure you understand.

Links to presentation:

Adobe Acrobat

- OR -

Google Docs

Muliebrity

Muliebrity Exhibit, Polina Bright, Tionna Watson, Gerda Boateng, Lauren Haywood. Photoshop. 2023

Muliebrity means having the characteristics of a woman, or womanhood, and this is one thing I share with four of my five inspirations, who explore the many intersections with womanhood. Blackness, nature, black history, and wildlife. These women are Tashiann Watson, Polina Bright, Lauren Haywood, and Gerda Boateng. In this presentation, I am creating an exhibit of works that explore common themes I do with my work and compare how we interpret these themes through our works. These women are amazing contemporary artists and work with many different materials like gold leaf, chocolate, watercolor, oil, acrylic, and digital. One aspect of Watson’s work that is shared in my work is black muliebrity. Exploring the black woman and her beautiful aspects. Tashiann Watson is my mother and I see this shared theme as a genetic heirloom that she has passed down to me. Boateng explores the qualities of being a black woman and the intersection between art and womanhood. “As a self-taught artist, my goal is to use my illustrations and paintings to express a different standard of beauty. By showing Women of minorities that we are art too. I create art that is meant to focus on the beauty in our “flaws”.” – Boateng. Haywood explores the intersections between blackness and womanhood. Polina Bright is one of my favorite artists and I hope to one day collaborate with her. Bright explores the connections between women, nature, and wildlife, creating these beautiful watercolor portraits. Jack Whitten is the fifth artist I chose. I learned about him from the Art21 videos, and I was drawn to his artistic process and desire to always explore the painting. If I got to meet one artist, it would have been Jack Whitten. He inspires me to be diverse in theme, not just focusing on black women, but all women of color. Placing these works together, not including Whitten's, is an exhibit of works that demonstrate muliebrity in all its forms.

 Influence Presentation

Influence Presentation

looking - 3 photos & quotes

Looking with Intention

3 Small Projects

Light at the End, 2023

Look Forward, 2023

Blooming, 2023

These 3 pictures are from the path I walk everyday to get to my home. I pass by these areas all the time, but I realized I don't take the time to acknowledge the beauty that surrounds my home. I'm always in a hurry to get home and work on class assignments and projects for work. I'm missing all of this beautiful nature that I could easily see right outside; this vibrant sun that's slowly setting for the day, the gentle warmth it provides, the blossoming leaves signaling that spring is just around the corner. Looking with intention and with attention, I acknowledge what amazing things I could enjoy if I spared just a moment.

Bell Hooks Quotes

“Conventional representations of black women have done violence to the image. Responding to this assault, many black women spectators shut out the image, looked the other way, accorded cinema no importance in their lives (120)."

"For black female spectators who have "looked to deep" the encounter with the screen hurt. That some of us chose to stop looking was a gesture of resistance, turning away was one way of protest, to reject negation (121)."  

Teens are making historical events go viral on TikTok – what does a history teacher think? | The Guardian

“There is a long-held stereotype that teenagers spend a lot of time online, uninterested in real life events.”

The same adults complaining about teens being uninterested in real-life events are the same that will complain when teens do get involved. The common response from these dismissive adults was "oh your just a kid what do you know." I'm envious of the strength and courage the teens of today have because I shut down when an adult told me this.

“Jones explains that the personification of countries in historical events is helpful in understanding intention and gives a boring textbook subject some personality.”

I have a difficult time reading long passages. I usually have to go back and re-read the same sentence over and over again just to understand what I'm reading. For all the times I've reread information from my history textbooks, you'd think that I remember a lot of information but no. I truly don't remember much of anything. What I do remember from history classes in high school though, was when my teachers would play us YouTube videos that would be comedic interpretations of historical topics. The way I passed history class was to build a foundation from those videos and fill in the blanks with what little I did grasp from my history textbook. I would have loved having these short-form videos instead when I was younger because sometimes those YouTube videos could be too long for my attention span. These history TikToks are definitely contributing to my current learning. I still like watching these types of videos now, because I think it's a good thing to keep learning history even if I'm no longer in a classroom setting.

Looking With Intention and Thoughtful Attention (w/ Quotes)

 

Gazing Deep, B&W Photograph 

Presence, B&W Photograph

Imbalance, B&W photograph

Bell Hooks Quotes:

-"What was the nature then of this adoring black female gaze- this look that could bring pleasure in the midst of negotiation?

-"but as that form of representation which is able to constitute us as new kinds of subjects and thereby enable us to discover who we are."

Quotes:

Clay Shirky, Everyone is a Media Outlet:

-"Do we want this? Do we want the changes that the new flood of production and access and spread of information is going to bring about?" (73)

With the constant rise of innovation, it is a constant cycle for society to question our progress, whether this new discovery is consider a hindrance or beneficial. While access to these services are considered more convenient, the credibility of what’s published would be another question. So I feel like there’s always a balance to comes to creation.

-"Professional self-conception and self-defense, so valuable in ordinary times, become a disadvantage in revolutionary ones because professionals are always concerned with threats to the profession." (69)

This applies to much of the events today, with technology evolving at such a rapid rate. Many companies , such as those involved in television, are definitely victims to this vicious cycle.

Poppy Noor, Teens are making historical events go viral on TikTok – what does a history teacher think?:

-" But as long as we understand that the videos are just a snapshot of a moment in time, they are effective."

The context of a certain moment cannot always be fully explained from a mere glimpse of an image or 15-sec film. While they cannot fully explain every ounce of detail of that historic point in time, it certainly helps one fully grasp this topic in a more entertaining method. 

-"Everything you interact with that’s written after an event – whether it’s five minutes after or 500 years after the event it is an interpretation of the past.”

This is an interesting quote, describing that no matter the span of time after the event, it is a stylistic representation of the past. No matter the actor or one acting out the past events, will fully replicate word for word or action by action from the original. This extends to the different methods to reenact or explain events, whether it’d be from a textbook or tiktok, both are considered interpretations of the past and should be considered equally as credible til proven otherwise.

Looking with Intention

"Final Girl"

2022

"Mad Hatter"

2022

There's a monster in the Basement

2022

  

 The three photos I created had a theme of horror or something deemed as scary. My one key component that I wanted is the component of eye contact. Looking at someone or something in the eyes can sometimes be seen as a threat. When eye contact is met it is met with intention, and I wanted the characters in this shoot have a look of intention whether it's staring at something or staring directly at the camera. 

        1. Clay Shirky- How Social Media Can Make History 

        Quotes

        - "Media is increasingly  less a source of information , and its more a site of coordination"

        - "How can we make best use of this media? Even though it means changing the way we've always      done it

    2. Teens are making historical events go viral on TikTok – what does a history teacher think?

   

Quotes 

- "The teens have used technology real effectively but they've also used it appropriately. Sometimes someone will write an essay which is really lyrical and uses really complex grammar and high-level vocabulary but actually they are talking nonsense"

Response: I feel like in this generation there are more visual learners, and videos like this are great  examples of how you can use social media as a tool to provide information in an entertaining way. Entertainment is a way to the youth so making quick short videos on key components of history can be useful.

- " Everything you interact with that's written after an event whether it's five minutes or 500 years after the event- Its an interpretation of the past . This is a great way to help people appreciate that " 

 

Looking- Images and quotes

 

Adriana Crow eye of the beholder (2023)

Adriana Crow portal to the mind (2023)

Adriana Crow self portrait (2023)

Quotes:

1. “In a world where publishing is effortless, the decision to publish something isn't terribly momentous. Just as movable type raised the value of being able to read and write even as it destroyed the scribal tradition, globally free publishing is making public speech and action more valuable, even as its absolute abundance diminishes the specialness of professional publishing.“

This is something I tend to think about a lot. With the influx of social media, especially twitter, you hear many opinions from all over the world. Everyone’s voice is heard, regardless of background, age and gender. I can see how it makes journalism a lot less special, and I’d say it’s now less sought out due to the convenience of social media. Usually for journalism, you have to make an effort to find the story in the first place. Like actively checking the news and seeking out an article. However someone could post about the exact same thing without you needing to go out of the way. And if it’s someone you follow posting about it, it’s likely you’re going to take their word for it, regardless of the source. (Which could either end up being an actual journalist, or a high schooler) 

2. “As they surveyed the growing amount of self-published content on the internet, many media companies correctly understood that the trustworthiness of each outlet was lower than that of established outlets like The New York Times. But what they failed to understand was that the effortlessness of publishing means that there are many more outlets. The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.”

Much like the point I made with the pervious quote (despite it being later in the article), Social media makes it so much easier to hear many different voices and outlooks on the same issues. While New York Times is still typically seen as more reliable for information than smaller publishers, a shared idea from many smaller publishers can sort of drown out these bigger more generally respected sources, as their voices become the general consensus.

Renee's Looking with Intention

Looking With Love

Unsolicited Looking

Unequal Looking

For my three sketches, I depicted three types of looking, the kind that makes you feel loved and cherished, the kind that scares and victimizes you, and the one that shows the imbalance of power. Looking out for things in the world is important as we see signs and people that may change our perspective on the world. In addition to that, the act of looking is nuanced and filled with meaning and intention. The first look is between a mother and her baby; by looking at her child, she is reassuring them and showing unconditional love and affection, providing protection and safety in her arms. The closeness of the child and her mother is intimate and safe, the purest form of looking. The second image shows a stranger staring us down. We have seen this unhinged stare before, the unbreaking uncomfortable unsolicited stare that instantly makes a place unsafe. He breaks social norms by taking you all in and keeping your image in mind to do whatever he wants with it. This experience is very familiar to women as some men feel entitled to stare at their bodies. The last image of the homeless man and the bystander shows the power imbalance of looking. The passerby looks down at the homeless man to either help or look down on him; either way, an imbalance between them gives the person standing the most power, while the other man has nothing. Another interpretation can be that the man standing acknowledges the other man's struggle and stops to talk to him while others may walk away. The three drawings hold different meanings, as the power of looking can shift intentions. The Bell Hooks reading, "The Oppositional Gaze," states that there is power in looking as masters had power over their enslaved people as they could not gaze at them. There are many layers to consider when looking at another person. 

" An individual with a camera or a keyboard is now a non-profit one, and self-publishing is now a non-profit of one, and self-publishing is now the normal case." (Shirky, Pg. 79) 

- According to Shirky, with the invention of the internet, people can run their own newsreels and publish their own opinions at the click of a button. Unlike in the past when people had to use printing presses or publish through journalists and newspapers, more people have the accessibility to the press via their own blogs. It should not be surprising that people would share their writings without limitations. Why would people go to newspapers and printing presses when they could self-publish for their personalized audiences. 

" There is an intrusive hypocrisy here. A professional often becomes a gatekeeper, by providing a necessary or desirable social function but also by controlling that function." ( Shirky, Pg. 69) 

- Reading this in the context of journalism and photography is absurd. The fact that professions like scribes, printers, and journalists would be gatekept limits the freedom of those who want to participate in journalism and printing. Trade secrets have kept people from writing stories and publishing news that was not accepted into mainstream print. However, when blogs were first introduced with technology, it threatened the gate publishers created. There will always be journalists and photographers working in print. Still, it should not be seen as an overarching threat to professionals as it gives ordinary people the power to indulge in their journalism over blogging. 

"Crucially, these videos are providing an interpretation of the past. Both are making an implicit comment on the behavior of those actors." (Poppy Noor) 

-The Tik Tok videos featuring students dancing and making jokes about historical events make the subjects taught in class interesting and funny. Teenagers, including myself, are interested in history when it does not center around grades or tests. History is genuinely interesting outside of the classroom, and if students are moved by a Tik Tok about the German Empire in 1914, that means that they are learning. It shows how media can appeal to a younger audience and can be used to keep educational interests alive. 

"Crucially, these videos are providing an interpretation of the past. Both are making an implicit comment on the behavior of those actors." (Noor) 

- Watching historical Tik Toks can be funny if the students know the context. If anything, the Tik Toks reinforce the readings done in class and can benefit topics before important tests. Of course, the Tik Toks are an interpretation of the past; it's the only way creators can share information within a 15-second clip. Either way, students would know the full context of the historical event to find the video funny. 

 

Looking With Intention And Thoughtful Attention

"Police Chief"

"District Manager"

"Sketch Of the Sleeping Gaze"

Bell Hooks Quotes:

 "I always get pleasure from movies as long as I did not look too deep."

"Even in the worse circumstances of domination, the ability to manipulate one's gaze in the face of structures of domination that would contain it, opens up the possibility of agency."

TikTok:

"Jones explains that the personification of countries in historical events is helpful in understanding intention and gives a boring textbook subject some personality."

The key thing from this quote is how students are making learning more interesting to them. Topics like philosophy and politics have so many prerequisites, it would not be off to say that learning about them can bore the most sporadic and careless age group: teenagers. I myself enjoy learning about history, but with it's many obstacles I'm glad to see that teenagers are using social media outlets to promote the study of history, albeit in an abridged format.

2) "She says that the videos are largely historically accurate, but even if they weren’t, they work as a useful historical tool." 

As mentioned above, anything to spark interest in history is a win in my book. However another important thing needs to be addressed. Where are these teenagers learning this information and who will correct the inaccuracies. While the article claimed everything after an event can be considered an "interpretation", there will always be some facts lefts ignored for determined historians to reveal and hopefully they too will trickle down onto these influencers.

Looking with Intention and Thoughtful Attention & Quotes

 

Quiet 2022 B&W Photo

Peeking Through 2022 B&W Photo

Eyes 2022 B&W Photo

Bell Hook Quotes:

“By courageously looking, we defiantly declared: “Not only will I stare. I want my look to change reality.” Page 116.

“Most of the black women I talked with were adamant that they never went to movies expecting to see compelling representations of black femaleness. They were all acutely aware of cinematic racism— it’s violent erasure of black womanhood.” Page 119.

For Quiet, I thought of how a woman is expected to be pretty and quiet. For this piece, I thought of how even if she is sitting still and quiet, her eyes are still piercing and loud. Staring, especially for black people, our stares can be seen as a threat. 

For Peeking Through, the lens are covered and more in the forefront, taking the focus instead of the woman in the back. Despite this, her eyes are still clearly shown, and it feels like the viewer makes eye contact with her. Here she is more playful and soft, unlike a majority of representation of black woman, especially in the media. 

For the last one Eyes, has the woman actually looking down, away from the viewer, and projected on her is several large eyes to stare at you. I like this one because she is still staring at us even through projection, we are locking eyes.  

With the photos I took, I want to see more black women shown in various situations and moods, because we are multifaceted and the world should see that we are more than what Hollywood plays us as.

                                                Quotes on Clay Shirky:

“A profession becomes, for its members, a way of understanding their world. Professionals see the world through a lens created by other members of their profession…” page 58

“Sometimes, though, the professional outlook can become a disadvantage, preventing the very people who have the most at stake— the professionals themselves—from understanding major changes to the structure of their profession.” Page 58

When I read these quotes, it makes me think of what a professional is and how they sometimes gate-keep others and unfortunately themselves. For media and newspapers, we used to think news only come from newspapers and news outlets, but nowadays it’s different. I can get my news from news apps, and social media sites like twitter and snapchat. News is no longer just in physical papers and on tv, it is everywhere. And fortunately, and sometimes unfortunately, news is easily spread and anyone can now writes about the times. It’s no longer just for professionals, so it’s easier to get unbiased news from the internet, as opposed to CNN or FoxNews, where those are heavily biased to one side. I can find a smaller outlet, or articles with a quick search. The downside to that though, is that anyone can post false news and I would personally have to look at the authenticity before I share it with others. But because we use the internet to get the news, the cost of making and producing has changed. It used to be expensive to find photos, write articles, print, and send out the news to the consumers, but now it’s so much easier and cheaper to just write it online. So the professionals that used to be in charge of those things no longer have work because of it. They have to change and adapt to the times and find new ways to make money and incorporate their old knowledge to the new times. 

Calero - Looking With Intention

 

Clay Shirky “Everyone is a Media Outlet”

“A profession becomes a way of understanding the world, and thus differentiates the person learning the profession. The person learning the profession pays more attention to peer judgment rather than customer judgment to improve in the profession.”

One can sometimes forget the purpose of one’s doing when you lose yourself in your profession. You begin to try to meet certain standards set by your field by your colleagues, numbers  and higher ups rather than focusing on the public, the customers or your needs as well. You can get lost in the monotonous tasks required by your profession. It is important to always remember where you come from and what your initial motives are.

“The stories that interest people will be published, and by the people themselves. This shows that there is a shift in the definition of news.”

Citizens of the world do not simply rely on media outlets to make their stories heard anymore. With the power of social media one can call attention to whatever topic/cause we’re passionate about. We now have this power in our hands, making us even more self reliant. Sure, there can still be some resistance from other forces but the possibility of our speech being oppressed is much smaller. The people now hold much more power over the truth.

    Teens are making historical events go viral on TikTok – what  does a history teacher think? | The Guardian

“She explains how the most powerful videos use human beings to personify world actors – such as countries – in major historical events.”

Giving a historical event a sense of personification can help decompose the event into a manner that is much more understanding to the viewer. It gives the historical event a bit of life, personality and “human intention.” Making the briefing of a historical event much more interactive and memorable. 

“Sometimes, someone will write an essay which is really lyrical and uses really complex grammar and high-level vocabulary but actually they are talking nonsense. This is not that,” says Jones.”

There have been plenty of times that I’ve used “intricate language” and fillers to fulfill an assignment to the standards of my professor, or to “jazz up” my resume. The truth is that we do not always need that. Sometimes we just need a “straight to the point” statement or representation, and nothing but that and “realness” can and will get the point across.

Looking With Intention and Reading Quotes

 

Abigail Ostorva: Uncomfortable (2023) 

Abigail Ostorva: Finding It (2023)

Abigail Ostorva: Eyes On You (2023)

Everyone is a Media Outlet

“From now on news can break into public consciousness without the traditional press weighing in.”

This is important because the way we get news delivered to the public is so different from before and comes with perks, but it also comes with drawbacks. The internet has allowed for less ability to censor news, mostly because with advances in technology the average person is able to upload it themselves, sometimes with video evidence, as is the case with the murders of innocent black people at the hands of the police. However a drawback to everyone being able to spread news is that misinformation is able to spread easily, such as the new fad diet my immigrant mother read about on facebook that must be true because it’s on the internet and all these people say it is.

“If everyone can do something, it is no longer rare enough to pay for, even if it is vital.”

This is very true, as we as a society categorize things into luxury brackets based on rarity first, not usability or necessity. For example, clothing brands often markup the price of their items because of their designer name, not necessarily because of quality. We do this with professions such as doctors, who are highly skilled professionals that are trained, but what would happen if technological advances turns the profession into something anyone could learn by inputting a specific code for a machine to do most of the work? It already seems to be happening with artists, who are being paid low amounts as is, who now have to compete with AI and sites such as Canva.

History Viral On TikTok

“the personification of countries in historical events is helpful in understanding intention and gives a boring textbook subject some personality.”

As someone who enjoyed the idea of history more than actually learning it, this is especially true for me. I often found it difficult to remember dates and historical events reading through a textbook because of how bland the material is. Sometimes these historical TikToks make their way onto my feed and I don’t scroll because The personification these creators use make it not only exciting, but oftentimes funny in an easy to digest format.

“A 15-second video is probably most effective in getting across one key point. Of course it’s not the whole story – but I thought that was a pretty good summation of what happened…”

These TikToks aren’t meant to be taken literally, and I think most people understand that an entire historical event cannot be captured within a low budget 15 second video (although TikTok has now expanded on that time limit). However it is right to say that it is a good tool in learning a brief summary of what happened during a major event, as many times these TikToks take these complicated events and simplify them in terms that can be understood today, often using slang and other characteristics of today’s society.

Kinfolk- Danielle Scott Essay

Merlee Vergara
Doris Cacoilo
Studio Research
16, February, 2023

Danielle Scott: Kinfolk

The work of artist Danielle Scott is both thought-provoking and deeply meaningful. Through her mixed assemblage pieces "Celia and Bazile Churchill" and "Hatwell Grey Bernaby and Eugene," Scott has created powerful images that explore our lives' interconnectivity and identities. Her works are vivid and striking, and through her use of colors, shapes, and textures, she can tell stories of shared lineage and relationships between people. The research process into each piece further speaks to her dedication to her craft and ability to capture a moment that transcends boundaries and encourages reflection. Scott's works take on an even greater significance when viewed in the context of our readings. Susan Sontag's "On Photography" and bell hooks' "The Oppositional Gaze" speak to images' power and meaning. At the same time, Tris McCall's "The Beauty in Struggle" touches upon the importance of exploring social justice issues through art. In each of these works, we can better understand the power and meaning behind Scott's pieces. We can appreciate the importance of her work in the broader discussion of identity and politics.

Recently, I had the opportunity to view two works of art at a local gallery by the artist Danielle Scott. The two works are "Celia and Bazile Churchill" and "Hatwell Grey Bernaby and Eugene." Both works are mixed assemblage images depicting mother and child in one case and four boys in another (Sontang). At first glance, both pieces are incredibly striking, vivid, and thought-provoking. The colors, shapes, and textures combine to create powerful works of art that transcend time and place and encourage a reflection of our lives and our identities. The artist's statement for these two images provides a deeper understanding of her work and thought process. Scott describes her work as an attempt to "share stories of ancestral lines, of broken and intersecting threads of histories, migrations, and relationships between people." She further describes combining photography, drawing, sculpture, and found objects to create her works, "uncovering and uncovering again." Her research process involves nearly a year of traveling, researching, and collecting documents and objects that she then works into her art.

In "Celia and Bazile Churchill," Scott's research process is evidenced through the intricate and detailed patterns in the image. The image portrays a mother and baby together in a tender, intimate moment. Various colors and shapes surround them. All meant to symbolize their shared family history (Sontang). The vibrant colors, textures, and symbols bring to life the deep connection between the mother and child and allude to larger ideas of identity and the power of our ancestors. In "Hatwell Grey Bernaby and Eugene," Scott's research can be seen in the profound look of strength, respect, and solidarity that she captures between the four boys. We can sense the emotional power in how they stand together, symbolizing the age-old bond of brotherhood. The surrounding colors and textures represent the generations before them and the greater power of their shared ancestry.

In our readings, we can further appreciate these works of art concerning identity, power, race, gender, and social justice. In Susan Sontag's "On Photography," she writes, "Some photographs are ensnared, as it were, by a power greater than that of the photographer. A photograph you didn't take can make you feel as if you had taken part in an event you weren't present to witness" (Sontang). In both pieces, we can see how Scott's skillful capturing of a particular moment in time enables us to feel as if we have stepped into that moment. We become ensnared in the power of the image and our imaginations and interpretations of the moment illustrated. The second quote, by bell hooks in "The Oppositional Gaze," speaks directly to the racial and gender implications of Scott's work. In her essay, hooks examine how she has been taught to accept and resist certain images of blackness. Hooks declares, "The oppositional gaze both acknowledges and contests the power of the image maker." By looking at both images, we can witness how Scott captures a reality of black life that challenges dominant and stereotypical imaginations and further establishes a power dynamic between the artist and the viewer.

The final quote from Tris McCall's "The Beauty in Struggle" provides us with an understanding of how Scott can use her art to speak to more significant social justice issues. McCall writes, "These works, taken together, show how close we all are to injustice, how quickly things unravel when our neighborhoods are not treated with respect and tenderness (McCall)." In Scott's work, we can witness how she looks at the more difficult realities of our society and finds their beauty and strength, allowing us to confront these issues and stand in solidarity with the subjects of the images.

In the end, these two works of art by Danielle Scott convey powerful messages about identity, power, race, gender, and social justice. Through her research and creative process, we can appreciate how Scott has used found objects and photographs to tell stories of shared histories and connections among us. By examining a selection of quotes from our readings, we can further appreciate the significance of her work in the broader discussion of identity and political power.

Hatwell, Gray, Bernaby, and Eugene, Mixed Assemblage, 2020

Celia and Bazile Churchill, Mixed Assemblage, 2022

Looking With intention

 

being a part of the minority already comes with many challenges. But, we're expected to carry on with a smile like everything seems okay. It's the small battles that we face everything as we go out into society, but don't say a thing. This builds up the feeling of rage and the want to rebel. 

My second work was created from the discussion in class about resistance. The gaze is as powerful as resisting to not look. In essence, it is to divert.  

Multifaceted is what i titled this piece in honor of the different faces we put on everyday to greet society, our friends and family and ourselves.

"A 15-second video is probably most effective in getting across one key point. Of course it’s not the whole story – but I thought that was a pretty good summation of what happened in 1929 and 1920, says Jones." 

In these times, it's very difficult to hold someone's attention for a long period of time. Tiktok, being the new trend, has caught the attention of the youth and some people are using it for good. 

"A 15-second video is probably most effective in getting across one key point. Of course it’s not the whole story – but I thought that was a pretty good summation of what happened in 1929 and 1920."

Not everything can be documented and be accurate. There's possibly many errors in our history books, names forgotten, dates and information that were missed.