Danielle Scott Exhibit

 Danielle Scott: Kinfolk

    This gallery really grabbed me and listening to and meeting with Danielle Scott added so many layers of context that made me that much more appreciative of the entire experience. The exercise of pulling the seeds from a wad of cotton created an immersive experience that presented a new perspective for me on the experience of slavery. The sensation reminded me of when I was 18 folding t-shirts in a factory. I remembered how raw my hands would get during a regulated shift for minimum wage. I cant imagine what it was like for enslaved people in far hotter heat, sun, and for nothing more than survival. But, the experience really made me think about the horror of it all.

    Each piece in the gallery spoke strongly for itself. And each piece was loaded with implications and context. The exhibit had me looking in to more of Scotts body of work and it is highly impressive all around. Below I will highlight two pieces that stuck out to me the most in our current gallery.

First Piece:Danielle Scott Celestine, 2022, mixed medium assemblage and resin

                                                            

This piece stood out to met for a few reasons. Once I really looked it definitely grabbed me more than any other. I believe this is because Ive been working with pre school aged children and these girls remind me of a few of them. Each of their individual personalities stand out so much. They present in a timeless fashion and send a message to me about how with time humans, and especially children are so consistent. The triple crown feels like an amalgamation of their energies radiating outward. Teheir purity in the face of very hard times shines through to me and this collage makes me feel like ive met them and want to meet them all at the same time. As well as learn about who they grew up to become.

Second piece: Danielle Scott King Constance , 2022, mixed medium assemblage and resin

This piece was in my opinion was one of the heaviest and hardest hitting of the entire exhibits . The empty golden silhouettes are such overt tragic symbolism for the people lost to chattel slavery. The fact that they are children is ever more difficult for the viewer to process. The baby wrapped in gold also seems to me to symbolize purity and hope. A child not yet traumatized or fully aware of the trauma that surrounds them. The distance between the older children and the baby dressed in gold also stands out to me. This image is visually beautiful and emotionally difficult at the same time.