This semester was about focusing on details that spoke in line (and against) each other, and in turn formed a huge web of ideas connected with thin strands of string. It was appreciating things for their very own unique and raw qualities, from Paul Robeson's dark and low voice, to Reverend Gary Davis, not so church appropriate Candy Man Blues. It was Thursdays nights spent exploring Appalachia and the Deep South --but more than that it was seeing our class search for how we each connected with the songs we sang in our own ways. Shout out to beanheads, cat scratches, and subliminal messages about breaking up with Russians.
Fantastically enough, the pieces I created in this class became first iterations of other works I made this semester. The piece above was was exhibited at my Art For Social Change Fall show, inspired my my cornbread and molasses piece from a couple of weeks ago.
Below is the artist statement.
Vignette of Papaya: The Consumer's Disconnect from Production
Mixed media
With the great influx of city dwellers, we are slowly losing the vital connection of production to consumption –this loss ultimately resulting in the exploitation of workers, lavish consumption patterns, and an enormous waste of goods. The producers of our food remain largely invisible, unnoticed and unappreciated. We are often blissfully unaware of the sources of our food and what economic, political and social implications are entangled in the choices we make about our consumption.
Inspired by Ian Cook’s essay Follow the Thing: Papaya which presents a series of vignettes about people who are (un)knowingly connect to each other by the international trade of fresh papaya.
