BLACKOUT
ASHOWABOUTRACIALANDSOCIALINJUSTICEATTHEFRAME
OPENINGJANUARY30TH,68pm
CuratorialInformation:
MayaKaisth(mkaisth@andrew.cmu.edu,6092164884)
JarelGrant(jggrant@andrew.cmu.edu,8622161275)
Fromtheoutside:WewanttocompletelychangetheimageoftheFramebyputtinglarge
screensinsidebothofthewindowstobebacklitbyprojectorsinessence,turningtheframe
intotwohugeinescapablescreens.Onthescreens,wewillprojectaloopingvideoofthe
mostrelevantsocialmediahashtagsthatconfronttheissueofracialandsocialinjustice.The
videowillbeblack,withthehashtagsflashingonandoffthescreeninstarkwhitefont.By
doingthis,wearephysically"blackingout"theFrame.Thoughtheviewerswillnotbeableto
seewhat'sinside,theywillbedrawnintotheshowbythedrasticandconfrontationalchange
ofspace.BlackingouttheFramewillreflecttheserious,drasticandconfrontationalnatureof
theissuesourartistsaswellasoursocietyaredealingwith.
Ontheinside:Awelllitinteriorwithavarietyofmedia.Piecesbeinghung,projected,shown
onmonitors,andputonpedestals.Wehavereceivedtheproposalforoneinstallationand
many2Dand3Dpieces.WehavesubmissionsfromartistswithinandoutsideofCFA,whose
mediumsexistinavarietyofforms.
ArtistsSubmitting:
RachelChang(rchlchang@gmail.com)
ElizabethAgyemang(eagyeman@andrew.cmu.edu)
JacquelineBarnes(jbarnes1@andrew.cmu.edu)
ClairChin(clairc@andrew.cmu.edu)
NehemiahRussell(nrussell@andrew.cmu.edu)
BryanLewis(bmlewis@andrew.cmu.edu)&WesleyJones(wtj@andrew.cmu.edu)
KasemKydd(kkydd@andrew.cmu.edu)
HeatherCowie(hvc@andrew.cmu.edu)
SamMurray(sdmurray93@gmail.com)
RachelChangCFA'17
2pieces:
Title:"RestingBastardFace"
Medium:Digitalprint
Size:4"x4"(mightbewrong,don'thavethephysicalwithme)
Description:Thisisafoldingnarrativereflectinguponthegenderedandracialatmosphereof
America.Viewersarewelcometoflipthroughthepiecethereisnodefinitebeginningnor
end,onlyaninfinitelooprepresentingtheendlessnatureoftheseproblems.
Materialsneeded:Pedestal
Title:"DoYouCelebrateChristmas?"
Medium:Digitalprint
Size:5'x3'(upperlimitofsize,maybesmaller)
Description:MyclassmateaskedmeifIcelebratedChristmas.Myvisceralreactionwasto
punchhimforquestioningmyidentityasanAmerican,whichisprobablynotwhathemeant.
GrowingupChineseAmerican,I'mneversureifItrulybelong.I'mconstantlyonedge,likeI
havetoprovethatIamAmerican,thatIamChinese.I'mscaredofexpressingthefrustrationI
experiencefrommicroaggressionsIdon'twanttobethehumorlessshrew.Instead,my
frustrationmanifestsitselfasexpletivesandbitterhumor.
Materialsneeded:Hangingmaterials
Timeline:12/10:contenteditedandthumbnailscompleted
ElizabethAgyemang,CFA17
Title:SearchingforNarratives
Medium:2D,wood,installation
Size:Unknown,mustspanacrosswallormultiplewalls(perhapsbackroom?)
Description:Aseriesof50orsoprintsthatrepresentchildrensbookswithindifferentgenres.
Thewoodwillbepaintedonwithchalkboardpaintandthatwillbeprintedoverwithin.
Viewerscaninteractwiththepiecebydrawingorwritingonitwithchalkthatwillbeprovided.
MaterialsNeeded:
1to6sheetsofPlywood:sizingbetweentherangeof36x36inand54x48in
Anyofthesearefine,butpreferablythesandedones
Potentialtypes:
pinesandedplywood
Plytanium
birchplywood
Whitesilkscreeningink
chalkboardpaintorchalkboardspraypaint
chalkpackwithvaryingcolors
rope(forhangingupthepieces)
nails(forhangingupthepieces)
darkcurtain(forshuttingoutlightinthespace)
3ormoreflashlights
JacquelineBarnes,CMU2016
Title:Envelop
Medium:Digitalphotoseries
Size:Whicheverscreensize
Description:Imageserieswithoneortwolinesfromthepoembelow:
Whydoyouslaydragonstheyasked?
Whydoyouplaysohard,yetlaughsolittle?
Idrewtheswordupfromcharredconcreteandfuzzyscreens
Icraftedmyarmorandallowedittoshinebeyondme
IslayDragonsbecauseitispermissiblehere.
BecausewhenIwaketheDragonsarestillthere.
Theirfireasscintillatingandfuriousasever,
ButthereisnoExcaliburformetowield
Towieldanythingbutwordsputsanunerringtargetonmyback.
SoIsitandwatchastheheroesfightwithdreams
Andwatchthedragonsslaythemonebyone
Time,andtimeagain.
SotothosewhoquestionwhyIfight,
Withpixelsinsteadofpraxis
Directthemtothesunkensword
Ofescapism.
IamengagingwiththemediaIconsume,inparticularthefantasygenreandgaminggenres
thatseemsto"blackout"blackpeople,women,andpeopleofcolororportraythem
distastefully.Thereforethesemediumswhichareusedasaformofescapismforthemajority,
canbeconfiningformeandotherwhodonotfitinthatracial/genderbox.Thepoemengages
withthatideaofrealityandfantasyandhowbothcanbeparticularlytryingandIhopetohave
accompanyingimageswitha2Dgameyfeeltothem.
MaterialsNeeded:monitor.
Timeline:I'mhopingtofinishbytheendofJanuarysinceit'saseriesof10orso
images(aroundA3landscapesizeforthem),butifthatistoolatepleasetellme.
ClairChin,CFA17
Title:"maybenowyou'llleavemealone"
Medium:monitororprojectorspaceforvideo,doesn'tneedtobereallylargebutcanbeif
thereisspace.
Description:InthisvideoI'llwritetheprejudicial,hatefulwordsregardingmysexandrace
ontomybody.FollowingthisI'llpaintmyentirebodyinthickwhitepaint,coveringthetextand
myskincolorandhair.
MaterialsNeeded:monitorand/orprojector.
NehemiahRussell,CFA'16
Title:CIVILWAR
Medium:Paper
Size:Nobiggerthan17"by20"andnosmallerthan9"by12"
Description:Myideawillliterallyfocusonthetwohalvesofhatethatgovernthisnearly
invisiblesocialinjusticewarthathasbeengoingonfordecades.
MaterialsNeeded:sometypeofsmalleaselprovidedtoplacethepaperboardon.
Timeline:TheworkwillbedonenolaterthanJanuary18th.
BryanLewis,CIT13and14&WesleyJones(Drama,16)
Title:ABriefHistoryofRaceConversationinAmerica.
Medium:Photographyprint.
Size:5sequentialphotographswithindividualframing,likelynolargerthana5x7photosize
withatwoinchwhiteborderaroundtheoutsideandathinblackframearoundthat.
Description:Theconceptofthispieceistoillustrate,somewhatsatirically,therace
conversationorlackthereof,attimesinAmerica.Thepiecewillfeaturetwosubjectsone
white,oneblackinavarietyofdifferentsituationsthatappropriatelyillustratetheprogression
oftheconversationthroughhistory.
MaterialsNeeded:hangingmaterials
Timeline:ThepieceswillbefinalizedandprintedbyWednesdayofthelastweekofJanuary.
KasemKydd,CFA18
2Pieces:
Title:LoosedChains
Medium:Video/Performance,11MinutesLong
Size:n/a
Description:Blackfaceisknownhistoricallyasanattempttoexaggeratethefeaturesofblack
menandwomeninaracistcontext.Itprovidesseparationbetweentherealpeopletheblack
facepointsto,theviewer,andtheperformersothattheviewercanindulgeinracistand
skewedfeelings/thoughtstowardstheblackbody.Iattempttousetheblackfaceto
accentuatemyfeatures,bringingitbacktomyselfandtyingtheperformer,viewer,andbody
togetherinacryforattentioninthemidstof'themodernlynchingsofblackbodiesinAmerica.
Theblackfaceisstillrelevanttodayasitislessofaphysicalmanifestationofracismasitwas
inthepast,butnowmoreofamaskplacedoverblackbodies(metaphorically)inthemedia
(FoxNews)whereblackbodiesarelabeledasthugsandcriminals.Thispieceisacryforhelp
fromthosearoundmeintherescueofblackbodiesfromhundredsofyearsofoppressionby
aracistandcorruptstate.
Materialsneeded:monitor/projector.
Title:BlackInJamaica,Queens
Medium:Sculpture
Size:50x45in.
Description:AsculptureintheshapeofmyhometownofJamaica,Queenscoveredintarwith
objectsplacedonshelves.TheobjectsareofnativefoodofmypeopleintheWest
Indies/Caribbean,St.Vincent&TheGrenadinesthatarefamiliartomyyouth,andespecially
importanttothelifeofmyparents,andthosearoundme.Theabsenceoffoodsthatare
importanttomyyouthandcultureareremindersthatthiscountrywasnotmadeforme.Tar
worksasamaterialthatsticksandbinds,andmovesbeautifullytocreateflowingbutrough
texturesthatspeaktomeofthelossofhomeinaforeignland,(Pittsburgh,Weston),andalso
ischargedwithhistoricalinformation.ThebookBlackonBlackisapowerfulcollectionof
writingbyblackfiguresinthelast150yearsthatseektoempowertheblackpeoplebutalso
speakofthetreatmentfacedbythosebeforeme,in1sthandaccountsinHarlem,Georgia,
Alabama,andthewhiteliberalnorthwithawelcomingmaskoverthefaceofaliar.
Title:IInvestigateLynchings
Medium:Sculpture
Size:nonedetermined
Description:AsculpturethatIplantomake.Thetitleisbasedoffofwritingpublishedby
WalterWhiteamanofAfricanAmericandescentwhoinvestigatedlynchingsandraceriotsin
thedeepsouth.
HeatherCowie,CFA16
Title:"MeSoLucky"
Medium:FortuneCookies
Size:Nodimensions
Description:ThefortunesinsidethesecookiesarerealmessagesIreceivedwhilemaintaining
anonlinedatingprofile.Theyareevidenceoftheexotification,fetishization,andotheringthat
Asianwomenmustnavigate,andtheideasaboutourpersonhoodandourworththatare
reinforcedforusbyotherseverydayofourlives.
MaterialsNeeded:apedestalortable.
SamMurray,CFA15
Title:achainofinequality
Medium:Newsprint
Size:8.5x5.5x1in
Description:ThisbooktellsastoryaboutthefailingWaronDrugs,racialdisparityin
sentencingandovercrowdinginprisonsintheUnitedStates.
MaterialsNeeded:pedestal
TotalMaterialsNeeded:
Hangingmaterials
smalleasel
projector(4)
monitor(2)
Pedestal(2)
Table
1to6sheetsofPlywood:sizingbetweentherangeof36x36inand54x48in(anyof
thesearefine,butpreferablythesandedones)Potentialtypes:pinesandedplywood,
Plytanium,birchplywood.
Whitesilkscreeningink
chalkboardpaintorchalkboardspraypaint
chalkpackwithvaryingcolors
rope(forhangingupthepieces)
nails(forhangingupthepieces)
darkcurtain(forshuttingoutlightinthespace)
3ormoreflashlights
