One of the artworks at the Montclair Art museum was Shannon Linder "Grievance Quilt"(2018); that really changes the way identity is being revealed in an relatable approach. Each quilt has stitching of her grievances as a form of airing her grievances out. On each quilt, the grievances can also be an inclination that a lot of other feel as well but never had an outlet to discuss it. One of the quilts says; "Driver who turn too slowly", a very relatable topic that most people would agree upon. These topics are not necessarily biased towards one group or vice versa. Linder is Shannonaddressing that everyone, regardless or gender was have grievances that how it is good that speak upon it the way other people can understand and maybe find a solution.
Another part of the exhibit was a photographer, Catherine Opie who has taken the photos, "Jo"(1993) and "Richard and Skeeter"(1994). Opie took photographs of her friends and revealing who they are. In Judith Butler’s text "Sex, Gender, and Desire", it states "There persistence of proliferation, however, provide critical opportunities to expose the limits and regulatory aims of that domain of intelligence and, hence, to open up within very terms of that matrix of intelligibility rival and subversive matrices of gender disorder" (Butler 24). Butler is talking about people who do not "follow" society's gender identity are to challenge on the status quo and how it is not something that it cannot be changed forcefully, it has to learned . Opie is bringing in the forefront of people that were not necessarily from the “norm”. Today, people are becoming more open to talking about their gender and sexuality, but these photographs were taken in the 1990's, where it was sill a taboo topic to talk freely. In Obie's photograph of "Richard and Skeeter"; they are both siblings are posed together that make an impression of both being lovers. Their looks appear to be very passive as both people are not looking at each other, their heads are placed in opposite directions. It is very different from "Jo", instead of passive, she is giving a direct look as if she was seeing the viewer. Her tattoos and short hair makes her appear very tough but she posed in a elegant way with her hand place on the bottom of her chin and her arm place down on the bottom with her legs criss-crossing each other.
Melvin Edwards is definitely an artist that brings awareness of ethnic identity. Edward's piece "Mamelodi"(1986), is part of his Lynch Fragment Series) ; which he was very active during the Civil Rights Movement. He takes his imagery of what lynching was and distorts it by welding together steel pieces to create a new body of art. the sculpture provides emphasis awareness of how chaotic and horrid the ideas of lynching were in the African American community. For Edwards to his piece "Mamelodi", after a South African province, really brings to light about the social issues that not only African Americans were facing but also those in Africa are continuing to fight for social justice. In his work, he explains that he changes the object to be "creative and positive". Edwards took it upon himself to find a new way to represent how he feels about the serious topic that everyone would allow people are usually too shy to talk about. Melanie Yazzie's piece "Themla and I"(2001) shows her having a close relationship with her grandmother. The work itself is placed in a newspaper which she helps running and still very active. Yazzie shows her Navajo tribe as they are. She emphasizes that Native people are always claimed as stereotypes and not seen as actual people. Not only that, Yazzie is also showing how gender plays a huge role in her family. Her bond with the women around her. Yazzie's work shows that her and her grandmother as strong and independent and the Navajo women are needed to order to preserve their culture.
There is always going to be someone that doesn't know who their identity is and that is fine. Part of life is figuring out how make to manifest yourself in the world. There will be many things that will change and challenges that one will have to face. Society tries to bring other down, making them feel less important but it doesn't have to be that way. The artists here are able to depict their identity by creating elaborate ways to make their work important. Whether its part of a movement or something very radical and innovative, they are representing who they are in their work.
1. Shannon Linder, “Grievances Quilt”, 2018
2.Catherine Opie,“Jo”,1993.
3. Catherine Opie,“Richard and Skeeter”, 1994.
4. Melvin Edwards,“Mamelodi ( from the Lynch Fragment Series”, 1986.
5. Melanie Yazzie, “Thelma and I”, 2001.
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