Black Hair Flag - Critical Review

Black Hair Flag

Red, White, Blue.... and Black?

Black Black Black Hair Hair Hair Flag Flag Flag Black Black Black Hair Hair Hair Flag Flag Flag Black Black Black Hair Hair Flag FlagFlagHair

Alluding to a lost of acknowledgment and shared history, Sonya Clark reclaims the black identity in America, with a handcrafted more inclusive version of the Confederacy battle flag. Deliberately sewn with black fibers, Clark’s iteration metaphorically binds the latent contributions shaped by African Americans, that emphasizes their involvement with the advancement of culture and the wealth of our prized nation. This piece calls for attention to the overlapping complexities of the historical associations with racism, slavery, segregation, and white supremacy.

The installment reconsiders a collective historical experience shared by the likes of military, political, and religious groups lending itself to be questioned of the role that they each play in social hierarchies and power systems. Using a hybrid portrayal of the American flag and the Confederate flag formal constructs the colors, stripes, and stars her work generates a multi layered narrative that makes reference to the pertinent issue of slavery without the use of biased political means or strategies. In the Virginia Museum of Fine Art’s 21st Century gallery, 1Black Hair Flag (2010) explores shifting ideas behind identity, culture, and history that have long inspired the artist and educator, with the use of textiles, storytelling, and craft making. The work draws connections between misguided representations of its ingrained symbolism overtime and encouraging new outlooks of current associations within the modern-day sentiments.

“Art has agency — it walks around; you don’t have to go to a gallery to see it,”-- Sonya Clark

Denzel boyd

Before entering the gallery to observe Clark’s rendition, museumgoers might be introduced as I did to the boastful display of Confederate Flag reproductions, led by a protest group formally known as VA Flaggers.

Committed during rain or shine, I often see these demonstrators standing right outside the museum walls in protest of the removal of battlefield flags from the confederate chapel grounds. As the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond’s history is intertwined with the Civil War. It’s befitting that this demonstration is a common one that reflects the historic attitude of most white southerners, and their strong connection to its sacred understanding. America’s history reveals that this object for a time period predominantly served as a strong emblem for the memorialization of fallen soldiers during the Civil War. Intended or not, much like a argumentative essay the inclusion and shared oppositional representation by the VA Flaggers, only supports and strengthens Clark’s work. This offers and affirms alternative insights that recognize the plurality of understandings and beliefs. Clark describes that art has agency it walks around; you don’t have to go to a gallery to see it. Moreover, in a gallery setting the Confederate flag takes on a different precedence. No longer seen or understood in the context of waving above civilian townhomes or paraded by southerners, Black Hair Flag is innately deemed worthy because of its selective placement and preservation for all

i

1

i

ii

Red, White, Blue.... and Black?

audiences. Granted, the Confederate flags reproductions aren’t considered works of art to make truly fair comparison.

However, this leaves me to question what warrants Clark’s version more than the flaggers actual representation? The answer to this is simple. The contentious nature of this symbolic object becomes for once, approachable. Its inclusion within a museum setting has proven to be a safe ground for open thoughts and reflection. On the contrary, the isolation of the Confederate flag for most African Americans and liberals produces a sense of anxiety or tension because of its prescribed connotations grounded in hate. Extracting and dismantling that fear associated within a controversial rooted object, was proven to be the most effective and powerful aspect of the work due to its longevity in creating a headspace for invited progression and appreciation.

This appreciation is two fold.

Museumgoers will inherit a response and review of their understanding of both the identity of the artwork and the artist as separate but connected entities. In this scenario the artwork itself takes center stage and speaks loud and clear without the voice of the artist, flagger, or even historian readily present. Relying on the formal iconic qualities of the American flag and human hair, Clark instrumentalizes their semiotic properties by the autonomic understanding, of their symbolic roles of revolutionized history. The linking of the

semiotic properties encourages the viewer to take part in filling in the blanks. In essence the work as whole is dependent of our own understandings or assigned meanings. Hair, much like thread becomes the emblematic tool in which binds the presence of the retraced black community, but also the relationship of these individuals to the form. The fashioning of thread to a notable African American hairstyle is essential to understanding the artist’s gesture. The artist’s approach to the materials themselves can be seen as a direct reference to what it means to be a Black woman in America. A hairstyle for any ethnic group or gender is a strong statement of cultural identity and social class. Its no secret that blacks have long been a oppressed and left unheard in American History. What better way to encapsulate and pay homage to black culture, than by the linage of DNA? The systematic arrangement of hair like columned stripes and Bantu braided “stars”, crafts a visual language that blurs the boundary between past and present identities. This work tells the story of two communities of Americans vying for the attention and regard of their important heritage, customs and diplomacy.

Another important element in this work is the expression of Clark’s interest in referencing the larger discourse of the American Civil War era (1861-65). Bearing witness to what you know you to be true and seeking to articulate this notion, is

i

iii

1. Sonya Clark, Black Hair Flag; 2010; paint, canvas, thread

iv

2. Eastman Johnson (American, 1824-1906). A Ride for Liberty -- The Fugitive Slaves (recto), ca. 1862. Oil on paperboard.

“I had to use a symbol that I could squeeze some stuff out of,” she said. “It’s absorbed all this dialogue around me and I want to… put my ear to the cloth and find out what it’s whispering.” - Sonya Clark Symbols of the Confederacy remain a contentious issue across the United States and their civic placement has been long debated on vigorously. Clark’s interest in the symbolic history of this confederate flag as an object of liberation, but more specifically on how this interpreted object can be attributed to of honor and dishonor. Mounted and secured, the flag still stands tall but compositionally repositioned. Originally viewed horizontally, the vertical format provides a new perspective of visual hierarchy. The original

i

v

battle flag “the Southern Cross” makes reference to the cross of St. Andrew (the apostle who was martyred by being crucified on a X-shaped cross. Allowing the columned braided hairstyle to appropriately react to the laws of gravity I couldn’t help but noticed the striking and recognizable typographic X letterform.

Although the postured cross formation isn’t anything visually unfamiliar, the underlying significations however are greatly profound. Through thorough investigation one can discover that the X symbolism is omnipresent. Historically speaking an “X is an ancient symbol for change or transformation long associated in medieval and renaissance art with the coming of the Messiah who shall make all things new” 3Jim Tresner, 33° Scottish Rite Journal (Codex Magica, pg. 205). The symbolism of the X can also be most popularly attributed to the civil rights activist Malcolm X. The X in his name represents the unknown name of his African ancestors and their culture that had been lost during slavery. Those very slaves were illiterate in contrast to their master counterparts and had to sign the letter X on petitions for their own freedom. The same freedom and recognition that Clark’s piece pleads for. This X innately bonds them through their marked identity and embodies their life and spirit with a simple letter. From names to multiplication, down to the very nature of who we are as x chromosomes, these connections are embedded into a pattern that represents just a small snippet of the communicative power of X. The assigned meanings and components of the flag have laid the groundwork for Clark to unravel and present the loaded meanings and emotional implications. At any rate it appears that Clark believes that this particular piece acts as a vessel for facilitating a revision of history, reclaiming representation, and aiding in the expansion

Red, White, Blue.... and Black?

a common thread in other related works.

In particular Eastman Johnson’s genre painting, 2A Ride for Liberty—The Fugitive Slaves in 1862, recalls a commonly witnessed event of an enslaved African American family— fleeing on horseback daring escape to the Union army lines.

While this this time period of American History isn’t unfamiliar, the focus of documented historical happenings gets lost or forgotten overtime. Johnson’s piece like many others does a commendable job in demonstrating the vitality of African Americans to a whitewashed society that is vastly ignorant of their achievements. This ideal is incredibly important for everyone --- but especially for blacks – to become more sensitized to the power of storytelling, documenting, and simply sharing. Johnson and Clark unapologetically share a common goal: reminding the public of the importance of their heritage. Her participation is comparatively minute but integral for sharing.

3. Jim Tresner, 33° Scottish Rite Journal (Codex Magica, pg. 205)

i

vi