Breonna Taylor - acrylic on canvas, 24” x 20” 2020
HOW DO YOU SEE ART AS A MEANS FOR SUPPORTING CHANGE IN POLICY, ATTITUDES, AND/OR SOCIETY? Visual art, especially protest art and street art, is an ideal conduit for unedited beliefs and emotions of a people. As we have learned, even journalism can be highly influenced by its ownership or outside interests, as can what we view on our screens. For me, the direct nature of taking pen to paper, or brush to canvas, is such a personal and authentic act, and it has power in that authenticity. When that truth is shared in exhibitions or through social media, the message is magnified. It can create community through sharing online, and provide support for the oppressed. In the most hopeful scenario, it inspires others to question their own beliefs or inspires positive change. HOW DOES THIS KIND OF ART DIFFER FROM OTHER SUBJECTS THAT YOU PAINT? Often these pieces are created more spontaneously and boldly, since they are made in direct reaction to a significant or disturbing event. For example, while I might work on my other paintings intermittently and over time, the protest art I create is usually done in two or three long and intense sessions, and the bold brushwork and intensity of gesture usually reflects this.
Tammy at the June 5, 2020 Black Lives Matter rally in Vancouver with her painting of George Floyd
WHY IS ART IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO INVEST TIME AND RESOURCES INTO YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS AN ARTIST? I once had an artist friend say to me that if you are given a talent in an area, you have a moral obligation to at least try to create beauty with it, and to share that beauty with the world. While somewhat extreme, I would say that if we as artists - by which I mean anyone who can create: sing, dance, design, write - if we put our truth and beauty out there it can act as a powerful foil to the deceit and hatred present in our world. That is what drives me. WHAT EXAMPLE DO YOU HOPE TO SET FOR DEVON AND OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE HER? I hope that I have shown Devon that when faced with some of the most horrible events and forces in society, to not be rendered inert by despair. Certainly, there is time for mourning and reflection, but when faced with feelings of helplessness, often the best solution is to take action, no matter how small. Just the act of creating in the face of destruction or despair is a personal, if not societal, victory. TAMMY FLYNN SEYBOLD (she/her) MULGRAVE PARENT
