BODY.
SHANNON BONO MA ART AND SCIENCE , 2017-2019, CSM.
*Artivism - A word combining the words art and activism. An attempt to push political agendas by means of art but a focus on raising social environmental and technical awareness. My current thesis explores the black female body in art as embodied activism (artivism) and the work I have presented is an act of of liberation and celebration. Analysing the artivisms of Mickalene Thomas (an artist included in my thesis) and her coupled works entitled ‘Origin of the universe’ 1 and 2 2012, a reworking of Gustave Courbet’s ‘The Origin of the World’ I find my self decoding the gaze (bell hooks), understanding the role of eroticism and the role of controlling the image. The images of the black female anatomy are usually for male consumption or to uphold stereotypes . I believe in art, especially the works we create as black women, the subject serves a purpose as a source of education and liberation. There is power within the visuals we intake as it becomes a vessel of unknown knowledge and in turn is embedded within our lives and contributes to our perception of the world. I have recreated this piece of work placing myself within the frame of embodied activism/artivism as Mickalene Thomas did, as it explores the avenues of identity politics, sexuality and controlling the narrative.
38 // AUTONOMY, ACTIVISM & ART DIRECTION.
