Senior Thesis - Colored

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CLARENCE G. WILSON III DIRECTOR: IRBY PACE

Senior Thesis Exhibition 2020

Table of Contents Introduction to the Artist 03 Introduction to the Project 04 Anger 05 Fear 06 Defeat 07 Sadness 08 Happiness 09 Confidence 10 Success 11

Introduction to the Artist Clarence G. Wilson III is a senior graphic design student, with a photography minor, attending Troy University. Since a young age, Wilson has been interested in various art forms and how they were used to communicate or evoke/convey certain emotions. Depending on what message he is trying to get across determines the medium that he uses.

Although a graphic design major, his number one passion has always been photography. Wilson credits his affinity for the artform to his hometown arts high school, Booker T. Washington Magnet, and photography teacher, Emily Thomas. Without photography, he wouldn’t have considered or pursued a career in the arts.

Through his senior exhibition, he hopes to educate viewers on the misrepresentation of black bodies as well as allowing them to empathize with the emotional struggles African Americans face.

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Introduction to the Project For this semester’s senior thesis show, the idea that resonated the most was to create a body of photographic work that combined light and color with emotion. My plan was to take seven portraits of African American men and women that showcased our shared feelings/experiences through expressions and monochromatic lighting.

The images are placed in order to show the range of positive and negative emotions that nearly all black people have experienced in their lives; the seven Pantone colors I used are in the septagon to the left.

The main purpose of this collection is to inform those unfamiliar, or ignorant, to the challenges that black people face in a predominantly white society.

My series was inspired by the work of Carrie Mae Weems and how she effortlessly captured raw emotion.

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Anger Pantone 485 C

“A group of six friends, and myself, decided to eat at Mugshots for a birthday dinner. We were taken to the patio, despite numerous tables being empty inside. After sitting for twenty minutes, a waitress finally came and took our drink orders. After sitting with our drinks for an additional fifteen minutes, our orders were taken. Shortly after writing down what everybody wanted, the waitress immidiately asked for our methods of payment. We questioned as to why would we have to pay for food that we haven’t received yet and she said, “This is just the new protocol. Kids like ya’ll dine and dash all the time.“

What is that supposed to mean? What do “kids like ya’ll“ look like?

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Fear Pantone 445 C

“I was driving home one night after leaving a movie theatre and I believed a cop was following me. I just kept driving as I normally would since I was almost in my neighborhood. As I made a left turn, so did he. Once it was confirmed he was following me through my neighborhood, I called my mother to let her know what was happening and that I was close. As soon as he turned his lights and siren on, my heart dropped and I started reciting the Lord’s Prayer. The officer approached my car and as I rolled down the window he says, “Don’t you think it’s a little too late to be roaming the streets? I would think you were out looking for trouble.“

What is that supposed to mean? Does my skin tell you that I’m looking for trouble?

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Defeat Pantone 266 C

“...I had to walk into class with my business casual clothes on because I had just left a very promising interview for an internship at a local design firm. The only thing left to do was ask for my professor’s permission to compromise and we figure out how I could gain this real world experience as well as complete my assignments. I sat and waited for him to finish all he had to do before engaging in the conversation. Finally, I dried my hands and walked up to him with good expectations. Before I could even get out what I wanted to ask he said, “The firm emailed me and that internship isn’t going to work with this class. You’d have to either drop the course or take the job.“ What is that supposed to mean? Why wasn’t I allowed to even speak?

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Sadness Pantone 288 C

“Since I was a little boy, I’ve always tried to be helpful and caring. I was at a bar with my sister a couple months ago and this woman was scanning the floor around us multiple times. It was appaernt that she lost something, so I went to the flash on my phone and turned it on . After doing it, she looked at me with confusion then kept searching.

While she continued to look around I said, “Ma’am , could I help you find what you’re looking for? Four eyes are better than two.“ She turned to me and said, “If I needed your help, I would’ve asked. You people never understand.“

What is that supposed to mean? How do you allow your ignorance prevent you from getting help?

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Happiness Pantone 1655 C

“I normally try to avoid being in public places for too long because I don’t like close contact or being stared at. As I was grocery shopping in Publix, this older white woman and her husband kept looking at me. I moved to another aisle for the rest of my list because I didn’t get why they were both glaring so hard. I put my bread in the cart and the couple appeared again. This time, they were both staring at me and smiling. The woman approached my cart and said, “My husband and I were staring at you because your hair reminds us of our old friends from college.“ Her husband came up behind her and said, “Don’t cut it until you start balding because it makes you stand out, kid.“

Why did them staring immediately make me think the worst?

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Confidence Pantone 1365 C

“I’ve always been my own worst critic when it comes to most things, but especially my artwork. In high school we were required to submit a photograph from our latest project and I didn’t feel confident in any of my pieces. Once I explained that to my teacher she said, ‘you might not see how great something is until someone proves it to you.’ After talking, we agreed that she could submit one of my images. Two weeks later she came in with certificates and as soon as I saw them, I knew one wasn’t for me; but I had won first place. She handed the medal to me and said, ‘this is me proving it to you.’”

Why did I doubt myself so quickly without having a valid reason?

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Success Pantone 802 C “I walked up the steps of this cathedral and felt every nerve in my body doing jumping jacks. I fumbled with my camera and headed into my first event shoot with little to no preparation. As the event went on, and I became more comfortable with the crowd, I finally felt in my element. As the event was ending, different people started coming up to me asking for business cards, my website, etc.

I had never been more surprised because it was the first time I did a shoot and everyone was asking for materials I hadn’t even made yet. This woman walked up to me and said, ‘You are so level headed and worked so well with us. Please take my number because I would love for you to take my engagement pictures.“ Why did I assume she was going to underpay me when she’s brought more than a third of my clients?

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