The Sequence: A Visualization of Black Studies

 Thailin Newton

A. Harris

ENGL2016-44378

The Sequence: A Visualization of Black Studies

   When it comes to introducing and teaching black studies, the main focal points are taught through readings and discussions. While this is fine, the way we receive or interpret information comes in multiple lenses. Some students are visual learners, and the visual aspects of black studies are seemingly not as highlighted. This is why my major project is a sequence of four portraits to demonstrate an example of “black art” or art depicting black life and experiences. This can also be said about the music in black history, it is mainly touched on the surface. The four images I created are named: Home, The Sea, Horror, and Hope. I chose these names because our descendants started at home, endured the sea and Middle Passage, experienced the horrors of slavery and segregation, and finally in spirit they get to live out the hope of a brighter future for their families. This introduction of black studies can put a focus on how everything is a domino effect and when people do not have the power to use their words, they can always speak volumes through music and visuals.

Home: I took inspiration from Zulu artists, such as Clifford Chemba, who creates paintings called “stick art”. This style of painting and drawing is the most recognizable when researching African Art and depict the lifestyles of African tribes. This includes thin figures, usually painting in black, against a background of bright colors and a range of subjects. I call this piece “Home” because that’s exactly what it depicts, a tribe at home living day to day with minimal disruptions.

The Sea: This painting depicts the weight of the Middle Passage during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. In this intro to black studies, this can allow students to create their own sense of what experiencing the Middle Passage felt like. As we know of the legend of Flying Africans, those who escaped enslavement returned home through a magical passage over the ocean. In the painting, I purposely made the depths of blue dark to show how deep it is believed the bodies of escaped Africans are. However, I only featured the shackles because yes those who silently jumped overboard chained together seemingly perished, their souls are not still shackled together underwater.

Horror: Those who could not escape the ships, endured slavery working plantations notably crops like cotton and grains. They shed their blood daily and many lost their lives while enslaved, which is why red is splattered over this piece. Notice that the forms around the cotton are not coming in contact but are close. This represents the division between white and blacks during segregation. The belief that you’re less than and treated inhumanely is a horror in itself. The burnt orange represents the scolding hot sun that shined down during what felt like an eternity of hard labor and pain felt by those enslaved and freed.

Hope: Lastly, this portrait shows the transaction of a better earth between the hands of future generations and their long-gone ancestors. The world is constantly being molded and the only thing that has not really changed is the prospect of hope. Our ancestors held onto faith with hopes of a better life not only for themselves but for their possible descendants who may not even know of them. Today, they get to live out of the world through these generations where they do what once was thought impossible centuries ago.