Post 5- Art of my mind Kenneth Maldonado

 Welcome back to a late but still here post. Ill be looking at quotes that Carrie Mae Weems says. And responding to it. 

Page (89) pdf

In most every black person's life today, home is where you find it, just where you find it. To me this suggests open possibility that home can be for me Portland, Oregon, to the same extent that it can be New York or Ghana or Maui or Senegal. It doesn't; matter. 

I Agree with her saying. Home is where you find it or where you move. I moved from NY to NJ and NJ is my home now. Do I miss my old place. Sometimes but that goes with nostalgia. Especially if the place you live in now is better than your previous home. She has another quote later on in the text that continues with her and moving. 

Page 88 or 103(pdf)

 ideas that ground the work emerge from my critical reflections about stability and from ideas of wholeness.

I can see this in Other peoples work. Not mine. Seems like there is an endless supply of artist who do this either from stability or lack there of. Others just do what they do with or without a reason. A wholeness in nothingness almost seems to contradict but you can also kinda feel it in a sense. Almost like your in a pool and the water surrounds you. 

The man walking

POST 5 - ART ON MY MIND - Suzie Barretto

 READ: 

Art on My Mind by bell hooks 

Talking Art with Carrie Mae Weems pdf pages 89-108 (pages from the book 74-93)

pdf linked here: https://www.are.na/block/19364636 

2 quotes and short response for each quote.

________________________________________________________________________

Quote 1:

“CMW: Home for me is both mysterious and mythic– the known and the unknown [...] the movement of my family, leaving Mississippi, traveling from the South to the North, that kind of migration. I wanted to know how I fit into that as a woman who was already starting to move around, starting to travel, and digging, digging.”

(pg. 75)

- I picked this quote because certain words stood out to me, specifically “mysterious and mythic” and “travel, and digging.” With the context of Weems’s work and her exploration of identity and belonging considered, her word choice reinforces these themes. Words like “mythic” and “mysterious” suggest that home is not just a physical place but also something hard to put into words, like an emotional and perhaps also a cultural construct. She added a kind of otherworldliness to it, which I liked, and I found it accurate when you see a symbol for home being shown in art– it always varies. For Weems, home is not just a defined or static place but rather something dynamic and layered, shaped by the known (her family’s history of migration from the South to the North) and the unknown (the emotional and cultural gaps left by displacement).  

Now, her use of the word “digging” was interesting to me as it implies a laborious, hands-on approach to understanding her roots, having to find her family’s past to piece together a clearer sense of her present. And as a woman who is “starting to move around,” Weems also highlights how gender and migration can come together, showing how her personal journey is shaped by both her family’s history and her own identity as an artist and (I'm assuming) avid traveler. I find this constant pull back and forth of being rooted in history while in constant motion evolving in the present as a great reflection on the Black experience of exile and diaspora, where home can often be redefined through art.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Quote 2:

“CMW: I've been thinking about ways of forcing the issues, when it comes to the way in which the work gets talked about in the world. You know, I feel I can't sit back anymore and just allow people to do whatever the fuck they want to do around the work, particularly when it becomes truly disinformation.”

(pg.82)

- This quote really stood out to me because of the clear frustration and yearning for action. After having a discussion about the colonizer’s gaze, Weems clearly refuses to let her work be misinterpreted. I agree with the idea and sentiment around Black art in general being often overlooked or oversimplified by critics and audiences. Weems's concerns over the spread of “disinformation” is very real and something I feel is still so relevant today in the social and political realm. With a problem like this, I can see why there are people who reduce her work as simply stereotypical, ignoring its complexity and racial themes. I admire that Weems is determined to be in control of the narrative around her art, challenging critics and viewers to engage with the meaning of it. This reflects her broader commitment to decolonizing the gaze and creating a space for Black artists to define their own work. It also speaks to the power dynamics in the art world, where Black artists seem to be misrepresented more than white artists. By “forcing the issues,” Weems is not only advocating for her own work but also pushing for more respectful critical discourse around Black art. Her stance is a great reminder that art is not just about creation but also about how it is received, interpreted, and valued in the world.

Olga D._ post 2 influences in Art Practice

In my ceramic work I am thinking a lot about ceramic artists of Ancient world of Greece, and Old Europe (pre-Indo-European Neolithic and Copper Age culture or civilisation in Southeast Europe, centred in the Lower Danube Valley. c. 6000—3500 BC). 

Even though I don't know names of these artists and masters of long time ago, I do feel their presence when I look at the ancient ceramic at the museums. I feel that we all are parts of that circle of artists in space and time. -- and we all do that beautiful magic of Art Creation.

4-Write 2-3 paragraphs about yourself, the artist(s) who influence you, describe some of your artwork and what motivates you to make work and explore the creative process. Please include any social issues that you are passionate about, and how you were inspired by the artist(s) you chose. Who are you? What artwork do you make? What artwork/artist(s) influences your art practice?

I think one of the issues that I am passionate about is to reduce plastics in the environment; and having beautiful ceramic dishes that last, or, when broken, can be restored, repurposed, or even if discarded,  won't contaminate the soil with plastics, but just return back to being a mineral.  


5-Post the two quotes from the Susan Sontag article that stuck out to you and your short response to these quotes and how these ideas might connect to your artwork.

“with still photographs the image is also an object" --

To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed.
photographic images, which now provide most of the knowledge people have about the look of the past

Photographed images [do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it,] miniatures of reality ... and ... package the world


“The photograph in a book is, obviously, the image of an image.“ -- here Ms. Sontag reminds me that a photograph started as a very material object, made of actual various materials like glass, metal, paper, silver and lots of chemicals; and requiring special Dark Room spaces for even just one little photographic object to exist.

Edward S. Eberle 

Somewhere Vase, 1989  Porcelain Terra Sigillata  Margaret Pennington Collection

Fired Clay Cucuteni, Vorniceni, 4050–3850 BCE Botoşani County Museum, Botoşani, Romania. Photo: Marius Amarie

Post 5 Art on My Mind by bell hooks Talking Art with Carrie Mae Weems- Francis Troy

  “You know, we have to make art work for us within the context of our own individual belief systems. I've often thought about this. How do you do this with photography? How do you describe complex experiences in a photograph? What are the sights of it? What should it have to look like? What does it have to challenge? To whom is it challenging? You know, who's it for? All

those kinds of questions are constantly shifting for me. The moment' that

I think when I have it locked down, it is the moment in which it flips; you

can't talk about the pros without talking about the cons. You can't talk

about the "positives" without talking about the "negatives." And you

can't talk about the truths without talking about the untruths.”- Carrie Mae Weems

To me, this above quote from Mae Weems seems to discuss that any art we make will always be tied into our individual perceptions. How this interacts with photography is interesting, due to the fact that photography is capturing a moment in time, which can make one question how this can be tied to the photographer's perceptions. However, the very act of taking your photo, and the reasoning and positioning of the photo affect the outcome of the picture, and can really only have come out the way it did because of the photographer's choosing. 

“The assumption that our ability as artists is restricted to our only

being able to deal meaningfully with the question of race and rage

overdetermines critical perception.”- Carrie Mae Weems

The above quote means, to me, that an artist should not allow meaning to dictate what kind of art they make, nor when and where. An artist Must focus on creating and having an outlet for their creativity and voice.

“In most every black person's life today, home is where you find it, just where you find it. To me this suggests open possibility that home can be for me Portland, Oregon, to the same extent that it can

be New York or Ghana or Maui or Senegal. It doesn't matter” -Carrie Mae Weems

Marrie Mae Weems seems to answer questions with a strong consideration of her past, and the events that led to her upbringing.  There is a certain openness to her dialogue that fits well with her more introspective elements of her work and discussion. 

post 5 art on my mind - fatima flores

“You know, when I look at the Kitchen Table series what immediately surfaces is a visceral connection with a heterosexual convergence of pleasure and danger, of power and desire.”

- it's the feeling of seeing artwork so impactful, that the emotions take over; confusion, rage, curiosity, regret, pain, happiness, anger, etc. weems, in her interview, states that the viewers, mostly white and black audiences, can’t figure out if her ‘kitchen table’ series is mostly on victimization, specifically black victimization. she explains more further that people jump past conclusions and automatically think victimization, because black people are rarely seen in photographs . 

"Your work compels recognition of race and representation even as it moves beyond race to an exploration of gender and power that has universal implications. Many of your images of black women and men raise issues about the politics of gender in our lives." 

- artwork can become impactful, whether it’s from weem’s ‘kitchen table’ series, or a painting at the MoMA. photographs, paintings, drawings may not have words but you can look at the artwork and think, ‘this artwork is very meaningful. i feel full, knowing people are more aware of the lack (insert social injustice) in society.’ weem’s ‘kitchen table’ series was also to represent the lack of black actors/actresses in hollywood. 

Francis Troy -Go to an Art Exhibition (Novado Gallery)

 On Tuesday, February 25th, I visited the Novado Gallery in the downtown area of Jersey City. I had originally intended to visit the deep space gallery, but they are open to appointment only on most days of the week. With that being said, the Novado gallery was quite enjoyable. Various artists along with various different mediums were on display on the gallery. Despite the small space, the gallery used it’s limited area well. All of the workers were able to breathe and felt they all had their proper places.

Works ranging from OIl on canvas, various mixed media works, metal canvases,  clay moldings, metal casting and various other works with acrylic and other mediums of paint and mixing. It was very inspiring to see all of these works made in various and even ‘mundane’ ways. It helped open the veil much wider in concerns to breaking into the art field as a full-time artist, and not simply someone looking into ‘growing’ into an artist proper, but realizing you already are a proper artist, and to kick into a high gear to get things moving in the right direction. Various works their were very abstract, reminiscent of flowing electricity, energy or a representation of technology, while some works evoked the same imagery as a household wall or closet door. The 3-d works took great care with interacting within a 3-d environment, while some of the paintings evoked the same imagery as religious and renaissance paintings, but using alot fewer oranges, focusing on blues and whites. 

Post 5: Talking Art with Carrie Mae Weems

 Pg 94 PDF: "The assumption that our ability as artists is restricted to our only being able to deal meaningfully with the question of race and rage overdetermines critical perception. ."

Bell Hooks brings up white critics that has greatly missed the meaning that is happening with Carrie Mae Weems's work. She emphasizes how the audience that are viewing the artwork only focuses on race itself, not realizing there is more underneath the surface. Most white people assume that they can't relate to Carrie Mae Weems's paintings, just because the subject is black. However, it should be seen as just a subject around their surrounds that makes the story, rather than the subject being black as the story, such as the kitchen table series.

Pg 104 PDF: "The work is very, very, class-based. It is working class-based; I think that reality shapes the pictures-the way the images are constructed. I'm very interested in ideas about blues and jazz, that expressive musical culture. That's where I function." 

Carrie Mae Weems replies to Bell Hooks when it comes to different types of blues, she brought up how she thought of her work when listening to one of the singers. Carrie Mae Weems compares her work to the blues, where people listen to more of the music rather than the words that the singer is saying, explaining how there is a deeper meaning within the lyrics. Bell Hooks mentions one line "I've had my fun if I don't get well no more", Muddy Waters, and it hints to different types of alinements such as AIDS, cancer, diseases and more. 

Post 5: Bell Hooks + Carrie Mae Weems; "Art on my Mind" Responses - CTF

 Clayton Feeley

2/27/2025

Bell Hooks: "Art on my Mind" and Responses:

"If a few individuals don't see something in a creative work, does that mean this thing doesn't exist?' - Bell Hooks (pg.87)

Response: 

This quote made me reflect on how, as artists, we sometimes feel that our work only becomes “real” or valid through others' recognition. While it’s important for our work to communicate effectively, cliques and selective appreciation are inevitable. Just because someone doesn’t grasp a concept in your art doesn’t make it any less "real" or meaningful. Some art simply isn’t for everyone—and that’s okay.

  "Despite the tenacity of white supremacy as a worldview that overdetermines the production of images in this society, no power is absolute to the imagination. The practice of freedom in daily life, and that includes artistic freedom, is always a liberatory act that begins with the will to imagine"- Carrie Mae Weems (pg.97).

Response:

I love this quote. White supremacy is deeply embedded in what we consider art—even shaping ideas of what’s “good” or “beautiful.” So often, art is praised because it centers whiteness, reinforcing outdated ideals of purity and femininity. But what it can’t control is the imagination—the freedom to think, create, and express yourself in your work. No system has total control over the imagination. Exploring that is liberation.

Notes:

• White supremacy and Patriarchy play a big part in how people perceive what "real art" is.
• Confusion or not understanding a topic does not make art any less "real". 
• Topics of Blackness, Feminity, Decolonizing art, Reclaiming Bodly Autonomy and Resilience.
• Imagination is unlimited, explore it freely. 

Post 3 - Interview: Le’Andra LeSeur / BOMB Magazine - Carla Herrera

Le’Andra LeSeur, Black Queer Artist 

Work 

• Poet before an artist 

• Video Installation 

• Painting 

• Using body as a central theme  

• Uses color to explore identity 

• Silhouettes in her work to use perception (Literal understanding) 

• Reflects on her identity (Black and queer) (Minority Label) 

• Works explores the coexistence of grief and joy 

• Work challenges the art of consumption (Viewer’s understanding, who her audience is.) 

 

Themes  

• Self-acceptance 

• Transformation 

Notes 

• Using light as an entry point in a space  
  Use color as an invite 

Using primary colors red and blue (colors of freedom)  

 

Why did they use silhouettes? 

• To capture gaze and control the space (challenges gaze and perception) 

• To embody movement and spirit (rather than being a tangible body)  

• Body used as a vision than a solidified meaning)  

• This makes space for more understanding of her work than herself as black queer artist 

 

What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning. 
 
- LeSeur was inspired by using the body as a central theme and exploring identity to use perception. In other words, self-acceptance and using transformation to create her work. Her creativity starts from the foundation of using movements and using the body as a vision and spirit to guide her. 
 
- Me: What motivates me to create work is the artwork from other artists. Their artwork sparks my creativity to make work that is conceptional or abstract. It depends on what my current interests are as it shifts so often.  

 
How does your choice of material, process, aesthetic, content, etc. reinforce your message? 

• The materials / content I decide on reinforce my message by visual support. Depending on what I decide on, it can provide different understanding for viewers. Perhaps my message can be direct or directional to another type of content I am trying to show my viewers. 

 

Four interviews from the Under the Influence  

 

Who was your most important teacher? 

• My most important teacher is my cousin. She has taught me a lot in terms of understanding how society works and how I can or cannot influence it. What my limits are depends on what I am trying to achieve and how the only real limit is the one you set on yourself.  

Which artist has most influenced you? 

• The artist that has influenced me the most is Andre Masson. His mindset and artwork on surrealism has taught me how to let go of what artwork can look like. Instead, it can be a flow of work that just coincides with things we believe we see or know.  

What is your favorite artwork? 
- My favorite artwork is “Starry Night and the Astronauts” by Alma Thomas  

What exhibition had the most influence on you? 
- MoMA, 1950s-70s collection. These decades have been the experimental points of surrealism, abstract and experimental artwork. I love the process and definite product of what different artists have done because there is no contextual point in some work that leads to this consumption of art 

What is your favorite museum? 

- Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens (FL). Mixture of nature and an art museum of different artists. The museum and garden are about Japanese culture and history. It develops interests in Japanese artists and the culture around it.  

What book has influenced you the most? 
I do not remember a book that has strongly influenced me. (N/A) 

What other creative fields/disciplines influence you? 
- Printmaking, Photography, Graphic Design, (Mixture of physical and digital work) 

Have you ever made a choice that was influenced by someone's critique or feedback? 
- Yes! I often consider people’s critique or feedback because I like to implement choices that will help me grow as an artist and person.  

Who do you think your influence has been as an artist? 
- N/A 

Is there an experience that influenced you to become an artist? 
- The creative freedom art provides has made me gravitate toward it. 

Which collaborators have influenced your work? 
- N/A  

- Which artists, living or non-living, have influenced you? 
- Andre Masson 

- Alma Thomas  

- Ana Mendieta 

- Van Goh 

ETC 

What writing has resonated with you over time? 
- “Just because you have not done it, does not mean you cannot do it” 

I remember reading this on someone’s shoebox (oddly enough)  

It just reminds me that the possibilities are endless.  

What's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about your art? 
- I do not remember exactly..  

What advice would you give to an aspiring artist? 

-I am not qualified to give another artist advice I feel like. However, I would say, do not stop. This can be exactly what they need to hear.