Blog Post 1

As I was reading “Telling”, I had not begun to create the art medium that I would use for my project and I honestly did not believe that this chapter would help me create any object to use from what I had read. However, as I designed the combination of pictures and objects to display in class, I realized that the book had a very powerful effect. I had chosen not to just use one object but a conglomeration of objects to create a bigger picture. I believe this is the whole point of “Telling”, learning to see the bigger picture on which the artist is shouting to you through the medium of their art.

Both the speaker and listener hold important roles in the telling process. This is due to the fact of how much power and courage it takes to create a piece of art that speaks out for a cause. The listener must also engage with the artwork in a way to understand it’s meaning and to potentially help the cause of which the artwork is screaming. This is shown in the work done by Lorraine O’Grady whose float in the Afro-American Day Parade showcased the people of Harlem in white clothing with frames in front of them to show that African Americans should be included in classy art and to define their social representation. This medium of art screamed at me when I read it. The power that the speaker displayed with the framing image would be coupled by the courage of the listener and audience to understand how the social system would need to change.

Another medium of art that creates a powerful experience for the speaker and the listener would be the medium of quilting. I had never thought of a quilt in such a light that is shown in Ringgold’s quilts. The creation of the ovals and straight-onlooking faces of the people of Harlem is designed to break down the listener\viewer head on. The eye-to-eye relationship between the quilt and listener will pose as a way to shed light on the political problems faced by the people that have never looked at a person of Harlem in their eyes.

After reading “Telling” have looked at all mediums of art deferentially whether I am the speaker or the listener. Both have equally important roles in which the medium of art speaks to.