I am continuing to explore areas of figurative and environmental identity as well as combining the classic with the contemporary. My recent trip to Philadelphia was quite inspiring. There I saw a pool of diversity, a range of all races and social classes, something that sometimes seems unfamiliar when within the suburban campus of University of Delaware. I found something beautiful about this range. To see the diverse pool being familiar with one another and being able to co-exist within the same area was quite refreshing. Even the cultural diversity within the train back to Newark, DE was astonishing; it was amazing what diversity a public transportation system, outside the college campus, could provide. I felt so conformable.
With that being said, I am constantly searching images within art history looking for ideas and possible references to mesh with my real life experiences, such as my trip to the city. I am currently looking at works from master painters such as Caravaggio and Martyr depictions including the Death of Marat, which is shown below.
I am currently thinking of possible ways to implement the minority figure into a similar but contemporary environment.
Most recently I have been reading works from W.E.B. Du Bois concerning ideas of double consciousness and contextualizing this information with areas of my own work. Du Bois states that double consciousness is an awareness of one's self as well as an awareness of how others perceive that person. He suggests there is danger because it may result in one changing their identity based on how others perceive the person, based on their stereotype. In my work, I am interested in what happens when a stereotype is placed within the compostion of a master painting and how one may begin to change their ideas.
Favorite Recipe
For Art:
150 ml tube of burnt umber, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, manganese violet, dioxazine purple, raw sienna, titanium white and ivory black, 1 pint of linseed oil, 1 pint of oderless turpentine, 118ml of alkyd glazing gel. Directions: Use your soul.
For Food:
No-Bake Cheesecake!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
- 3/4 cup pecan sandies cookies
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
- 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries (optional)
- In a bowl, mix together crushed cookies and graham crackers with melted butter and the 3 tablespoons sugar.
- Press into a 7 inch springform pan. Place in refrigerator until ready for use.
- In another bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar and lemon juice.
- Whip cream, and fold into cream cheese mixture.
- Spread into pan.
- Top with sliced strawberries (optional). Freeze for 1 hour, covered with foil.
- Place in refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
