July 23 Rader pp. 111-20 (End of 4/Chapter 5); Lampert pp. 199-210 (Chapter 19)
Thanks for yesterday's posts. Lots of histories and stories embedded in posts. melanie posted about the "disconnects people make to do certain things." And/Or what knowledge is not known that allows people to jump to certain judgments and actions? Sarah posts about how dark many of our histories are. It got me to thinking about the updated version of the movie Hairspray with John Travolta and Queen Latifah. One of the main characters yells out "Everyday should be Negro day!" I often quote that now to the "shock" of friends and colleagues. We should be more shocked at what we don't know about our histories.
I use an introductory exercise from a book edited by Susan Cahan and Zoya Kocur called: Contemporary Art and Multicultural America (1996). Under Part 4: Integrating Curriculum and Experience, Chapter 7: American Identity; Lesson 1: Immigration and the United States: Who Are We? is a suggested activity:
1. Divide class into pair(with teacher included as part of a pair if needed).
2. Have students take turns conducting interviews with each other working from the following list of questions or similar questions they develop through class discussion:
A. What is your name? Do you know the meaning of your name?
B. Where ar your parents from?
C. Where are you from?
D. Do you know or use any languages besides English?
E. Do you have relatives in other countries?
F. How long has your family lived in the United States?
G. Why did you family originally come to the United States?
H. What did they encounter when they arrived?
Many students know very little about their own backgrounds. We discuss what surprising things we learned of each other. If it helped us better understand classmates. If we were interested in knowing more about our backgrounds. What we might learn about interviewing a parent or close relative. Similarities we have in common.
Other ideas in the lesson are to brainstorm and have class build reasons people come, voluntarily or not, to the US. And also consider: have reasons changed for emigrating to US; what are some specific circumstances; what similarities exist no matter what the ethnicity; what differences; how does economic and historical circumstances of different countries make immigration experiences to US unique for different peoples; were earlier migrations of Europeans to US motivated by different sets of circumstances?
It also goes into John Ogbu's distinctions between groups who came to the US voluntarily and groups forced to come here. Artists highlighted/used are: David Avalos, Juan Sanchez, and Yolanda Lopez (pp. 234-236)
Using interviews to collect data to then think about art projects was key.
I continue to use this in face-to-face classes to set the tone for the often difficult topics that occur when I teach. It gives us all an avenue to wonder about our pasts. Who am I? Where did I come from? What did my relatives experience? How does that connect to other's experiences? Etc.
Chapter 19 Party Artist: Emory Douglas and the Black Panther Party
ReplyDeleteThis chapter gave me artist background information to the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and 1970s. Once again, police brutality gets mentioned as a core factor in seeking positive social change. "Panther members would then step out of their car armed with law books, cameras, tape recorders, and loaded shotguns [legal in CA] to make sure that the police were not violating the rights of a community member" (p. 200). Wasn't there a similar action in NYC with local people patrolling neighborhoods? Math, stats can sometimes reveal things. For example, it says that out of 600 hundred police officers in Oakland, only 19 were Black. There were huge riots in Detroit, Newark and Watts and many other cities across the US.
I started to think, wow the 70s were really a violent era, but as I recall, almost the entire histories seem to have a lot of violence. Has anyone heard of the phrase "justified anger"? When is anger or violence justified? Who wins? Who loses? How does equitable change occur?
Eventually the BPP redirected to survival programming. Your take on this history and artists involved. Your thoughts?
I agree with the statement, "this community service was born out of necessity," (pg 200). Growing up and bearing about the black panther movement I always remember a negative connotation. Thinking about the black clothes,guns, and angry behavior must have made me think they were a bad group. However, as I am, I side with Emory Douglas when he states that that the non violent movement did not appeal to his nature. At a certain point, holding a sign and not feeling a sense of accomplishment would get tiring. The BPP gets it done. It gives the sense of community by following the police and bearing the right to arm.
DeleteI enjoy Douglas's imagery. He has a thick, linear quail that gives harsh but expressive lines to match the emotion going on at this time. It reminds me of German expressionism work as well,
Chapter 19: Party Artist: Emory Douglas and the Black Panther Party
DeleteReading about Emory’s artwork was interesting because of his illustrations of the battle between the police and African Americans. I is hard to tell the point of view of his work. Who’s side is viewer suppose to be on? The violent images make me have conflicting opinions. I feel empathy with both sides and concerned questions towards both sides as well. The work also raises a good question, are political campaigns considered art? I think so. If I were running for a position in government, I would like something original that a artist would help me with. Creativity is powerful that way.
I would suggest everyone check out the images of The Black Panther to see the color and how powerful the images are. http://www.robertnewman.com/emory-douglas-the-revolutionary-artist-of-the-black-panther-party/ The artwork looks like relief prints, heavy outlines, flat colors, photography, with a play of color and design.
The quote “The People are the backbone to the Artist and not the Artist to the People…the Revolutionary Artist must constantly by agitating the people, but before one agitates the people, as the struggle progresses, one must make strong roots among the masses of the people” ( Lampert , 204) stood out to me. I think this articulates what radical art means and explains the purpose. This can be applied to all that we have read, even through the other book of Engaged Resistance.
Power to the People, the image that “depicts the murder of George Jackson in the San Quentin prison” is alluring (Lampert, 205). I am not sure of the message the poster is trying to make. The profile of the man is from a view like he is lying down against the ground while the blood is dripping from a different point of view into the form of the United States. I perceive the message as the blood from African Americans makes the United States. Was that the message intended for the poster?
Delete“Shoots to Kill” series illustrates different ways on how the African Americans killing the police. I am curious how they got away with publishing this advertisement for action on murder. Those images are so strong that they are still being used as a reference today. For example, in this terrible event of a shooting at police in Florida in 2011. http://pibillwarner.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/black-panthers-alive-and-well-in-st-pete-fl-uhuru-movement-claims-shooting-of-police-in-florida-part-of-growing-trend-of-african-resistance-to-occupation-wtf/ I suggest you guys look more into the images of the original Shoot to Kill series.
In “Warning to America”, Lampert talks about the image of a woman holding a machine gun. I looked up the image and the woman looks very masculine. The artist has a particular style with heavy outlining in detail of the people he illustrates. However, the arm muscles are much defined and the facial features are masculine as well. http://station4.co.uk/gallery/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/edpost1.jpg
I am more fond of the artwork focusing on the survival programs because not only of the content, but also the display of his techniques. I want to see more of his images with this content. I enjoying seeing the hand touch aspect of the work like the strokes of the materials and the blending of the charcoal and graphite. For example the work on page 209. This work has a different tone then a violent one; it is more uplifting. The work has a more positive feeling though the persons face, pose of the person, and scene of the image.
I remember thinking how reasonable the Black Panthers sounded in the book. I understand being a presence for protection. In other things I have read the
DeleteBPP was rooted in the rural south.
DeleteI'm not sure anger is always justified but sometimes it takes us getting angry to finally step up and do what needs to be done! I think that probably what happened in this case as well and the Black Panthers got tired of being pushed around or being beaten that they finally made a stand against it. I would have to! So does that make their anger justified?? I think I would lean towards their side in this case. They were being used and abused and coming from an abusive relationship in the past it took me getting angry and stop being so afraid to finally take action and change my situation. I understand where they are coming from, different circumstance but same result.
DeleteI think anger is almost always justified. You feel what you feel, and telling someone they should feel a specific way invalidates the most human part of them. However, violence is not always justified. I don't think the two go hand in hand. Violence may be okay in cases of self defense but even then I would only be able to defend myself to stop a threat long enough to escape. I don't think I could, for example, be able to shoot a home invader and kill him/her. I could probably shoot him/her in the knee or something, but not to kill.
DeleteWe have been reading about a lot of local artists. Just off the top of your head, how many African American artists can you name? As many as Western Euro artists? Just doing that math thing again. What does it mean if I can't name that many? What could we do in museums and classrooms to incorporate more African American artists in our curricula?
ReplyDeleteI have included the Harlem Renaissance in lessons to include the culture and music and how those aspects are featured in artwork. We would touch on jazz, music, instruments, color, and collage. Other than that time there are just a few other African American artists I can recall. It is the same with Native American and Asian art. I do try and touch on the geography, culture of people, and histories involved in the art.
DeleteThis past school year we went to the local art museum that featured a large Asian art exhibit. I could do the same each year to touch on a different minority culture. There are also more contemporary artists that are African American, Latino, and mixed cultural heritage. Contemporary art isnt rally touched on as often as other past artists and I would really like to find more projects to incorporate with it.
Some disciplines work with ratios to mirror the population. Imagine a text book or an art show with 50% female, 13% African American, 1.2 % Native American, growing Hispanic %. What might it look like?
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DeleteIt's fun to imagine what the art would look like - how would the chapters be divided if a text book. How would the .2% be represented ? Would there need to be an adjustment projecting how many native Americans there would have been without Contact.
African American Artist- Michael Ray Charles (the artist), Faith Ringold, Kara Walker, R Bearden, and Basquiat. Those are the ones I can name. I do have a few lessons that I teach that cover these artist. One during an art history lesson where they research an artist, then create a work of art in their style. The other lesson is during February for Black History Month celebrating famous quotes by African Americans. I can not name any Western Euro artist specifically just know them as Euro Artist. Besides the classics such as Durer, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Picasso, Dali, Cezanne, etc. I use them in the Art history lesson except for Picasso because a lot of nudity comes u when researching him and it is not appropriate to teach all middle school students. There is always some nudity in with artist, but I search for how much is in it and talk about figure drawing to my students before starting that lesson.
DeleteJacob Lawrence and Faith Ringgold are the two that come to mind, I wish I knew more, I try to incorporate more artists each year especially new artists or local or ones that are not famous dead white guys. With my little knowledge of art history and artists I'm learning more and more everyday especially through this program. I think when you don't know that many it's (in my case) because I wasn't taught them when I was younger or during my schooling.
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DeleteThe first two I though of were Maya Angelou and Eddie Dixon. But even though I am terrible with names, I could probably name more white artists.
DeleteRader pp. 111-120
ReplyDeleteWords as Weapons
Does anyone read poetry? And if so, who do you read?
Can poets be heroes?
What would the land mass we call the United States be like without Anglos? (p. 113). Respond to that question posted on page 113. What would you say?
It's funny I almost included a poet as one of the artists in a discussion and changed my mind. Who do I Read? A mix probably-- the romantics most
DeleteFor contemporary African American poetry, I have read Thomas Ellis.
DeleteYes, I believe anyone in any field can be a hero. And there is an account of what life was like at contact in Bernal Diaz's
DeleteMemoir. It's pretty interesting. It's free on Gutenberg.
DeleteGrass taller than men. Animals jumping out of the waving grass like fish--all teeming with life. I imagine it still looking natural. We wouldn't have st Augustine lawns because British landscape
Architecture would not have been such an influence.
DeleteI definitely think poets can be heroes. I think words are very powerful. I know quotes from Buddha and various other religions can be a helpful insight on tough times.
DeleteI personally love Walt Whitman and Maya Angelou. When Angelou died, it was all over the news and her poems and quotes were found all over social media by the people she has touched.
Here is a link of Langston Hughes' poems as well. http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/langston.html
He has a lot speaking to black workers. It reminds me of the stories, dancing, and songs sang about campfires during slavery and Native American pow wows. Both have brought community together.
I agree Sarah that poets can be heroes. Poetry can be strong with the words used. I also think the fewer words used can be strong as well depending on the choice of words.
DeleteI agree with Sarah as well words are very powerful. I am not to fond of poetry mainly because I don't really understand most of what I have attempted to read. I find it very frustrating more than enjoyable to read.
DeleteDo Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss count as poets? I do read them. I also love Emily Dickenson and Maya Angelou. I haven't read much poetry lately because it makes me tired and I have homework to do that.
DeleteRader suggests/states that Native communities "have emerged with a relationship to language that most contemporary Anglos do not and cannot understand" (p. 114). If true, what are some of the Anglo relationships to poetry?
ReplyDeleteRader examines three poets. Your reactions to his analysis of the first two poets? How might/do Anglos feel when their histories are highlighted/pointed out in poems?
Many of these poems seem to be reacting to the roots of "anglo domination and Native subordination" (p. 116). Have you read other poetry or writing that uses similar strategies? Doyou have a relationship at all to any poetry?
I have enjoyed reading some of the poetry in the book. As far as making a connection I have a hard time connecting with any poetry although I will at least try. I think when it is more straightforward instead of all the hidden meanings and ways of describing things in a round about way I just get frustrated and want to give up. It usually takes me talking out loud and discussion with others before I am able to understand what is being portrayed through words. I do find that most are beautifully written.
DeleteI feel a relationship strong and enduring to Dante's divine comedy. It's inclusive from the very beginning using the word our not my.
ReplyDeleteIt's about life's journey and love and redemption and super awful torture for the deserving. It's just is a very literal way-it's visual. It's beautiful.
Here is the first line (longfellow's translation). Midway upon the journey of our life. I found myself within a forest dark.
for the straightforward pathway had been lost.
Do we need to use blogger for our project? I am having a lot of errors pop up on mine that is saying I need to report to blogger as well as I am having a hard time designing
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ReplyDeleteYou mentioned at the top that students know little about their family histories. Could that be because assimilation into the "American Life" was so important. People gave up their cultures and even their names when they came to the States. The immigrants worked very hard to become American and lost their own heritage in the process.
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