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Update!

me.mae.i's picture

It's difficult for me to provide a concrete outline at the moment, simply becuase I don't want it to take over how I curate the images I have/will take. But here's some of the planning and work I've been doing:

Theme/Title: From Crazy to Consciousness: The Makings of Black Womynhood

This photo journal/essay (still working out what it is exactly caused) is very much a self reflection. Tapping into my personal perspective/experience to paint a narrative that encompasses this idea of how many view black women as crazy. But when we take off masks and look for truth we see that there is a level of consciousness present that fuels movements, supports families, and perserves humanity. Also, I am going to use art as a way of expressing this. 

PHOTOS:

- self portraits (done)

- shoot w. nyasa (done)

- shoot of strawberry mansion high school + philly (monday)

- review of work I've done (done)

READINGS/POETRY:

Assata: An Autobiography, Assata Shakur (p.62-63) + (Affirmation)  [her poetry to make sense of the painful things she's experiencing] [also changing oneself to be revolutionary]

The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin (p.39-40) [talking about love. I feel like he describes it so concretely and plainly]

The Womanist Idea, Layli Maparyan (Spiritual Activism: The Womanist Approach p.133-141) [talking about this call to action, using spiritual approaches (i.e. meditation) to access a higher consciousness and furthermore use that to make change in the physical world... I'm using this approach and concept as a means of talking about the process of going from crazy to conscious)

-she talks about the Yoruba cosmos so I can connect it to the maternity figure I chose for Art History

-Also nice piece on Buddhist meditation in African American Communities

Beloved, Toni Morrison (Passage about Baby Suggs in the Clearing. Loving the physical body. Dancing. Preaching)

 

Still working on extending this. I have also been re-reading and revising my own writing and poetry in efforts to include it in this project!

 

Thanks, and sorry for the choppiness. But I'm just trying to collect as much material and inspiration this week. And during finals I will sort through all of this to create something beautiful. 

Comments

Anne Dalke's picture

me.mae.i--
thanks for the report, and no need to apologize for its "choppiness." i'm appreciating your checking in, giving me an account both of the work you've done so far, and need to do yet, as well as a larger vision of the whole. i'm very excited to see what will emerge!
til later, a.
p.s. do you know Toots Hibbert's song, "Crazy Conscious"?
if not, listen in @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx_4K2gLsJg