This week we continue our Black History exploration. I have selected a range of artists who explore a wide range of topics in their work, researchers, poets and designers who work in textiles, photography, collage and paint. I wanted to hilight the importance of a wide practice and cultural awareness and not limiting yourself to one outcome. There are a number of starting points for you to explore but follow the links to find even more exciting and powerful work. As we begin the half term, I hope you all have a purposeful break, full of exciting experiences and restful opportunities. For the first year, congratulations on making it to the first half term. Loads of excellent work has been produced, trips and exhibitions. You've made new friends and started new subjects; you learnt new things and there is loads more for you to discover. View that with enthusiasm and excitement and the next term will be even better.
ARTIST: LAKWENA
Lakwena Maciver is an graphic artist with a focus on text and large scale graffiti work. a hugely positive message is usually expressed with a slightly subversive tone. Her images are bright and bold and aim to bring communities together.
she has an exhibition opening at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in a couple of weeks, so you could visit and see these impressive pieces yourself.
TV: Whoever Heard of a Black Artist? Britain's Hidden Art History
This is a documentary that hilights the many great black artists who have been ignored by the white art establishment for many years. Sonya Boyce explore archives and talks to artists as she curates a show that was on display at Manchester in 2018. it was a great exhibition, both in design and display, aswell as exploring political and cultural identities, so go and explore what you no doubt, missed first time around.
A short hilight of the doc is here too.
MUSIC: ANGELINE MORRISON
Angeline Morrison is a folk musician who I read about in the Guardian and then she was on this week's Jool's Holland, alongside loads of other great bands. Her minimal story telling style is haunting and beautiful with themes of black experience and history, well worth a listen.
She says.... “The traditional songs of the UK are rich with storytelling, and you can find songs with examples of almost any kind of situation or person you can think of,” she says. “While people of the African diaspora have been present in these islands since Roman times, their histories are little known – and these histories don’t tend to appear in the folk songs of these islands.”
ARTIST: Cecilia Vicuña
Chilean Cecilia Vicuña's lastest sculpture has just gone on show in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. This Poet and textile artist is well known for her large woolen and textile hangings exploring themes of tradition, ecology, community, and social justice.
Her work in the Tate also physically captures found materials from the River Thames. Evoking a found or lost history. The pieces themselves are very impressive to see and the natural materials give them a familiar and comfortable feel, with contrasts with the large scale.
Vicuña is widely exhibited so maybe you could see her work someone soon.
How could you display themes of tradition, ecology, community, and social justice? How could you make your textile work more ambitious?
ARTIST: INGRID POLLARD
Ingrid Pollard is a photographer, researcher and creative who produces work that reflects what it means to be a Black person in the world. With reference to tradition, archive, historical and personal experience. Her work Ocean's Apart is currently on display at Tate Liverpool. I thought it was great, a mixture of holiday photos mixed with maps and tales of slavery and loss. Separation from family across the world whilst sharing happy times with others.
"Pollard juxtaposes historical imagery of British colonisation and slavery in the Atlantic world with personal family photographs accompanied by brief first-person texts."
Her mix of text, image and collage was a great way to get a range of ideas across, she's a good person to explore as we enter these final weeks of component 1.
Her pastoral interlude work reminds me of an excellent article about people of colour and getting into nature. We are surrounded by countryside here, but which of you is out there discovering it? You can read the article by clicking on this link, but their is plenty more to read too.
WEB: HIGHSNOBEITY
Another week another great, culture, fashion and trend website, magazine and Youtube. Full of everything that is cool at the moment.
Some really interesting articles about a wide range of subjects. One you might find interesting is discussed how youth culture is inspiring high fashion. You can read that here.
Like last week, you should at least have a passing awareness of Highsnobiety if you want to work in the creative industry. Even if the articles are not for you you, should be aware of it's cultural impact.