"The pen is mightier than the sword," says the old adage, but, in our visually oriented world, it is not rare to find yourself stuck for words that may truly express your feelings or fill the heart of your readers with burning passion.
Luckily for us, there are artists out there who are using different mediums to recount us poignant stories or prompt us to ponder more about very important issues: for example, the creative minds in involved in "The Fabric of Emancipation" show have chosen humble tools and materials such as needles, threads and textiles to spark a conversation about themes such as racism, discrimination, freedom and civil rights.
Curated by Harlem Needle Arts (HNA), a cultural arts institute designed to preserve and promote fiber and needle arts in the African Diaspora, and taking place at the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest colonial house in Manhattan that served as a headquarters for George Washington in 1776, this show brings together Sara Bunn, Michael Cummings, Ife Felix, L'Merchie Frazier, Laura R. Gadson, Dindga McCannon, Heather Marie Scholl and LaShawnda Crowe Storm (in collaboration with poet M. Eliza Hamilton Abegunde).
These diverse artists examine through different materials, styles and techniques - including quilt, embroidery, mix-media, clothing and fiber fusion - their personal identity, socio-political issues, history, oppression and injustices.
"The creative license of the artists to spark conversation about the correlation between the history of the mansion and the social revolution of today creates vocabulary and space for the viewer to evaluate the context of the Americas then and Americas now. The artists are griots using thread as their base medium and their collective work represents the intersection of the invisible, the interpretation of oral history, the trauma of silence, African rituals and the continuous struggle for liberation," explains Michelle Bishop, founder and executive director of Harlem Needle Arts.
Felix symbolises the diversity in American history and culture in a colourful quilt that combines reproductions of fabric designs from 1892 and modern fabrics, while Cummings opted for the same medium to comment upon human equality and freedom through a piece that integrates lyrics of songs synonymous with the civil rights struggle.
McCannon's quilted piece is a comment about a Harlem Artist Diva who survived racism, sexism and feminism, only to meet a new "-ism", ageism, while Frazier's looks more like a tapestry.
Inspired by a quote from Paul Robeson about the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the tapestry juxtaposes the lives of the inhabitants of the house with the lives of the black family of servants, focusing on their children.
Laura R.Gadson's triptych entitled "Conversations in Cotton: The Fabric of Our Lives", comprises three T-shirts on which news media articles, social media posts and the current events of the last few years were collaged together, inviting visitors to pause and think about inclusion, equality and the shootings of black unarmed men by the police.
Two installations occupy wider spaces in the mansion - "Be/Coming by LaShawnda Crowe Storm, in conjunction with poet M. Eliza Hamilton, and Sara Bunn's "A Day in the Life of Seneca Village".
The former moves from masquerade traditions found throughout Africa, particularly Gelede (honoring female mystical power) and Egungun of the Yoruba (Nigeria; honoring the collective ancestors of an individual person or group).
The woman in the installation reclaims her primordial power and transforms her African identity, while at the same time rebuilding and crafting an American one. The piece is a collective effort since various people worked on weaving the fabric, stringing the beads, writing stories about important women in their lives to display with the exhibition, or donated human hair to construct the wig.
Bunn's "A Day in the Life of Seneca Village: 'We Wore More Than Shackles' 1827 – 1858" looks at the four principle land owners of the self-sustaining community of free Africans called Seneca Village, presenting them in a positive way as boldly dressed individuals and not down trodden slaves.
The piece represents Mrs. Jumel secretly hosting an abolitionists' meeting designed to help her cook Anne Northup, wife of the kidnapped and enslaved black musician Solomon Northup, to find her husband.
Heather Marie Scholl's Whitework pieces (remember? we saw Scholl working on them in a previous post) are probably among the most disturbing projects she has worked so far: seen from a distance, they look like perfect examples of traditional whitework embroidery (white thread on white fabric). Yet, by exploring them closer, you realise that there are deeper meanings behind them.
"The Heroine's Veil" addresses the "white saviour" role, while "A (white) Woman's Work" depicts cruel scenes of a picnic lynching. In this way, Scholl explores how whiteness was created, how it functions, and the role of white women in making racism becoming palatable and acceptable.
Bishop hopes the works will help reimagining the world of needle arts, but, you can be sure, they will also prompt visitors to think critically, research and become culturally aware that Africans in the Americas have an identity which is fractured but stands on centuries of history.
All the artists taking part in "The Fabric of Emancipation" examine their personal identity, cultural worth and what it means to be liberated in the Americas. Can you take us through these themes in connection with your pieces?
Heather Marie Scholl: I would add to that description of the themes that this show is particularly concerned with the humanity of and cultural history of Africans in the Americas. My work is most powerful when I find a personal narrative within any theme I work with. The issue of identity and liberation in the context of African lives is deeply personal for me, and I want it to be personal for more white people. The first piece, "The Heroine's Veil" discusses the white saviour complex. This story is part of my family history of Quakers and white people who "wanted to help". As I grew up and understood the complexity of race in America I began to see how many of these helping roles perpetuate the divide between white and black communities by reaffirming beliefs of paternalism and helplessness. The piece is also beginning to discuss how as white people our liberation is caught up in the liberation of black and brown Americans. I am very aware of how my existence in a system of white supremacy limits my own freedom, and I hope to reveal that to others. The second piece "A (white) Woman's Work" explores my identity as a woman and the unique role we have played in continuing mythologies of race and difference. By using a picnic lynching scene I highlight not just the brutality of the lynching, but the brutality of how women helped making these events family affairs. As women we are the nurtures, the homemakers, the ones concerned with creating beauty and peace at home. Those can be beautiful things. However, as this piece illustrates, in the context of white supremacy this means normalizing the violence of white men, it means passing on values of "morality" that do not include valuing black lives.
So your Whitework pieces hide a specific narrative about white supremacy...
Heather Marie Scholl: I wouldn't say it's hidden exactly... But, yes, the Whitework pieces reveal layers about how women have contributed to the history and maintenance of white supremacy. The work began because I realized I could no longer let fear keep me from addressing issues of racism in my work. And as a white person I felt it was important to explore my unique history and role in American racism. By focusing on women's roles I was able to make it personal. And this work should be personal. We tend to expend a lot of energy distancing our selves from this racial history. In this work and in how I discuss it I take a strong stand in saying "I and We", placing myself within this narrative. Whether I know the specific stories or not, my ancestors played a role in maintaining white supremacy.
"The Fabric of Emancipation" is on at the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest colonial house in Manhattan: architecturally speaking, in which ways does this place inspire you or inspires the stories behind your whitework pieces?
Heather Marie Scholl: I found it extremely exciting to have this work in a historic colonial house. I am particularly concerned with how women's role merges with the construction of whiteness. Home is where we are taught so many lessons about life, about morality, about what is and isn't ok, when to express something and when not to. It is part of the history of motherhood, the history of home life. Historic institutions were the birth place of so many of our American ideals, ideals rooted in white superiority and racism. As a nation, we have not been good at learning from our past, or even teaching our children an accurate history. To be able to share this work that is concerned with history, but is also connected to an emotional and human core is deeply important to me and to the work of anti-racism. Also, I have always been visually drawn to old buildings. My aesthetic naturally blends into the way things were made in the 1700s, like this Mansion. The craftsmanship put into each element in the home at this time, gives me a thrill that's hard to describe. I walked into another historic home last year and I knew Whitework would eventually be shown in a similar setting. I had no idea it would be so soon!
I know you're planning to release a video about your work, is this the first time you do so and what will the video be about?
Heather Marie Scholl: Yes, this is the first time I will be releasing a video about my work. I want to find ways to engage with the work beyond a museum setting. I am interested in how to allow the work and themes to transcend location and medium. The video is an interview with me discussing the themes of the work and will include footage of the pieces in the space. As the work is white thread on white fabric, still images can loose a lot of the detail. A video will allow the viewer to see the detail more easily.
Can you also tell us more about the launch of a street art portion of whitework?
Heather Marie Scholl: I began the street art portion last year with a sticker campaign (you can still purchase the stickers here). But over the last few months I realized I needed to do something bigger. In NYC, stickers and posters are just part of the scenery even when they are well done, they're expected as a form of creativity and political thought. I am working on a new idea, which will hopefully get unveiled before the end of the year. However, I have not yet decided if I will attach my name to the project. That's all I can say for now!
Considering the themes, issues and topics you have been tackling so far through your work, in your opinion, is the needle mightier than the sword?
Heather Marie Scholl: Right now, the needle is my preferred tool. It's a craft that I am naturally drawn to and it evokes ideas about women's work without being explicit about it. Using embroidery allows me to tell stories while taping into a historic understanding of the forms women's story telling has taken. However, I am committed to always being flexible and letting the work reveal to me the best medium for it. The street art work is going to be a completely new form for me, and I am full of the excitement of trying something new and not really knowing how it will turn out.
How did the exhibition opening go?
Heather Marie Scholl: It was a great opening! Everyone was engaged and curious about the work. A few people told me it "gave them chills" while my partner overheard people saying it was brilliant! A wonderful affirmation of this (very scary...) body of work.
"The Fabric of Emancipation", The Morris-Jumel Mansion, 65 Jumel Terrace, New York City, through October 3rd, 2016.
Image credits for this post
All images courtesy of the artists/Harlem Needle Arts.
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