|
“Stained Ideologies” | Acrylic | 18x24” Canvas | 2025
Black Art Heals Artist Statement
By David Jackson
This piece was extra gratifying being that I started with a canvas that already had paint on it, mixed with gesso and was a pure mess. I asked Kamora if she liked the idea of starting with this canvas or one that was fresh out the plastic. In true Kamora fashion, I knew the answer – “give us the one that’s a complete mess like the nation’s situation!” Say less! The canvas had these mounded layers of paint which were a fun challenge to navigate. Areas like the upside-down crown were constructed due to this caked up acrylic and gesso combo. Same with the sidewalk cracks, slabs, and grooves. I somehow overlooked my approach, until someone mentioned our setting. We were in a church, and I started by dissecting fragments of color on the surface, subconsciously creating a stained-glass layout. The central direction was dictated by another kind woman who requested the ankh pendant she had around her neck be involved somehow. I told her I’d do her one better and make it the focal point. It became the largest component, and everything spread from there since it’s the essence of life. Speaking of life, the center of the ankh if black, but has hints of metallic colors. This area represents the womb and earth simultaneously. There are two embryonic figures sharing space, holding one another while also holding themselves. Though butting heads, the friction is a gesture of love and compassion for sharing space as twins, or humans in general. It’s also a nod to the genesis of mankind coming from Africa and that we all share the same makeup. As one person described our gathering as a need to hold onto humanity, this imagery came to mind. Unraveling from the ankh are an array of colors. Amplifying our day, was the one and only Sistah Anyangō and The FLYY Movement. She always inspires me to rise to the occasion and interpret the movement and makeup of the room! Looping around and crossing paths, are flying entities, one manmade (plane) and the other a nature made (dove). The plane is heading downward while the dove is swooping onward, upward. This shows that when out of tune with nature, albeit making progress, we may be going against our own design. We ought to take care or pay attention to what we’ve inherited here on earth and learn accordingly. There are notes that are being scattered from the dove’s trail. The trail of notes is also stuffing the back pocket in the lefthand corner. I learned, and later researched, the notion of removing pockets from female clothing in the past. This would prevent them from carrying subversive literature. I wanted these notes to be flowing from the pocket by way of the dove who’s traveling to greener pastures. The dove is headed towards the compass pointing north as the notion we need conscious leaders that have the people’s interests in mind. The word “Action” can be seen as such, but can also be interpreted as “Auction” depending on your perspective. This is particularly interesting when seeing it situated next to the word “vote.” I intentionally designed them this way in proximity to each other because one is in black and red causing a pause for understanding and haste removal. The red also signifies voter suppression. The green background for “Action/Auction” represents movement fueled by capitalism and a squeezed funnel. Together, they capture what someone saying, “we need voting rights for all people and people worth voting for.” When moving, the Poor People’s Army delivered very thoughtful analogies. They mentioned the fact we tend not to ask how fast a train is moving, but perhaps more appropriately, where it’s going. We also often overstate meeting people where they are. What might be worth while is meeting people where they’re going. To illustrate this is the locomotive surpassing the target symbol. This area alone serves as a layered meaning considering the backlash to Target as a company due to their current stances and having the train push through the target’s designated placement. Another powerful element of the Thinking and Doing Day was the concept of organizing. “We want to organize with you in solidarity, but the biggest problem for America’s working class is many of us don’t know we’re in it.” The blue space below the arrow captures this sentiment. The buildings of a skyline surround blue, block lettering that spells, “Working.” Next to the silhouette is a pyramid showing its underbelly. “CL” is deliberately separated from the rest of the word. It shows the separation of us as people and mechanism designed to keep us fragmented to fight each other. The two S’s are dollar signs with implicit green shadows behind them. Together, this line can be identified as “working class” or “working ass” which portray our hustle culture, dehumanizing exploitation, and building an empire on the backs of working-class citizens. As the antithesis to this expression is a symbol of unification. The anomaly of “a rose grown from concrete” is constricted into a space of concentrated beauty. How gorgeous would it be to focus this beauty of solidarity on one goal? We build on exceptionalism our culture. What if we dispel shame of poverty and other isms? The rose, of course, has thorns, being seen as dangerous, rising up against a blank background, a clean slate. The unified petals cut towards the crown and tree tying in what another speaker said, “it’s not enough to chop away the limbs, we must kill the whole tree.” This wraps us around to the other side after recognizing the street’s voice as the root. The day kicked off with the mentality set forth from Wallace’s strong spoken word centering emancipation. This was built upon by the encouragement to leave our ideologies at the door. To free one’s mind and truly be connected to our collective situations, this is essential. We have become accustomed to relying on nonprofits to patch flaws and inadequacies within our system. However, as pointed out, witnessed, and/or experienced by all in the room, our nonprofits are akin to ice cubes being exposed to a fascist, boiling pot. We are at a crucial crossroads to recognize and take action to create a community we want to see.
| 
