December 2023
*exhibited in School of the Art Institute (2023), Siragusa Gallery (2024) and Cellophane (2024)
Individualism v Collectivism
85" x 176"
Black out poetry on cardstock
Individualism v Collectivism is an installation of black out poetry with the original source material being from a presidential speech.
I have so many mixed feelings about this piece. The first time I showed this piece was for a class and my teacher (old British white man) did not understand it at all. I figured maybe it wasn't as good or thought out as I expected. The second place I showed it was an intimate work showing among co-workers. The people putting it on, however, didn't fully prepare for my piece and the install was not as well as I'd prefer. The reception was also lackluster and didn't give me a lot of hope for this piece.
But, since I was required to contribute to a gallery show for another one of my classes, I decided to try it again. I was nervous about the reception to this piece but honestly...
I've spent a lot of my time at SAIC wondering if I'm even good enough to be pursuing this dream. I mean, part of going to school is to get better and I've seen a lot of growth from when I first started to now. But it's definitely intimidating being surrounded by people who's parents obviously had money to set their children up so they could come to this school prepared for jumpstarting their adulthood. This was the first time I felt like my work was good enough to bet on. My teacher and my classmates really propped me up in a way I didn't know I needed.
Hopefully in the future, as my lovely teacher Asha advised, I'll rework it to be a work that could be sold as individual pieces.
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