African Restored (Cheryl as Cleopatra is artwork by Kerry James Marshall. This work is the shape of Africa as a cubist sculpture.
it offers a complex meditation on African ancestry and black aesthetics. Africa Restored formally references the nkisi nkondi, or power figures, of the Democratic Republic of Congo. These sculptures were crafted as basic armatures into which accretions of metals, mirrors, and nails were driven to activate their force. – (Art Institute of Chicago)
June 19, 1865
It was the day African Americans found out the war was over.
It was the day they found out they were free.
After years of slavery, they were free.
There has been a celebration every year since.
It reminds us that our freedom date is different than their freedom date.
Freedom is fought for.
Rioters remind us of that this year.
tell the truth and shame the devil #africanamerican #women #truth https://etsy.me/2zOUe0g
You can order my artwork at https://www.ArtPal.com/uppcreative?r=103562
The Protests
Faith Ringgold’s Black Light Series #7 Ego Painting was created in 1969. Inspired by the textile designs of the Kuba Kingdom of Democratic Republic of the Congo, she addresses blackness as a color and an identity.
This is on exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago.
TV Talk With The Sistas
In this podcast, two sisters chat about iconic television shows and their impact on the African American and American culture. We are available on Stitcher, Apple, Google, and Spotify.
Episode One
The Sistas examine the 1970s hit Sanford and Son starring Redd Foxx and the British murder mystery series, Midsomer Murders.
Episode Two
The Girls focus on the Netflix series The Crown and the 1980s crime drama In the Heat of the Night. They find similar qualities in the way they tell their stories.
Episode Three
The Girls focus on the 1980s Norman Lear sitcom The Jeffersons and the Netflix limited series Self Made: The Madam CJ Walker Story. They examine the impact of these stories on African American culture.
Episode Four
The Sistas talk about the James Bond,007 franchise and the impact they think it has had on society and culture. These two Bond lovers go toe to toe over who is the best Bond. They also introduce you to their rating system
Episode Five
The Sistas talk about how shows like Designing Women and Living Single brought a strong message about women from the 1980s and 90s. Even though one show was geared toward a Caucasian audience, the other an African American, they both created moments that are still funny today. They created timeless comedy but uplifted their subject matter.
Listen up…Episode 5
I watched Dave Chappelle this morning and I thought there is something in today’s circumstances that deeply affects us all. Chappelle did a short comedy show titled, 8:46 to speak to recent events of the death of George Floyd and the riots. The numbers signify the amount of time police officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on the neck of George Floyd.
The comedian spoke through his pain and anger which was hardly funny but very true. It gave us a moment of new normal.
Chappelle pointed out that not everyone will respond to recent events the same way or at the same time. We have to give people space to process what is happening around us. We need to see the consequences of our neglect.
This art reflects the state of rage we are in. It is something that consumes us. How it is dealt with will determine if it is squelched or inflamed.
UPP Creative Media 