BLACK
Dissected & Articulated
/härt/
A hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
/ləNGs/
Two compound saccular organs that constitute the basic respiratory organ of air-breathing vertebrates.
/ˈstəmək/
A saclike expansion of the digestive tract of a vertebrate that is located between the esophagus and duodenum and typically consists of a simple often curved sac with an outer serous covering & a strong muscular wall that contracts rhythmically.
/ˈlivər/
A large lobed glandular organ of vertebrates that secretes bile and causes important changes in many of the substances contained in the blood.
/ˈɡȯlˌbladər/
A membranous muscular sac in which bile from the liver is stored.
/ˈkidnēs/
Bean-shaped organs lying behind the peritoneum in a mass of fatty tissue, and consist chiefly of nephrons by which urine is secreted, collected, and discharged into a main cavity whence it is conveyed by the ureter to the bladder.
/ˈbladər/
A membranous sac in many vertebrates that serves for the temporary retention of urine and discharges by the urethra.
/inˈtestən/
The tubular part of the digestive tract that extends from the stomach to the anus.
/ˈyo͞odərəs/vəˈjīnə/
A muscular organ of the female mammal for containing and usually for nourishing the young during development prior to birth. A canal in a female mammal that leads from the uterus to the external orifice of the genital canal.
"Black" is comprised of a series of ceramic wall sculptures using black clay. Paralleling ideas of dissection and articulation in terms of taxidermy and the cabinet of curiosities, Black quite literally dissects, arranges & organizes representations of internal organs for your viewing pleasure. The concept of this series originates from my own hypochondriac tendencies, mixed with ideas of elegance, sensuality, & body horror. All of these concepts filtered through my own identities & the baggage that these histories carry, has lead to a body of work that is all at once alluring & repulsive.
There is a long history throughout the world of colonization, and the use of blackness as a commodity. Everything from physical bodies to music has been forcibly made available for white consumption. Through the use of black clay and the physical act of the work being hung and available for purchase, the works make a direct connection to the slave auction, implicating the viewer as a participant in the capitalistic game of purchasing black goods. These pieces of black body are on display for one to judge, revere, gawk, ponder, and covet. The choice of using a black clay body extends far beyond aesthetics. What gives this clay its color is the high concentration of the mineral manganese. While harmless when fired, prolonged exposure to this clay dust in it’s raw from, can lead to manganese toxicity. Symptoms of which include, tremors, facial muscle spasms and difficulty walking, often preceded by psychiatric symptoms such as irritability aggressiveness and even hallucinations. Parallels can be drawn between the black experience and manganese toxicity. To have breath in a black body is a hazardous to ones health.