The Pink Gaze

an art blog designed to analyze and critique the art works of BLACK WOMEN.

[thepinkgaze]

Gabrielle’s Colla’G’e 

[thepinkgaze]

“Recovery” ©Akujixxv2016 X  "Still We Rise,“ 2017 by Deborah Roberts

 I chose to put these two works together because it depicts balance. In Recovery by The Artist Akuji, she portrays a black woman therapist and black patient, during what seems like a therapy session. The work and colors are minimal, getting directly to the point. Juxtaposed to Deborah Roberts’, Still We Rise. Which is complicated, bold, and loud. It displays a young black girl in funky printed clothes, clamped fists for hair and her head held high. The Theory Toolbox states that “...cultures influence subjects as much as subjects influence cultures.” (53) The culture of activism influences on how individuals live and care for their personal health. I believed these two photos go together because it shows the connection between black mental health and activism. 

The importance of mental health care is severely under looked in the Black community, being diagnosed with a mental illness is seen as a taboo. The continuous political organizing and activism can take a toll on any individual’s mental health. As said by the great James Baldwin, “to be Black and relatively aware in America is to be in a constant state of rage.” Undeniably, activists are bionic and brilliant people. However, in regards to mental health, we are sensitive and more likely to neglect their mental health due to the tremendous workload that comes with activism.

[thepinkgaze]

“Stealing my essence" © Akujixxv 2015 X  The Lion and the Lamb #1, 2016 by Deborah Roberts 

Black girls are not asked to be young; they are immediately sexualized. They do not get the opportunity to learn their bodies or even what sex is. Theorist, Judith Baker asks about the naturalness in sex. She asks “And what is “sex” anyway? Is it natural, anatomical, chromosomal, or hormonal, and how is a feminist critic to access the scientific discourses which purport to establish such “facts for us?” (182) The question speaks to the ideology that sex is unnatural, and women are only meant to breed, disassociating them from their sexuality. On the left, we have the piece by The Artist Akuji titled “Stealing my essence” depicts a nude Black woman holding fruit to cover her breasts. There are three hands, two Black and one white reaching out to touch her. It is no secret that there is a correlation when it comes the relationship of fruit and the woman’s genitalia. It seems as if the woman is holding her sexuality and femininity. On the right we have Deborah Robert’s The Lion and the Lamb #1, 2016, a black girl’s stern and direct gaze is paired with a smiling mouthful of gold teeth pasted across her crotch. There is the obvious sexual suggestion that contradicts the “absurd” collage bits, which Roberts seems to have carefully selected for their grim lack of sensuality.

[thepinkgaze]

Militant ©Akujixxv2016 X  Deborah Roberts, "We heard the thunder no. 4," (2017)

      There so many complexities when it comes to living as a Black woman, especially when it comes to her fighting for her political rights. The selected pieces “Militant” by and “We heard the thunder no. 4," by Deborah Roberts are side by side because they both scream the words, activism, and resistance. The Black woman fights for everyone but, no one is willing to fight for her. She, the Black woman, is “the most disrespected woman in America” says Malcom X in his excerpt titled Who Taught You to Hate Yourself? It is no secret that people in law enforcement are abusing their power and are killing unarmed people, Black men specifically. When we see activist parties such as Black Lives Matter marching and protesting, it is an example of resistance.            In The Theory Toolbox, it is stated that “…we can see forms of power most clearly when they are brought to light against “resistant” acts or practices that power wants to eradicate.” (218) These two pieces use bold artistic characteristics such as colors, multiple limbs, and the symbolic meaning of the Black power symbol. They all show prime examples of resistance and go against what is seen as culturally or aesthetically appropriate.

[thepinkgaze]

“Its never just been hair” ©Akujixxv  X  My skin is black, my arms are long, my hair is wooley by Deborah Roberts 

        For Black women and young girls, hair has been a sensitive topic in the Black community and the cultural influence. In her digital creation, “Its never just been hair” The Artist Akuji displays two beauty supplies, Pink Lotion and Jam, both which are staples within the Black community. Pink lotion used to style and moisturize the kinks that take place on the Black woman’s head and Jam to make sure every stray of hair is laid. Deborah Roberts uses mixed collage for her piece, “my skin is black, my arms are long, my hair is wooley” her title inspiration coming from Nina Simone’s song, Four Women. This piece includes a young Black girl, with dark skin, long arms, and kinky hair.            These works both include and share the importance of the Black woman’s constant struggle with not meeting or ever being the westernized and constructed idea of what is seen as “beautiful.” The Theory Toolbox defines ideology as the “intertwining beliefs that makes possible certain kinds of cultural consensus or knowledge…”(97) In this case, the cultural belief is that Black women’s natural hair is what makes her unworthy of being seen as the idea of beautiful. The shaming of Black woman’s hair became prominent during the beginning of slavery, resulting in Black woman to cover their hair with rags as it was seen as “unkept.” Even today, Black woman’s hair is still given negative attributes. The Black woman continues to be in a space where her hair is consistently the topic of discussion, gets distasteful looks, and is questioned on her intellectualism.