Here is a recap from my installation Move On/Get Over it. There’s a possibility this may happen again, but we’ll see. I’m interested in seeing how these works grow in the future. But for now: enjoy what you remember or discover what you missed.
I. Layered Minority
The starting point of this work is the quintessential symbol of America: the american flag. I wanted this to be the backdrop of all other moving and giving images, as it cleanly expresses the cold, static, but powerful and pervasive presence of patriotism. Onto the flag I am projecting a black and white video, so that all color is coming from the american idea as represented by this symbol of the flag.
The video is in three layers. The first layer is one of wonderment, the initial awe that most immigrants feel when entering the country, or that most second and third generation minorities feel during their youth. It has been easy to see America with childlike wonder.
The second layer is that of concern, and attentiveness. Two parents stand on either side of the child still in wonder, looking straight at the world and preparing to protect innocence. They are static – constantly on guard.
The final layer is a reality of the country portrayed through found footage. Videos of the current political and social climate, recent conflicts between corporate america and Native Americans, and police brutality/violent acts against the “others” of the country pile on top of the protective parents drowning out the child in wonderment, while all are still colored by the flag.
Being a minority in America is living a layered experience, one of wonder, constant guard, and violent awareness of the onslaught of horrors committed in our country every day. And each layer will always be tinted by what our original interpretation of the country was, and what it will become.
II. On Tone Policing
“Tone policing (or tone trolling or tone argument or tone fallacy) is an antidebate appeal based on genetic fallacy, which attempts to detract from the validity of a statement by attacking the tone rather than the message.”
Two performers in the newfound face of oppressive America try make themselves heard, while adhering to society’s idea of how their protest should be handled. What they find is their attempt to remain “polite” or “educated” or a “good woman” only hinders them from saying what they need to say. The obvious action is to remove these filters, but this leaves one speaking in a way that can leave the performers labeled as any of the following cliches: “loud”, “angry”, “libtards”, “negative”, or just “backwards”. This is the catch 22 they must endure while in the face of the new oppressive America.
Only when they are in private can the tone restrictions come off and can they converse freely with each other about their experience in America. Only in private can they tell each other their truths. Only when in private are these individuals free to actually practice “free speech” without being shut down by the tone-policing society has forcibly instilled in all of us. Notice: their speech is never loud or angry – merely phenomenological and factual.
Performers:
Wendy F. Fanny MT.
III. Hang:
This work is phenomenological at its core – in other words solely based on heavy study of my own experience.
The older I get the more aware I am of a noose around my neck – a noose coming from the history of my ancestors that I’ve tried to subvert in an attempt to fully belong to American society. With each murder of an unarmed black person at the hands of corrupt police, with each family severed apart through deportation or trafficking, with each treaty broken between the natives and our country’s government, I am made more and more aware of my worth in this country. Of my noose. And every time I’m told to “get over it” or that “racism doesn’t exist” – or any time I’ve been called a “nigger”, that noose gets a little tighter.
There are only two things stopping me from being completely consumed and erased by this noose: art and knowledge. For others, it is their faith, or knowledge of history, or decolonized way of thinking that saves them. Thus I am standing (precariously) on religious texts and history books. For many, it is art and music that keeps them up – this is why I’m holding myself up by gripping the rope – in addition to a pen, a brush, and the bow to my violin.
Through globalization America has expanded it’s hand and reached with force into the lives of other countries. Thus, I am holding a “quilt” of flags.
I’m holding myself up with art, but the weight of pulling myself up and holding my tools is exhausting.
I’m supported by religious texts and history – but the amount of decolonized history texts is meager in comparison to Eurocentric interpretations of world history, making my foothold feeble at best.
As I get older I become increasingly aware of my predicament.
As I get older it becomes increasingly difficult to get over it – to “move on”.
