Ella Orgain

@IyanaJonesRees2 She looks so proud of herself in this picture, and even though we don't know what she's celebrating, this image makes me want to celebrate her too.

I chose this set bc like my first post, it reminds me that if one black woman makes it, we all do. It reminds me of my goal to be successful not for myself, but for my family and my sisters. look how happy she looks :) #arth287artoninsta instagram.com/p/CG6de6WnDxP/

@camryntho The arches of the circles reminds me of the balloon arches I saw yesterday at the Bell Tower where graduating seniors were celebrating the tradition of climbing the Bell Tower and signing their name on a brick.

I chose this mural by Saya Woolfalk for a piece that represents graduation in a physical and literal sense as the composition has several forms of graduation in color and size of shapes, but also in the feeling of graduation as beautiful, huge, and vibrant. #arth287artoninsta

Njideka Akunyili Crosby's use of transfers is a really cool technique that makes me look at her art in a different way knowing how personal those photos are. The way she creates a union between cultures with her art and with these transfers is so beautiful. #ARTH287

Thomas' idea of taking the gaze and flipping it on its head to reverse typical historical relation between the subject and the viewer was super interesting to me. I like how she challenges this and uses it as a method for exploring Black women's identities and her own. #ARTH287

@hope_mutter @jordan_casteel I like your personal connection that you made to this piece. It made me think of helping my mom plant pansies in the yard when I was younger. This piece makes me appreciate the warmth outside in the sun during the summer and the fullness of all the plants outside.

Nasturtium by Jordan Casteel reminds me of my mother's garden, which I used to help tend during the summer. She has a broad knowledge of plants, and I still can't forget her reminding me that nasturtiums have a peppery taste. #arth287artoninsta

@AhmedElHalabi9 I really like the freedom that Freelon's artwork seems to exhibit in the way the material can be easily changed and in her range of colors that she uses. I like how in this picture her art is floating in mid air expresses this freedom even more than if it was standing alone.

This piece of art presented by Maya Freelon reminds me of summertime. The image reminds me of the summertime because of the summer-like weather this image captures. In the image, we can see characteristics of feeling relaxed and happy. #ARTH287ArtonInsta instagram.com/p/B504NVcnGxu/…

I chose this work by Beverly McIver because watermelon is my favorite food, but I can only really eat it & enjoy it during the summer when it's in season. I have a lot of good memories of eating watermelon at the lake in slices like this instagram.com/p/Bly7XDmBmVC/ #ARTH287ArtonInsta

I chose this piece by Beverly McIver b/c I think it encapsulates the feeling of summer. The sunglasses, warm colors, the way the light hits, & the confidence of this woman work to a create a feeling of freedom that I associate w/ summer instagram.com/p/Bloirp-hE9O/ #ARTH287ArtonInsta

I also love that he recreates these historically oppressive monuments and portraits to "create a sort of new way of saying 'yes' to people who happen to look like [him]." It reminds me of the idea of iconoclasm that we read about in a way, by reclaiming the art and repurposing it

this about art which doesn't have words but rather the way that these representations of ppl are cast is what conveys so much of that authority & power. I love that he draws on that idea when creating his own art and twists it to frame Blacks in those powerful positions...

Something that struck me from watching the videos about Kehinde Wiley is that he kept using the same phrase that the "language is powerful" when referring to the past portraits and statues that he draws inspiration from. I think it is really interesting that he says... #ARTH287

I think this collaborative & personalized way of going about his portraits and the idea that Wiley makes shifts from traditional portraiture make a very powerful statement in themselves by challenging portraits of rich & high-status people in past times with strangers he meets.

From the "A New Republic" video, I thought it was really interesting to hear more about Wiley's process of painting, where he finds people to pose for him from the streets of NYC and that he works with them to create a story, sometimes inspired by portraits in history. #ARTH287

I like Prof Powell's commentary that Hendricks "is representing [people] not just in terms of [their] exterior...but in terms of [their] attitude &...style." I also like that Hendricks captures the essence of his subjects and elevates them while showing them as ordinary #ARTH287

I thought the term "anti-portraits" from the Simpson reading was really interesting in conveying the idea of using pictures of people not to reveal anything about them but to look deeper into the historical constructions and stereotypes w/ which viewers receive the works #ARTH287

@arth287superfan I agree! I also think it's really interesting that the face on the magazine almost lines up with the subject's face here & that this is the face we are confronted by instead. It makes the viewer think about their own interactions with the media & the idea of being image-obsessed.

I like this picture by Sheila Pree Bright. The magazine covering the face implies some obsession or wish for emulation, perhaps even jealousy from the subject. Meanwhile she sits comfortably on her couch not considering what she has #arth287artoninsta

@jdurdenarth Ooo that was a good question to ask her. I think it's really interesting too that Thomas left this rough white line on the edges of the woman, making her deliberately look like she has been cut out and pasted there, and what effect she is trying to achieve by doing this.

I commented on Mickalene Thomas' "Portrait of Sidra" because the texture of the brushstrokes on her face caught my eye. I also am wondering about the subject, and asked the artist about that and what the first step of their artistic process is. #arth287artoninsta

I wonder why she made the choice to include this here and not in the other one, and also why she stuck with the same reference and positioning of the people.

I found this piece by Mickalene Thomas to be engaging because she again references Manet, but in this version of it, she includes fragments of the photos of the subjects along with the other media she uses. instagram.com/p/Cb-NYLAL3Ts/ #ARTH287ArtonInsta

I was drawn to this piece by Kehinde Wiley because of how expressive and powerful the subject appears. He makes me want to know what this man's story is. instagram.com/p/Cbusom9Mm0e/ #ARTH287ArtonInsta