Journal Films Discussion

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Film journal

James Joyce bead art is focused on raising the issues of racism and violence. Beautiful beads are used for telling the stories of social and political issues. The artist used threads and beads for making creative things that convey a deeper message to the viewers. The artwork created through beads include all hangings, statues and use them with crystals for adding more beauty. Different color, shapes and sized of beads are used for creating different and versatile artworks. Joyce intends to persuade her audience by showing them unique artworks made from beads and threads. She also intends to transmit the themes of inequality and social injustice faced by the people of Baltimore.

Kara Walker uses silhouette work for illustrating the dark history of the south America. Her work include mammies, sambos and pickaninnies. The silhouette transmits the themes of black and gray having relevance with the brutal history of African-Americans. Walker has attempted to portray thee stereotypes of the south America that undermined the concepts of justice and equality. She intends to show the prevalence of violent and sexual events in that period. Her content include scenes based on the American and European history. Silhouette include limbs and figures that transmits unclear message.

Walker has used representation of pre civil-war south because it shadows the history of slavery. The purpose of using pre civil-war south is to illustrate the deprived statuses of the Africans who were living miserable lives as slaves of white Americans. The purpose is to recall history by telling how black people had suffered under the unfair system.

James Joyce in her work “What Next and Why Not” and “War Women II” at Peter Blum Gallery tells thee story of the black women struggles. What Next and Why Not is used for capturing the themes of the brutally encountered by the people of Baltimore. This brings attention to the contemporary issue such as of drug war in Baltimore that created hostile environment for the blacks. Similarly the second artwork also convey the social issues faced by the black women.

James Joyce uses iconography for expressing her hidden motives and feelings. Through her artwork she has focused on portraying the complexities faced by the Africans in America. Herr sculptures, paintings and bead works all symbolizes the struggles and sufferings of the blacks people. through her work she transmits issues of race, class struggle, violence and sexism.

Walker’s work also use iconography for highlighting the unfair realities of the world. Iconography in her artwork reflects the antebellum of the south where black people suffered due to racism. Iconography is also used to explain the pre civil-war relationships between blacks and whites.

Both artists are working on representational styles because their artwork represent themes and hold a significant message for the audience. In Joyce’s artwork she has mostly constructed black colored sculptures that represents black community. Her beads technique is also fascinated by the African Americans. Walker has used dark silhouette to capture the miseries of the blacks of south. The use of gray and black colors symbolized pains of the oppressed black community before civil war.

The strategy of both artists to recreate history of black Americans in attractive manner is unconventional. They have managed to use beauty of art to convey real-life social issues of injustice and inequality with thee audience.

The content of both authors could be controversial for the whites who may deny the brutal role of white Americans in the past. White artists can also argue that the artwork of Joyce and Walker is overrepresentation of past.