Mission College, Vargas Gallery, Santa Clara
#art #activism
The artists in this exhibition, Jenny Balisle, Kristine Mays, Maria de Los Angeles, Priscilla Otani, and Robin Bernstein observe contemporary events and use art, writing and social media to bring awareness to issues that they are passionate about. We have just lived through an extraordinary time and transition in our country - from the first Black president Barack Obama, through the experiment of trumpism, to the hard-won election of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, who made history as the first woman, the first Black person, and the first person of Asian descent elected as vice-president.
Through all of these transitions, artists have protested, marched, published, composed, performed, and fabricated works of art in response to current events. Their artworks show concern, anxiety, courage, passion, and the belief that through meaningful engagement and action, they can effect real change. And, in each of these artworks, the broader issues are seen through the personal narratives of the individual artists. They allow us to view recent events through the unique lens of creative expression and artistic activism.
As I was putting together the images and words for this exhibition, I was reminded of the powerful video by Sara Bareilles, as Barack Obama was leaving office, and how prescient and true it still is today:
Through all of these transitions, artists have protested, marched, published, composed, performed, and fabricated works of art in response to current events. Their artworks show concern, anxiety, courage, passion, and the belief that through meaningful engagement and action, they can effect real change. And, in each of these artworks, the broader issues are seen through the personal narratives of the individual artists. They allow us to view recent events through the unique lens of creative expression and artistic activism.
As I was putting together the images and words for this exhibition, I was reminded of the powerful video by Sara Bareilles, as Barack Obama was leaving office, and how prescient and true it still is today:
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Seriously
Words and Music by Sara Bareilles Performed by Leslie Odom Jr. This American Life This American Life asked Sara Bareilles to imagine what President Barack Obama might be thinking about Donald Trump, but can’t say publicly. This American Life: http://www.thisamericanlife.org Sara Bareilles: http://www.sarabmusic.com Leslie Odom, Jr.: http://www.leslieodomjr.com |
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Maria de Los Angeles
Maria de Los Angeles creates installations, drawings, paintings, wearable art and performances.
"I want to capture the contemporary life of individuals, creating images that are a type of social commentary on larger issues, such as immigration, politics, and ethical dilemmas."
Maria de Los Angeles
"I want to capture the contemporary life of individuals, creating images that are a type of social commentary on larger issues, such as immigration, politics, and ethical dilemmas."
Maria de Los Angeles
Maria's recent paintings and drawings reflect her concern for immigrants and families affected by the ICE detention centers. The work draws from her personal history as an undocumented immigrant, DACA recipient, Dreamer, activist and organizer.
"At the center of each is a mother and child, in my thoughts especially those in detention centers or separated from their children at the border between the United States and Mexico. I like the concept of the embrace, and often have a mother holding a child or young person, while helicopters circle around them, as small characters who could be ICE agents or border patrols arrive. I’ve included the landscape or garden as a setting, and show a series of figures running while holding hands. These are a metaphor for migration, and also for the circle of life and basic humanity. They are skeletons, but don’t necessarily mean darkness, but are a way for me to talk about joy, life, death, ancestors, transition, movement, journey, and basic humanity. They contrast with the center figures who, held together by embrace, evoke a feeling of serenity, love and lasting peace."
Excerpt from Artists on Coping: Maria de Los Angeles
Catherine Kirkpatrick. Art Spiel, May 8, 2020
"At the center of each is a mother and child, in my thoughts especially those in detention centers or separated from their children at the border between the United States and Mexico. I like the concept of the embrace, and often have a mother holding a child or young person, while helicopters circle around them, as small characters who could be ICE agents or border patrols arrive. I’ve included the landscape or garden as a setting, and show a series of figures running while holding hands. These are a metaphor for migration, and also for the circle of life and basic humanity. They are skeletons, but don’t necessarily mean darkness, but are a way for me to talk about joy, life, death, ancestors, transition, movement, journey, and basic humanity. They contrast with the center figures who, held together by embrace, evoke a feeling of serenity, love and lasting peace."
Excerpt from Artists on Coping: Maria de Los Angeles
Catherine Kirkpatrick. Art Spiel, May 8, 2020
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Priscilla Otani
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Priscilla Otani works in mixed media, installation, drawing, collage and artist books to explore themes of resistance and politics.
She says, "Making art on these subjects helps me process the drama, conflict, outrage and turmoil in our country." Detail: May 2020, mixed media crazy quilt |
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Her recent series explores both the lows of partisan politics and the highs of women in politics. Her Tammy Duckworth artist book is a portrait of a true American hero:
Duckworth represents the demographics of what our country is becoming today: mixed race, non-Caucasian, beneficiary of government assistance and realizing her American Dream because of it, hard-working and determined to work through Congress to better the lives of military veterans, working mothers, victims of gun violence, and transgender people, among other things. She is what America already is and continues to become: a representative of the demographic that puts fear into the hearts of politicians like Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham and Donald J. Trump.
-Priscilla Otani
Duckworth represents the demographics of what our country is becoming today: mixed race, non-Caucasian, beneficiary of government assistance and realizing her American Dream because of it, hard-working and determined to work through Congress to better the lives of military veterans, working mothers, victims of gun violence, and transgender people, among other things. She is what America already is and continues to become: a representative of the demographic that puts fear into the hearts of politicians like Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham and Donald J. Trump.
-Priscilla Otani
Jenny Balisle
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Jenny Balisle uses words and graphic images to articulate concerns about current events. Her work looks at symbols of influence and power, often using signage as a way to promote her message. With over half a million American Coronavirus deaths, her "Never Forget" sign links Covid and the government's failed response to the #neverforget used for national tragedies and genocides. "Four years of failed leadership consisting of gaslighting, denial, and incompetence has devastated pandemic response and weakened the economy while promoting systematic racism. Americans must reset, rebuild, and reimagine the structures that perpetuated this repetitive cycle of failure. Equity, equality, and healing begin when truth is acknowledged in just action." -Jenny Balisle |
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RACISM CAN I SPEAK TO THE MANAGER?
"Despite numerous attempts to whitewash and sanitize history, America’s failed attempt to gaslight its original sin regurgitates systematic racism. A custom safety sign has been repurposed with the words RACISM? CAN I SPEAK TO THE MANAGER?. A popular “Karen" meme depicts how privilege becomes weaponized as an illogical ploy or whim to assert dominance. A tantrum ensues because equality is as an uncomfortable threat exposing self-hatred and fear." -Jenny Balisle |
Robin Bernstein
Robin Bernstein creates meticulously rendered memorials to victims of the holocaust, using tiny pieces of colored string pressed into wax.
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In her work Kamianets-Podiliskyi, she honors her grandfather's home town, where the entire Jewish community was massacred in 1941.
"The path to Nazi genocide looks not dissimilar to the current tolerant advancement of white supremacy and concentration of wealth at all costs." -Robin Bernstein 
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Detail: Frontman (Funding Facism, Fueling Fallacy)
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Dwell on the past, lose an eye
Forget the past, lose both |
Kristine Mays
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Kristine Mays is stitching the names of black people who have been killed by the police, in her work: "Modern Day Lynchings and Hashtag Memorials", an ongoing sculpture. "What happens when you dare to step into bloody waters? This is sorrowful work as I look at both the past and present. To the young, this may seem new -- yet the elders know that the same atrocities have been happening for decades. I'm sitting here stitching, hand embroidering the names of black people killed by the police. The number of names - the number of lives is far too great. And yet it is heavy on my heart and something I must share, by way of a sculpture that is never complete (even though I wish for it to be)." -Kristine Mays |
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Kristine creates work that is resilient and hopeful, in spite of these difficult times
Her sculpture “Someday We'll All Be Free” was inspired by Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. "...this sculpture is a reminder to persevere, to hold out hope - even when desperately grabbing on to it, to fight from falling into despair." -Kristine Mays |
Just as Kristine's sculpture contains a message of hope, we heard youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman reading her poem "The Hill We Climb" during the inauguration of President Joe Biden. As she recited her poem – capturing the angst of post-January 6 insurrection in Washington DC – she was wearing a Caged Bird ring given to her by Oprah designed in honor of Maya Angelou.
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We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy And this effort very nearly succeeded But while democracy can be periodically delayed it can never be permanently defeated ... Amanda Gorman reading her poem "The Hill We Climb |
This online exhibition also includes a focus on the artists’ Instagram and Facebook posts over the past five years, through shifting social and political upheavals. Their online posts mark certain points in the historic timeline, highlighting events like the Women’s March in Washington DC, anti-Semitism and white supremacy riots, school shootings and gun control, Black Lives Matter and police brutality protests, ICE and the Immigration Enforcement detention centers, just to name a few. Their artworks document troubling times, but also the resiliency of the American spirit.
We have seen how social media, like Facebook and Twitter, have the power to influence politics and social issues. They can be tools for awareness, activism and change, but they can also be used as weapons to incite violence and disseminate conspiracy theories, distorted information and lies. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, but along with the right to free speech comes the responsibility to be educated and informed about issues. As educators and students, our community is ideally positioned to engage in a dialogue around issues that are meaningful, and to build a strong foundation for the truth.
Knowledge is power; your words have power; your actions have power; and your vote matters.
Artistic activism can take many forms: art, poetry, music, performance. Find your passion. Find your voice.
Curator Statement by Cheryl Coon
Artists' Exhibition Pages:
Jenny Balisle
Kristine Mays
Maria de Los Angeles
Priscilla Otani
Robin Bernstein
We have seen how social media, like Facebook and Twitter, have the power to influence politics and social issues. They can be tools for awareness, activism and change, but they can also be used as weapons to incite violence and disseminate conspiracy theories, distorted information and lies. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, but along with the right to free speech comes the responsibility to be educated and informed about issues. As educators and students, our community is ideally positioned to engage in a dialogue around issues that are meaningful, and to build a strong foundation for the truth.
Knowledge is power; your words have power; your actions have power; and your vote matters.
Artistic activism can take many forms: art, poetry, music, performance. Find your passion. Find your voice.
Curator Statement by Cheryl Coon
Artists' Exhibition Pages:
Jenny Balisle
Kristine Mays
Maria de Los Angeles
Priscilla Otani
Robin Bernstein