The presentation of the works by Natalia Anciso was the one that really caught my attention last week and has stuck with me since I saw it. The work "Do Not Cross" (2017) shows a young man of color laying back on his chair of his school desk. His arms and head are flung back, symbolizing the lifeless body in an educational environment which is supposed to continue to give knowledge and power, however has failed to do so. This piece is extremely political by being so personal and relevant today. I am currently taking an education course called "Narratives of Justice: Disrupting the School-to-Prison-Pipeline" and this image embodies the experiences, voices, and stories of the youth of color we are discussing in class every meeting. Because this education course focuses on how we can use the arts as a way of changing the way educators engage with students as a way of empowering them and giving them autonomy and sense of agency over their academic and life trajectories, "Do Not Cross" is a work that expresses how important it is for us to change our schools.
This work in particular reveals how youth of color are not given the same educational opportunities to succeed, and therefore are being failed by the system at large. I appreciate how in class there was a discussion about what the flowers symbolize in Anciso's work, and how it is almost as if she is paying homage to the countless people of color who are being affected everyday by the current laws and policies in place that serve to demobilize communities of color. I appreciate her work because it reveals how disconnected this young man of color is from the very system in place that is supposed to serve to educate and empower him. As people of color, it is difficult for us to take space in institutions that were not intended or made for us, and I find that the use of the "police line do not cross" tape as a way of weaving the colorful, beautiful flowers to the rest of the image is a very creative way of expressing the concerns of police violence and the hyper-criminalization forced upon black and brown bodies.
Great discussion! I totally agree with you, Anciso's art work is so powerful and relevant to our society. Black and brown youth continue to be policed, criminalized, and demonized by the system. This system was never meant for black and brown bodies and continues to fail us. Therefore, I really connect with this piece since it reflects a lot of the struggles black and brown folks endure daily.
ReplyDeleteI also found this artist's work very relevant with how society is today. Her call to action isn't direct in the image, but the way she conveys the man- as you described him- really puts it in the viewer's mind on the unfairness and injustices occurring. I totally agree with your interpretation of this image, and feel like everything you said goes accordingly with what her purpose as an artist is.
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