Nathaniel Donnett "My Mind's Playing Tricks on Me"
Jenkins Johnson Projects
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"My Mind’s Playing Tricks on Me" continues Nathaniel Donnett’s exploration of the psychology of social interaction and the development of social patterns from early life to the present in the African-American community. In his mixed media work of conté, graphite, acrylic paint and plastic bags rendered on brown paper bags, Donnett explores intra-racism and colorism. Donnett was inspired to undertake this examination after overhearing a conversation between two African-Americans, a man and a woman; the woman discussed her daughter in terms of beauty with historically discriminatory terms, while the man described himself in like terms, betraying a similar ostracizing context. Their discussion caused Donnett to ask questions about emotional baggage, elitism, media and mainstream culture’s idea of beauty and how it is internalized. He also draws from common African American childhood experiences, saying, “I use the playground and the 'Fat Albert' show, along with music, memories, reclaimed materials and objects, traditional art materials, and traditions both African and African-American.” The resulting body of work features mixed media drawings, sculptures, and installations, all featuring brown paper bags, which references the “brown paper bag test” once used to determine beauty among African Americans; people who failed the “test,” those whose skin was darker than the bag, were denied access to social, educational, and employment opportunities. Donnett mirrors these tensions between dark and light skinned African-Americans by featuring brown paper bags and black plastic bags in his pieces.
[Image: Nathaniel Donnett 2011 "She Did It" plastic and stickers on paper, 43 x 43 in.]
Media
Schedule
from March 10, 2011 to April 30, 2011
Artist talk: March 10, 17:30
Opening Reception on 2011-03-10 from 18:00 to 20:00
Artist talk: 17:30