Self- Portrait final-Shakeema Ellis

 

Women Rights: Ability to Express Ourselves

Poem 

Women

We are told how to sit, how to stand. 

How to smile with a soft, gentle hand. 

How to dress, how to speak, how to be. 

Bound by rules they did not decree. 

We are told their worth lies in their grace,

In the curve of our smile, the tilt of our face. 

Our dreams are shaped by voices outside, our power diminished, our strength denied. 

But within all of us, a flame does burn, 

A fire of will, a desire to turn. 

The tide of norms, chains of the past,

To claim our freedom, our voice at last 

For women are more than the world has said, 

We rise, we fight, where others have bled. 

Breaking the mold, we shatter glass, 

Building a future, bold, and fast. 

So let us speak, let us create, 

Let us determine our own fate. 

We are warriors, fierce, and free, 

Shaping their world with agency. 

Women's Right's: Express Yourself 

I chose this title for my project because we, as women, matter, and so do our rights. Despite the fact that society holds us to certain standards, the world still makes and considers males to be in the forefront and women to be in the background. I chose to make art out of one of the jackets because it demonstrates creativity while also emphasizing the importance of women's freedom to express themselves. My project included glitter glue, diamonds, gold, silver, glitter lettering, paint, ordinary glitter, and gorilla glue. Two separate artists inspired me to create: Cindy Sherwood and Wangechi Mutu. Cindy Sherwood used herself as the artists and made different of herself like an old lady to represent older women, and the beauty in aging. For example, this quote states "Cindy Sherman has shown herself to be the ultimate master of self-morphing, utilizing everything from old-fashioned makeup and prosthetics to digital technology, inventing and portraying extraordinary alter egos and multiple identities that brilliantly reflect our image-saturated culture—and in the process inventing her own genre". All of her work has meaning, and purpose and it stands for women. The other I got my inspiration from, Wangechi Mutu, her work is so amazing, because in all of the chaos in her work, you still get enjoy the beauty in it. For example, here is a quote “Mutu’s work is informed by important social and cul­tural issues, but leaves the ugly truths for the surrounding discourse, even though there are hints in the works". She puts so much beauty in her work, you look past everything, and she is also sending a message to show her worth and point. Another quote that proves that she a great artist, “Long thin blades of grass, their forms cut from images of diamonds, lend a dazzling effect, even as they call to mind the “blood diamonds” mined and sold in Africa to fund wars and insurgencies”. In her artwork "Blood Diamonds," when you look at the painting, you don't see the struggle, but you see her expressing a statement in her own quiet way. I believe my self- portrait conveys to the audience that I am different, unique, and I love color, but it always sends a message that women all over the world that you can be creative, do not have to follow the standards of what society wants. 

What distinguishes this portrait from the others, I believe I became more creative this time since I struggled at first, but I am now lot more confident. My art professor influenced me to think outside the box, and I have a better knowledge of what that means. I believe I have pushed myself to the limit, and my creative side has really come out, I am already different colors I wear, my piercings, and the way I dress, but I was never really great art, just on myself. The spectacle/ Media influence identity and self because everything we see on tv we want, for example, when you see the popular Tote Mark Jacobs, if it not too much for your budget you are going to get it, because of the way it is being advertised. Society has their view about how women should look, act, sit, and even dress, everyone is on the side of media and what the world believes in which limits women to have more say so over men. As long as we keep fighting for, we believe we will come out on top, look at Kamela she may not have won this time, but she was close, and that opened doors for women to want to fight for power. Look at Michele Obama, she still stands tall, and she is still trying to help the community. 

Wangechi Mutu Dresses Cultural Critique in Freaky, Beautiful Disguises

 The Cindy Sherman Effect