Sharyll Burroughs

THE ART OF SUBVERSION

The exhibition, Conductions: Black Imaginings took inspiration from the process of “conduction” in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ novel, “The Water Dancer.” Coates proposes that engaging past stories and histories via emotionally charged objects is an important pathway towards new futures.

Black stereotypes were created within the historical context of white supremacy as ways of defining and demeaning black people. In a contemporary context, stereotypes are experienced as powerful metaphors for racism. To say that racism is illogical is an understatement, yet, people use logic to combat it. My approach is somewhat unorthodox.

These works, a mix of contradiction and satire, subvert racism by transforming it into a theater of the absurd. The perceived power of white supremacy is deflated, rendering prejudice into something to be mocked and rejected.

From this perspective, false narratives embedded into racist symbolism can be recontextualized and dismantled: Racism may be considered as something other than a mechanism of disempowerment. This rigorous and proactive method of inquiry is an important step toward building an autonomous and empowered identity.

Conduction: An Intervention

I facilitated a group dialogue in which my art was used to explore at the language of oppression, how it has formed our society and self-perceptions, and how we relate to one another.