by Taylor Gray
Stepping into the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery at Valdosta State University (VSU), one is immediately swathed in the colorful and thought-provoking narratives in the group exhibit titled, “Black Is…”. The exhibit runs from February 14 to March 4, 2022 and is curated by VSU Professor Julie Bowland. The show invites audiences into the perspectives of artists Samuel Dunson and Traci Mims, two Black artists who convey Black identity through each of their pieces. Both artists use their individual styles to create a delightfully cohesive show that depicts current racial and societal issues.
The artist Samuel Dunson, winner of the Valdosta National 2021 and the juror of the Valdosta National 2022, features a multitude of vibrant works that portray issues such as the spread of misinformation during COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. His artwork titled Faithful (Figure 1) is a colorful portrait that features both issues. Towards the left of the piece, the masked face of a Black, male figure rubs his eye tiredly. His pupils are white; however, a pair of glasses lays on his forehead with eyes peeking up towards heaven. This theme of faith is seen not only in the eyes but also in the white halo surrounding Dunson’s head and the green, ghost image of the man’s hand lifted in prayer. The names of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery are scribbled into the texture of Dunson’s beard and a bee buzzes in his ear.
In a commentary on the trauma of the last couple of years, the title implies a religious intention behind the piece, and viewers can see that Dunson is putting all the trauma from the past few years up to faith. Dunson remarks on the Black Lives Matter movement by including the names of Floyd and Arbery in the man’s beard. This implies that Dunson is relating with these Black victims because of his figure’s racial identity. The mask marks the struggles of the pandemic, and the bee buzzing in his ear represents the constant whirring of the unwelcome news that plagues the media. Everyone viewing Dunson’s portrait can feel the exhaustion and pain that he has gone through, and, for most, it is entirely too relatable.
The other artist, Traci Mims, complements Dunson’s work because she too features the same issues as Dunson, using similar imagery. She uses portraiture in most of her pieces, and her piece titled Not a Threat (Figure 2) is an acrylic painting that mirrors Dunson’s portrait through its racial, societal, and religious themes. This piece depicts a Black female figure looking directly at the viewer, proudly wearing a Black Lives Matter mask and a shirt that boldly states, “IF YOU CAN READ THIS YOU’RE STANDING TOO CLOSE”. The figure carries a phone in her hand, and she has a rose gold halo behind her head with a pink and yellow rose twining up it. The fuchsia background fades into a bright yellow floral pattern towards the bottom.
Mims’s piece contrasts with Dunson’s because, while Dunson’s piece reflects the tension between the tiredness of the pandemic and the faith needed to get through it, Mims depicts an outlook on these issues that reflects perseverance. Her woman figure is standing tall and smiling behind her mask, evidenced by the crinkles by her eyes. Her head-on stare portrays an image of strength even though the world is against her. The title Not a Threat can take on two meanings, one of the strength this woman carries to turn her oppressors away, supported by the words on her shirt, and one to show that this friendly representation of Black women is not something anyone should ever fear. The representation of the media with the woman’s phone coincides with the bee in Dunson’s ear, but, while Dunson’s portrait is weary, Mims’s will not be broken down by the terrible goings on in the world. The flowers and colors in the background imply feminine beauty but also the growth that comes from experiencing trauma. The religious motif seen in the haloes of both portraits establish that these Black identities are precious and are nothing less than that even if society implies otherwise.
The themes in these two works are apparent throughout the whole show. The work brings awareness to first person perspectives on identity politics, especially ones that deal with race, because viewers may only have had experienced these issues through third-party outlets such as through the news or through social media. Viewers will relate to the current struggles of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement in a more sympathetic and raw way through this show . Overall, Mims and Dunson deliver a collaboration that creates a diversely appealing and complementary vision of the Black identity amid the current social climate.
Taylor Gray is a Valdosta local and is graduating with a BA in Art and a BFA in Art Education at Valdosta State University in the fall of 2022.