My America

"December 2013.""A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri--Columbia In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Fine Arts."Chairperson of Supervisory Committee: Professor Jessica M. Thornton.As a maturing artist and maker of objects, material usage is paramount. Materials convey a range of emotions, memories, and placement. Viewers will bring their own information and understanding to works of art. So by using house-building materials in my work, I desired the viewer to be a part of my home and my America. Using house building materials such as Valspar paint, panel board, and wire brads gives the work a sense of familiar place. This place is my experience of what community once was; community was about building and growing as a family. I have used the 1980's television sitcom, The Cosby Show, as a reference for what I aspire to be as a Black male in America. The title My America is inspired by a John Biggers book titled My America. These two major influences were significant in making this body of work. I questioned myself, what my America looks like and how others perceive it. In the foreword of John Biggers' My America, contemporary artist Whitfield Lovell makes it clear, that "black artists making art was not only an aesthetic journey but a political one as well. Not only were we struggling to find truth through our media, we were also struggling for equality in our own society" (Lovell 5). My work acknowledges my heroes. These historical icons continue to redefine stereotypes of Blacks, African Americans, or Negroes in America.Includes bibliographical references (pages 36-37)