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| Huey Newton Incarcerated, 1970, Ben Jones |
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| Connected, 2022, Ben Jones |
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| Black and White Collage Body (Deflation) |
The first artwork that stands out to me is Ben Jones's Huey Newton Incarcerated, 1970. A large black and white photo with two large wooden sticks as a frame, seven wooden sticks interpreting jail bars, and a silver chain lock. The craftsmanship is very impressive, it really strengthens the interpretation of being confined in prison. From The New York Times, Huey Newton says "He hooked me in the face with his left arm, I was dazed and went down to one knee. I saw him draw his service revolver and felt something like boiling hot soup spilled on my stomach. There were shots all around and the world was spinning. I don't know what happened." After reading his story, it felt intense and vivid, making me feel the emotions and physical sensations he experienced. His descriptive language, like comparing the feeling on his stomach to boiling hot soup, paints a clear picture of the danger he faced. Despite the chaos, his words is easy to follow, pulling the audience into the moment. Sharing such a personal and difficult experience shows Newton's bravery and sheds light on the violence and injustice many face. Talk about powerful storytelling and courage from him. From The New York Times, it says "Newton and Seale, another Oakland Negro, founded the Black Panthers about Oct. 10, 1966, in Oakland. For months it was just another of several militant organizations operating in black communities in the San Francisco Bay area. But in May of 1967, the Panthers attracted national publicity by taking their guns into the state legislative chambers in Sacra mento." What I found good in this article is that it gives us a clear overview of the Black Panthers' beginnings, highlighting Huey Newton and Bobby Seale's founding in October 1966. This makes us visualize their determination to challenge norms, using direct tactics.
The second artwork of his that took my attention is Connected, 2022. The large canvas is acrylic and digitally printed. By looking at this grand art piece, we can see he's showing us how technology, nature, and spirituality intersect, using various images and symbols to show how everything is connected. By mixing different elements, he makes us think about how humans, technology, and nature relate to each other. Jones includes things like cell phones and circuit boards along with fish and plants to compare modern life with ancient life. This makes us think about how human inventions fit into the natural world. With all that said, his art encourages us to understand our role in the environment better. With Ben Jones's words, he said "I want to be connected by contributing to making the planet a better place. If we can only try to see and understand the connections between ourselves and others, how much better of a world it would be." It's evident he's showing us of how much he cares about making the world better and values connections with others. The fact that he encourages us to reflect on our role in creating positive change and to treat others with empathy is really admiring. From Dazed, Marina Abramovic quote: "This kind of distancing and how differently people relate to each other, it already started long before the virus, with technology,” she said. “All the texting, tweets, Instagrams... young people don’t talk to each other. All the dating is online, through computers. It already alienated human beings." Similarly with Ben Jones, Marina Abramovic emphasizes how technology has made us distant from each other, especially among young people who rely on online communication and dating. She reminds us to value face-to-face interaction and real connections in our digital age.
The New York Times/Huey Newton's Conviction Reversed by Coast Court/May 30, 1970
Dazed/Marina Abramovic blames technology, not Covid, for disconnecting society/September 4th, 2020
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