After having the privilege of Ben Jones come and discuss his gallery work, his motifs and important message for each of his works help to tie each of his artworks to be connected despite not being the same in topic. Ben Jones's Artist talk at his gallery gives a robust perspective as all these works are connected to Ben’s Jones symbology transcended to topics of technology, activism, politics, spirituality, and ecology.
Huey Newton Incarcerated, 1970, Canvas and Mixed Media, 72 x 52 1/2 in.
Huey Newton Incarcerated was the first artwork that I viewed and sat in awe. Mixed media art employs a desire for consciousness in the radical movement of civil rights for artists. The artwork shows Huey Newton in a confident stature pose behind bars which references his arrest against allegedly killing officer, John Frey. Despite Huey Newton's arrest and away from the Black Panther party, he evokes power and the essence of unwillingness to surrender. This piece is important as it directly links to the activist group Black Panther Party, the civil rights movement fighting for the justice of African American equality in America. “But it was also a seminal moment for Black representation in art, influencing an entire generation of artists who rarely saw their own selves reflected back on museum walls.” Jacqui Palumbo mentions black representation in art in which Ben Jone's art showcases a Black artist and creates works that go into their identity of being Black. Huey Newton serves as the symbol of the powerful activist party of the Black Panthers and shows the resilience of black power. This artwork explores Ben Jones's identity because he is a Black American and the cultural context of the 1960s and 1970s influenced his artwork, shaped him to be an artivist and Ben Jone's target of racist aggression against police played an influence on the work. During those times the Jersey City community and his fellow artists created artworks showing they are with the times of revolutionary moments for Black Americans. Thinking in terms of symbology, Huey Newton Incarcerated represents and resonates an influential message of being an activist in pursuing to take matters with what you have access to. The Black Panther Party is a prime example of resistance. When people come together to fight to resolve issues, they work to collaborate and become fierce groups- a self-portrait that reflects an individual power.
Quiet Fire is the second artwork that is appealing to me. The main color palettes are cool colors with few being warm which creates the portraiture of a young woman’s spirit and culture co-existing within nature. The silkscreen work has multiple layers of young women with each layer overlapping each other creating a motion of vibrance color that introduces the idea of celebration of indigenous African cultures and the diversity and individuality that each offers- to love, embrace, and be powerful with your culture inside your blood. Catherine Morris talks about Ana Mendieta “‘It’s about kind of capturing moments through various forms of documentation. And she takes all of these things to the world at large that might not be considered fine arts. She turns them into something intelligent, harrowing and emotional'”, This shares similar to Ben Jone's work such as Quiet Fire, it instills a silent - spiritual- impact, the name and the subtly of the overlapping works of the girl show this motif as a powerful spirit. Ben Jones has been successful in taking images and working with them in a way that become deeply rich with a message of celebration and power of Black Americans. With closer examination in the bottom left corner, is a figure kneeling and praising the spirits above that encompass mother nature. Ben’s identity is focused on the theme of loving one’s culture and valuing it. The girl works to symbolize the old politics of America which still applies in modern times in persecution against Black Americans historically, this piece reminds me of the unfortunate deaths of men, women, children, and elders. Mother Nature mourns for them.
“Artists need to take in, to process, to decipher, to separate from the noise and create things that are beautiful and impactful to the spirit.” Said Shaun Leonardo on the idea of an artist’s place in social and political matters. Ben Jones, being an Artivist along with the rest of the artists in the community felt that sense of urgency to act or create something quickly as the historical moments were unpacking for themselves as groundbreaking. We are learning from previous artists from a different generation to take the time to produce impactful artworks rather than have the mob mentality to act hurriedly. Artwork is meant to take time and that is what makes it rather more impactful than a rushed piece.
Citations
Palumbo, Jacqui. Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems’s landmark “Kitchen table series”. Artsy, 16 Aug. 2020, https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-revisiting-carrie-mae-weemss-landmark-kitchen-table-series
Castillo, Monica. “Overlooked No More: Ana Mendieta, a Cuban Artist Who Pushed Boundaries.” The New York Times, 5 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/obituaries/ana-mendieta-overlooked.html.
Soto, Edra. “Performance, Pedagogy, and Philosophy.” Hispanic Executive, 1 July 2022, hispanicexecutive.com/shaun-leonardo.
I would like to share my thoughts on a selfie that I took, which was inspired by the artwork called "Huey Newton Incarcerated". This piece of art represents individual power and symbolizes struggle through the use of metaphors such as chains and jail bars. It also highlights the Black Panthers Party's struggle against the FBI, who saw them as a threat to the country due to their Marxist values. However, there is no clear justification as to why they were taken down. Overall, this artwork is a powerful representation of the struggle for power and freedom.
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