Introduction Post 1-Deanna C.

 Hey, my name is Deanna. My ambition is to become an art therapist, helping veterans (because I am a veteran) and the Black and Brown communities become more resilient. As a future art therapist, I need to be proficient in most art media. With that being said, I enjoy painting, charcoal or graphite drawing, all forms of three-dimensional art, and photography. The focus of my artwork is mostly self, family, and culture. I strive to make art that will be passed down to my descendants, that tells a story of the generations before them. Some things I enjoy outside of art are psychology, dancing, and birth work. If you need a doula, here is a link to my website- Doula Website

The political artist I chose is Lava Thomas. Her art addresses issues of race, gender, and the erasure of stories that never get told. One of her most recent works was a portrait of Phenomenal Women: a monument to honor Dr. Angelou. I resonated with this because a lot of my art are self-portraits or portraits of women in my family that I want to honor. In my family, I felt like the norm was a patriarchal way of thinking. Yet, the women are the strongest leaders are taught to believe that they are lesser and that men are the backbone and the most important beings. Lava's art amplifies healing and empowerment because she allows her subjects to be seen in ways that may be overlooked.

Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman, 2024. San Francisco Main Library, San Francisco, CA

What memes owe to Art History

"Through humor, memes incite a collective reaction to everyday life as well as revel in it, in a format no less playful than it is political, decoding the murky structural screw-ups, paradoxes, and hypocrisies of our current political climate."

Memes allow people to laugh and communicate over shared experiences, whether it be stress, foolishness, or just joy. Yes, it can be political, but not necessarily; they also show us how to enjoy the moment. Memes simply show and expose the things that may be hard to talk about.

"Narrative matters... Pictures don't speak for themselves."

Narratives matter when it comes to memes because two people can see the same image and see it differently. The images alone isn't enough and can lead to a meme being misunderstood. Memes work because they are combined with captions; they tell a story.

Memes are Our Generation's Protest Art 

"They spread so quickly and evolve and transform, and it’s hard to shut them down in the way other forms of communicative protest can be silenced.”

"Explaining that in words took a long time, but one glance at this meme and you get it. Even if you’re just scrolling past quickly, the point resonates."

These two quotes show us how powerful memes can be. They move fast, are quick to create and change, and they are hard to control. Memes can spread across multiple platforms quickly and even be remixed and made into something new. A single image can get the point across so quickly because think about how many memes you see within five minutes of scrolling on Instagram. These two quotes bring up the fact that memes are very effective forms of communication and protest.

Understanding Patriarchy- Bell Parks

"..many female-headed households endorse and promote patriarchal thinking with far greater passion than two-parent households. Because they do not have an experiential reality to challenge false fantasies of gender roles, women in such households are far more likely to idealize the patriarchal male roles..."

Seeing this mentioned in the text, it resonated with me so deeply because of my own home experience. The thought that in a household where a female is the head of the family, patriarchal thinking becomes more predominant because there is no one around who has true lived experiences. This shows where the romanticizing of the idea of a patriarchal masculine is, rather than critically examining the reality of the situation. I believe this to be damaging to kids, no matter the gender, because it can create unrealistic expectations which will lead to disappointment, resentment, and especially unhealthy relationship dynamics when they get older.

"Psychological Patriarchy"

I wanted to quote this because I have never heard of this and I wanted to research it further. This belief can be passed down unconsciously. It is the belief of traditional gender roles in one's mind and this makes them promote male dominance. An example of the ways this shows up today is when individuals portray men as "natural leaders" and that women are best at "support roles" or even the idea of valuing authority over empathy. This is a habit doesn't just exist in society, but it lives in people's minds. This is harmful because it can normalize unequal power dynamics which then causes suppressed emotional expression especially in boys and can undermine girls' confidence and leadership skills.