Joyce J. Scott, you're my font!

(Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), 2010)

I watched this youtube last week and discovered this compelling artist Joyce J. Scott. Joyce is an African-American living in Baltimore, a place she loves dearly because of the long history of African- Americans that have lived there.

This video highlights her beadwork figures, that are inspired by stories from her childhood, she uses these stories to present issues such as racism, sexism, violence, and social stereotypes. Not only is she a bead artist but a lady of talent, a quilter, performance artist, installation artist, and a lecturer.

In this episode I especially love her comment -"Being inspired and influenced and getting that spunky spicy taste from people who look like you, who are.. your font." and then goes on to talk about how African-Americans were made to believe they were less because of their ethnicity, but actually we are the beginning of all races.


(Mexican-African-American/Casta Family, 2006, 2013)

Her works are so beautiful, humorous and truly mesmerising in terms of the detail, scale, colour and technique undergone. In addition to all that they're generally loaded with cultural meaning, addressing important social issues and taboos but sometimes are just made purely for beauty or to talk about the geometric thing that's going on in her head.

I have decided to take a page out of her book and remember how important it is to have meaning in your work but also if the work is just about colour, that is ok too!

Joyce J. Scott challenges the medium, creating things thought impossible to be done with beads. I think this is what makes her works so captivating!  The work I see would resonate with people and most likely follow them home.


Bibliography

Mexican-African-American/Casta Family, 2006. [Image].(2013). Retrieved from
     http://www.craftinamerica.org/artists/joyce-j-scott/

Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), (2010, November 24).Joyce Scott.[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWPSIAPY0P4