Speaking from the Art

what the text says

Half and Half Elsbeth promised to show me the snake meat in her refrigerator. She hesitated in front of her house. "My father doesn't want niggers in the house, but you're half-in-half so I'm not sure." "Half-in-half is what my mom puts in her coffee. I'm a Negro not a nigger." I replied. "Good!" answered Elsbeth, "Then it's ok, let's go up!" Half and Half, 1998
From "What's Black and White and Red All Over?" 30" x 42"
Monoprint with stencils and Prismacolors
Cousin Cheryl pinched me when Aunt Doris said I didn't need grease and the hot comb because I had "good hair."
I asked alot of questions in Sunday school.
'Why is God a man?'
I failed religion class. I Failed Religion, 1997
From "What's Black and White and Red All Over?" 30" x 42"
Monoprint with stencils and Prismacolors		 I Failed Religion
Brushed Nickel is So Elegant 2 Every day in Brazil 10 year old Isabela picks through a putrid garbage heap searching for bottles and cans to sell to the middleman. One day she sunk in the mountain of garbage. Luckily her 10 year old brother makes up to $3 a day & even sometimes finds food in the mountain of refuse that he takes home to share with the family. I'm searching the web for designer kitchen accessories. I need 2 recycling containers; for paper and for bottles & cans. I want them to match our fabulous ceramic tile floor. My first choice is something elegant in brushed nickel—with a 21st century look. Brushed Nickel is So Elegant 2, 2007
From "My Beautiful Red Dress," 32" x 25"
Collaged stencil monoprint with hand painted and drawn element and text
Upper Left: At Christmas the butcher had a ceremony and killed the pig. We cried because it was our pet. In the vegetable garden were cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes, parsley, carrots. We ate lots of potatoes, re-fried beans, sweet onions, pasta and cornmeal; mamaliga, it's the poor people's meat. Fruits were preserved for the winter. There were no processed foods and we traded ration tickets with the neighbors. [Geraldina]

Lower Left: My aunt had a farm outside of Cali. We went there during vacations, stayed there with ten cousins...playing hide and seek at night, getting oranges from trees, guayabas. You know todo el mundo gets frueoles, every one picked the beans. There was cock fighting too, pelear a gallos. A horse was attached to a mechanism to machacar la cana, grind sugar cane. We would stay on the farm the whole summer. [Liliana]

Upper Right: In my country we have coconut, cashew nuts, guava, star apple, long string beans, tomato, cherry, eggplant, bitter melon, scallions. Rice is the main dish and fish, lots of fish. [Pramdei]

Rice is the Main Dish, 1999
From "Behind Each Window, A Voice," 40" x 27"
Surface painted monoprint with digital text		 Rice is the Main Dish

 

 

 

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