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• 1 media/DSC_0030.jpeg media/DSC_0012.jpeg media/DSC_0030.jpeg 2021-04-09T17:58:58+00:00 Sofia Montgomery 16 Redacted plain 2021-04-16T01:04:36+00:00

  Redacted by Sofia Montgomery

  
  Redacted is an installation that serves as a commentary about the silencing of Black women in America. Whether it be her voice, her presence, or her existence, historically, Black women’s narratives are often neglected or ignored while the attention is given elsewhere. It’s likely given to those who are deemed more important, which is a testament to the society that we live in. Thus, Black women are left to overcome their obstacles or trauma themselves. Her point of view is effectively abandoned while the stories provided by her peers outshine her sentiments. Redacted aims to showcase a physical manifestation of what a Black woman experiences and what it feels like to be silenced. The installation space and lack of light is meant to serve as an intimate setting so that the viewer is fully immersed in the experience and trauma of Black women, as well as a physical representation of how in the dark some spectators can be.
  
  
  The first piece in the installation is a 30 in x 62 in oil painting on canvas. The painting serves as a symbol for Black erasure. The black clothes are meant to blend into the background of the canvas as if they weren’t there, while also showing no hints of the wearer. The hoodie is also a nod to the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin, who was shot while wearing a hoodie and carrying a pack of skittles. The words on the hoodie, “GO HOME”, are meant to address the viewer, telling them to leave the wearer alone and let her exist, while also being a message to the wearer, insinuating that she should go home for her own protection, even though we know one’s home doesn’t guarantee their own safety (RIP Breonna Taylor).
  
  
  
  The second piece is a video installation displayed on a staticky television. Black women are rarely given a presence of voice on television. The best chances for a Black woman to gain awareness are through social media or association to white peers. She’s often cut out of the conversation. She’s written about or talked about, but is rarely passed the microphone herself. The distortion in the video and the lack of sound represents her being silenced. The video is played on a loop to represent how often this silence is repeated, never being properly brought into the light.
  
  The third piece is a 15 ½ in x 22 ½ coffee bag with painted text. Because both the coffee bag and text are black, it makes the statement nearly illegible. The quote is one by Zora Neale Hurston, an American author who, even though is known as one of the best African American writers, died penniless due to the lack of support and respect for her writing. The quote is printed on a coffee bag received from Nirvana Soul, a Black-owned coffee shop in the Bay Area that supports Black artists. The technique used to create this piece is inspired by Black conceptual artist, Glenn Ligon.
   

  Sofia Montgomery's Website