My project is about tying sports to how people of color have been chained for years. I mean this in a literal and a metaphorical sense, because in society people of color are so limited to what they can do without it being a risk. This ties into basketball as well, because certain black athletes don't have the freedom to speak their mind and are forced to follow a code. I was inspired by Hank Willis Thomas to do this project for my final since I had already showed his art for my midterm. Basketball and Chain was the art piece that caught my eye and really stuck with me, so my friend and I decided to reenact it in a performative aspect. I aimed to tell the audience that we can soar over any obstacle in life. Even though it may see hard in the moment, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel. I also used my friend to show the audience that many people go through the same issues and also have the societal shackles as well.
My friend engaged with me by having a band around his ankles that played the roles of shackles, and mine were off. Even though mine were off I still couldn't move, and it was like I also had the band around my ankles. This directly plays into how society is, for example say if a person of color gets out of prison. He may think he's free and life is amazing, but it unfortunately isn't like that for most people. His past mistakes will hover over his head and will create imaginary shackles. Even though you are "free", are you really free. This project really hit home to me because I'm a huge fan of basketball and I love watching Kyrie Irving, he has gone through the exact situation that Basketball and Chain speaks about. He had his dark times during his career but over time, he soared and never ever looked back.
Hank Willis Thomas was the main inspiration because he created the work that made me dive deep. Shaun Leonardo as well because he was really in depth about his performances and I took tips from his work. Yoko Ono was a huge inspiration as well, because she did what most people were scared to do. Kimberly Drew was also a huge impact because she's a black woman who overcame obstacles and soared.
I'm happy that we started learning about Kimberely Drew early in the semester, because I began to gravitate towards her, and her work. Also, Steve & Steve, they really showed me the true greatness of art activism. For example, Steve & Steve state, "Ideas and awareness are important. That’s how people change their minds and then take action." (Steve & Steve, 214). It's always good to be aware of what you're putting out, because this is how people will act on it with you.
A quote from Kimberly Drew that stands out to me is, "As a former math major, I did the calculations: I was not confident enough, polished enough, or anything enough to have been selected. Everything I knew about myself reminded me that I was, if not an impostor, a fraud."-Drew, Page 16. This shows how the societal shackles made her feel like she was less than even though she was enough. She majored in math and thought that was her purpose, but she was extremely wrong. Another powerful thing that she said was, "In my life, I have made a point of telling stories of triumph. I have had to fight so many battles to succeed that I want to maintain an agency with how my story is told."-Drew, Page 28. Wow, this quote goes hand and hand with my project, the whole purpose was telling a story of triumph and how we can overcome battles.
My main resources for this project were Hank Willis Thomas' Basketball and Chain, The Michael Jordan Documentary, Kyrie Irving's Antisemitic investigation, The Art of Activism by Steve & Steve. and This is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew.
https://youtube.com/shorts/wvMdnY8-IqQ?si=_jQqBklGOXxpIYd1
https://youtube.com/shorts/LI-3yK6P-BY?si=Gjw_QvlXcaA66rBf
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