Rewind
Rewind is an art installation by Paul Rucker that demonstrates the similarities between slavery and contemporary prison industrial areas through animation, digital stills, sculptures, original musical works, interactive sounds and videos. Although the names of slaves and criminals are different, these labels have similar limitations and expectations. Both parties face labor exploitation, loss of rights and deprivation of rights. Currently, more than 2.3 million people are imprisoned in the United States; African Americans account for 40%, even though they only make up 12% of the country’s total population. In "Rewind", Paul Rucker studied the large number of people affected by these two institutions and the differences in the racial makeup of the prison population.[1]
This art intallation garnered praise from Baltimore Magazine awarding Paul “Best Artist 2015.” Additionally, REWIND received “Best Solo Show 2015” and “#1 Art Show of 2015” from Baltimore City Paper, reviews by The Huffington Post, Artnet News, Washington Post, The Root, and The Real News Network[2]
Installation
Step inside the Baltimore Museum of Art this fall and you could find yourself face to face with a crowd of seven-foot mannequins dressed head to toe in Ku Klux Klan robes.
When you walk into the Baltimore Museum of Art this fall, you will find yourself face to face with a group of mannequins in Ku Klux Klan robes and seven feet long from head to toe.
Of course, they are not your usual white turbans. The robes are made of patterns such as Kente cloth and camouflage cloth, which turn the ghostly memories of KKK uniforms into creepy outdated images. Unlike the black and white photos of the great wizard buried in American history books, these vivid costumes bring the racist horror of the United States into the present. Standing in front of magnificent statues, you can’t ignore their existence.[3]
In this installation there are some art who have their own tittle :
- BIRTH OF A NATION PROJECT
During this year, Paul Rucker will make 1-3 new nightgowns every week
- EXCESSIVE USE
Overuse is a collection of works produced using the semi-automatic pistol of the Glock 22 on paper. The overused paper is named after the event's city and date.
- PROLIFERATION
Art can tell stories. For many years, I will talk about injustices by citing numbers and statistics. When you say "we have more than 2.3 million people in prison", the number is too big to understand. During my residence in New York’s Blue Mountain Center on prison issues, I found some maps that I thought could help tell the story. This project demonstrates the proliferation of the American prison system from an astronomical perspective. Using different colors to indicate different eras, viewers can clearly see the amazing development of the system over time.
- SOUNDLESS SERIES
The Soundless Series is a group of wood carvings similar to the body of a cello, with the date and place of unfortunate death.
- STORM IN THE TIME OF SHELTER
According to her mother's hymn in "The Shelter in the Storm", she learned from the experience of the church organist.
- STORIES FROM THE TREES
"Story on the Trees" reimagines the old postcard of lynching through animation and new musical works. The project brought the various scenes of lynching to life, and these events brought communities, including women and children, together to watch these atrocities proudly. The image is taken from a postcard usually made from lynching photos. Part 1 Unknown lynching victim with children around.
- LITTLE KNOWN
The children of the slaves were deprived of adequate food and, by modern standards, they were small. Slave mothers had a spontaneous abortion shortly after birth due to chronic undernutrition, and the chances of stillbirth and death were high. Half of all slave babies weighed less than 5.5 pounds at birth. In addition, slave children were severely punished, just like the punishment for adults.
- ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT
The installation utilizes images of broad sales targets that have been extensively modified to create images of people wearing blouses wearing skittles and watermelon juice cocktails. The image is presented in the form of a blanket, usually used for comfort and warmth.
- THROWS
Each blanket in the stack depicts images of lynching or killing. They capture extreme human brutal experiences in objects designed for comfort, warmth and safety.
- ARTIFACTS
Artifacts are historical items related to in the Rewind presentation.
Controversy
REWIND encountered some controversy during the opening performance at York College, Pennsylvania during his traveling exhibition (August 31 to October 21, 2017), and the college announced its decision to close the exhibition to the public. The university also announced on the Facebook page : “The images [in Rucker’s work], while powerful, are very provocative and potentially disturbing to some. This is especially the case without the benefit of an understanding of the intended educational context of the exhibit. As a result, the college has limited attendance to the exhibit.”
People have mentioned how startling and provocative my work is, but the truth is, there’s nothing more shocking than things happening outside the doors of the gallery. What’s happening in our streets is far more shocking.-Paul Rucker[4]
External Link
See more the installation here
Reference
- ↑ Rewind. Creative-capital. Retrieved January 21, 2021
- ↑ Brainard Carey. Paul Rucker. May 7, 2018. Museumofnonvisibleart. Retrieved January 21, 2021
- ↑ Katherine Brooks. Artist Paul Rucker Is Taking Back The Racist Symbols Of America’s Past. Aug 15, 2017. Huffpost. Retrieved January 21, 2021
- ↑ Rewind. Creative-capital. Retrieved January 21, 2021