Mastodawn

Pottery by Osa

@JoBlakely Excellent work. Do you ever paint abstract? The painting in the background makes me wonder.

I do think it would have been nice to paint a black woman in this case because “Rest is Resistance” comes from Black womanist thought, although it’s true that it applies generally to any group whose labor has been exploited by capitalism. There are definitely implications for all of Western society.

@potterybyosa Thank you! it’s so funny you say that. I’m quietly working on a some abstract pieces right now. I have dabbled from time to time in it.

I have a piece I’ve painted digitally that I really want to do and thinking about doing some pieces that are just the abstracted images and then portraits with people in front of them.
I’m really excited by them. I want to use collage too, and while this one was more about color, others do have an abstracted representative aspect.

@JoBlakely I just added more to my comment after thinking it over for a bit. Looking forward to seeing your abstract works.

@potterybyosa yeah. I became disabled from PTSD & burnout in the workplace system that exploited and sexually harassed me, and which I never was able to grow in.

@JoBlakely Yeah, I understand then why you relate to the phrase personally. It’s just hard seeing valuable, revolutionary social theories become divorced from their origins so quickly. I think that although the painting is beautiful and extremely skillful, there’s nothing to tell the viewer that the subject has struggled. I respect your work very much and hope this feedback is received in that light.

@potterybyosa yeah, I struggled with a title for this piece, and the painting lacked intention, only an emotion on the figure that came out. It was a study mostly, and I hope to revisit it much larger with more intention. I appreciate your constructive feedback, and respect your work too. I agree with everything you said.
The work I am more excited about has more intention in the abstracts and hopefully tell more of the story…I felt her expression gave me exhaustion but strength…

@potterybyosa
…I really do not want to be co-opting anything, despite feeling a connection.
I am a metoo survivor, & came forward mid 90s, a decade before Tarana Burke started that movement, I sued two companies & still suffer tremendous backlash, nor did I have community or family who had my back, esp. in 90s.

Black women get it, so I follow & relate to them the most, but I’m not included for reasons I understand. But I relate deeply & trying to find a way...

@potterybyosa
It’s so complicated for me. My culture as a diaspora (anti Zionist since 1980) Jew was erased historically, it’s travelled the world in expulsions, enslaved for centuries, put in ghettos, & genocide.
I grew up & live in multicultural Toronto, where we seemed to get along & celebrated the diverse culture. I had no culture other than all the cultures.

I question a lot lately what is my culture, what am I allowed, when it’s been stolen from me, & I’m not allowed to share in others.

@potterybyosa
That all said, I think I’ll change the painting title to something that isn’t that, and feel free to critique me again. Thank you.

@JoBlakely ha, I’m mostly here to enjoy, not critique but thank you for hearing me out. Looking forward to seeing the next iteration.

@JoBlakely I understand the complexity and I did mention that the slogan has implications for everyone. I honestly think your solution of selecting a different title completely solves the problem. Instead of using language coined by Black women, there are other words that can speak to your experience just as well.

@potterybyosa yeah. Agree. Thanks.
I think where my work is headed is strongly trying to express all these big ideas and complicated feelings about the world & my place in it, but words fail. I hate coming up with titles. It makes me want to just call it by the series it belongs to with a number, or untitled.