SHAPED
ARTIST STATEMENT
Growing up on the island of Jamaica has had a lasting effect on my life. Not only has it shaped the way I see certain things, but it has allowed me to analyze situations and see the underlying meaning they possess. As mentioned previously in my first artist statement, racism is a concept that is not widely used in Jamaica. In fact, it was not until I migrated to the United States that I fully understood what racism is and the effects it has had on large groups of people. This realization is what has shaped my project into what it is now. I am concerned with issues of inequality, women’s rights, and racism and so I at first wanted to do a video on beauty. However, with some thought, I decided to create a film that will reach a wider audience and share a more intricate part of my life with others. This, I hope, will stir up a necessary awakening to people who are complacent in a world filled with hate and prejudice.
In the beginning of my filming process, I wanted to just piece together photographs with music playing in the background. However, this would not have represented my true emotions and so I opted for short video clips and photos. In accommodation with these visuals, I wanted my viewers to hear music that represents how each stage of my life made and continues to make me feel. The first song “Redemption Song” is a piece that I knew I wanted to incorporate from the very beginning because it speaks dramatically against the reality I face in America. Not only was it written and sang by a Jamaican artist, but it speaks to freedom and emancipation.
Originally I desired to only use redemption song and mute the rest of the video after it was
done. However, I realized that “The Star Spangled Banner,” and, the instrumental I played
afterwards adds the drama I need to get my message across. All in all, throughout the development of this project, I have focused on how the viewers will receive the message and
I wanted to kind of guide them at first but then allow them to make their own judgement
about the video.
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