INCONSPICUOUS PRESENCE
Carla Jay Harris
UCLA MFA Thesis Show
http://www.carlajayharris.com
New Wight Gallery
240 Charles E. Young Drive Los Angeles Ca
(310) 825-3281
http://www.art.ucla.edu/gallery
UCLA Art MFA #4
April 30th – May 8th, 2015
Opening reception April 30th, 2015
5-8pm
For her UCLA MFA Thesis, Carla Jay Harris focuses on the halo effect, which is defined as situations where one is judged, and subsequently treated according to the overall impression they make and/or others perceive them to send. What is driving her is how much of the halo effect, with regard to popular ideas about American life–particularly black American life, the black body and black culture– are driven by media images of persons of African descent who reside in America. Media genres, such as photography, film, television and electronic social site venues, are highly influential, shaping not only the perception of how others view us, but how we view ourselves, historically and presently. Just how influential has the media been on the imagined black American presence? How do these halos or horns function to socially locate/isolate/exile/exterminate black people in our contemporary nation?
Inconspicuous Presence is a commentary on the ever-blurred distinction between reality and illusion in our increasingly digitized world. Tt also brings into question how much our own identity and self-worth is knowingly, or unknowingly, informed by these notions of/mythology regarding race, beauty and social location, present and past.
Carla’s MFA exhibition at UCLA features a mixed-media installation which includes ink on vinyl, ceramic, glass, cotton, wood, furniture, wallpaper and a series of archival pigment prints.
RSVP via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1425094757794149/
