The Local Work of T. Elliot Mansa

T. Elliot Mansa, born in Miami, is a product of Miami-Dade's magnet programs.   Home was a very different place than school.  At home in the early 80's he watched as his stepfather grappled with crack addiction.  In school Mansa began to navigate the dichotomy of these two worlds.  He began to use Art as a place to question these contradictions around him.  Though he graduated from the esteemed New World School of the Arts, Mansa still had to avoid the ever-present temptations of gangs and drugs.   Despite watching a number of his friends dabble in the drug trade, some even falling to gun violence along the way, the temptation to follow in this illicit life path for Mansa was real.

After battling depression following the death of his mother, Mansa again looked to painting.  He explored auto-biographical tropes in his Mother/Son series.  Logically, Mansa began to explore his relationship with his father in his work.  It seemed painting was becoming his saving grace.  Looking at his own life Mansa saw that through Art he had been able to accomplish more than his peers around him; namely, he had managed to graduate college and avoid the label of felon, two things his siblings had been unable to achieve.

As Mansa questioned the relationships between Sons and Fathers and ideas behind the worship of 'the hustler' in hip-hop's urban culture, he was able to draw closer to his brothers and father.  This was a fleeting joy.  Unfortunately on Easter Sunday, Mansa would lose his father to cancer as well.  Mansa received his notice of acceptance to Yale the night before his father's funeral.

T. Eliott Mansa will be exhibiting recent portraits that bridge the gaps between sociological and autobiographical narratives, mixed with elements from the mythologies of the West African Yoruba cosmology.  The figures painted in acrylic, often of family and friends, emerge in rich details from graphite washes.  These young men, brothers, uncles and father(s) of the artist, are all convicted felons.  The paintings portray the subjects, often African-American men, both in urban settings and as African deities, or Orishas, using the metaphor of possession to examine the role of hero-worship in Mansa's subjects' socialization.

To celebrate the wonderful news that Miami based artist T. Elliot Mansa was accepted into the prestigious Yale painting MFA program, the BFI #BigFutureInitiative is hosting an exhibition of his newest work.  Please note, this is a fundraising exhibition: All profits from every sale of Mansa's Artwork will go directly to help fund Mansa's expenses while at Yale.  

Opening Reception Friday April 26, 7pm - 9pm

April 26th - May 8th, open by appointment only

for appointments, contact info@basfisherinvitational.com

BFI #BigFutureInitiative

100 Northeast 11th Street
Miami, FL 33132

Stuck.

I took this photo while on a weekend trip in the region of Salta in Argentina. Salta is close to the border with Bolivia, and is best known for its mountain range and salt flats. While on a day tour we stopped in this mountain-top town to taste an Argentine delicacy--llama. The remarkable element about this town was just how dated it was; this town had barely any cars, definitely no modern treats that we were all accustomed to, and was stricken with poverty; and yet the people were friendly, curious, and happy. This photo shows the desolation of the town as well as the run-down appearance characteristic to most parts of South America outside of the capitals and major cities. It also showcases the beautiful mountain range in the very background, though it doesn't seem so mighty given the snippet shown. The houses and windows seem rudimentary, hand-made, and old. What personally captures me about this image is the sign on the closest building on the left side; it reads "Peronismo Federal," which represents the popular ideology of the late Argentine president Juan Peron from the 1950s. This ideology swept the nation and is extremely complex and difficult to explain to anyone who hasn't spent a great deal of time in Argentina. I myself don't entirely understand the concept after having spent 6 months in the country. Signs that read similar messages can be found all over the country, even 60 years after the time of the president. These sorts of messages represent Argentina as a whole for me, and continually remind me of the struggles that the people faced in the years following Peron as well as the beautiful culture that emerged as a result. Nicole Wilke

Revision of my connection with Judaism

The center of Judaism

            The Land of Israel is a holy place for the three major world religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  The Western Wall is of particular importance to the Jews.  When the Byzantines destroyed the second temple, after it had already being rebuilt once, all that remained was the Western Wall. This magnificent temple was built in 586 B.C.E. then destroyed and rebuilt in 516 B.C.E. After that it was destroyed a second time around the year 628 C.E. As the Western Wall was a part of the second temple, that means tis landmark is over 2529 years old and has been standing by itself for 1427 years after the temple was destroyed. Because this wall managed to stay standing as the Byzantines tried to destroy it, it has become a beacon of hope.  Every year thousands upon thousands of people visit the Western Wall and take place in one of the many customs regarding the wall.  You simply take a piece of paper and write a prayer on it before placing it into a crack in the wall.  As this is so strongly connecting with my religion, I can’t help but feel connected to it when I see it.  Pictures of the Western Wall remind me of my grandmother, as my religious study was one of the things she helped me the most with. Every time that I see a picture of the western wall, no matter what's in it besides the wall, I get this warm feeling in my chest, and a slight feeling like someone is looking over my shoulder. I have no clue how to explain it other than my grandmother watching to for me. I feel the closest to here whenever I talk about or see pictures of Israel. This strong connection arising just from talking and looking at Israel is one of the motivating force for me to visit next winter. I will then finally take a trip to Israel and be able to see the Western Wall with my own eyes and place my own prayers of healing and peace into a crevice in the wall.

If image doesn't load, go to following URL.
http://www.trincoll.edu/~mdearin2/Western%20Wall.htm

Greetings from Miami

Wynwood, Florida is known for its incredible wall art, or “graffiti”. If you visit, you won’t be able to turn a corner without seeing a larger-than-life mural staring back at you, with bright, vibrant colors and precise details and features. A particular wall stands out as a satire on the traditional “postcard picture” that you might receive from a relative on vacation in Miami. “Greetings from Miami Seven” is written in colorful letters featuring buildings, a flamingo, and the American flag. “Miami Seven” most likely refers to Miami’s “Seven Art Fair”, but that is not the interesting part about this wall art.

At first glance, it could be seen as a nice advertisement for Miami, but on closer inspection it is a strong critique on the way Miamians view their city. The “punctum”, for me, is the face on the sun. It is gloomily sitting atop the words and staring down upon that which people first think of Miami for: Palm trees, colorful beaches, beautiful skylines, exotic animals, and skyscrapers. It is as though this Sun has grown weary of looking down upon a city that contains so many inhabitants that do not appreciate it. The Sun loves the city, but hates to see it treated and viewed so poorly. The tentacle-like rays of light coming out of the sun attempt to wrap around the word “Miami” but seem to struggle to hold on, just like the people of Miami struggle to hold on to their “Miami Vice” attitude and persona, which is an unnatural one, but has been the way of life for three decades.

There is more to this piece of art than at first glance, and it is relevant to our discussion of mobiles, locals, and exiles. This is just one of the thousands of pieces of wall art, but it has a meaning deeper and more locally significant than many others. The best way to understand somebody is to understand how they view themselves, and the same goes for one’s environment. This local artist chose the classic images associated with Miami, but gave these images the tone that he or she views them with. There is a kind of fake outer layer with bright colors and relaxing scenes, but looking closer you can see the sadness on the sun, clouds on the horizon, and a black shadow behind the words “Miami Seven”.

Ground Breaking Ceremony

            This is a photograph of the groundbreaking ceremony for the new building of the Frost School of Music. The photo was taken in the moments following the actual digging. Taking part in the ceremony was beloved University President, Donna Shalala, the two largest benefactors of the Frost School of Music, Phillip and Patricia Frost (right), Dean Berg (I believe) (far left), an assistant Dean and Sebastian the Ibis. The ceremony took place on that rectangular patch of dirt, behind Volpe and next to Foster, that everyone in Stanford still walks through on their way to classes. The ground has not been touched since the ceremony. In fact, there is more ground than there originally was since a sizeable pile of loose dirt was dumped in the middle of the lot for ease of groundbreaking. Continuing to look at the studium, the juxtaposition of the clothing worn by the above individuals portrays the spectacle of the situation. The construction worker (not seen in the photo) that will actually be putting in the labor to make the new building possible will be wearing the hardhat but will by no means be wearing a suit, yet the hype of the situation (the ceremony) shows the two ideas, labor and social class, two things usually in competition with each other, in the same photo or context.

As far as which social group the picture applies to, I would say it depends on the point of view of each member of the student body on a case-by-case basis. If the majority of the student body considers the University their home then it appeals to the locals. The ceremony, which embodies the Universities drive to always offer a better space aesthetically and academically, would appeal to the locals who use and pay for the space. It also appeals to mobiles, in this case prospective students and the families of current students, because the ideas of newness and advancement attract potential students and families to visit campus and send their children to school here at the U. The photo could also potentially represent the lack of voice from the exiles. Who will actually be doing the groundbreaking and every other laborious step that is required to make a building appear?

This photo, particularly the hardhat (as well as the concept of the construction workers missing voice), reminds me of my father. My father works as an elevator mechanic in New York City. Every business day he commutes for about 4 hours (rush-hour on the LIE is awful) and works all across Manhattan maintaining, troubleshooting and installing elevators. It’s not the most glamorous job and it the average salary for most isn’t the best but my father has been in the job so long that he has made the electronics and programs behind the elevator his art and is economically fortunate to be on the best in the field. Whenever I went into work with him during days I had auditions in the city I would think about what New York would be without elevators.

It was and, as I look at this picture, still is confusing to see or, better yet, not see where all of the credit is perceived. In the case of my father and all construction workers, all of the famous Manhattan skylines or beautiful college campus buildings would not exist, yet appreciation for their work is hard to come by. And as you get to socially lower jobs my confusion turns to contempt. Students here and I imagine students elsewhere complain about dining hall food, blown light bulbs and wet bathroom floors with little regard to who actually performs those jobs (for extremely low wage) to make their lives bearable. This photo in a way represents this lens in which people view how the world works in a sense: only seeing the final project without regards to those who sacrificed their time and energy for the project.

Litter

Not many places in the world would you see a group of people walk over a dollar and none of them stop to pick it up. A dollar buys nothing in Miami, not even the cheapest juice drink from the most discounted store. But at the same time, a dollar isn’t worth much in any other part of the country. But why does nobody pick it up? Embarrassment? Fear? Wealth? What stands out the most to me is the tree in the photograph. From trees come money, but trees are not admired as much as money. In this photo, a group of people walked past a dollar, probably admiring how the tree looked so beautiful in this after rain dew. The tree is vibrantly green, while the dollar is dull and degraded. The dollar, probably traveled around Miami for quite some time, who knows who could have held that dollar, or more importantly, or disgustingly, what had held that dollar. It was probably spent on cocaine, cigarettes, or drugs. It could have been given to a homeless person, who quickly used it with a handful of other dollars to buy a beer. In Miami, everyone wants to seem rich. Rich people are seen with women, expensive toys, luxury, and a smile. Who wants to be seen picking up a stray dollar? "As if I dont have twelve thousand more of those in my bank account," everybody tries to tell themselves. 

Reconnecting with Simplicity (Revised)

Palma De Mallorca, Spain is a major city and port on the island of Majorca. Majorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea and is teh largest island in the Balearic Islands archipelago, in Spain. Like many of the other islands, including Ibiza, Minorca, and Formentera, it is an extremely popular holiday destination. Particularly for tourists from Germany, Ireland, Poland and the United Kingdom. There are hundreds of caves around the island, most of which have been made into tourist destinations. One of the most popular caves is Las Cuevas del Drach. For 14 euros you can walk the 25 meters through the entire cave. 

I have been lucky enough to go to Mallorca every summer for the past 10 years. About 5 years my sisters and I visited Las Cuevas del Drach. After walking through the cave we decided to to explore the area. After about 10 minutes of hiking away from the famous caves we came across this cala (in the photo). Not many people know about this spot and if you go there at any given time you may find one or two people swimming or sunbathing. Perhaps it is because I have had so many great memories in this particular spot that I have such a strong emotional response to this photograph. Besides the obvious beauty and tranquility that is depicted in the picture, I find that this picture makes me think of everything good in my life. We tend to get very caught up in life and school, but this picture puts everything into perspective and reconnects me with the simplicity of life. This may just be a pretty picture to someone else, but I think that because of my amazing personal experiences there, in some way it’s the only place that hasn’t been tainted by the struggles and emotions of everyday life.

Identity Struggle: the white walls (revised)

         

         I captured the photo shown my first week here on campus. Ben, my roommate and the one who is shown, displays his excitement for the end of the school week. After the image was taken, Ben and I planed to go to a music party, our first college party. The photo was taken against one of the walls of the music building classrooms.

         The focus for me is the sign labeled “wet-paint”. The white paint of the music building, and all the buildings on campus, is unique to Miami. Other Universities need to paint their walls to keep up the integrity of the building. But, the white color is so distinct. Any trace of dirt or other color is obviously present against white. The white color creates two circumstances: dirty walls are more obvious and the walls need to be painted more to be maintained.

         The University of Miami works so hard to keep the image people associate with the school pure. The white walls will undoubtedly get dirty, but the school can just paint over the dirt. These white walls relate directly to the mobiles of Miami and how they act. The idea that decisions and actions do not have consequences because whatever happens can just be painted over and forgot. Little do mobiles know that the they’re careless and destructive nature (economically, socially) is as obvious as dirt on white walls. The real colors of the wall, and Miami as a locale, are hidden beneath layers of think milky paint (not to mention, more paint is on its way).

         For me this picture stood out because I could not understand the easily dirtied, yet still extremely gaudy, milk walls. Why was the school trying so hard to wear these white walls? Regular walls would have functioned fine. With time, many buildings in other college campuses seem to age. The process of aging buildings shows signs of heavy use, security, comfort, and nostalgia. But this is not the way the buildings in University of Miami are. This is not how the mobiles act. Everything always needs to be new. Architecture must function as an indicator of money and in result an indicator of greater identity struggle.