Colorblind
Laurel D.
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This piece was motivated by the recent and ongoing BLM civil rights movement, and how it has drawn attention to the expansive and complicated questions of how race and ethnicity contribute to an individual’s identity and beauty. One of the responses to these questions that deeply affected me was my peers’ common exclamation, “I don’t see color!” proclaiming their enthusiasm for diversity and equality... I find the statement both overused and counterproductive. In “Colorblind,” I attempt to capture my frustration; a black streak, devoid of color, obscures and destroys the rainbow hues of an ethnic face, covering her eyes in an allusion to the words, “I don’t see”. The void scarring the beauty of her face illustrates the damage of “I don’t see color!”
I hope “Colorblind” reminds the viewer that systematic injustice cannot be tackled with one all-encompassing phrase. We do see color. I believe our differences and our uniqueness should be celebrated, not denied. I do see color, and that doesn’t stop me from seeing people. We all have different faces and stories, and why else is the world beautiful? When we are working our way toward a brighter future, let’s start there.
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I have been an artistic creator since I was little. It allows me a way to contribute beauty to the world.
