Denver Edmonds - John Edmonds (Anonymous Series) *post 2*

1)  Technical decision and why I'm compelled/moved by said tech decisions.
Anonymous is a series based upon the social injustice black communities. One thing that intrigues me  about this piece is the items on the subjects and how it relates to black culture. The subjects wear durags, which are garments wore on someones head to keep their hair in place. It is typically and commonly worn by black men. They also wear hoodies and it pertains to the event that sparked a movement among the black community. In 2012, Trayvon Martin was killed in Florida during the night. His murderer claimed Martin looked suspicious because he was wearing a hoodie. 


2)  What I believe the artist's intentions and concept are.
The hoodies and the durags conceal the identity of the subjects. I find this interesting because it displays how the artist feels as though black identity is viewed differently by other races. Black identity has no distinction in societies eyes, which can be dangerous. The black community can have individuality because it is dynamic!  The neutral colors of the subjects in hoodies shows the dullness of ignorance towards black individuals. Yet, the durags feature bright colors with lust texture. This alludes to the beauty of black individuals and the community as a whole. 


3)  How do I personally respond to the intentions and concepts.
I enjoy the subtlety of the piece and use the color to demonstrate themes. My interpretation was easy to gather because of the technical decisions, but the concepts are sophisticated and relevant to the turmoil of America and the black community. This pieces celebrates blackness, individuality, and the social structure of America. I feel as though it would have been interesting if the subjects wearing the durags revealed part of their identity within a different pose. However, I understand the theme of being anonymous  and having consistency within a piece. 

4) Why I chose this artist
I chose John Edmonds because I like how this piece strives towards eliminating the distance between societie's understanding of blackness and black peoples understanding of blackness. In person, this series is displayed on huge scale, which forces the audience in the context of the series and the work in general.The references and iconography also highlights this piece. In my opinion, John Edmonds made brilliant decisions to create a piece that uplifts and enlightens viewers.