It's in the seasoning : revealing ingredients of identity through cultural stereotypes and the resistance of blackness

Stereotypes and forms of resistance in Black American culture is the focus of this dissertation. I explore experiences of blackness in society and how art engages with and questions perceptions surrounding these experiences. My research examines perspectives of stereotypes from within and outside of the Black American community. American racial attitudes beginning in the second half of the twentieth century informs the framework of my artistic consciousness. The Black American culture is varied and complex. I have produced, for this research, works that alludes to the contradictory nature that can also define the Black American experience. I have documented new work for this research through a series of photographs, cultural specific objects, text, and a series of blank (text free) books. Originally descendants from Africa, I examine how African Americans (Black Americans) redefine themselves through cultural expression. Food is an integral cultural expression that symbolizes how Black Americans embrace and resist, challenge or subvert stereotyping. I also examine other artist that have informed and influenced the development and context for my research.