On Navigating The Art World And Visual Activism: Deborah Roberts
A few weeks ago, BBATX (#bossbabesATX) and creative entrepreneur and visual artist, Mercy Emelike, continued with the second installment of CHATROOM, an art discussion series centered around Black women and non-binary artists in the Austin area.
On December 2, we hosted artist Deborah Roberts at the BBATX Headquarters for an inspirational with Rosa Rebellion founder and activist Virginia Cumberbatch.
Image courtesy of Deborah Roberts
ABOUT THE ARTIST, DEBORAH ROBERTS:
Deborah Roberts is a mixed media artist and Austin native and local who received her MFA from Syracuse University in New York. Her artistry aims to critique the notions of body, race, beauty, and identity in present-day society through the perspective of African-American children. Her work is presented on paper or canvas, and consist of materials from literature, photographs, magazines, and the internet, along with hand painted, intricate details that allow the viewer to gain a deeper outlook on the different layers. She focuses on African-American children, and how American racism plays a significant role in conditioning their experience growing up in the United States, as well as how they are perceived by others.
Image courtesy of Virginia Cumberbatch
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR, VIRGINIA CUMBERBATCH:
Virginia Cumberbatch is a director for the Community Engagement Center, a part of The University of Texas at Austin (UT) Division of Diversity and Communication Engagement (DDCE). She has used both her academic and professional years to facilitate discussions about diversity, inclusion, and equity in the Austin area. For her current work, Virginia ensures that the center continues to develop new and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships between the University of Texas and diverse communities, improving systems to be more accessible and equitable for historically underserved communities.
HERE ARE THREE TAKEAWAYS FROM THEIR DISCUSSION:
ON EMBRACING DIFFERENCES
Of the many topics discussed, Roberts touched on the importance of representation when sharing details about the subjects of her artwork. In the United States, there is a specific generalization of African-American characteristics and physical appearance that is constantly shown in the media. Roberts explains that “the people that [she] was creating and drawing were not the same people that were being projected into the world, because they had a different idea of Blackness that [she] could not see.” Everyone’s Black experience is not the same, and it was important to Roberts that she captured her own version to “dismantle the idea that [African Americans] are all grotesque, and also the idea that [they] all act the same.”
ON BREAKING THROUGH IN THE ART WORLD
Emerging into the art world can be extremely difficult for Black artists. Robert states that “whoever can get attention without an MFA, without education, is not Black. Black artists can do the work for years, but if they don’t have scholarship, no one will listen.” Every artist aims to have their stories shared and understood by many, but without the art world’s attention, they will struggle. There are many artists showcasing their ideal image of Blackness through visual storytelling, but if the story isn’t being told in a way that the art world will care for, then it will be overlooked.
The art world is constantly shifting its focus to new themes and ideas, and it’s important for artists to stay with the times if they want to continue to be relevant in this particular society. “The people who are going to survive are the ones who are working really hard, and that’s why it’s important to be in museum collections.” Robert also noted that “[she] was in school when [the art world] shifted to Black art” and that she thinks it has started to move “toward African art.”
ON ACTIVISM AND COMMUNITY-BUILDING
As Cumberbatch noted, art and activism are often intertwined because they both require imagination. When asked if she considers herself an activist, Roberts expressed that “artists have to be artists, and you can’t ask [them] to be more political in their work.” Being able to create art that isn’t aiming for a social change is a privilege, but it’s a privilege that Roberts can not relate to, because “[she] is in the school where you have to stand up for yourself, and if you don’t, no one will.” The disappearance of Black women is often overlooked and disregarded in our society, so making artwork that focuses on Black women who go missing is Roberts’ personal form of activism.
Roberts also admits that she is currently not that involved in community-building like she was in the past. She spent her “twenties and thirties changing the way people look at Black artists in Austin,” and she now wants to channel that energy into a different direction. It’s a personal goal of hers to create a foundation where she can give money to the artists who want to do this work.
WANT TO ATTEND THE LAST CHATROOM SESSION?
Join us at our next discussion on December 14, featuring painter, Arielle Austin, interviewed by artist and educator, Tammie Rubin.