Angela Rosado, monuments and Unusual Suspects; week 4

How do context and identity impact the form and meaning of these artistic projects? Post your reflection on our blog post. (30 points)

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All three of these monuments are a form of political reclamation of identity. They each draw attention to underrepresented/oppressed groups of people and their struggles, which have long been swept under the rug throughout history. Whole histories of these people have been and continue to be erased. It is because of these identities and the urge to speak out against the injustices towards them that the sculptures are made; identity is at the center of the form, not an outside aspect. And because of this fact that humanity has ignored and silenced these groups of people and their stories, this fact then becomes context when observing these sculptures.

The sculpture of the Brazeros in LA: represents Mexican migrant workers (identity) who toiled endlessly in their United States jobs during and after WWII (context)

"Rumors of War" in NY: represents a modern-day young black male (identity) riding a horse in a grandiose pose reminiscent of those of war heroes (context)

"Fons Americanus" at the Tate in London: represents a history of the British empire (~context) and the transatlantic slave trade (~identity)—Britain, and consequently its history, is constantly romanticized and is not often associated with it's oppressive past.

Furthermore, in this time of cultural upheaval and seeking justice, these sculptures represent our society's push for change and determination to bring issues to the foreground.
These pieces are almost entirely centered around context and identity.

In preparation for next week's guest visit, please review the organization's website

I really appreciate what the Unusual Suspects is doing for the community; I've been involved in a couple projects similar to this and still remember how wonderful the experiences have been. As an LAUSD student who came from an underfunded, primarily-Latinx pilot school focused on incorporating theater, I would have loved to have been a part of this. Inspirational stories, creating stories, being a part of a larger artistic community; all of these are things my school strove to do but could never really do because of the lack of resources.