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All That Remains (and That Which Does Not)

Betts, Reese

Davis, Trinity A Utopia is an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or near perfect qualities for its members. In my work Black Utopia, I imagine this condition for women in my community. Inspired by artist Tyler Mitchell, my photographs describe self-love, empowerment, and intelligence. I am pushed to create lyrical, poetic, almost sculptural works, which foreground the elegance I see within the African American community. Knowing that a Black Utopia will never be obtained, I am inclined to create images with a futuristic, almost unsettling touch. Many of my photographs block or restrict visual access to the portrait subject by way of nature, referencing the impossibility of Black Utopia. I am highlighting African American women in a way which uplifts and counteracts negative stereotypes placed upon us by mass media.