The Meaning Of Material

Art is much more than just the images the artist chooses to portray in their work. The meaning behind a piece can come from multiple different places: cultural context, formal elements, conceptual aspects, time period, and material. The materials that an artist choose to use when creating their work can many times give as much meaning to the piece as the images that are represented on it. I intend to show the importance of the materiality of pieces like Execution of Four Female Sioux by a Sioux warrior artist, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima by Betye Saar, and Fashioned with Patience by LM Wood by addressing the significance of the materials in the context of the time it was created.