2022 Image Equity Fellow: Eric Hart Jr.

​​A triptych exploring a range of emotions, this frame displays a nude Black male figure wearing silver breast tassels and a feather boa. With the aim to examine the nuances of queer expression, we see this figure transition from comfort to conflict.

Symbolizing an end, the Black male figure unapologetically sings at the top of his lungs as he steps out of a frame revealing himself from his sheer robe.

As a queer interpretation of the “nuclear family”, this frame rejects what heteronormative American society expects of a household. The white picket fence becomes a white rusting tub as mother and father become two black male figures in corsets and satin gloves.

Drawing upon the absurdity of the caricatures presented within Minstrel shows, this seated figure embodies the preposterous historical significance American performance has had in relation to the representation of Black folks.

The man on stage embodies a freedom of queer expression through hand performance, a style of performance popularized in Ballroom Culture, a Black and Latino LGBTQ+ scene that originated in New York City.

With his face painted white, this figure adopts the Greek comedy mask as opposed to the tragedy mask presenting a sort of irony, as if to call out the laughable notion that a mask is necessary in the modern day.

W.E.B. Du Bois’ notion of the 'double consciousness' refers to Black individuals carrying a psychological awareness of our own differences among a dominant white culture. This image depicts a visualization of that consciousness and questions its existence 120 years later.

Drawing again on W.E.B. Du Bois’ notion of the 'double consciousness', we revisit a now unleashed figure as he casts a shadow onto this previously attached consciousness. The Black male figure in the foreground possesses a gaze that is nothing short of confrontational.

Taking on the role of a marionette, the Black male figure showcases a direct confrontation with a source of control directly above him. Literally being put on a stage and controlled by ropes, this figure’s expression presents a clear disapproval with the act of performing.

The Black male figure sits fully suited in a performance tuxedo, gloves, and top hat in an unmarked location as his conflict is noticeable. Behind the conflicted figure is the drawing of a unicorn, a mythical creature usually associated with queerness and/or fantasy.