I had originally intended to create and actual medal but the timing of the competition clashed with the production of my Braille piece that I had to prepare for the bronze casting. (See https://carldurban.wixsite.com/website/post/more-braille-more-messages-more-material). I still wanted to somehow realise my idea and this year it is possible to submit a concept sketch. There are many different aspects the medal will be judged on, for example the relationship between the two sides but also the edge as well as innovation, the expression of an abstract idea and referencing the work. However, this year there is also a major theme to consider Black Art Matters. As it says in the brief, the world is a different place from last year not only because of the pandemic but also because of the Black Lives Matter campaign.
I have put together a series of sketches as ideas and considered the overall shape and text to appear on it but I just need to finalise some of the detail before submitting it.
I wanted to reflect the powerful image of the clenched gloved fist known as the Black Power Salute. The iconic image is from the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, when on the podium of the 200 metres Tommie Smith, who won gold for the USA and John Carlos who won Bronze, again for the USA, were standing with Peter Norman, silver medal winner for Australia and as the USA national anthem started playing both Smith and Carlos raised their gloved fist as a sign of protest. They both knew this would cause trouble but also knew they had to do something. The IOC had sent Jesse Owens to talk them out of it but to no avail. The moment they raised their arms there was silence, and Carlos quotes "You could have heard a frog piss on cotton. There's something awful about hearing 50,000 people go silent, like being in the eye of a hurricane." And then came the storm. First boos. Then insults and worse. People throwing things and screaming racist abuse. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/30/black-power-salute-1968-olympics)
This was in the midst of the urban race riots, anti-Vietnam protests were becoming stronger and Martin Luther King had been assassinated. It was a very volatile time.
John Carlos (on right), Tommie Smith (centre) and Peter Norman, who wore an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge in support of their gesture. When Norman died in 2006, Carlos and Smith were pallbearers at his funeral. Photograph: AP
In recent times this gesture was replicated in the temporary replacement of the now infamous statue of Edward Colston in Bristol. The empty plinth was filled with a statue by the artist Marc Quinn using a sculpture of Black Lives Matter protester Jen Reid.
Artist Marc Quinn leads secret mission to install resin-and-steel figure of Jen Reid at site of toppled Bristol slave trader. Marvin Rees, the city’s mayor, issued a statement saying that “the future of the plinth and what is installed on it must be decided by the people of Bristol”. He said the sculpture was “the work and decision of a London-based artist,” and added: “It was not requested and permission was not given for it to be installed.”
I wanted to reflect the image but with the addition of a pencil and paintbrush to bring the attention to Black Art Matters, still keeping the strength of the iconic symbol. When it came to the typography I wanted to have a something strong but with a slight graffiti style to it, something slightly sharp but with an edge.
The highlighted version I felt suited the medal and message the most and then looked at how this might work on the reverse of the medal, the back of the fist. At this stage I am just developing the idea but am considering to make a maquette to understand the relationship between the sides and look at what could work on the edge. I also have considered whether the shape of the image should be the shape of the medal or whether I should consider containing it in a disk shape.
After some final adjustments I have completed a sketch and submitted it to be sent to The British Art Medal Society - Student Medal Project. I needed to fine tune a few elements and ideally would have made a maquette but had to make do with sketches and intentions. I decided to keep it in its three dimensional form rather than flattening it and making it coin shaped, I felt it had more impact this way.
After some final adjustments I have completed a sketch and submitted it to be sent to The British Art Medal Society - Student Medal Project. I needed to fine tune a few elements and ideally would have made a maquette but had to make do with sketches and intentions. I decided to keep it in its three dimensional form rather than flattening it and making it coin shaped, I felt it had more impact and was more tactile.
I also wanted to reflect to origin of the Black Power Salute by using the name of the athletes and the date of the olympics on the top of the piece to make the connection.
I have received my response from the competition. Okay, I wasn't one of the lucky ones but I have some useful feedback and stout defence by my Tutor. The feedback is slightly contradictory to the brief but they are the judges...
However, I still made it in the catalogue, so that's something to be proud of. It would be great to take another look at this competition next year, especially now I have more experience in the process. Below is the catalogue cover and the page for NUA.
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