https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz Exploring the Boundaries of Self Portraiture and the Colonial Gaze en-us 2021-05-24 02:01:10 UTC 2024-10-17 08:44:44 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572023449 I am a lens-based artist and a 1st generation Canadian whose family is from the island of Nevis in the Caribbean.  I attended OCAD University where I majored in Fine Art Photography.  I currently live and work in Brooklyn, NY USA.

My work explores the intersectionality of race, heritage and identity as it relates to the Caribbean Diaspora and post-colonial societies.  My images are part of the Royal Bank of Canada's Art Collection  and have been exhibited at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Red line Museum Colorado, the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, the Canadian Museum for immigration and the Center for Photography at Woodstock.  I've also had my work written about and included in publications including the Huffington Post, Marie Claire South Africa, MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora , the Focal Press Companion to the Constructed Image, and A-Z Caribbean.

Visit my website:  www.staceytyrell.com

]]> 2021-05-30 20:54:26 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572023449 https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572049920 2021-05-30 21:25:03 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572049920 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572081779 By using my own work in 3 case studies, we will look at the various sources and elements that can be drawn on for inspiration when creating self-portraits. ]]> 2021-05-30 22:04:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572081779 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572083312

• How does Self-Portraiture differ from traditional forms of photographic portraiture?
• Where does it fit in the canon of Photography and how does it integrate into its history?
• How has the Colonial gaze effected depictions of non-European peoples?
• How can it be used as a tool for social and political commentary?
• How does the role of the photographer play into portraiture?  
• How does their identity and world view  impact the images that they create?

]]> 2021-05-30 22:06:12 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572083312 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572086753 The title of the series "Backra Bluid" draws from words of West Indian and Scottish origin.  the term "backra" is am archaic Caribbean slang of West African origin meaning a white person or master, while the word "bluid" is the Scots word for the blood of men and animals as well as kin.  As a black child attending a predominantly white school there were often occasions where I would listen to my classmates proudly lay claim to their Scottish, Irish and English heritage while I would silently acknowledge my own.  In many parts of my family there are people from Scotland, Ireland and England.  As an adult on the odd occasion when I do mention this part of my heritage I am often met with uncomfortable looks from whites and knowing nods from blacks.  I feel that this is due to the fact that with the very act of mentioning such ties I am inadvertently reminding them of the brutal system of colonial African slavery and its legacy that has brought about such connections.  

The images in this series are an attempt to interpret and explore these relatives both past and present that I know are out there. They are also to a degree a reflection on my own perceptions and preconceptions of whiteness. There is a dualism that is inherent in the Euro-centric constructs of "whiteness' and "blackness" in Western societies. It leaves little room for the reality that the majority of people in post-colonial societies are generally hybrids of its past and current inhabitants. Upon viewing my physical features I am automatically assigned a racial identity by whoever is looking at me. Skin color often obscures and over-rides the features ad markers of other races that may be present in my genetic makeup. By simply changing my skin color and making subtle tweaks to my facial features I which to show that if someone were to take a closer look at my face they would see that it might not be that much different from their own. ]]> 2021-05-30 22:10:57 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572086753 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572087727 2021-05-30 22:11:59 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572087727 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572088250 by Eugene Delacoix (1830)]]> 2021-05-30 22:12:45 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572088250 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572093985 Myself and my family are the direct decedents of African slaves and the European colonizers who inhabited the Caribbean and the Americas starting in the 16th century.  It goes without saying that I therefore  have a keen interest in learning more about my heritage and how the history of these regions have laid the bedrock for the social and political dynamics that we live in today.

(below) Slave register for the Hermitage Plantation, Nevis]]> 2021-05-30 22:20:41 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572093985 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572095627 2021-05-30 22:23:00 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572095627 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572095778 2021-05-30 22:23:13 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572095778 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572095811 2021-05-30 22:23:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572095811 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572095845 2021-05-30 22:23:21 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572095845 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572097812 2021-05-30 22:26:08 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572097812 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572100272 2021-05-30 22:29:12 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572100272 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572101759 The Sistema Casta was devised by the Spanish and Portuguese (but also appears in various forms in the British and French colonies) to racially and socially categorize people.  These labels had legal and social consequences.  Each came with its own set of privileges and restrictions and would dictate their standing in society. 

(below) Las Castas, Anonymous, 18th century, oil on canvas, Museo Nacional del Virreinato, Mexico]]> 2021-05-30 22:31:08 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572101759 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572102389 As part of my ongoing research for my various projects I thought it would be interesting to have a genetic test conducted to see what lies in my DNA and if it matched what i had been told by my family. My results basically tell the story of what happened historically in the last few centuries in the Caribbean and the Americas.]]> 2021-05-30 22:31:55 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572102389 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572107271 2021-05-30 22:38:37 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572107271 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572112175 2021-05-30 22:45:22 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572112175 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572112894 2021-05-30 22:46:19 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572112894 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572116353 2021-05-30 22:50:59 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572116353 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572116508 2021-05-30 22:51:12 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572116508 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572116842 2021-05-30 22:51:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572116842 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572117092 David Martin, Original Painting at Scone Palace, Perthshire, Scotland  (1761-1804)

These two women depicted were cousins who were raised together and lived at Kenwood House, Hampstead in London.  Both were placed into the care of their Uncle, William Murray, the 1st Earl of Mansfield.  Dido Elizabeth (left) was the daughter of Sir John Lindsay, a British Naval Rear Admiral, and an enslaved African mother.  Herself a slave due to her mother's status, she was raised as the Lady's Companion to her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray (right). ]]> 2021-05-30 22:51:59 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572117092 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572117345 Currently I'm working on a series of images that explore the historical entanglement and interplay both of white and black womanhood. Again as i have done in the past I am drawing from my readings and images archive research to formulate ideas.]]> 2021-05-30 22:52:21 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572117345 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572118113 2021-05-30 22:53:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572118113 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572118683 2021-05-30 22:54:09 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572118683 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572118957 2021-05-30 22:54:26 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572118957 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572125998 2021-05-30 23:02:55 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572125998 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572126336 2021-05-30 23:03:15 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572126336 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572127776 2021-05-30 23:04:57 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572127776 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572128187 2021-05-30 23:05:28 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572128187 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572132336 2021-05-30 23:10:32 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572132336 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572133060 (below) Little Marie on Neky's Arm by N.P. Holbech, Denmark 1838]]> 2021-05-30 23:11:30 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572133060 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572133817 Like millions of other people from Britain's colonies my parents and grand parents were part of the Windrush generation.  Leaving behind their lives, friends and families they ventured to the United Kingdom and Canada to seek their fortunes and help rebuild.

(below) Passport used by Gilbert Tyrell (my father) to enter Canada]]> 2021-05-30 23:12:27 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572133817 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572139774 2021-05-30 23:19:40 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572139774 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572147887 I create my own props and costumes before I get into the studio.  Once there I set up all of my own lighting and then apply the make up to myself . With the help of a studio assistant I am able to reach the spots that I cannot on my own as well as frame up and shoot the images.]]> 2021-05-30 23:27:50 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572147887 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572148050 2021-05-30 23:28:03 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572148050 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572151492 Vernacular photography is an umbrella term that is used to distinguish fine art photographs from those made by non-artists for a wide range of purposes, including commercial, scientific, forensic, governmental and personal. Its most major form includes snapshots capturing everyday life and subjects.]]> 2021-05-30 23:31:41 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572151492 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572152567 Postcard by circa early 20th century by A Moure Losada]]> 2021-05-30 23:32:54 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572152567 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572153346 The Royal African Company was an English trading company that was set up in 1660 by the royal Stuart family and the City of London merchants to create a monopoly for trading along the west coast of the African continent.  Its primary business was in providing slaves from Africa to the Americas as part of the Triangular Trade.  At one point in time its headquarters were located on the island of Nevis which meant that people had to come from other islands to its slave market in order to make purchases for their plantations.]]> 2021-05-30 23:33:42 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572153346 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572163648 Author:  Stacey Tyrell
Padlet Management: The Open College of the Arts]]> 2021-05-30 23:43:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572163648 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572171058 Carte De Visite of Henry Morton Stanley & Kalulu, London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company, 1872]]> 2021-05-30 23:49:32 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572171058 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572172015 2021-05-30 23:50:12 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1572172015 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574005744 2021-05-31 16:42:31 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574005744 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574008916 2021-05-31 16:44:05 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574008916 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574010994 2021-05-31 16:45:15 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574010994 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574040688 2021-05-31 17:00:06 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574040688 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574041376 2021-05-31 17:00:31 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574041376 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574042060 2021-05-31 17:00:55 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574042060 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574043486 2021-05-31 17:01:45 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574043486 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574058453 2021-05-31 17:09:29 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574058453 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574061486 2021-05-31 17:11:09 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574061486 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574064106 As children and citizens of the British Empire my parents were taught that its reach over its domain was one in which "the Sun Never Set".  Proudly they would recite "Rule Britannia!", proclaiming that "Britons never will be slaves..."  Completely unaware of the irony that these lyrics, written in the late 1700s by James Thomson, were being repeated by the direct descendants of the very African slaves and Indigenous peoples that England had used to build its powerful commonwealth.  Never did society at the time of its writing think that the descendants of  these chattel would become free subjects who would at some point be encouraged to seek their fortunes on her shores.

The female allegories used to represent the colonizing countries of the Western world can alternately be seen as one for the ideal of white womanhood during the 19th and early 20th centuries.  These figures are at once virginal, demure and nobly highlighting the path to enlightenment and victory for the country she meant to embody.  She is a figure that has been used to rally troops and patriots alike to fight on her behalf.  Her gaze is full of hope and often looking upwards towards the glorious manifest destiny she is guiding her subjects to what lies ahead.  Her magnanimous demeanor is permeated with her assumed cultural superiority, progress and civilization.  This easily can be seen in paintings and images that depict Columbia (USA) being guided by wisdom and of Britannia freeing her slaves.

There is a paradox that is embedded within the relationship of any colonial power and its former and current subjects.  Her citizens are taught from an early age to love her and protect her in order to find themselves in the unbiased glow of her love.  The expectation is that, however naive, they will be shown this love in return.  Yet in a historical and contemporary context once these non-white subjects began to immigrate to her shores as part of the Windrush Generation they abruptly found themselves not in the warmth of her love but as the living embodiment of the Other and as objects of disdain.  The figures in this series are an attempt to try to reconcile what really lies beneath these symbols of nationhood and for whom they are intended. 

]]> 2021-05-31 17:12:29 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574064106 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574099856 2021-05-31 17:32:31 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574099856 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574103082 This was a Spanish labour system that rewarded 'conquerors" with the labor of particular groups of non-Christian people. It was applied on a massive scale in the Americas to monopolize the labor of particular groups in perpetuity. ]]> 2021-05-31 17:34:19 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574103082 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574106840 2021-05-31 17:35:43 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574106840 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574146555 British Library]]> 2021-05-31 17:57:51 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574146555 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574149278 2021-05-31 17:59:25 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574149278 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574298433 by John Gast (1872)]]> 2021-05-31 19:28:09 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574298433 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574301398 2021-05-31 19:30:02 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574301398 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574302440 2021-05-31 19:30:44 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574302440 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574340055 2021-05-31 19:55:07 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574340055 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574348130 2021-05-31 20:00:58 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574348130 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574350007 Bluid and Sweat by Clare Samuel]]> 2021-05-31 20:02:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574350007 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574367768 2021-05-31 20:16:31 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574367768 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574369653 2021-05-31 20:17:54 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574369653 tyrellstacey https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574371175 2021-05-31 20:18:55 UTC https://padlet.com/tyrellstacey/mjk6qxxljmczriaz/wish/1574371175