Summary Of Spade In Chains By David Hammons

With the all current events trending the deaths of unarmed black men by police officers, predominant issues that involve the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, the chokehold death of Eric Garner, the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice along with other injustices that persistently take place, all echo a shameful American history regarding race relations. Exploring the possibilities and/or major issues to understanding why this continues begins with colonialism and post-colonialism factors. How social and political powers sustain colonialism and how people of a subaltern were and are still exploited under the umbrella of a prior and post-colonial rule. Inequalities and injustices coincide amongst subjugated people. Focusing on African American
An example of his work is his Spade series. He uses a garden shovel (which is called a spade in gardening) to reveal the re-appropriated derogatory term for African Americans. His work entitled Spade in Chains, is a round pointed shovel and chains loop through punched out holes at the step of the blade of the shovel the piece resembles a human torso wearing necklaces. Hammons stated in an interview, "I was trying to figure out why black people were called spades, as opposed to clubs. Because I remember being called a spade once, and I didn't know what it meant…. So I took the shape, and started painting it"
Artists such as Betye Saar demonstrate the way Black people are seen through stereotypes. In her art piece called The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, Saar reshapes the meaning of the stereotypical Aunt Jemima into a symbol of black power. The Aunt Jemima figure holds a broom in one hand and a riffle in the other. The transformation that takes place within the piece is the once known domestic servant has converted her identity to a new proud militant that demands agency within a white society that oppresses (Powell). Artist Charles White’s work addresses themes of the social injustices that black people have faced (White). Artist Lorna Simpson explores stereotypes of race and gender (Bio). Artist Carrie Mae Weems work focuses on investigating family relationships, gender roles, the histories of racism, class, along with injustices within the political systems (Weems). And finally, Artist Kehinde Wiley work focuses on complex socio-political issues and histories that are still relevant to the world of black and brown minorities. His paintings depict young men of color into a position of power