Elexus Pettigrew: Bible Study (Residency)
| Date start | 03.01.22 |
| Date end | 04.11.22 |
| Start Time | 12am |
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| Admission | Free |
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| Associated Program | Welcome to my Homepage |
In her residency projects, Elexus Pettigrew scratches at her relationship to Christianity and reflects on growing up as a closeted, Black, daughter of a preacher. When making the collage This Is America, she questioned if Black church is becoming more modern or returning to stereotypes of what Black congregants are supposed to be. For the video Bible Study, Pettigrew turned against her programming to not deface the bible, and instead followed a childhood urge to express herself on the pages. Speaking through the permanent marker, she responds to passages she battled with, letting memories guide her hand as she finds freedom where barriers once were. Footage from sermons and pop culture portrayals of Black church hover over the video like thoughtful recollections and pop-up windows that can’t be closed.
Elexus Pettigrew is an African-American artist who uses video and photos to speak about our relationship with media consumption. Her main focus of work plays on being a product of your environment and how media consumption and programming make us who we are today. In her work, she uses stacked videos that show a representation of black stereotypes, and relationships we build through biased medias. In addition, a meditated communication of conversation can be followed along with each piece. I am currently trying to create a deeper dialogue that’s uncomfortable. My interests in consumerism started from my own identities of being Black, Gay, and a Woman. The stereotypes on how I am viewed in the media and what’s in trend at the moment. All my life I am judged prior ahead because of my differences and having to identify with the idea of my “Blackness” in particular. In the way we talk, walk or even think its all already prescribed to us prior before discovering ourselves individually. I’m investigating perception and calling out outdated ideas we see in our everyday from news outlets, cartoons, reality shows and etc. I feel my art is beginning to have these conversations and allow people to take a setback and self-reflect upon themselves to better understand how they are perceiving the world. Is it through the eyes of the media or is it within our higher self or conscious that we are viewing and experiencing life?
