Queer Art Collective

We Have Risen: Honoring Black Queer Artists, featuring Timothy Brown Jr.

Deconstructing the Work of Timothy Brown Jr.

Timothy Brown Jr.’s work seen in the We Have Risen show uses mythology and religious iconography to give representation to his experiences in finding identification of being both Queer and Black. The gray-scale artwork brings the viewer in with small pops of color to convey the layering symbolism. The details that Brown puts into his work, from the tarot appropriations to the multitude of various cultural representations and religious confrontations when establishing the self, help the viewer question the lines American society creates when deconstructing the morality projected when it comes to queerness. The deconstruction of the imagery brings a unique dialogue seen through the creative mind of Timothy Brown Jr. 

Queerness in Color

Voice and Self in “Queerness in Color”

Observing the Queerness in Color show, there is a theme of fragmentation being presented in representing the self that is seen throughout all the pieces. The sense of struggle in their identifying queerness is elegantly portrayed. The artists seem to be taking the parts of their self, and though the undertones of the imagery are implicit of pain, it is clear that the artists are using their work as a platform to celebrate their experiences within their LGBTQ+ and BILAM communities. “Queerness in Color” is pushing against the otherwise stereotyped vision of what queerness is or represented as. The show is exhibiting artists in the BILAM communities and giving voice. The artists are representing their heritages while visually discussing their experiences with oppression and finding strength to overcome those circumstances.