Black Mass

Author/Artist Name

Courtney BowmanFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Fall 10-23-2020

Artist Statement

The Black Mass is beginning soon. It is a safe space for women and queer folk alike. Joining the journey that is the Black Mass will take you on an adventure you never thought would become reality and will make you constantly question if it is so. The Black Mass is like rain on a sunny day. It is comfort — It is a sense of togetherness you never knew you needed.

Through multi-media I retell stories and ideas based in the occult while unapologetically situating them within the queer and female communities to which they have historically belonged. Letting subjects and themes take their own forms and characters within the coven that is in Black Mass is an important aspect. As more members joined the coven there was an exploration of power and where it lies. Does it belong to me as the artist? Or do I merely capture the conscious insecurities that have been placed away from society as my muses take on the roles given to them? Willingness to give in to something and someone is what makes up Black Mass, from both sides of the camera. These works of art are almost a love letter to myself, and to those who partake in the madness.

Within multimedia that I work in, there is always small reoccurring details. Whether it be the choice of colors, usually appearing in the pink range, or small kitschy/childlike decorum, my work consistently pays homage to the interests I thought long forgotten. I also find myself dabbling in the darker side of things, not straying from using death as an aesthetic. It is easy to overlook or ignore such a topic, but it is something that we all face, so why not force a viewer to come to terms with it in a sickly-sweet way. My main subjects include exclusively women as well for the continued hope to further expand the lesbian eye in the art world. Instinctively there is want to create work of my people for my people. I yearn for the safety in numbers and have a fetish for the finite. Everyone may not be able to join in the activities of the Black Mass currently, but it is a sight to see. It is beginning soon.

Advisor/Mentor

Mike Martin, Michelle Burdine, Danielle Muzina, Sarah Martin, Antje Gamble

Description

11 x 17 photography

7 x 10 painting

large installation piece on floor

Photo Credit

Myself, Mike Martin

Recommended Citation

Bowman, Courtney, "Black Mass" (2020). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 66.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/66