Andie M. Clarkson
Empezar Guerra Con Nosotros
2020
Denver, CO
Andina "Andie" M. Clarkson documents her family’s lineage to investigate the duality experienced as a Puerto Rican-Black American. Her body of work employs photographs, textiles, installation, sculpture, and video. She uses her upbringing and archived family photographs to examine the relationship between color and race, between Puerto Rican heritage and American culture. The work focuses on the women of her family as the main subjects and has explored matriarchal roles that play into race and history through imagery ranging from abstraction to sculpture. Often photographing her subjects in the same location allows her to examine the communal respect for domestic space. Curious about the ways in which women take up space together in settings they’ve created for themselves, Clarkson’s perception of time exposes responsibilities and a patriarchal legacy to uphold. Utilizing appropriation allows photographs to become objects and make familial references. In her installations, the work requires viewer participation so that the audience can examine their ideas regarding personal identity and lineage.