Dig Deep: From Down Under, So Shall I Emerge

Author

Lori Ann Dale, University of Northern Iowa

Availability

Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Dale, Lori Ann--Exhibitions; Slides (Photography); Exhibition catalogs; Photographs; Academic theses;

Abstract

"Dig Deep: From Down Under So Shall I Emerge" is a celebration of who I am; culturally, spiritually, and historically. This body of ceramic sculptures, inclusive of five connected works, has allowed me to better understand myself, my surroundings, and my purpose in life. Through talking to other African American women my age, I have come to realize we are all dealing with similar feelings of displacement. Some stereotypes rooted in oppression have depicted Black Women as being loud angry and having negative attitudes. So being aware of such stereotypes, in the presence of other cultures many Black Women find it hard to relax and be ourselves. In situations like this, I see Black Women as lively, brilliant, straightforward women who know what we want, and reject allowing people to "run us over." Some of us are rightfully angry because we are often discredited and misunderstood. For example, I am the only African American woman, student, in the Department of Art at University of Northern Iowa. I believe I am often misunderstood because I have a unique dialect, voice, and style of delivery that is different from the other students and faculty in the department. I have noticed they experience and act upon the need to correct my speech due to centering their style as the correct and acceptable way to communicate. When I get excited, I talk loud and it is often perceived that I am angry or hostile rather than passionate about my position. Through time, some have learned to accept me for who I am and I have learned that it is important for me to be myself, no matter what.

Year of Submission

2004

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Art

First Advisor

JoAnn Schnabel

Second Advisor

Richard Colburn

Third Advisor

Scharron Clayton

Comments

The source material included 12 photographic slides.

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to scholarworks@uni.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Date Original

2003

Object Description

1 PDF file (23 leaves)

Copyright

©2004 Lori Ann Dale

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Dale, Lori Ann, "Dig Deep: From Down Under, So Shall I Emerge" (2004). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2442.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2442