IMAGINATIVE TACTICS: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ART ACTIVISM IN SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENTS

By: Marcia Rowe

Artist Statement 

My work as a graphic designer and artist has a recurring theme of Black women’s experience and branches into feminism and other social topics. Each piece is an extension of my identity and intersection. My worldview and personal lens heavily influences how, what, and for whom I make. It also drives me to amplify other voices that are not centered.

My creative practice is often broad and subconscious - a way to process a thought, explore ideas, and emphasize main points. Since I was young, I would often ruminate on the ideas that stuck with me while listening in class. I would take a singular concept and find every way to emphasize it. This was done through mini sketches next to class notes, sticky notes, or rewriting phrases that I heard. There are many ideations. Using my background in Sociology, I also try to connect dots that others might not see. The sociological imagination is the concept that personal experiences always connect to broader social issues. Using this shift of perspective expands my ideas and bridges the gap between artist/designer/client and audience. My favorite sociological idea is to “give voice to the marginalized.” I create because I believe it is the most impactful vessel of communication and representation. Highlighting my personal experience, as well as those of my clients, is a way to display marginalized voices. I want viewers to understand my identity through my work.

My method, digital or drawing, almost always starts with outlines. I have always been inspired by detailed line work. I then add details- shadows, more lines, colors, etc. My work is simple and concise; it includes just enough information for the viewer. Non-excessive, clean, spacious. My process is heavily focused on research and ideation, which is unique. As a designer, it is my task to best visually represent an idea. As a sociologist, it is my job to analyze. By combining these, I aim to make clear relationships that the viewer can understand.