Sculpture

Black Clowns

My attraction to the Black Clowns has always been about the relationship between the present and the accessorial past: We were not asked if we wanted to come to this reality but we are here. Clowns are interesting to me in the African American diaspora as Africans used masks to symbolize different roles. The Black clown is different from any other clown like the circus clown or the European clown because it is a strong possibility the demeanor that was used by the African American was an invisible mask. Actual masks used in tribal events could be channeled. The happy slow whited tap dancing clown is a stereotype on one hand but on the other it could be a unique method to cope by denying emotional horror. The African-American is a gifted shapeshifter that is derived from accessorial mask portrayed in the clown.