Afro Pick: Bantu Knots and the Underground Railroad

Nov 12

Written By Afro Urban Society

Yvonne Shortt | NYC | USA

African American Marbleization- An Act of Civil Disobedience: Bantu Knots & the Underground Railroad uses clay harvested from a creak, a sculptural handle created with this harvested clay, galvanized steel, and marble dust to create a conversation with the community.

The Afro pick is rooted in African heritage. The Bantu Knots sculpture draws from the rich heritage of picks 6000 years ago when handles were carved with symbols or people.The steel teeth are rooted in patents created in the US in the late 60's and 70's that made pick teeth stronger. The hair is based on research demonstrating during slavery it was used for sustenance (rice hidden in braids for long passages) and messages. The message in this sculpture's hair shows the route slaves took along the Underground Railroad to freedom in NYC and on to Canada. The footprints in the sculpture were created from a doll the artist's children played with more than a decade ago. The marble dust for the sculpture speaks to value, capitalism, and systemic erasure of African Americans in museums and public art.

"The cost of my woman hours can not be calculated, packaged, or commoditized."

WATCH: Bantu 1A Harvestin Clay

WATCH: Bantu Knots Sculpture Discussed

WATCH: Bantu Knot Guerilla Installation

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Production Credits & Technical Details

Marble Dust. Steel. Wood. 6’x’2 x’3

about the artist

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Yvonne Shortt

Visual Artist

New York City| USA

Yvonne Shortt is a multidisciplinary artist who takes a question-based approach to understand and activate the community around her. Recent questions include, “How does one care for community spaces left to decay?”, “How does one respond to racism using art?”, and “How does one heal from trauma?”. Her areas of focus are equality, disability, race, and sustainability. Her mediums include sculpture, installation, mural, and social practice art.

Some of Ms. Shortt's projects include African American Marbleization-An Act of Civil Disobedience, The School Fence Project, Underpass Murals, and Woman Who Build.

Ms. Shortt's selected awards include NYC Parks Public Art Award, NYC Department of Education Art in Schools Award, Illumination Fund Award, Queens Council on the Arts New Works Grant, Elmhurst Sculpture Garden Public Art Award, and The Burning Man Educational Grant.

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