I've been getting a lot of feedback through facebook on my Ethnic Measures. Most people just think they are pretty. Some want to use them with overly polite company to mess with their heads. I decided to post my artists statement so people know where I am at...so here it is!:
Ethnic Measures
America, being the melting pot of all cultures, is a proud nation of individual heritage(s), yet, it has been ironically labeled an intolerant nation of opposing cultural differences. As a third generation Italian (with a ¼ English, ¼ Irish and ¼ German) it is hard to call myself anything BUT an American. After World War II, countries developed derogatory slang and slurs for almost every culture and country of origin. This created angst, prejudice and ill feelings for different cultures and ethnicities. The words are still out there and are still hurtful to many. Historically, cultural diffusion and the exchange of spices and decorative ideas and techniques (such as the use of cobalt oxides to paint on ceramics) mended cultures through the senses. The reality is that in this day and age, we are creating and breeding families with different cultural backgrounds and religions and birthing our own “nueveau heritage”.
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