What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

Two, ghost-like hands that seem to protrude through the wall, tell the Afrofuturist myth of Drexciya, an underwater kingdom populated by amphibious creatures that are descendants of unborn children of pregnant enslaved women that ended up thrown overbord along the Middle Passage. The hands look like they have spend a lot of time under water as they are showing signs of aging underwater. Under the coating, the hands are white, alluding to the supernatural aspect. They hold crystals wrapped in beaded strands and shells. One of the falangs on the right hand's index finger is broken off.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

The texture and the color of the blue-green pigments help the audience understand that the hands spended a lot of time under water. Usage of crystals and shells give more context to the artwork. Also, because the hands hold them in the way that suggests that they can fall off, we can understand that the idea is not in their possession by hands but in their meaning. The beaded strings are composed in a specific way. Both of them wrap the pinkie, which suggests that they have a deeper meaning. The way hands holds the "treasures" may allude to the themes of power.

How does this object compare to other objects, stories, or ideas you already know about?

The artwork evokes themes of labor, identity, and the passage of time, often reflecting on the histories and stories embedded in everyday objects. This work can be compared to traditional symbols of labor, like the calloused hands of workers, representing the physical and emotional toll of toil.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

The Brooklyn Museum made the decision to place them so high that we can't see what is in the hands exactly. The artwork is all alone and is not closely surrounded by other artworks. The light is also directed right on them, creating a long, well-defined shadow below.

What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

Certain subjects are crossed out, all of them being White except for one you g man who is visibly shown and is Black

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

There is paint being slashed and splattered on the canvas. The white paint makes a good contrast with the Black skin.

How does this object compare to other objects, stories, or ideas you already know about?

It shows us that people can be overlooked in paintings and history even if they make up the whole image.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

It was important to showcase underpresented groups and people

What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

She’s hunting

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

Very simple, like her lifestyle.

How does this object compare to other objects, stories, or ideas you already know about?

The dog could be out of some myth, she as well.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

Part of the native people section

What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

We find this piece of art fascinating because of how the woman is depicted. In this piece of art the woman is showing feminine grace and sexual beauty. And throughout history black women are stereotyped as aggressive and dirty and not shown as beautiful. Yet the artist did the complete opposite and showed the beauty and grace of black women and that they aren’t what they are depicted as.

What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

in this painting the story we saw depicted is one of oppression and slavery. the black boy represented within the story is shown to be upset while the white people in the story are brushed over with white paint. we interpreted this 2 different ways. one way was that we saw this was that the people who created this saw the artist as the white people as pure and saviors of the black boy within the story. another way it was interpreted was that the shite paint kinda looks like KKK cloak and it was suppose to show the transition from how slavery has changed over time to be less subtle.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

The white paint is very see through on the faces. The strokes are very messy and gives kind of an urgency to cover the white people up.

How does this object compare to other objects, stories, or ideas you already know about?

This artwork compares to others in the sense that it takes a different approach to depicting the everlasting impact slavery has had on people. from the totally ovoid to the little subtleties that come that still exist today.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

one choice that definitely had to be mad was the choice of where this artwork was to be placed. in this sense we believe that the museum knew the artwork would have the most impact being surrounded by art from the african american community

What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

Keni sits elegantly and pridefully on a chair in what might be their home. They look away from the camera with an uninterested, stern look.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

The lighting compliments Keni’s outfit and adds more regality to the photo. The fact that it’s a photograph also helps it stand out from the surrounding works. The main color is white, and other shades close to it.

How does this object compare to other objects, stories, or ideas you already know about?

With the theme being witness, this one is a story of self-expression and uplifting one’s self.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

Surrounded by other clear paintings, Keni’s is more realistic because it’s a photograph.

What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

The women looks to be in distress because she has her right arm over her head like she is in pain. Her garments are flowing down. And she seems to be thinking of ways to resolve her problems.

What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

You can see two parents with a dog under their feet and a son facing them.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

The emphasised lines and different sized lines add levels of details and texture.

How does this object compare to other objects, stories, or ideas you already know about?

The hieroglyphics on the top of the piece remind us of other Egyptian pieces and the style of art reminds us of other works in stone like this.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

Having it on a wall makes it easier for the public to see and its eye level ness is useful. It is encased in glass so it doesn’t get damaged.

What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

There's a large flood passing through a community, drowning entire houses and telephone poles. A man and woman lay together, with the man looking at the destruction and the woman looks away from the wreckage in a traumatized manner. The story which is depicted is that black Americans have been stranded by a flood and there's a lack of resources being allocated to address their plight.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

There's a darkness in parts of the mountains and the water. There is also a lot of whitness in the water, in their clothing and the towel. There are bright colors, including red, green and yellow on the church. The whiteness and bright colors contrast with the black skin. This contrast could highlight the emphasis on their race and how their race factors into how they have been affected by the hurricane. The ubiquity of the whiteness represents how color has been robbed from their lives. The man and woman appear larger in comparison to the background of intact houses because it demonstrates how far away they are from the safety possessed by the white, wealthy households.

How does this object compare to other objects, stories, or ideas you already know about?

This object compares to other ideas as far as the parting of the Red Sea because these two people would literally have to part the sea to escape to the wealthy area. The many crosses depicted in the painting which are also telephone poles and the church in the water demonstrates that the religion has fallen because the racial minorities depicted have been trapped. Christianity has failed to liberate black Americans from economic inequality. This painting also relates to the black experience of oppression in Ameria more generally.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

This display relates to water as that is the subject of the other paintings in the exhibit. Water represents the passageway between oppression and liberty because it has a cleansing effect.

What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

The boy is a servant of the family. We can see from the blank stare on his face that he is used to being overlooked by the family. But now, the boy is visible and he is the main character.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

The fact that the boy is positioned proportionally behind the family makes us understand how the boy was treated by the family. The use of the white color is a contrast to the boy. The white covers up the family, showing that they are in a different world than the boy. Finally the boy is being seen.

How does this object compare to other objects, stories, or ideas you already know about?

This aligns with the ideas of how African Americans were overlooked and mistreated in the past. This painting was chosen because it highlights the idea that no longer will people be neglected but instead they will be a part of the story.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

The painting is being displayed in the new American exhibit. It features pieces that express being seen as opposed to just seeing. In this painting we are witnessing the servant being seen for the first time.