Fifteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

This is an intensive project blending deeper levels of art and cultural cross-fertilization (folklore/ spiritual/domestic “crafts”) research, with social issues and digital art production. My research gradually focusing on immigration and social justice, study at archives of former periods of mass immigration to North America, and refugee-ism from Eastern Europe enabled information-gathering about those from an earlier era, particularly the ethnic cleansing horrors of the early-mid 20th century. Stories, narratives, motifs, cultural visual symbols and portraits were amassed. During 10 months of quarantine, as the project went predominantly online, it crystalized into a tighter grouping of inspiring females who faced hardships, from misogyny/prejudice/bias/anti-Semitism to war and genocide – and were compelled to rebuild their lives. Portraits of these women - made from off-label uses of substrates and inkjet printers and mixed-media - would become pages of the scultpturally-designed artist’s book. Next, a limited edition of this book will be produced and distributed to immigration centers, public schools, Holocaust and Genocide Studies departments – along with other Holocaust Study Centers, and both interfaith alliance and synagogue book collections/libraries. The project engages advanced student-interns and members of our university’s Genocide Studies Center. For all, is profound to revisit these stories of resilience and recognize their connection to today’s implicit bias and resurgence of white supremacism. It is intended for education and all manner of art/heritage experience venues.