Artist Statement Black Heritage Gallery 809 Kirby Street, Suite 207
Rodneyna Hart
Evidence of Presence – Value Added Property
Environment: a society in which I simultaneously add (educated artist) and decrease (black woman) value. The purpose of this series is to acknowledge and dispel the decreased value.
* The household servant’s lunch dish and utensils, destroyed upon severance
* Black babies cost less
* By conscious acknowledgement, everything I deem art, is.
The Evidence of Presence – Value Added Property Exhibit will showcase new works by Baton Rouge native dealing with the dichotomy of her effect on an environment. These environments are the product of a society in which her very presence simultaneously adds to (being an educated artist, and art professional) and detracts from (being both black and a woman) the value of the environment. The purpose of this series is to acknowledge and dispel the decrease in value. Called out in particular is the ludicrous physicalistic notion that a person’s corporeality is grounds for degrading or dismissing a group, an individual, or their input. Inspirations for this exhibition are my mothers before me, many worked domestically to support their households. The common practice of destroying a dismissed household servant’s lunch dish and eating utensils. They were seen as unfit for use by the privileged household. The rest of the dishes, despite being regularly washed and set by the severed servant, remained intact. Long-ago as that practice may seem, the implied negative value persists. Even today some of society’s most well-meaning entities, adoption agencies, reveal a disappointingly similar national attitude. Most agencies wind up charging fees substantially based on the child’s race. Black babies cost less to adopt, even compared to biracial children or those of other racial minorities.The lowered fees are an effort to encourage potential parents to adopt black children, as well as an incentive for those that may have been unable to adopt due to cost. This is not to say that the adoption agencies value black kids less; the adoptive community does. Studies show that black children are less likely to be adopted, even by parents willing to adopt across racial lines.
All Slides:
What if “blackness” rubbed off? What if you could see the evidence of everything a person of color ever interacted with?
Inspirations for this exhibition are my mothers before me, many worked domestically to support their households. The common practice of destroying a dismissed household servant’s lunch dish and eating utensils. They were seen as unfit for use by the privileged household. The rest of the dishes, despite being regularly washed and set by the severed servant, remained intact. Long-ago as that practice may seem, the implied negative value persists. Even today some of society’s most well-meaning entities, adoption agencies, reveal a disappointingly similar national attitude. Most agencies wind up charging fees substantially based on the child’s race. Black babies cost less to adopt, even compared to biracial children or those of other racial minorities.The lowered fees are an effort to encourage potential parents to adopt black children, as well as an incentive for those that may have been unable to adopt due to cost. This is not to say that the adoption agencies value black kids less; the adoptive community does. Studies show that black children are less likely to be adopted, even by parents willing to adopt across racial lines.
16 – 27
Value Added Cup and Saucer
acrylic on found object
2015
African American Saliva Penetrates to the Core of An Object – Marked Objects
Marked for survival, marked for destruction.
At a time when it was common for most food to be prepared by a person of color the concept of eating, let alone sharing, dishes was unheard of. The prejudice ran so deep even the dishes were segregated. When a domestic servant no longer worked for a particular house “their” dishes would be discarded, viewed as unfit for household use. The only logical conclusion is that a black mark from the saliva of a person of color must penetrate to the core of the object. Clearly this imbued the dish with much strength and power, such that it may be handled only by those with sufficient melanin.
28-30
Value Added Collection
acrylic on found object
2015
An unfilled photo album is all potential. It can be used to capture memories of the past, contemplate the present and to think of the future as new experiences worth savoring.
Sitting with family looking over old photos is a treasured memory; as many images captured there were always blank pages at the end. There was always an assumption I would do something noteworthy or at least I would earn my places in these future album pages.
32-37
Value Added Child Care
acrylic on found object
2015
With Generous Donation by Ricky Scott
Domesticity For Hire
While in New York my maternal grandmother supported her family by working as a cook at the World Trade Center, Tower 1, on the 67th floor. She also cleaned both domestically and commercially. One story she tells is of being the nanny for Mikey from the Life commercials. I now live in the Garden District of Baton Rouge where, spending any time outside on a non-holiday weekday, one can see black women in scrubs walking white babies in strollers.
I have been told that there is enough time, attention and love to go around; that you can care deeply for these children, cook their meals, do homework with them then go home and repeat this twice a day.
37-41
Value Added Laundry
acrylic on found object
2015
Domesticity for Hire
My grandmothers and at least one great-grandmother worked domestically to support their own domesticity. I have overheard stories of cleaning and pressing laundry. I find it oddly comforting to think on: In two households, everything worn had been touched by my ancestors.
43-44
Evidence of Wear – Valued Added Property
mixed medium [graphite, charcoal, acrylic, and oil] on canvas
2014
45-47
Value Added Shrines
acrylic on found object
2015
Mantles are places where objects of love accumulate. They can become reliquaries whereon tokens of our voyages, growing relationships, and past accomplishments intermingle.
48-51
Value Added Scrubs
acrylic on found object
2015
$250
Domesticity For Hire
When I was growing up my dad did all of the sweeping and mopping around the house. He was told when younger that this kind of work is bad for a woman’s “girl parts” and it would better for a man to take care of it. My paternal grandmother cleaned houses daily. As I grew older I realized the lack of veracity in this reasoning, but it taught my father to cherish women and that he was capable of being self-sufficient.
52-54
Value Added Houseware
acrylic on found object
2015
A housecoat or robe.
57-58
Value Added Lineage/Legacy
acrylic on found object, shadow box, letters
2015
Sentiments
I only exist because they do.
Letters and keepsakes.
Nurtured relationships.
We are not the embodiment of our ties to others
But we are enriched by them.
I asked my mother
And both grandmothers
To give me something
That exemplifies them distinctly;
Not in relation to anyone else.
And to write me a letter.
I would like to thank my photographers Jeremy Boykins, Leah Romero and Dana Hart Gratitude to Stella Miller, curator at the Black Heritage Gallery. A special thank you to Josh Mayoral for helping me travel and install the show and my family Phillip Hart, Brenda Hart, Dana Hart, Tara Hart and Randall Hart for helping me deinstall and transport the art home. Finally all my family and friends who made the VERY long trip to see the show and all those who showed encouragement and support.
Rodneyna Hart, MBA 
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