BREATHE - an artistic expression and anti-racism space
AUGUST 2020 ISSUE - FRONT COVER
What the US Flag Means to Me - by Tania Love Abramson
Materials: pennies, blue velvet, ink on paper, digital manipulation. Tania Love Abramson, MFA, is a visual/conceptual artist, performer, videographer and writer/poet, as well as a Lecturer in the Honors Collegium at UCLA. She is the author of three art books, Shame and the Eternal Abyss, Concern, and Truth Lies, as well as the co-creator and co-instructor of the UCLA Art & Trauma class. More of her work can be found at tanialoveabramson.com.
POEMS
Peter Asco - A Single Bird
Sandra Noel - Molded in the Shape of a Smile
Keith Holyoak - Resurrection
Ericka Kerr - Deep Scars
Robert Kokan - Signs of the Times
Joel Kabakov - Aftermath
Hamish Todd - A Legacy of Hate
VISUAL ART
Tania Abramson - What the US Flag Means to Me
Yaron Dotan - The Fun Never Ends
OP-ED
Paul Abramson - The United States of Hostility: A Legacy of Racism
EDITORS TEAM
Leopoldo Seguel - Chief Provocateur
Keith Holyoak - Associate Editor
Say Their Names - Breonna Taylor
Shortly after midnight on March 13, 2020 Louisville police officers, executing a search warrant, used a battering ram to enter the apartment of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American emergency room technician.
Ms. Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, had been in bed, but got up when they heard a loud banging at the door. After a brief exchange, Mr. Walker fired his gun. The police also fired several shots, striking Ms. Taylor at least eight times. https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html
BREATHE - an artistic expression and anti-racism space reflects our intention to explore the intersection of art and racism. We have adopted the following definition: "Anti-racism is the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably." - NAC International Perspectives: Women and Global Solidarity. For more on defining anti-racism visit The Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre at the University of Calgary. What’s important is for each of us be clear about what we mean by anti-racism and how we intend to engage in anti-racism behaviors.
While the world suffers from the weight of all the ‘isms’ that oppress people, our focus from the beginning was and continues to be racism in all its forms in the United States, especially on the impact of systemic racism on Black lives. We started this magazine because the horrific murder of George Floyd and his last words inspired us to commit ourselves to do what we do as artists to help bring about the change we need.
We invite artists who refuse to remain silent at a time of widespread social injustice to contribute their work, regardless of their medium of expression. We seek artistic works that illuminate what is, what should be, what could be. We seek art that educates, heals, and inspires us to act. Keep sending us your words. Keep on breathing. Breathe art.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
WHO GOVERNS MATTERS
ART MATTERS
Our appreciation to Koon Woon
who helped launch this site
and provided valuable editorial insight
including reviewing submissions for the August issue.
Koon is now focusing on other artistic projects.
