Untitled (Soul), 2016
Ana Mendieta created a rare sound based work Untitled (Soul), circa 1973 with her experimental art students at Henry Sabin Elementary School, includes recordings of their thoughtful and perceptions on the soul. I wanted to create an extension of this work by interacting with elementary aged students in Iowa City in the same manner. While in residence at the Center for Afrofuturist Studies on may 4th I met with six elementary aged students from the Dreamcenter’s after school program in Iowa City, IA in the Iowa Writers Center Library Room and recorded their thoughts on the concept of their soul with in ear binaural mics. I then asked them to draw what they felt that the/their Soul looked or felt like onto transparency paper, and then place their drawings on the area of their body that they feel their souls the most Lastly, I photographed the students with the retroreflective material used within my project The Backlight.
Audio TRT: 12mins