We Would Rather Move Through Our Lives Like the Flow of Water" by Autumn T. Thomas
We Would Rather Move Through Our Lives Like the Flow of Water" is a manifestation of my fascination with parametric design and its capacity to imbue wood with the fluidity of water. Guided by a personal philosophy that urges us to transcend two-dimensional perspectives, especially when it comes to the perception of Black individuals, the artwork symbolizes the desire for a more fluid existence, akin to the graceful flow of water, rather than rigid structures. Through this piece, I seek to challenge our visual literacy, inviting viewers to explore a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the world and its inhabitants.
Artist's Bio:
Autumn T. Thomas (b. 1978) is an interdisciplinary artist currently working in wood sculpture. Her work challenges the boundaries of visual literacy by transforming wood into soft, twisting forms, mimicking the endurance required to thrive amidst the oppression and marginalization of women of color. Minimal in design, Thomas' work personifies analogous, brown bodies as whispering forms of subversion, affecting prejudice by way of perception and visual literacy.
Thomas is sponsored by Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (DVCAI) and the National Performance Network. She received her MFA in Book Arts and Printmaking from The University of the Arts, Philadelphia in 2017 and her BFA in Visual Communication from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015. She lives and works in Denver, CO.
