Part 1:
Audre Lorde’s chapter, ‘The uses of Anger: Women responding to racism’, argues for the need and use for women of colours’ (WOC) anger in the face of racism and sexism and, in turn, the frustrating prejudice, silence and guilt of white women. There are three main points of discussion; anger being used as a tool in response to racism, the responsibility of white women and the advocation of intersectional feminism.
Throughout the text, Lorde argues in favour of female rage in response to racism, seeing it as an ‘appropriate reaction’ (p.129) – or rather, a catalyst for change. Lorde encourages WOC to harness that pain and frustration and use it as a tool; as outrage, especially in response to racism, driving demand for accountability (Chemaly, 2019). In a similar vein, the stereotype of the ‘angry black woman’ is also discussed in the text concerning non-people of colour’s bigotry against black women. Lorde recalls a white woman telling her to not speak “too harshly” or she would not be able to “hear” her, this example illustrates the silencing of black women, where white women have the ability to listen and acknowledge the injustices black women face but instead refuse to recognise their privilege (Russo, 1991) and see ‘the anger of women of colour more threatening’ than the ‘hatred’ and threat that is racism (p.129). Porsha Olayiwola explores in her poem Angry Black Woman her feelings as a black woman, she states:
I can be raped, beat, be burned alive and NO ONE,
Not a single soul would look up to acknowledge my absence from this universe
Because I am insignificant,
Because I am a Black woman. (Olayiwola, 2014, lines 61-65)
Olayiwola utilises the ‘angry black woman’ stereotype in her poem to make audiences understand why she, as a Black Woman, is allowed to be angry. Black women are angry that they are ‘more than 40% likely to experience domestic violence in their lifetime’, ‘are 2.5 times more likely to be murdered by men than white women’ (Blackburn centre, 2020), and in 2017 ‘Black women earned 61 cents for every dollar earned by white men, amounting to $23,653 less in earnings over an entire year’ (Frye, 2019). The lack of awareness of these injustices ridden within society is ‘white solipsism’ in which experiences of women of colour, in particular, are ignored and viewed as insignificant (Rich, 1979). Similarly, Lorde reveals the significance of ‘anger’ and its ability to ‘transform…into power’ (p.131) as anger births change and growth. Olayiwola took the fury she feels from how black women are treated and focused it on creating a powerful poem that encourages non-black readers to understand a different perspective and grow from their prejudices and, in turn, inspiring black women (and women of colour) to use their voice and anger in the same way.
The term ‘feminism’ is constantly questioned by women of colour, many struggle to identify with the term due to its ‘exclusionary’ nature created and enabled by ‘white feminists’ (Mohanty, Russo and Torres, 1991) – as the ‘one size fits all approach’ (Eric-Udorie, 2018) within the movement ignores the issues faced by Women of colour, members of the LGBTQ+ community and Muslim women. Moreover, Lorde attempts to demonstrate the importance of accountability and the responsibility of white women in addressing their privilege. The text reveals two main failures within white feminism, the first being those who, instead of using their privilege to amplify the voices of WOC, ‘feel intimidated’ by the ‘anger’ of black women and, as a result, preserve their racial blindness (p.132). The second being ‘silence’, Lorde writes; ‘guilt is not a response to anger’ rather it is a reaction to one’s own lack of action (p.130). This is explored further in Ann Russo’s chapter ‘White Women, Antiracism, and Feminism’ in Third world women and the politics of feminism, where she points out that although many white feminists may be against racism, their silence when they are witness to it – creates a sense of guilt – leading to ‘passivity and/or defensiveness’ (Russo, 1991). Instead, white women ‘must recognize the power that comes with their Whiteness’ (Motwani Accapadi, 2007) and use it to further social change as the world we live in ‘doesn’t protect women much, when it chooses to, it is white women it protects’ (Ajayi, 2017 cited in Dionne, 2018).
Parallel to this, Lorde brings light to the issue of ‘colour-blindness’ proposing that white women who sit silently in the face of injustice preserves ‘racial blindness’ giving power to ‘unaddressed privilege’ as the idea that “we are all the same under the skin” is colour-evasive (Frankenberg, 1993). Angela Davis analyses the notion of colour evasion, perceiving it as an illogical way to combat racism; that racism would not exist if ‘white people taught themselves how not to see colour’ gives way to racial insensitivity (APB speakers, 2021). Rather, as Lorde points out, ‘the strength in women lies in recognising’ our differences (p.131) as difference is not the same as ‘otherness’ (Minh-Ha, 2001). The idea of otherness aims to divide White women and WOC creating a barrier for conversations – as a result, the lived experiences of Women of colour, in particular, are ‘denied and distorted’ (Andersen, 1988). Lorde’s text is revolutionary for intersectional feminism, she encourages women of all backgrounds to come together and ‘disrupt’ systems of power that have taught us to ‘ignore our differences’ and instead, encourages marginalised bodies to shape ‘their own narratives’ (Gani, 2018) and be ‘forces for change’ (Lorde, 2001).
Part 2:
Alison Saar’s sculpture Set to Simmer [Figure 1] addresses the history of scrutiny and harmful perceptions forced upon the ‘image’ of the Black female body. The sculpture depicts a black female nude figure reclining ‘on a red table like a seductive odalisque holding a skillet in one hand, like a hand mirror’ (Barrie, 2020). Both Lorde and Saar explore the rage of black women, Lorde echoes throughout her chapter the idea that every woman ‘has a well-stocked arsenal’ of anger that has built up ‘against the oppressions…which brought the anger into being’ (p.127). In a similar vein, anger is not only depicted in the title, Set to Simmer -introducing the audience to the tone of the artwork, as the phrase ‘simmer’ implies a ‘boiling point’ (Barrie, 2020), in turn suggesting the anger of black women has ‘reached a boiling point’; even so, the stance of the figures body also directs the audience to believe the woman has had enough. Black women’s bodies have been subject to stereotypes of ‘abnormality’ and ‘hyper sexualisation’ (Mowatt, French and Malebranche, 2013) throughout history, an important black woman to discuss in relation to this is Saartje Baartman who was ‘one of the first black women known to be subjugated to human sexual trafficking’ (Howard, 2018). Saartje Baartman became an object of ‘fetishist fascination’ as she was exhibited in Europe for over 5 years and even after her death, up until 1974, her body parts were inhumanely displayed in The Musée de l’Homme, in France (Pinder, 2002). This piece of history not only shows how black women were objectified to such extremes, but it also gives light to the ‘Jezebel’ stereotype that has been ‘utilized to justify the rape and sexual exploitation of Black women by White men’ perpetuating the narrative that ‘Black women could not be raped because they are always looking for, wanting, and ready for sex’ (Mowatt, French and Malebranche, 2013). In light of this, Saar’s female figure brings a whole new narrative around black female bodies through the pose which although ‘recalls a concubine temptress’ there is a defiance and ‘self-confidence in her sexuality’ (Barrie, 2020). Where, unlike the dehumanising exhibition of Saartje Baartman owned by the male gaze, Saar has reclaimed black subjects through participating in her own form of ownership (McKittrick, 2006), portraying women ‘who refuse to be objectified into passivity’, challenging the male gaze (Barrie, 2020). Saar notes how the figure challenges the audience to ‘pull up a chair’ as if she is saying ‘if you want to look at me, don’t just give me a sideways glance. Sit down in this chair and know me’ (Stamberg, 2020) rather than viewing her as a sexual object, with no identity. This highlights the figure’s ‘personal power’ as she reclaims her own narrative, this is similarly explored in Lorde’s text as she addresses the fear that anger ‘threatens annihilation’ however, the ‘male construct’ that anger is a ‘brute force’ rather than a tool for insightfulness is destructive and creates an acceptance of ‘powerlessness’ (p.131). Therefore, Saar’s work develops and brings Lorde’s ideas to life as Saar’s own anger of racist stereotypes has been used to create a powerful piece of art that aims to inform and start a dialect.
In Lorde’s chapter, there is a constant push for the use of anger, however, she also points out a need for it as she reveals that oppressed peoples anger is a manifestation of ‘pain’ and ‘survival’ (p.132). This idea of survival can be seen through the materiality of Figure 1, as the idea that the black female body is a ‘site of unprotected female flesh’ (McKittrick, 2006) is developed by Saar through the figures skin constructed from ceiling tin, which represents ‘armour’ (Scripps fine art foundation, 2020). The notion that the black female figure’s body is sheathed (Stamberg, 2020) symbolises she is ready for battle – a battle against the objectification and hyper sexualisations of black women in ‘music, television, and other cultural outlets’ (Alexander-Floyd, 2012). Moreover, Lorde discusses how women of colour are often forced into silence when witness to injustices due to the threat of being ‘un-chosen’ or fulfilling a stereotype. Therefore, if women are being prevented from standing up for who they are and everything they stand for, their identity is at risk of being removed (p.129). The survival of black women’s identity relates to three main features in Saar’s work [Figure 1]; the first being Saar’s use of skillets as hand-mirrors throughout her work, from first glance Saar prompts the audience to question whether it is a ‘weapon or a hand mirror’ (Scripps fine art foundation, 2020). Throughout art history, mirrors have been ‘closely connected with women’ and vanity, female artists today use the mirror to highlight ‘the artist’s awareness of the audience’s participation’ subverting the common ‘interrogation of the female subject as an object of masculine desire’ (Jones, 2019). Therefore, the black female subject holding the skillet/mirror parallel to the audience suggests a reclaiming of her body, self-identity and narrative. Furthermore, another reference to the figures identity is seen through the contents within the drawer of the table, the audience is encouraged to ‘rifle’ through. Saar collaborated with poet Dionne Brand to create a collection of notes and objects that would allow the audience to ‘get inside’ the head of the figure. A shopping list was included that reads ‘1 dozen eggs, 1 can of gasoline, lightbulb, matches, lemons, newspaper’ showing how the contents of the drawer enables the audience to understand her, creating a personal aspect to the piece as she is seen to have an identity and story, rather than just perceived as a sculpture or object. Finally, Saar comments on how important the depiction of African hair texture is in her sculptures, saying how because of her skin colour is perceived as white, her hair is the only part of her appearance that ‘belies her ancestry’ (Scripps fine art foundation, 2020). The identity of black women and the ‘relationship with their hairstyle are intrinsically linked’ (Peane, 2017), and many have relied on the malleability of their hair in order to be accepted as, black women’s hair is ‘outside of what is deemed beautiful by mainstream society’ (Lukate, 2021). In this light, Saar’s figure’s ‘tough, bristly, sharp’, barbed wire afro (Stamberg, 2020) is symbolic as no individual can touch or alter her hair as it is who she is and is part of her identity. Overall, both Lorde and Saar’s work explores a system of recycling WOC’s anger as a healing process that allows for change, growth and understanding.
Part 3:
In regard to my own practise, I explore my own feelings and experiences as mixed raced individual (Pakistani and Italian), delving into fears of not belonging, the impact colonialism has had on generations of South Asians as well as racism and islamophobia. The majority of my work is mixed media, as fusing two different materials/textures together creates a physical manifestation of my identity.
Lorde’s exploration of anger in response to ‘racist attitudes’ (p.122) links to my mixed media piece, The cut that always bleeds [Figure 2]. The base of the piece is composed of multiple layers of acrylic mediums, handmade paper and thinned oil paint, which is juxtaposed by the large diagonal rip. The process of ripping into the canvas I had spent a long-time painting and layering created a release of my emotion, it was important for me to try and not ‘perfect’ the rip by making sure it was a certain length etc. – It was a product of my raw emotions and rage-fuelled by the injustices people of colour have faced and face every day. Moreover, Lorde highlights how anger is ‘survival’ (p.129) leading to ‘growth’ (p.122) relating to Figure 2 in terms of the healing process that ensues from using anger. One of the main features of the piece is the bold, deep red, aggressive, thread stitches that aim to heal the rip. This encourages the audience to see Figure 2 as more than just a canvas with a rip through it, rather a wound. Dorothy Price’s text explores the notion of ‘binding trauma’, her interpretation of wounds inspired the composition of thread in my piece, she explains how stitches and bandages are a temporary fix that can become undone forcing the wound to re-open, making the original trauma more difficult to heal (Price, 2021). In relation to this, Figure 2 symbolises an attempt to grow and heal from suffering (as depicted through the rip) however, the wound never really heals as depicted through the red thread that falls from the stitching to the ground, signifying that the wound has re-opened and is dripping. In addition to this, the aggressive nature of the stitching suggests there is a ‘never ending cycle of wounding and healing’ (Price, 2021) which explores the never-ending pain rooted in racist ideals, as Lorde highlights, we can utilise this pain is important for change, and although racism will never end socially and institutionally, bringing light to injustices, as seen in the Black Lives Matter movement shows how anger and people coming together creates hope.
Furthermore, my installation piece, Canopy [figure 3], is comprised of different string lengths of red beads hung in different areas from a Dupatta fabric (shawl worn over head traditionally by south Asian women) hung like a canopy from the ceiling. This piece explores my connection to my South Asian heritage and the history of colonialism that still affects generations of south Asians in Britain today. Canopy is an abstract portrayal of the brutality that occurred in India (now India and Pakistan) during the British empire, the red beads falling symbolise the riches that were stolen from India, most famously the Kohinoor diamond which we are told, was a ‘gift from India to Britain’ (Boissoneault, 2017), however the diamond along with almost $45 trillion was looted from India between 1765 to 1938 (Pandy, 2021). Moreover, the heavy inclusion of the colour red signifies the bloodshed and violence preceding and during the partition, in particular the violence against women – seen in the inclusion of the dupatta. Similarly, Lorde’s chapter focuses on discrimination faced by WOC and the argument that they are allowed to express anger for the racism they have faced. As a woman of colour myself, I produced this piece from my anger of the erasure of colonial history in education, especially schools, this denial ignores generations of pain and suffering. This similar ignorance is shown through the idea of colour evasiveness whereby ignoring one’s skin colour, you are ignoring history. Lorde discusses the issue of colour-blindness in her chapter, she comments how turning away or dismissing the anger of WOC only preserves ‘racial blindness’ (p.132). The notion that ‘race no longer matters’ (Doane, 2017) as we are all the same underneath (Frankenberg, 1993) is incredibly harmful and to claim to not see colour/race leads to a ‘downplaying of racial inequality and racist practices’ (Doane, 2017). In regard to Figure 3, the large scale of the installation both allows the audience to walk underneath and be fully consumed in the canopy as well as visually highlights the significant impact colonialism has had on south Asians living in Britain today. The notion of Britain as a mother country was forgotten when many south Asians fled to Britain during the partition, caused by the British through their colonial project of ‘divide and rule’ (Tharoor, 2017). South Asians were faced with ‘racial abuse’ and ‘physical harassment’ and even today racism is not only in the form of abuse but is also systemic (Robinson, 2005). Therefore, in relation to Lorde’s chapter, intersectionality, is explored through ‘communication’ and ‘recognising our differences’ (p.131) this links to the purpose of Figure 3 as the hope is that white audiences seeing the installation are able to understand the experiences of People of colour as different from their own, through acknowledging this difference they are able to address their own racial privilege. The understanding of difference, for Lorde ‘is a creative charge, an aspect of that erotic power that is undermined by society’s attempt to promote an “easy sameness”’ (Christian, 1985). Overall, My art practice relates to Lorde’s text in terms of subject matter but also, the way Lorde encourages women of colour to not be afraid to use anger as the ‘angers of women can transform difference through insight into power’ (p.131) inspiring further exploration of the female rage in my practice.
Figures:
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Amina Pagliari 
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