In light of the grief and despair of the current moment, last year I began to focus on art and graphics under the title “The Pink Phase” as a visual addition to the Black Living Data Booklet (#BLDB).
Therefore, the Pink Phase is a series of installments and pieces focused on affect, embodiment, and pleasure. These works are a way for me to project my mind into a new paradise of possibility for information and data.
When I look at the color Pink I am happy because Pink reminds me of childhood and crafting.
The image that comes to mind is cutting out Pink hearts for Valentines Day or dressing up in Pink costumes and ballet shoes.
Unearthing a world of magic and wonder that disrupts the mundane and pleases the senses, Pink is shocking in its position and the way it stands out against the Black/White binary and normative representations of information on data and statistics.
My Pink Phase is at its heart a message of love to the inner child. Existing wholly outside of the binary of Black/White the color Pink exists in a world all its own.
This project asks the question:
What does it look like to view Pink as a signifier for whimsy and world-building?
Each installment in the Pink Phase focuses on visual images and text that convey messages with feeling. As love to the inner child, the messages of the Pink Phase focus on the play, self-care, and imagination that we can bring to our research and teaching. Through this offering, I hope that we can all work through our own pink phases that make space for wonder even in the face of great uncertainty.
