About this project
(Project video is an interview by writer,Therese Madden and photographer, Jessica Kourkounis for WHYY's Coming of Age program.)
1. OS at SCOTUS: Occupy Sidewalk at the Supreme Court of the United States. Why? I wish to bear witness on the sidewalk in front of the Supreme Court of the United States by holding portraits I painted of people trying to access healthcare in the US. The video is an example of bearing witness for the subject of the portrait and the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) that person represents.
At OS at SCOTUS I will also be asking people -- that is, everyone who stops to talk to me -- to fill in the blank. "All Americans CANNOT access healthcare in the United States because ________________?" (And, please, if you are reading this and would like to fill in the blank, please email me at t@artassocialinquiry.org. )
I will not engage in intellectual debates. I would like an answer to my question. I will record the answers and also blog about the experience.
I am 2 1/2 years and 50 portrait stories into the question, and I still have not heard an acceptable answer.When someone gives me an acceptable answer to that question, I will stop. Until then, I will continue to interview people, tell their stories, paint their portraits and bear witness to what I have heard.
On my blog I write about some of the things I have already learned from interviewing my subjects.
2. Kickstarter $ will allow me to spend 2-3 days/week for 4-6 months occupying the sidewalk in front of SCOTUS.
A link to some pictures on Facebook.
A description of Art As Social Inquiry: Self-proclaimed documentary portrait painter, Theresa BrownGold, draws upon her story-telling past as a playwright to pair large over-sized portraits with the personal histories of her subjects.
What she is documenting are the effects of people's biases, opinions, actions and laws on the lives of others actually living the social issue. For example, her current topic of social inquiry looks at the way people living in the United States access healthcare.
She describes the work in her blog. "The portraits I paint are large, expressionistic canvases, 40x30 inches. I have no interest in painting literal images of my subjects. First I listen listen listen then intuitively express in the painted faces what I've heard."
Flashes of blue or purple stand for skin tone. The colors in a head of hair could be an ad for Winsor Newton's catalog of oil paints.
The portrait stories range from paintings of people who have died because they could not access healthcare to those with corporate jobs who feel adequately insured. The story of each subject is available by clicking on the picture of the portrait on her website.
FAQ
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This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on February 27.
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Name listed on website in thank you letter to all donors.
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signed 8x10 print of one of the portraits in the project.
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Signed poster of project
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Art As Social Inquiry tee shirt
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18 x 24 original modern art painting
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24x20 inch oil sketch (portrait of donor or child...or dog? in the style of the oil sketches as seen on website. http://artassocialinquiry.org/sketches/)
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a portrait (in the style of my work as shown on my website http://artassocialinquiry.org/projects/healthcare/ )
Project By
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Theresa BrownGold is a portrait painter. Her art challenges people to bring their opinions and prejudices regarding a social issue to her portraits that depict real lives affected by those biases. She calls the project Art As Social Inquiry. She paints large, expressionistic faces of individuals and tells their personal stories of trying to access healthcare. She has taken her portraits to town hall meetings, rallies, Occupy events and anywhere she can bear witness for those who feel helpless, confused or beaten by the way we access healthcare in the US. She is 50 portraits into what will be a 100 portrait traveling exhibit. She often speaks about Art As Social Inquiry at conferences and churches.
