Rik’isha Taylor

My images cite from various sources such as music videos, historical context, performers, fashion trends, articles, album covers, popular adult magazines, my experience and etc. These collection of source materials are references for pornotropring Black bodies misogynoir, queer femininity, negrophilia , sensual aesthetic juxtaposed amongst Black aesthetic. The densely complex citing is a goal that I try to replicate while creating work.

“...for me the porno trope offers insight into the affective areas of radicalization and understanding raised through the effective and sensational circuit of power and performance.” Amber Jamilla Musser says. This quote made me think about the imagery and what relation to power they brought to the performance while being dressed with elements of shine. Shine acts as an attention grabber to lure in the viewers, while addressing the avoidance of intimacy in return making the imagery hyper visible. Shine in context of the idea of what Black means in a historical context of Black people being commodified, I think about that while creating the labor intensive work by hand in a contemporary context as a Black womxn.

My practice stems from the need to express myself in a genuine way without the burden of ridicule from society while also exploring my identity as a Black womxn. I think about my liberation while creating my work and being able to have a few hours where my liberation/voice is fully safe and valued. I also think about how I can further that glimpse of liberation past studio walls to distribute that wealth amongst all Black and Brown communities, specifically amongst Black womxn. That pressure weighs heavily on me, a sense of survivor’s guilt showers over me in the form of making, until that making is oppressive, a form of assimilation that feels comforting and productive. The imagery is from sources such as music videos, fashion trends, performers, articles, album covers, popular adult magazines, historical context, my experience, etc. The collection of these materials serves as content of Black pornotropeing, misogynoir, queer femininity, negrophilia, and sensual aesthetic, etc.