Presenter: Hannah Brown
Authors: Hannah Brown
Faculty Advisor: Alexandra Giannell
Institution: Utah Valley University
If one was asked to define the characteristics of privilege, the answer would defer depending on the individual asked. Privilege to some means wealth, to others, power and opportunity, and still to some it simply means having a roof over your head. Privilege in the United States can be represented by stark data and numbers that inform the public about the statistics and percentages, but this type of data does not emotionally inform us about what it can be like on one end of the spectrum or another. In my research as an artist, I take photos of the different textures and atmospheres that come with living outdoors, on the street, and I juxtapose that with those of living indoors, in a bed. Additionally, by speaking to individuals that are homeless, I am able to embody their experiences into my art. Combining all these things together, I create two compositions that contrast the experience of those who are homeless with those who are not. Instead of informing viewers with data and numbers, behind which it is difficult to feel anything, l present paintings that, through an abstracted lens, give them a sense of these experiences.