“THE MAN”
In my research, I have found that Christianity, particularly, White-Evangelical Christianity, has a history of heightened masculinity influenced by secular ideologies: masculinity that is rugged and ruthless. Masculinity that transforms what it means to be a Christian man in this country separated from the Holy Bible. This factor of influence of Christianity began around 1940’s near the Cold War. During that time, communism was deemed to be anti God, Family, and America. The defense of communism was a military one. Pastors like Billy Ghram suggested we defend faith, family and nation. But from what? This is when abrasive masculinity became apart of American culture. Some how, some way, Evangelicals conflate these ideas with their faith and politics and consider it righteousness. It is a culture a consumer culture using pop culture as a means of achieving political and cultural values. In recent years, White Americans have adopted evan lable it aligns political and culturals values and in evangelical spaces political are inseparable from their beliefs which means that they don’t understand scripture and what it means to be Christian today. The language of the Cold War times resurfaced convoluted ideas about abortion. I propose for “The Man” to make a collection of paintings that are about women being used as objects of utility inspired by the Texas abortion ban. The components of the bill seemed to me to be frustrating for the blatant disregard for a woman’s individualism. the components of the law inspire me to make a body of work. From the citizens of the state being used as mechanisms of enforcement, to the bounties, court system, etc. have cause me to want to make master paintings. I am working locally but, thinking about the international implications of this intrusive laws forced upon women. . .