Johnny
Colemans Art Installation Inspired by Morrisons Beloved
by Patricia Ngnoumen
Rememory, a sound installation created by artist
and Oberlin professor Johnny Coleman, is currently on view at the
Here Here Gallery in Cleveland. Coleman compiled Rememory in response
to Toni Morrisons renowned novel, Beloved. The novel Beloved
is a literary piece inspired by the true story of an African American
woman, Margaret Gardner, who consciously attempts to kill her children
rather than to submit them to a life of slavery. Beloved is a story
that speaks on the atrocity of slavery, and depicts the trials and
tribulations of people of African descent. In response to the book,
Coleman created a piece that he calls a gift of prayer to
his daughter, Nyima. Rememory is thus a symbol of memory and
remembrance. It is the remembrance and honoring of ancestors, of
history and most of all, an emblem of survival.
The installation covers an area of about 9,000 square feet, taking
up the entire first floor of the Here Here Gallery. Entering the
gallery from the streets of Cleveland you get the impression of
stumbling into a magical field. The atmosphere in the museum is
bewildering as it seems secluded from the outside world. The field
becomes alive before your own eyes, as you navigate through it,
listening to the assorted sounds of crickets, cicadas, birds and
the ocean; these sounds create a certain sense of peace and consciousness.
Corn, bales of straw and oak posts add to the pastoral feel of the
exhibit.
The materials in Rememory were assembled in Ohio. Coleman affirms
the importance of creating Rememory in Ohio, by explaining that
Ohio is the birth place of countless black women and men who gathered
their forces to fight for the liberation of black people.
Coleman explained that the piece is a crossroad between the physical
and spiritual, the installation is consciously constructed to establish
a link between African Americans and their ancestry. The strong
presence of trees, the abundance of black-eyed peas and most of
all a boat centered in the far end of the first floor, are all symbols
of this connection. The trees are a physical symbol of African American
ancestors the roots being the ancestors that have passed
away, and the tree being the spirit of the ancestors that watch
over us. Likewise, the sound of the ocean and the display of black-
eyed peas all add to the significance of the piece, both of which
are familiar and dear to Colemans daughter. The magnitude
of the ocean and the boat, signify in relation to the migration
of black people from their natal land.
Colemans exhibit holds an important message, as it serves
as a reminder of African Americans struggle for survival,
Rememory is also a reminder to Nyima and to all, that they are not
alone, and that they are loved. In the wake of all the violence
that is occurring worldwide, it is a relief and a delight to be
reminded of hope. By putting an emphasis on memory and remembrance,
Coleman provides his audience with a sense of unity and community.
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