Meet The Artist
Who is Charde'nay?
​
Why Did I Start The Aesthetic Cannon Series?
What is The Aesthetic Cannon?
Polite is a creative from St. Helena Island, SC, based in Louisville, KY. She is currently in her senior year of undergrad, studying to become an art therapist. She is a believer in the power and influence of art and its therapeutic and healing properties, so I utilize this form of expression to address topics like identity, "black", health, assimilation, colonialism/tourism recreation pollution, the construct of reality, and gender in attempt at creating or furthering conversations on those topics. This inspired her to take on a volunteer position at Norton Children Hospital, assisting with group art therapy and pursuing multiple artistic forms of expression to expand her knowledge and practice.
As I started this class, I was became interested in the Saartije Baartman and her relationship to the idea of “Venus”, considering that she is identified as a Venus (the “Hottentot Venus” to be specific). This connection led to me creating a visual mind map or investigation board to create conversations, ask questions, and create a connections/lineage. The mind map is multimedia (including digital works, photographs, ink, sculpture, and graphite) to create a large collage installation. I referenced obvious Venus art history works like: "The Birth of Venus" and "Venus Callipyge" that address the themes of objectification as well as referencing artists like Ebony G Patterson, Robert Colescott, and Yamasa Morima that address themes about gender roles, sexuality, and race.
The pieces of art/women on this site are collectively called the Aesthetic Cannon. They represent ideologies/perpetuated facets of womanhood throughout different time periods ranging from ancient art history to current pop culture because, in order to understand the struggle of these women (especially Black women), we must see them through society’s ideals in a social context."