Articulation Theory Essay

Stuart Hall emphasizes that the popular is constantly evolving. And due to this ever-changing society, the ways in which things are perceived is changing as well. This concept, coined articulation theory, is one of the huge reasons behind artistic expression. Throughout all of history, stories, evidence, and art are forgotten, altered, or misperceived. Because so many important parts of the past are overlooked, artists and writers focus on drawing the attention of modern society to these buried antiquities. However, because the global has changed in such monumental ways, these important ideas are expressed differently. These forms of expression are represented in innovative and thought provoking, yet rather uncomfortable ways. However, the

This superior sweetener was used in various ways. However in England the confection was sculpted into people, buildings, and animals, called subtleties, and presented to reveal extreme wealth. The famous African American artist, Kara Walker, created her own, contemporary take on a subtlety. Literally named, “A Subtlety or the Marvelous Sugar Baby,” this grand sculpture alludes to colonial America, the sphinxes of Egypt, and the once significant triangular trade. Constructed entirely of sugar (in fact, over 30 tons), the sphinx is grandiose to say the least. Sugar was once a sign of wealth not due to the scarcity of it, but rather because of its mal distribution. Only the richest owned sugar and they owned a lot of it. The 30 tons of refined, white sugar creates a large presence in a room so dark, on a topic so harsh. Walker satirically creates a woman typically deprived of birthrights, with a material associated with quite the opposite of deprivation, a material of superabundance. The overwhelming amount of sugar draws the gallery-goers to the captivating piece and furthermore draws them to a violent history. This literal sweet sculpture ironically represents a bitter, disturbing reality of slavery in antebellum America. Kara Walker aims to highlight the ironic choice of her material. The obnoxious amount of sugar reveals one of the roles of an Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean woman, her role as a field laborer, a producer of