Amber Robles-Gordon

Nightwalking

Paper Collage, Series, 2017 

Nightwalking and Interdimensional Realms 

I am intrigued by the notion of planes of existence those proven to actually exist; planes whose existence hinges on a religious or metaphysical belief or perspective. Even those that truly are a figment of one’s active imagination.    

These works are about a triad of continuously intersecting ideas that I have been contemplating for years now, regarding negotiating the planes of existence and plains of consciousness. This triad of the triple consciousness: the awareness of being a person of African and Puerto Rican descent and being a black woman within a patriarchal American society and navigating life through the skin of black and brownness.

Initially, these works were meant to provide me with a respite from social consciousness or “wokeness”. Allowing me to just create works influenced by my interest in landscapes, perspective, love of fantasy and science fiction. I desired to create faux landscapes and planes of existence, artworks reminiscent of the Bearden’s Caribbean influenced works; Eden Midnight, Purple Eden and Blue Snake, in which he focused on tropical landscapes juxtaposed the faux landscaped scenery. I personally identify with works such as In a Green Shade, because my family is from the Caribbean. I have seen, felt and been a part of these lush at times intoxicating tropical environments found in both the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. 

However, the reality of being Afro-Latina juxtaposed this white-patriarchal existence seeps in and ushers in primordial surges of the ancestral obligatory messaging to contextualize, to inform, to protest by referencing  40 acres and a mule, or implying the potential power of when black and brown folks protest, march and congregate. 

The series Night Walking came first these works were my models or templates for the larger Interdimensional Realms https://www.amberroblesgordon.com/intedimensionalrealms. While creating Interdimensional Realms, I had to make a conscious choice to introduce figuration. Specifically, imagery of black females and families within this fantasy or futuristic realm simply because ... representation matters.