AFRO - FROLIC
The Dichotomy Of The Black Body In Nature Vs The City
The Afro-Frolic series explores design processes using natural pigments and botanical dyes. Jaleeca Yancy has been experimenting with textiles and works on paper to depict leisure, movement, and whimsy. Her goal is to link ancestral and modern art to showcase work that is rich in color, form, and texture by marrying abstract painting and dye techniques.
During Yancy’s time in the Artcrawl Harlem residency studio on Governors Island (2022) her focus has been on developing natural dye baths from indigo, madder root, saffron, logwood, and weld. And, forging botanicals such as willow leaves, hibiscus, and honeysuckle, and working with the island compost department to use avocado pits. The goal was to perfect her recipes and understanding of natural color theory on fabrics such as cotton, linen, and unbleached muslin/bleach muslin.
Yancy observed the residency theme of Boundaries and connection to produce works of art that tap into the dichotomy of the black body in nature versus the city. Inspired by the book The People Could Fly: American Black Folktale by Virginia Hamilton, her childhood playful outdoor upbringing, and current ascription to nature immersion as a form of healing. Afro-Frolic encourages the viewer to see beyond the boundaries of the city and tap into nature, to imagine new pathways to African diasporic freedom.
