THE SCULPTURE:
RockIt Black is a continuation of sculptor Tanda Francis’ work, dedicated to undoing the stigmatization of Blackness by presenting Black identities as divine and the foundation of our shared humanity. The aim of RockIt Black is to open up the public’s consciousness to the divine feminine energy for the purpose of balance and healing. Mami Wata, Oshun, an African Goddess by the East River is the inspiration. She is a cleansing spirit for this world on fire.
RockIt Black is up-cycled from wood collected by the Plywood Protection Project. She is built form the original plywood used to board up businesses during the 2020 uprising. A portion of the wood’s surface has been preserved to bare the markings of this period and stands as a reminder of where we have been. Rockit Black’s polished mirror ornament is inspired by Oshun’s mirror and its shape and surface is made to suggest a nestled and a portal to another dimension. The mirrored surface faces the tree-filtered rising sun and faces the neighboring Queensbridge Houses.
RockIt Black’s online content enhances the viewers' experience through curated music and content available long after visitors have left the park.
Click here to see the rest of the Plywood Protection Project sculptures.
Tanda Francis in the studio working on Be Heard, shot by Ike Edeani for the New York Times.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Tanda Francis is a Brooklyn based artist whose primary focus is creating public art, including monumental African heads. Her work addresses diasporic African people who are too often underrepresented in public art. She sees the rituals and customs rooted in a spiritual and ancestral past as a significant means of understanding and addressing the contemporary and future condition facing humanity. She uses her work to activate a dialog of universal origin to cross cultural barriers.
Francis has created several site-specific monumental public art pieces including BIGGIE (2014), New York City; Everyone Breaks, Riverside Park, New York City (2015-2016); And We Breath (collaborative), Van Cortlandt Park, New York City (2015- 2016); Take Me With You, Socrates Sculpture Park, New York City, (2017-2018), Adorn Me, Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn (2017-2018) among others.