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The Affective Nature of Art: Breonna Taylor by Amy Sherald

Breonna Taylor by Amy Sherald, 2020
  • Breonna Taylor by Amy Sherald, 2020 Photograph by Xavier Burrell

I have been living with the affect of this portrait for the past three years but have never seen it in person. Breonna Taylor by Amy Sherald has been vibrating under my skin as I have examined the portrait, read about it, cried over it, and written about it. Soon I will get to see it in person. The Whitney Museum of Art is hosting a traveling survey of Sherald’s paintings, opening April 6th, but that is not what this blog post is about.

This portrait has a charge to it. This charge is called affect. Affect is the energy that swirls inside our bodies when we come into contact with other affected things. It’s as if affect is bouncing off of one object, body, or environment and into other bodies. In this case, affective reactions are elicited through the story of Breonna Taylor’s killing and the protests her murder inspired. It comes through the knowledge that this portrait was commissioned by Vanity Fair magazine at the insistence of journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates. It comes from the incredible softness of the image and the contrast of colors. It comes from seeing the tiny detail of a wedding band on Taylor’s right ring finger. Why? Her partner Kenneth Walker was getting ready to propose. It also comes from learning, through my dissertation research, that this portrait is the favorite representation Tamika Palmer has seen of her daughter.

It also comes from knowing that The Speed Museum of Art and the National Museum of African American History and Culture share ownership and accountability for the portrait. All of these elements come together and a charge radiates outwards and onto the viewer.
The work of affect brings us into a present moment through these embodied charges. The charges relate to parts of our pasts and beliefs in ourselves and our environments. When looking at artwork, the stories, colors, layout, subject matter all relate to affect. These things, through affect, teach us about ourselves and others. We may connect with difficult emotions through this process, and that may feel uncomfortable. Just as abruptly as affect arrives it evaporates or moves onto the next object/body. All of this is to say a portrait can do all of these things. This portrait does all of these things. What does this mean for the viewer of or visitor to art? We can take the disruption of an affective encounter to step into the present and honor the moment that has been shaken into consciousness.
  • Take a minute to jot down how the body is responding and make note of the influence of the environment.
  • Turn inwards through some mindful breaths.
  • Take a walk and change the environment. This will also shift the mood.
  • And ask questions! I love chatting with the gallery attendants or security. They are with the artwork all day and get to know it through this constant connection.
Over time researching the subject of this portrait affected me and inspired an art piece I am calling Stockpiling Joy for Breonna. It is a ceramic fortress, assembled brick by brick. The interior shows a bedroom with purple walls. It is currently in between kiln firings, waiting to be glazed. I wanted to create something that showed that hardness and toxicity of policing while also expressing the spirit of Taylor that is displayed through the purple walls. After the piece comes out of the kiln, I will paste an image of the Amy Sherald portrait on the interior wall. I also made a small bed that will be covered in seed “pillows”. Instead of seed bombs, I am going to make small clay and soil pillows with seeds rolled into them.
The seed pillows will be activated to go over the fortress walls by a catapult that will launch the pillows over the wall and into a pot or the ground. The painting is a mix of beauty and grief, softness and violence, and joy and sorrow. My art piece is trying to amplify the sense of joy and zeal that Taylor seemed to embody. I was guided by affect to turn my sorrow and grief into something actionable. Once the pieces have all been fired, I will share the sculpture in its entirety. The grief and disgust over Breonna Taylor’s murder moved through me to connect with her enthusiasm. It taught me how to stockpile joy.
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