What Do You See? by Amethyst

What Do You See? by Amethyst - September 2021 Scholarship Essay

“What do you see?” asked my professor after clicking to the next slide of her PowerPoint. A large black and white photograph materialized on the screen. This was my first semester as an art major, so I sat in silence as I waited to hear what others had to say. My peers remarked on the composition, the lack of color, the lighting and possible meaning behind the photo. My professor continued to prompt us, looking for an answer that had not yet been uttered.

As time passed and it was apparent that everyone had no more to say, my professor revealed, “All of the individuals in this photo are white and male.” I was stunned. To be honest, the subjects’ ethnicity and gender was not even something I noticed until the professor had mentioned it.

That simple observation made me see not just art, but all visual media in an entirely different way. Much like the other students, I saw the photograph in the lens of art principles and elements. Not once did it cross my mind to examine the content in a more critical way. Of not only keeping the craftsmanship of the work in mind, but also its societal and cultural implications.

Ever since that day, I try looking at visual media more fully, not just what makes it aesthetically pleasing or not. Pictures are truly worth a thousand words, and it’s important as creators to be conscientious of what those words can possibly communicate to our audiences.

As a child, I would always draw people with light skin, the skin color of my favorite cartoon characters. I’m of Hispanic descent, and none of my drawings growing up had people that looked like me. And I never saw an issue with it. I just thought it was normal. That was the way you drew people.

Because of that class, I’m able to think more critically about the art I create and the media I surround myself with. I now know the importance for people of every color, age, size, and gender to see themselves in the shows they watch, the books they read, and the art they look at. To know what’s “normal” is the beautiful diversity of this world.