0-255
Colorism is a negatively pervasive concept historically prevalent within the black community. A concept communicated to black people from an early age, colorism asserts that those with lighter skin are deemed more beautiful, valuable and less savage. Rooted in the also powerful construct of white supremacy, colorism privileges those who appear closely to white beauty standards. It is a particularly poignant attitude that undermines the self-esteem of darker skinned black women whose value is most frequently correlated with their level of beauty.
Lightness and darkness serve as relative descriptors when describing things metaphorically and concretely. However, the connotations held within these descriptors have real world consequences in terms of how humans perceive and feel, with lightness possessing positive associations and darkness negative. 0-255 (the numerical values that represent grayscale in digital imaging software) seeks to explore the realities of these connotations and how they are activated in relation to the skin.
2015
Inkjet print