CHRISTA PRATT

Quick drawing of my roomie

christapratt:

Black Painting #1, © 2011, oil paint on canvas, 37” x 31”

Christa Pratt

” I love black. The color, as well as the people. I feel that the color, and darkness in general, often has bad connotations since it is used to express mystery, drama, and/or somber moods, but I think it can express other more joyful or non-aggressive things as well. If this is the color that I use to describe myself, then I will not allow it, or me, to constantly be seen negatively.”

This is still my favorite painting that I’ve done so far.

4 notes

Reblog

My latest drawing. New territory…

"Okay, guy, so why do you feel like you want/need/deserve to settle down with a “pure” woman? I’m genuinely listening. “Oh, it’s because sluts are gross.” Too vague. Do better. “Well, their vaginas are real stretched out and big.” No. “Ummmmm, they probably have a bunch of diseases?” Easy fix! Setting aside the fact that plenty of women contract STIs from monogamous partners or during “safe sex,” it sounds like your real problem here is with illness, not sex. So I assume you’d be fine dating a promiscuous woman who practiced safe sex and happened to be STI-free? “No, because I want a girl who’s traditional and family-oriented.” Having sex doesn’t mean you don’t want to have a family. It just means that you want to have sex. “Yeah, but a slut is more likely to cheat on me.” Really? Then why do couples in the Bible Belt have such a high divorce rate? “The devil, I guess?” NOPE. “I just can’t stand the thought of her getting fucked by all those other guys.” So you’re about to have sex with a woman you’re attracted to, you really want to have sex with her, but all you can think about is her getting pounded by tons and tons of dicks? That sounds like an entirely different issue. “No! I just mean that I struggle with the same powerlessness and insecurity that all human beings do, so as a coping mechanism I take advantage of our culture’s patriarchal power structure and exorcize my feelings of worthlessness by perpetuating shame-based proprietary attitudes over women’s bodies. Basically I’m obsessed with controlling women’s lives because I can’t control my own.” Oh, honey. I know."

Female ‘Purity’ Is Bullshit (via daniellemertina)

yeeeesssss.

(via negritaaa)

(via theblackpicassa)

Posted: 1 week ago - With: 19,593 notes - 
Reblog

So I just got back from seeing Terence Nance’s film “An Oversimplification of Her Beauty”.

I had seen the film before, a different version, and I must say I enjoyed it just as thoroughly, if not more, this time as the last time. I felt that the film portrayed the confusion and the struggle between love and the aspects of our personalities that can confuse or get in the way of it, and I found it refreshing to hear a man’s perspective of this that was explained through an exploration of thoughts and feelings rather than an explanation for one’s actions. I found it extremely relatable to anyone, regardless of race, gender, or what have you, and i saw myself and my struggles in love portrayed in the film in one way or another. The animations were absolutely stunning as well. My favorite was the one with the nudes, perhaps bc I like painting nudes lol, and also it reminded me of “Kirikou and the Sorceress”, which is a movie I really love.

Coming from an artist, I can deeply appreciate the honesty with himself and the willingness to put one’s story out there, vulnerable to scrutiny. It is also comforting to know that I’m not the only one out here internally struggling with this thing we call love and relationships. Its difficult mixing two journeys in love and i think the difficulty is felt from the film. But don’t get the impression that this film is depressing, or “woe-is-me-ish” in any way. I found it lighthearted in a way, personally. Maybe because, to me, the character in the film loves in a way that is very uncommon nowadays - freely.

I also got to meet Adepero Oduye from Pariah, and she was super cool :D I met Terence Nance too, but when I’m nervous I get reclusive, so I said all of two words to him lol. But he seemed super cool as well :D

Posted: 3 weeks ago - With: 1 note - 
Reblog

"THE EYE OF DESIRE dirties and distorts. Only when we
desire nothing, only when our gaze becomes pure contemplation, does the soul of things (which is beauty) open itself to us. If I inspect a forest with the intention of buying it, renting it, cutting it down, going hunting in it, or
mortgaging it, then I do not see the forest but only its relation to my desires, Then it consists of wood, it is young or old, healthy or diseased. But if I want nothing from it but to gaze, “thoughtlessly,” into its green depths, then it becomes a forest, nature, a growing thing; only then is it beautiful.
So it is with people, and with people’s faces too. The man
whom I look at with dread or hope, with greed, designs, or
demands, is not a man but a cloudy mirror of my own desire.
Whether I am aware of it or not, I regard him in the light
of questions that limit and falsify: Is he approachable, or
arrogant? Does he respect me? Is he a good prospect for a
loan? Does he understand anything about art? A thousand
such questions are in our minds as we look at most people
we have to deal with, and we are considered expert psychologists if we succeed in detecting in their appearance,
manner, and behavior whatever it is that will abet or
hinder our plans. But this attitude is a shabby one, and in
this kind of psychology the peasant, the peddler, the shyster
are superior to most politicians and scholars.
At the moment when desire ceases and contemplation,
pure seeing, and self-surrender begin, everything changes.
to be useful or boring, genial or rude, strong or weak. He becomes nature, he becomes beautiful and remarkable as does everything that is an object of clear contemplation. For indeed contemplation is not scrutiny or criticism, it is nothing but love. It is the highest and most desirable state of our souls : undemanding love.
If we have once achieved this state, be it for minutes,
hours, or days (to sustain it permanently would be perfect
bliss), then people no longer appear as they used to. They
are not mirrors or caricatures of our desire, they become
nature once more. Beautiful and ugly, old and young,
cordial and offensive, open and taciturn, harsh and mild
are no longer opposites, nor are they standards of judgment.
All are beautiful, all are remarkable, no one can any longer
be despised, hated, misunderstood."

Herman Hesse - Essays on Life and Art - Concerning the Soul (via aristidoux)

(via theblackpicassa)

Posted: 1 month ago - With: 7 notes - 
Reblog

263 notes

Reblog

pipercarter:

Black History Month fact #10

The Shabaka Stone is one of the most important relics to be discovered from Kemet, next to the Rosetta Stone.

It is named after the “black” Pharaoh Shabaka (ca.712- 698 BCE), who ruled in the XXVth Dynasty (ca. 716 - 702 BCE) and who’s Old Kingdom styled prenomen name (“Neferkare”) is mentioned twice (in LINE 1). The black African Nubian Shabaka was the first king of the “Ethiopian” Dynasty to reunite Kemet by defeating the monarchy of Sais while settling in Memphis. Memphis was the ancient capital of Kemet, founded by Pharoah Menes.

The Shabaka Stone lays the foundation for the Memphite Theology, which was the foundational spiritual teaching of Kemet presented by Menes. It centers Ptah as the creator of the universe:

This it is said of Ptah: “He who made all and created the gods”. And he is Ta-tenen, who gave birth to the gods, and from whom every thing came forth, foods, provisions, divine offerings, all good things.

This it is recognized and understood that he is the mightiest of the gods. Thus Ptah was satisfied after he had made all things and all divine words.

*The etymology of Egypt comes from Hwk-ka-Ptah, which means “The house/temple of the soul of Ptah.” Hwk-ka-Ptah in Greek is Aigyptos, and Aigyptos in English is Egypt.

In other words, Egypt was considered the sacred house of the creator of the universe, represented as Ptah’s soul. Memphis was the capitol of Egypt, making Memphis the center for the scared scriptures and teachings of the divine creator, Ptah.

Black History month fact #28: Rome had an African emperor

fact #27: Haiti was the first free Black nation of the “New World”

fact #26: The Pan African flag and its colors.

fact #25: Judaism originates in Africa.

fact #24: Buddhism originates in Africa.

fact #23: Africa is bigger than you think.

fact #22: The origin of black female sexual exploitation in US media.

fact #21: Catholic Virgin Mary was Black.

fact #20: Africans founded Chinese dynasties.

Fact #19: Africans invented the calendar.

Fact #18: Africans came before the Mayans.

Fact #17 Africans discovered America

Fact #16: Africans saw planets with the naked eye.

Fact #15: Africans in Europe

Fact #14: vase Heart symbol

Fact #13: Chess originates in Ethiopia

Fact #12: The Great Pyramid of Giza and Pi (3.14)

Fact #11: The Rosetta Stone

Fact #10: The Shabaka Stone

Fact #9: Ancient Egyptians wore locs.

Fact #8: Africans had walled cities.

Fact #7: Africans had the first sewers, toilets, and perfumes.

Fact #6: The first modern humans were born in Africa

Fact #5: Ancient Egyptians were Ethiopian-descendent.

Fact #4: Origin of Greek language

Fact #3: West African empires were wealthy

Fact #2: Etymology of the word Egypt

Fact #1: Pyramid builders were Black.