TIFFANY JONES
Tiffany Jones
I, Colored, 2017
wheat pasted mural with photographic collage and drawings;
hand painted chiffon flags; audio
dimensions: variable
Tiffany Jones is a visual artist and has received her BFA in photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Jones' art practice often employs interactive types of data collection including interviews and surveys, in order to engage participants. Versatile and varied, Jones’ work is always influenced by history, current events, and societal assumptions. This practice grounded her community work as an artist. Currently, Jones is a resident artist of School 33 Art Center.
Open for nearly thirty-six years, Pool No. 2 was the only swimming pool for blacks in Baltimore. Accompanied by tennis courts and eventually a playground, Druid Hill Park carved a space in its grove of trees for blacks to enjoy family, sports, and recreation. For many years Pool #2 and its tennis courts provided an environment to enjoy life and celebrate wins during strained times. I, Colored acknowledges the rich experience of black life despite Jim Crow, playing with language of the period to present ideas of segregation versus integration.
“I Colored that day. I Colored every day. I Colored in the morning, I Colored in the afternoon, I even Colored late in the night. Yellows, browns and blues are my favorite, they just make me feel so warm inside... peaceful … at ease -- but sometimes I sneak in red, give it a little edge. And the best part is, I stayed in the lines -- those Black ones! You know the ones that keeps everything together, where they’re supposed to be…”
—TJ