Established in January 2020, Sub Rosa began as a digital journal dedicated to highlighting points of inspiration—a reflection of the systematic groundwork behind one’s practice. Within these pages, you’ll find the people, objects, moments, locations, and histories that have motivated me.
All views are my own.
Chronicles | July - September 2021
Keeping the theme of resetting in mind, a breakdown of my influences from July - September 2021 is listed on this chronicle.
My intent for Sub Rosa is to provide access to curated information centered on art and activism. Valuing my time as an artist, I’ve been thinking of a way to offer readers the choice to pay for my chronicles. Below is an option to support my project for as little as $1 one time or however you’re comfortable.
Hello,
I’m back from hiatus.
Now, Sub Rosa is a one to three months or, whenever-I-feel, chronicle. I began publishing things I found meaningful as an archive throughout the month for personal and communal benefits. When I’m feeling uninspired or pressured to post, it feels disconnected. So, I took some time to reset which, is a loose theme of what I found inspirational during July, August, and September 2021.
Enjoy!
-A
Art & Photography
Yes and No
One of the first things and artist may learn is; understand the rules of your medium before you break them. Photo No-Nos is a book by photographer and author of The Photographer’s Playbook, Jason Fulford. Photo No-Nos features several contemporary photographer’s approaches to what they deem as off-limits. Each photographer takes the prompt in different directions, from humorous to serious.
Personally, every cliche I could think of; flowers, buildings, sunsets, pets, food, are some of my favorite things to capture. I believe the execution and intent matters more.
Speaking of photo no’s, one is gatekeeping information from each other. Fuck Gatekeeping provides photographers resources on the industry created by Carmen Chan, Emiliano Granado, and Jared Soares. Categories include business, marketing, personal work, and money. Even if you aren’t a photographer, it’s worth checking out. The information is relevant to many careers, and it offers insight into a photographer’s role.
White Rock Lake, Alexandra Hulsey, 2021
An Artists Uniform
Artists often choose their wardrobes in response to their practice subconsciously or not. It could be simple, convenient, eccentric, political, etc. Undeniably a certain look can be associated with a figure for example, Bill Cunningham and his blue jacket.
What Artists Wear by Charlie Porter is a book that archives iconic artists and their clothes. Looking at these wardrobes inspires me to choose clothes I identify with as an artist.
What Artists Wear by Charlie Porter page 168 & 169. Image source: HYPBEAST
Bill Cunningham photographed by Yu Fujiwara in 2013. Image source: Dazed
Text & Image
Teju Cole is a photographer, author, and Harvard University, professor. Golden Apple of the Sun is his most recent book. It includes photographs of Cole’s kitchen counter during the early weeks of 2020 accompanied by an essay responding to harsh truths of America’s history. In discussion with Cole and Pac Pobric for Artnet, the two cover some of the book’s content and purpose. Cole’s work ties concepts to photographs through using text which, I believe informs any image. “It was almost as if the photos knew all those things, but I had to interpret them,” Cole says in the interview. On what it means to be American right now, he states: “We’re being asked to do something intolerable, to witness and understand other people’s pain, and then still move on with life. It’s very difficult to do, and yet it has to be done.”
Teju Cole’s Golden Apple of the Sun. Image source: MACK
DESIGN
Look at Things That Make You Happy Everyday
Oaxaca, La Princesa Y El Sireno. Image source: rafaeluriegas.com
A move from minimal to eclectic or, at least, incorporating more eclectic aspects in the home is happening. A method I’ve always enjoyed is murals.
Rafael Uriegas references religion through the Latin American lens and translates his bold shapely paintings into interior murals. Urigas’s Instagram showcases the diverse surfaces he paints.
Home of Italian futurist Giacomo Balla (18 July 1871 – 1 March 1958) has been turned into an exhibition space by Rome’s National Museum of 21st Century Art. Check out the video below to learn about Balla, his work, home, and the current exhibit.
For more images of Balla’s home, visit the link: Dwell.
dallas
Unearthed
TW: racism & violence
In September, Jim Schutze discussed his book The Accommodation with John Wiley Price, archived on the KERA YouTube channel linked here. Published in 1987, The Accommodation did not sell many copies but, being one of the only books that address Dallas's history of racism, violence, and corruption, it's rare and valuable. Previously, the book was downloadable online for $600, Deep Vellum is re-releasing it for $30.
The Accommodation has limitations, as Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation executive Jerry Hawkins states: “It’s obviously just this one man’s take on this vicious racist story. But it is important. It’s important for sure.” As noted by Schutez, sense 1987, historians have published more in-depth text on Dallas history including White Metropolis: Race, Ethnicity, and Religion in Dallas, 1841-2001 by Michael Phillips and Harvey Graff’s The Dallas Myth: The Making and Unmaking of an American City.
The history of Dallas is veiled, many writings and information have been lost or destroyed, and the topic is taboo. I choose to share information like this because it’s critical to educate ourselves and others. Especially now that House Bill 3979 law has passed in Texas which, is public to view here. House Bill 3979 excludes specific American history from the K-12 curriculums including but not limited to: Women’s Suffrage which is the 19th amendment, The Chicano Movement, The Snyder Act of 1924 granting Indigenous people the right to vote, The Eugenics Movement, The Ku Klux Klan, Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have A Dream speech and Letter From Birmingham Jail, The Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Emancipation Proclamation, and Brown v. Board of Education.
MUSIC
From Summer to Fall
This is my updated playlist from last year. Dedicated to the transition from summer to fall.
SUPPORT
Migrants & Refugees
Dallas Refugee Project focuses on community and resources for refugees in Dallas. Some of their services provide tutoring, personal items, school supplies, and food. Sign up to volunteer here, and donate here.
UndocuBlack is formed by currently and formerly undocumented Black people. The organization provides community, facilities, and resources like their know your rights section. Donate here.
Black Freedom Factory is a San Antonio-based organization with volunteer opportunities in San Antonio and Houston. Information and updates on current events about social justice are on their Instagram.
Celebration Nation is a Latino Nonprofit centered on equal rights for farmworkers. Volunteer here, donate anywhere on their site.
Missing BIPOC
TW: racism & violence
Among many other alarming statistics, there are 10% more missing Indigenous women and girls than all ethnicities. NIWRC is a non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding women and girls from violence. Donations are linked here. Please read the information on missing Indigenous women and girls listed on Native Women’s Wilderness. The data and resources are pulled from UIHI and can be accessed here.
Black and Missing is a non-profit organization with a database for reporting, searching for, and sending anonymous tips regarding missing Black people. They also provide resources such as a downloadable missing persons PDF flyer and information on what to do if your child is missing. You can donate here.
Chronicles | June 2021
Some questions I had this June; Artwork often has a unique power to exist wherever it wants but, what’s that mean for rural Texas residents? What’s the moral thing to do with an unwanted painting? This month also covers local artwork commemorating Juneteenth, an underreported Dallas newspaper’s history, celebrating Gay Pride by featuring artwork post Stonewall and a playlist for making art.
A R T
Conceptual Art’s Agency in Rural Spaces
While I appreciate and participate in work like Caddilac Ranch, I do try to consider alternate perspectives. I revisited a thought after reading the article, There Are Big Ideas In Little Corsicana. Conceptual artwork existing in peculiar, rural places, especially in Texas, confronts its residents invasively. What gives conceptual art the agency to exist wherever the artist wants? The article describes an exhibition space next door to an auto shop but, can one put an auto shop adjacent to an established museum or gallery without a fuss? I can’t think of many other things that have this physical power and adaptability. The clash of critics, curators, artists, and small-town southern residents is one example of its oddity. I think about the people living in blue-collar communities accessing artwork that often connotes a white-collar world, unaccepting in many formats.
Freedom Dispersed
DFW-based artist, curator, and professor Lauren Cross’s installation A Moment of Silence / Let Freedom Ring is part of Nasher’s public art initiative. Her work will be on view until September 19th, located at For Oak Cliff, a non-profit organization dedicated to dismantling systemic oppression. A Moment of Silence / Let Freedom Ring commemorates the holiday Juneteenth.
Artists utilizing a space like For Oak Cliff conceptually while considering its accessibility to the surrounding community is an exciting movement I see happening more and more in Dallas.
Read the Nasher Sculpture Center’s statement here.
Painting’s Afterlife
Where Do Paintings Go After Their Owners Abandon Them? is an article that reports on an Instagram feed that archives discarded paintings. It makes me a little sad to see trashed paintings. Even though I have my own collection of unwanted work that’s hidden in corners and drawers. Now I’m reconsidering how I treat unused canvases or prints. I think the moral thing to do is repurpose them or, donate them to thrift stores.
From Jason Osborne’s @abandonedpaintings Instagram account
H I S T O R Y
The Dallas Express 1892 - 1970
TW: Racism & Violence
The Dallas Express one of the most circulated Black-run newspaper of the South. I learned about this history through D Magazine’s, The Real Story Behind Dallas Express which, delves into and critiques Monty Bennett’s re-launch of the newspaper this year.
With headquarters in Deep Ellum, the paper was founded during segregation and neglect for the Black community's needs. Weekly publications covering racist attacks, ways to protect each other, Black-owned business ads, recipes, and more, were sent out. What is archived of The Dallas Express shows important and underreported history, especially in Dallas.
Gay Pride & Post-Stonewall Art
LGBTQ+ people publicly celebrating their community was unthinkable until the Stonewall Uprising on June 28th, 1969. Homosexuality was illegal at this point. Police raided gay clubs and bars, often met with brutality. On the 28th at The Stonewall Inn, the community had enough and decided to fight back. The protest lasted six days and sparked the Gay Rights Movement in the U.S. Now, each year in June in honor of Stonewall, cities around the country celebrate with a Gay Pride parade.
Influential artwork came soon after the Stonewall Uprising, including artists like Nan Goldin, Keith Haring, and Robert Mapplethorpe, whose work I saw at the Guggenheim’s permanent collection and included pictures of below. Curated by Jonathan Weinberg, Art After Stonewall, 1969 - 1989 is an exhibition dedicated to showcasing this time as an art movement. The first opening was in 2019 at Grey Art Gallery at NYU and most recently on view at Columbus Museum of Art during 2020. There’s also an art book for the exhibition that I'd love to own. In an interview by Artnet, Weinberg talks about themes in artwork post Stonewall and pre AIDS epidemic.
Thomas, 1987 by Robert Mapplethorpe
Andy Warhol, 1986 by Robert Mapplethorpe
M U S I C
I’ve been making a lot of physical artwork lately like coloring, printmaking, painting which this playlist is inspired by.
My intent for Sub Rosa is to provide access to curated information centered on art and activism. Valuing my time as an artist, I’ve been thinking of a way to offer readers the choice to pay for my chronicles. Below is an option to support my project for as little as $1 one time or however you’re comfortable.
Images by Alexandra Hulsey unless credited otherwise.
Chronicles | March 2021
Highlighting BIPOC female architects, a guide on how to not fast fashion, a snail goes on a stroll at a zoo, and how to be an ally to AAPI.
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Roll Call
There are far fewer female architects than males, and an even smaller percentage are BIPOC. Deezen featured a list of women architects nominated by other women architects, and I added more names below. If you have recommendations, leave a comment on this blog or my Instagram post!
AFN (Assembly of First Nations) is directed by Chiefs, advocating for Canada’s First Nations. In 2019 AFN assembled a team of Indigenous architects to design Indigenous Peoples Space, a safe gathering space for Indigenous Peoples and their government. The female architects working on the project are Eladia Smoke and Wanda Dalla Costa.
Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao is motivated by social values. Her preliminary artwork will be on view at SFMOMA for the exhibit Tatiana Bilbao Estudio: Architecture from Outside In.
Samantha Josaphat established Studio 397 after becoming the 397th African-American female architect in the U.S. Alongside her practice, she is committed to inspiring generations through the Studio 397 community.
Atelier Cho Thompson, founded by Christina Cho Yoo and Ming Thompson, expressed frustration with architects often not considering their work’s social impact in their 2020 Madame Architecture interview. They work against this notion with projects that highlight diversity.
F A S H I O N
How to Not Fast Fashion
Considering my wardrobe’s afterlife isn't second nature but, I’m practicing being aware of my environmental impact. NPR’s “5 Ways To Make Ethical Fashion Choices" offers a simple guide. The takeaways are; don’t consider your clothes disposable, switch it up by revamping what you already have, resell and donate instead of discarding, check if what you're looking for can be thrifted, and educate yourself on the impacts of the fashion industry. Good On You is a website that offers information on making ethical choices and is also an app you can download to explore what companies really up to.
M U S I C
I’ve made a playlist that makes me think about a snail taking a stroll through a zoo on a spring day.
P E O P L E
TW: Racism & Violence
Crimes against AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) in the U.S. have risen well over 100% in 2020, and many cases go unreported. USA Today’s “Asian Hate Crimes: How to be an Ally to the Community” is an article that lists productive actions to take. Below is a non-exhaustive list of small AAPI businesses to support, helpful resources, and AAPI historical figures.
Nguyen Coffee Supply was founded by 1st generation Vietnamese American Sahra Nguyen. The focus is on the direct farm-to-consumer trade and celebrating Vietnamese coffee culture.
When purchasing a Take Care sweatshirt, you receive access to a life coach session, and 10% of the proceeds will be donated to Mental Health America.
The photo book Chinatown Pretty, created by Andria Lo and Valerie Luu, celebrates Chinatown residents from the East to West coasts. 100% of proceeds go to Chinatown nonprofits when ordering via Bookshop.org. Each month the duo highlights a different nonprofit to donate to, currently Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
Yobo Soju celebrates American and Korean culture through small batched soju made in New York. On their site, the company has collected 33 organizations to support.
There are many to show financial support for AAPI communities, do the research, and find what resonates or alternate monthly donations but here are the resources I’ve found. Anti-Asian Violence Resources is a great start.
This month, I learned about the following influential Asian American historical female figures.
Yuri Kochiyama’s activism began in Harlem during the 1960s. As a proactive member in many civil rights movements, she stated, “Racism has placed all ethnic peoples in similar positions of oppression poverty, and marginalization.”
Equipped with academic training, Grace Lee Boggs dedicated her life to social activism. She utilized her knowledge of philosophy to teach and mobilize fellow activists.
May Chen led the New York Chinatown strike of 1982. The call for worker’s rights, permanently impacted labor laws as the employers halted wage cuts, non-paid leave, hired translators, and offered English classes.
My intent for Sub Rosa is to provide access to curated information centered on art and activism. Valuing my time as an artist, I’ve been thinking of a way to offer readers the choice to pay for my chronicles. Below is an option to support my project for as little as $1 one time or however you’re comfortable.