Black-and-blue Ba-Nana

2014

In this piece photography, drawing, poem and banana, fruit described in the oxford dictionaries as a long curved fruit that grows in clusters and has SOFT PULPY FLESH and yellow skin when ripe.I use the banana to sort of create a minimalist approach in both material and form to equate how men treat women verses how men should treat women.

Black-and-blue Ba-Nanais part of a series of women’s work, recalling my day-to-day relationship with single mothers, sisters and friends, and the woman’s relevance to our lives. When you think about a man hurting a woman physically or emotionally, they leave scars or wounds or bruises. Much like a banana that has turned bruised, dark black. The inside of the banana becomes soft then black. When you go to touch it- it falls apart because it's damaged. You try to eat it and you gag or you choke because it's disgusting. The banana was once good but you decided to hurt it, neglect it and leave it in poor conditions.

ON THE OTHER HAND when you treat a woman like a queen, she glows like a ripe banana. She’s delicious and also healthy on the inside. The aroma of a ripe banana will invite you to eat it leaving the most ever lasting taste in your mouth. A reward almost :).
In both instances the man is left to deal (harvest the good or the bad) of the woman that he created. He will have created the angry woman who will hate him or stress him for the rest of eternity or a queen (Nana) that will love and adore him and fill his heart for eternity with joy.

Bruised Ba-Nana

He covered you in scars,

He ruined your inner "piece"

Caused your collapse with a touch,

Destroyed the creation of a queen,

Trust, there will come a day,

A day when the last meal that he heaves,

Will be the ugly and poisonous center-

Of the precious queen that he thieved. 

Cough and choke and writhe my brother,

This fruit is from your dirt,

The pain, the burn, the ache you feel-

Is from the queen you chose to hurt.

Ripe Ba-Nana

He protected your royal coat,

He preserved your inner "piece",

Helped you to stand so tall,

Admired the creation of a queen (Nana).

On the day that you are ready,

You will allow him a taste of your center,

Your soft and sweet and lasting taste-

A gift he'll always remember.

Love, and adore and appreciate my brother,

Preserve forever her taste,

The warmth, the good, and the joy you feel,

No other fruit could ever replace.