TED演讲:一位艺术家对种族暴力的无畏抗争(1)

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I'm constantly looking for creative ways to spark challenging conversations.  我经常寻求创新的方式，通过绘画、雕塑、视频和表演

I do this through painting, sculpture, video and performance.  去启发大家思考，一些有挑战性的话题。

But regardless of the format¹, two of my favorite materials are history and dialogue. 但是抛开形式不谈，我最喜欢的材料是历史和对话。

In 2007, I created "Lotus," a seven-and-a-half-foot diameter, 在2007年，我创造了“莲花”，一个直径约2.3米

600-pound glass depiction² of a lotus blossom.  重达600磅的莲花花瓣玻璃刻绘作品。

In Buddhism³, the lotus is a symbol for transcendence and for purity of mind and spirit. 在佛教中，莲花是超然的象征，是纯净的意念和精神的象征。

But a closer look at this lotus reveals each petal⁵ to be the cross-section of a slave ship. 但是仔细看这个莲花，每一个花瓣都是贩卖奴隶的船只的横截面。

This iconic diagram was taken from a British slaving manual  我所临摹的图像来自于英国的奴役手册，

and later used by abolitionists to show the atrocities⁶ of slavery.  它后来被废奴主义者用来展示奴隶制的残忍。

In America, we don't like to talk about slavery, nor do we look at it as a global industry. 在美国我们不愿意讨论奴隶制，我们也不把奴隶制当成全球的产业。

But by using this Buddhist⁷ symbol,  用这个佛学象征

I hope to universalize and transcend⁴ the history and trauma⁸ of black America 我希望可以让大家意识到非裔美国人的历史，治愈他们的的创伤，

and encourage discussions about our shared past.  并且鼓励有关我们共同的过去的讨论。

To create "Lotus," we carved over 6,000 figures.  为了创作“莲花”，我们雕刻了6000多个人物。

And this later led to a commission by the City of New York  之后美国纽约议会

to create a 28-foot version in steel as a permanent installation at the Eagle Academy for Young Men, 在青年鹰学院制造了一个直径8.5米的钢铁版本。

a school for black and latino students, the two groups most affected⁹ by this history. 青年鹰学院是一所为非裔和拉丁裔学生服务的学校。这两类人是受历史影响最大的，

The same two groups are very affected by a more recent phenomenon, but let me digress. 同样是他们，近来又到了巨大的影响。我后面会继续讲这个话题。

I've been collecting wooden African figures from tourist shops and flea¹⁰ markets around the world. 我一直在全球的纪念品商店和跳蚤市场收集木质非洲人物雕塑。

The authenticity¹¹ and origin of them is completely debatable,  他们的来源和真实性是很值得怀疑的，

but people believe these to be imbued¹² with power, or even magic. 但是人们相信雕塑里蕴含能量，甚至魔法。

Only recently have I figured out how to use this in my own work.  直到最近我才找到它们用在我的作品中的办法。

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