Katrina Andry
Region: South
Katrina Andry’s work explores the negative effects of stereotypes
on the lives of minorities, and how these stereotypes give rise
to biased laws and ideologies in the Western world. Her largescale
prints—some as high as five feet—confront the viewer with
these derogatory cultural clichés. The prints feature figures in
watermelon/black face. They represent those who are targeted
by racist characterizations. However, Andry specifically uses nonminority
figures in this role to illustrate the fact that stereotypes
are unjustly perpetuated. Stereotypes are based neither on truth
nor the innate characteristics of a specific person; instead, they
are ideas forced on a group of people as a whole. Portraying
entire populations in a negative light, stereotypes confer on the
perpetuator an impression of superiority and greater sense of
normalcy.
Andry was recognized in the September 2012 issue of Art in Print
as one of the fifty top printmakers. Her work has been featured on
the popular Beautiful Decay blog.