WEEK 4 | Spirituals II - Oh Mary Don't You Weep

This week was particularly challenging for me, especially since I myself am not particularly familiar with biblical texts or connotations. The only difference I know between the Old and New Testaments is that the Old Testament reflects a fearful and awe-some God whereas the New Testament has a more merciful God. I could be wrong, but from the snippets of the stories presented to us from the readings and posts, I would appear to have the right general idea.

Regardless, O Mary Don't You Weep is a confusing mix of references from both Testaments and it would be a lie to say that I understand the point of both stories. In attributing the texts to the lives of Black people in the American South in the time of the slavery, EXODUS 14:20-30 could be suggesting that the Black people will be delivered freedom in the form of God allowing a safe passage of escape from the Whites and punishing them for their wrongs against the Blacks. In a varying tone, the story of Mary and Martha could be suggesting for the slaves at the time to focus on God instead of the tasks and burdens of their oppression.

The conjunction of the two texts is an understanding of a way to cope and bear the burden of their fate.

I decided to paint prior to completing the readings for the week by simply listening to the song. The images that came to mind were, of course, the Red Sea being parted, a woman crying, and water everywhere. The work turned into two pieces, ironically. I wanted to convey the emotion of tears and of being washed over with calm while also feeling the desire to be bold and roaring with a deep set of colors (deep not in the sense of dark-hued, but rather that the colors are purging and very raw).

And this was the result.

At first I considered only photographing one of the pieces but I soon came to realize that they only worked well by being featured with each other. Then it hit me. I subconsciously decided to represent the story of Mary and Martha (New Testament) with the blue hues and the parting of the Red Sea (Old Testament) with the red hues. The reason why I could not separate the two was very much the result that O Mary Don't You Weep is a telling of both tales and would not be the same were the stories separated - much in the same way that the Black people cannot escape their past of imprisonment because that is their story and denial of it would render their years of freedom not something to have been freed from. 

God gave Noah the rainbow sign

No more water but fire next time

Pharoah's army got drowned

O Mary down't you weep!

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