The Vernacular Saves Us
"If you surrender to the air you can ride it." — Toni Morrison
What if the Vernacular Saves Us?
What if the Vernacular Saves Us?
The Vernacular Saves Us
This publication is an expansion of my senior thesis that created the theory of Assemblage. On the About page for this publication I wrote
“One of the conclusions my thesis reached is that we don’t have a critical language to discuss contemporary black subjectivity because the language is rooted in the vernacular. The vernacular being found, gathered, intuitive artful making of a life. Some examples of the vernacular include quilting and gardening.”
An Assemblage work of art or artist historically has been looked down upon. Artists labeled self-taught, folk, vernacular, or assemblage have been made other until their works have garnered approval from the white gaze. Thus resulting in an increase in visibility & profit such as the quilters of Gee’s Bend. Before this selective spotlight, Assemblage artists’ works were called childlike, primitive, & always having their marks questioned by those who lacked the sensibility to engage in the vernacular. In short, a piece of art created through the process of gathering, an Assemblage artist is considered the mule of the art world.
Yet, I’ve found that many of these vernacular ways of knowing contribute to one’s feelings of groundedness. Furthermore, the vernacular lets us support ourselves & the well-being of the planet.
“The many vernacular aspects of an artful life are what sustains the planet and close-knit communities. The vernacular elements of life, which are deeply ritualist art-making skills, are sustainable to one’s culture and support one’s physical well-being in a crumbling world. Yet, like vernacular art and assemblage pieces, no one cares about how Black people gather found/natural beauty to make a life.” - Kay Brown, What is Assemblage, “Assemblage: Baby’s Breath”
The more I practice turning the theory of Assemblage into praxis, the more my heart recognizes that the vernacular is deeply embedded within sites of memory. Sites of memory as in the land, the people, & all living forms of life. The vernacular asks of us unruly folk to bear witness to our environment, gather, & embody a reverential sense of honor as we walk with the stories the sites carry. This ensures that we can share our findings to encourage a generous regenerative cycle to sustain ourselves & those who come after us.
We know how Assemblage makers have been viewed in the past & by some people today. However, I believe the ways of knowing the vernacular asks of us is for the benefit of creating charged clearings we know we can always come home to. Many of us walk on sites of memory, the land & people, instead of with them. When we gather, we acknowledge beauty, abundance, & infinite possibilities in our everyday surroundings. We don’t require permission to illicit awe from the natural wonders of the world that we are also a part of. When we dare to be still to acknowledge what society would rather have us move quickly on from we affirm that infinite wisdom exists in ourselves & the sites of memory are feet are currently planted within. By gathering & embodying stillness we build self-trust to honor where we’ve been, where we are, & how it’s all actively contributing to the songs of tomorrow.
The vernacular is the key to being present in this world while making a new one. The language intended to silo us into private practice, craft/folk/self-taught/vernacular, has always been worthy of being shared out loud. The knowledge of our vernacular rituals gathered into art does not have to be shared exclusively in museums, private art collectors, or institutional archives. Instead, our vernacular art & ways of being can run wild, unruly, & on the back of the wayward wind carrying the people who could fly.
Video Source: A Day with Toni Morrison (1978) Interview + Reading
What if Grandma’s saved Essense Magazines at the top of the storage closet are gathered by the cousins, cut, & collaged into a piece reflecting where the family is now?
What if preserved dried flowers bearing witness to life’s ceremonies become imprinted in the clay we are molding to offer as a gift marking time?
What if the sounds of the lake we walk along weekly provide the soundtrack for a future moment when our hearts need a balm but we find our feet nowhere close to home? Or what if we are home but need that balm to soothe the grief that the lake we so often sought out has long since dried up?
What if the outgrown clothing is dyed with plants foraged on walks, or given to by dear friends, are stitched into a quilt of comfort sourced from the fabric that protected you all those years?
All of these & more are possible when we re-orient towards the vernacular. The very thing meant to shame us, & make us doubt the validity of the stories living within us, empowers us to live the aligned life we desire amongst the crumbling debris of the world as we have been conditioned to know it.
Please remember if you choose to quote this piece, share this piece, or any piece on this publication to always CITE BLACK WOMEN. Please always include my name (Kay Brown she/her pronouns) and a link to the publication of the Assemblage: Baby’s Breath substack in your sharing practice.
To further support my writing practice, receive additional offerings that connect to my pieces, & be the first to hear about other ways to engage in the theory of Assemblage, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This October (2024) I will be inviting fellow unruly folks to practice gathering & honoring with me in a generous clearing ✨. Stay tuned for updates about the clearing that allows you to root, navigate life’s storm, & feel grounded through the Assemblage framework!
Lastly, remember, that referrals are now available! This means you get to speak the name Assemblage: Baby’s Breath out loud to your community while receiving unique grounded gathered gifts from me. Thank you for being here 💙.