Sum of the Parts: What Can be Named

Video Review
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Sum of the Parts: What Can be Named is a 2010 18-minute video by Deanna Bowen. It explores the multiple layers of identity and culture that make up Bowen's complex identity. The video chronicles Bowen's quest to learn more about her family's past and the cultural factors that have influenced her life (Jackson, 2018). The clip is a compelling investigation of her family history, combining contemporary footage, archive footage, and voiceover commentary by Bowen. She introduces the story by talking about her family's history, which comprises mixed African American ancestry with roots in Ghana, Denmark, and Virginia. She describes how this past has impacted her identity and experiences and how her family overcame challenges, including racism and slavery.
Award-winning artist Deanna Bowen has produced ground-breaking works for more than ten years. She examines the nuances and connections of identity, art, and history in this recent work. Bowen's studies of the histories of the African diaspora and indigenous cultures, as well as her background and experiences, are incorporated into the work (Deanna Bowen, 2010). The installation consists of physical constructions, artifacts, and musical instruments and recordings. Bowen can create a story that speaks to the significance of conserving cultural heritage, the beauty of restoration, and the force of identity through these materials.
The documentary also examines how the tale of Bowen's family is a microcosm of bigger social issues, including the African diaspora, the history of the Civil Rights movement, and the importance of maintaining the heritage of the African American community (Jackson, 2018). Bowen travels to various sites throughout the video, including monuments, cemeteries, and residences, to show how her family's history and that of African Americans are intricately linked with the U.S. geography. Sum of the Parts: What Can be Named is a significant film that leverages Bowen's narrative to delve skillfully into more general topics of identity and history. A dramatic study of Bowen's background and the African American experience is created in the film through archived material and voiceover narration, which bring the story to life. Bowen can examine her family's history and shed light on the problems still prevalent in society through the video.
Bowen creates a collection of pictures and narratives based on her family's past. The piece is a full investigation of identity, history, and the quest for comprehension. The installation's numerous parts explore the complexity of identity in compelling ways. These tales examine the re...