Talk:Tau Lewis

Concern about Recent Edits

It seems like the most recent edits deleted large sections of the article (if not the whole article itself), and the article was essentially rewritten with no references added. The reasons for the edits given were "to update and better reflect the artist's career currently", by (unregistered) user 65.94.96.118, but this doesn't seem substantial enough to warrant taking out sections of information that are still accurate, notable, and cited.

I wanted to discuss this first (since I'm newer to editing WP), but should these edits be reverted? Regardless of if these edits were done in good faith, I still worry that they might contain bias, since they were added without references and the newly-added information seems to be written with subjective and personal language (rather than factual) (e.g. "She considers __", "Her work is ___" "Lewis’ interests lie in ___", "Lewis likens her works to ____"). Whisperjanes (talk) 03:58, 11 June 2019 (UTC)

• Updating, because with a quick google search, I've found the edits are copied from Tau Lewis' artist bio on her website. I'll revert the edits. Whisperjanes (talk) 09:18, 11 June 2019 (UTC)

Request to Edit Article

Hello,

I am the assistant of Tau Lewis and have been asked on her behalf to make changes to this article. The artist feels she is being misrepresented presently, and I would like to suggest some edits that will more accurately reflect Tau's career currently.

Firstly, the header needs to contain more information about Tau's history and practice. I would suggest something along these lines "Tau Lewis is a Jamaican-Canadian artist whose work combines natural and synthetic materials to create simulations of living organisms. Lewis was born in Toronto, Canada in 1993, and currently lives and works in Toronto, Canada. Her material practice is influenced by her surrounding environment, and the conceptual framework of her sculptures investigates black identity politics and African Diaspora."

Secondly, a broader explanation of Tau's work would be far more appropriate than citing individual exhibitions, which are not necessarily reflective of her career presently. Might I suggest something like: "Lewis’ self-taught practice is rooted in healing personal, historical, and collective traumas through labor. Her works employ methods of construction such as hand sewing, carving, and assemblage of found and repurposed materials to construct portraits. Tau’s work is concerned with resourcefulness, both spiritual and material, and how this resourcefulness is regarded historically as an integral part of black cultural production."

Thirdly, it's very important to cite her recent exhibitions in order to give a more wholistic idea of her career. Here is a list of recent exhibitions: "Recent solo and group exhibitions include New Museum, MoMa PS1, Shrine Gallery, Chapter NY, Jeffrey Stark, Shoot the lobster, New York; Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta; Night Gallery, Jeffrey Deitch, Los Angeles, USA; Art Gallery of Ontario, Art Gallery of York University, 8-11 Gallery, Cooper Cole, Gallery 44, Toronto; Art Gallery of Mississauga, Mississauga; Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, Winnipeg; The Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Canada." Additionally, citing public collections that have aquired Tau's work will provide readers with an idea of where they can access her works should they want to experience them personally "Tau’s work can be found in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives, Ottawa, Canada; and Grinnell College Museum of Art, Grinnell, USA. "

Tau was awarded the Frieze Frame Stand Prize in 2018, which should be noted more succinctly, "In 2018, Lewis was awarded the Frieze Frame Stand Prize for her solo presentation with Cooper Cole Gallery at Frieze New York, New York, USA. "

Tau's influences have evolved since the original article was written, which is confusing and provides misinformation to readers. This would be more a more accurate representation " Lewis’ interests lie in using what’s available, namely found and repurposed materials. Her work concerns the erasure of black narratives from Canadian art and Canadian history, and through constructing portraits which reference parts of black existence, she deconstruct this erasure. Lewis likens her works to time capsules of sorts, infused with personal items, material markers of time, and sometimes even her own DNA, imbuing them with life. She cites a therapeutic aspect within her practice, through the consciously laborious, repetitive, and time consuming methods of construction she employs."

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Hilary 65.94.99.32 (talk) 20:35, 4 July 2019 (UTC)

References

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:

• Tau Lewis Angelus Mortem.jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 17:37, 4 January 2023 (UTC)