CIE Researcher of Distinction, March 2017
Dewayne Wrencher
Each month, the Center for Inclusive Education showcases the outstanding research being conducted by one of our talented scholars in our Research Café series. In addition, we recognize this scholar as a Researcher of Distinction and share the details of his/her journey to becoming an accomplished scholar. This month's Researcher of Distinction is Dewayne Wrencher, MFA candidate in Studio Art. Dewayne presented his work, ‘Native Born Black: A Collection of Questions’ on Thursday, March 30, 2017.
DEWAYNE'S PATH INTO RESEARCH
My work is used to help facilitate dialogue on theoretic questions that deal with internal and external influences which may affect a person’s reality. Each Artistic study is essentially a visual representation of answers found in the conclusions of his research. The materials used to create these visual works are comprised of a collection of prints, found objects and rhythmic poetic wordplay that serves as an aesthetic modifier.
Dewayne's Current Research
Describe the work you presented for your Research Café.
“Native Born Black: A Collection of Questions” is the conclusion to a series of artistic studies on Black identity in the United States.
How did you become interested in research?
I have always had a very inquisitive mind but at the age of twelve on a summer night in 1999 my family and I had the misfortune of having a group of men claiming to be associated with the Ku Klux Klan threaten our lives. They said, “We’ll return and kill you!” I remember standing near the driveway with my head slightly tilted thinking, ‘this is strange.’ I resolved later in my adolescence the perplexed reaction was not caused by the threat on my family’s life but how calmly my family and I reacted to it. As if, malicious acts of social injustice was synonymous with being Black in America but I knew there had to be more to that situation than just hate and passed down PTSS [Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome]. Since then I have utilized the conceptual idea of employing various perspectives to understanding the world around me and that created my enduring interest in personal identity, power and race-based perspectives.
What was the deciding factor for you to come to Stony Brook for your graduate studies?
The emphasis on research, studio art, collaboration, and valued experimentation are the reasons why I decided to attend Stony Brook University.
What are your future goals?
Upon completing my Master of Fine Arts program, I plan to develop a workshop called “Sense of agency” were I will help young males start to deduce for themselves what makes them men by evoking their sense of agency.
What do you enjoy most about research?
That is a simple question. I love learning new things.