Annette Lawrence was born in Rockville Center, New York, in 1965. She received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Hartford Art School in 1986 and a master’s in fine arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore in 1990. Lawrence then moved to Austin, Texas, and later to Houston, where she became an artist-in-residence for the Community Artist’s Collective and then for the Houston Housing Authority’s Project Bridge, sponsored by the Texas Commission on the Arts. In 1992 Lawrence was featured in the exhibition Fresh Visions/New Voices: Emerging African American Artists in Texas, held at the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. A year later, she joined the school’s Core Program. Lawrence also has held teaching positions at Houston Community College; the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston; and the University of Houston, Downtown. She is currently a professor at the University of North Texas, Denton. Her work has been featured at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Barnes-Blackman Galleries, and Inman Gallery in Houston, as well as ArtPace Foundation for Contemporary Art in San Antonio and Gerald Peters Gallery in Dallas.
In Rock Writing, Lawrence uses language and stone to create an image that addresses racism and the emotions it incites. Black lava rock, a stone created by volcanic upheaval within the Earth, is used to spell out the words “They Must Don’t Know Who We Are.” The white background is comprised of limestone, which is formed under much calmer geological conditions. Lawrence heard the phrase during the time of the Los Angeles racial riots that followed the Rodney King verdict. Uttered by a friend to lessen the tension in the air while waiting to be seated at a restaurant, Lawrence sought to infuse the demanding strength of these words in her work. To Lawrence, the phrase means “you (America) are not reacting to me appropriately, you don’t know me.” She believes that “the viewer is drawn into identification with this work, even though the phrasing is black.”
As Lawrence explains:
The phrase “They Must Don’t Know Who We Are” expresses the indignity of those who have been inappropriately received on account of the vanity and presumptuousness of Western Culture. The syntax indicates a point of view that cannot be expressed using “correct” English. “Must” is used to emphasize the attitude of the speaker. The attitude comes from the feeling that “They” should know better than to not acknowledge “We” with due respect. “They” and “We” are applicable as the reader chooses.
The words in Rock Writing are literally written in stone. The permanence implied by writing in stone, and the value placed on permanence in Western Culture are debased by the form as an installation that changes each time it is assembled and disassembled. The value of Rock Writing is found in the meaning, not in the materials used.
Simple in its construction and design, Rock Writing is intended to appeal to all races and cultures. Lawrence’s use of the phrase “They Must Don’t Know Who We Are” is meant to imply both the sameness and the uniqueness of people. Her work strives to impress upon viewers the need for understanding and accepting all cultures. Lawrence’s major purpose in creating art dealing with African-American issues and themes is to combat the ignorance surrounding black history and culture. Her works also reflect the situation that she dealt with growing up, when African-American history and culture were omitted from the main curriculum of the education system.
