Britt Thomas: Mistakes Were Made

May 28 - July 16,2022

From Box 13 ArtSpace:

"In Box13 ArtSpace’s window installation, Britt Thomas utilizes mass produced materials and lens-based media to reflect on the phenomenon of disingenuous public mea culpas, apologies that are meant to shield the accused from further public scrutiny without addressing or solving the core problem.

The phrase, Mistakes Were Made, seen prominently within Thomas’ installation, is regarded as the king of non-apologies for a reason. It is defined as, “a passive-evasive way of acknowledging error while distancing the speaker from responsibility for it.” Public figures such as  politicians, CEOs, celebrities and influencers apologize using careful language and linguistic techniques such as passive voice, nominalization, and shifting blame, while inserting caveats and qualifiers to effectively disassociate themselves from the main point of contention.

Ultimately, these rote public apologies appear to be largely performative, expedient smokescreens for ulterior motives. These swift gestures of regret made for mass consumption fall short of addressing larger issues or creating actionable solutions. Summed up best in author Shaka Senghor’s words, “You can’t fix the things that you are unwilling to acknowledge.” However, people still demand to see the show and judge how worthy or unworthy someone is of forgiveness.

Britt Thomas is an interdisciplinary lens-based artist from Houston, TX. After earning a BFA in studio art with minors in dance and art history from Lamar University in Beaumont, TX, Thomas continued her education at the University of Houston by earning a MFA in photography and digital media. She is currently a Lecturer at Sam Houston State University in the College of Arts & Media. Her art has been exhibited nationally and internationally with recent exhibitions at Galveston Arts Center, Aggregate Space Gallery in Oakland, CA, Amos Eno Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, and CICA Museum in South Korea. A 1,400 square foot mural by Thomas is on permanent view at the George R. Brown Convention Center through Houston’s public art collection and she recently received an Idea Fund grant and Houston Arts Alliance City Initiative grant to start a neighborhood outdoor cinema with her husband Prince Varughese Thomas that will start programing in Fall 2022."

Reception: May 28, 2022 | 1-5 pm

BOX13 Art Space 6700 Harrisburg Blvd.
Houston, TX 77001
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