© André Ramon-Woodard, “frontin’,” 2024, Digital illustration, colored pencil, and pastel on inkjet print, from the series “BLACK SNAFU”

We would like to thank everyone who submitted to the inaugural Lenscratch Art + History Competition. We were impressed by the enormous number of compelling bodies of work, making it challenging to select just five outstanding projects. History and Art have been deeply intertwined for centuries. The winning projects we are featuring this week had a clear connection to history—exploring this relationship from personal, familial, and community viewpoints, extending to the history of places and countries, and even delving into mysteries and myths. Each image kept us wanting to discover more about the past, how it impacts the present, and—ultimately—the future.

Jeanine Michna-Bales and Sandy Sugawara

Photo-based artist André Ramos-Woodard grew up in the Southern states of Tennessee and Texas. In their project “BLACK SNAFU,” they layer—some drawn by hand—historical and contemporary illustrations of Black people on original photographs and items in order to celebrate the reality of what it means to be Black in contemporary America.

© André Ramon-Woodard, “hard-earned property,” 2024, Digital illustration, colored pencil, and pastel on inkjet print, from the series “BLACK SNAFU”

What drew you to the topic of your Art + History body of work?

I started BLACK SNAFU in 2020, at the height of the BLM movement and after the ludicrous deaths of so many of my people at the hands of police brutality in this country. As a Black person, I wanted to create a series about the history of the people I love so much; about the community I proudly belong to. Alongside my passion to create work about Black identity, I also have always been a fan of cartoons and illustration, so I decided to mix these two aspirations together.

© André Ramon-Woodard, “authenticity (2 CHAINZ),” 2022, Digital illustration and colored pencil on inkjet print, from the series “BLACK SNAFU”

What impact, if any, do you think this project has had or will have?

I hope that, through the work I create, I can teach people about America’s deplorable connection to anti-BIPOC agendas. After all, those that do not know history are doomed to repeat it. Maybe if we learn more about the mistakes of our past, we can push towards a truly revolutionary future.

© André Ramon-Woodard, “Untitled (Research),” 2023, Archival inkjet print, from the series “BLACK SNAFU”

© André Ramon-Woodard, “United States education system,” 2022, Digital illustration, colored pencil, and pastel on inkjet print, from the series “BLACK SNAFU”

Artist Statement
In “BLACK SNAFU,” I appropriate various depictions of Black people that I find throughout the cartooning of American history and beyond—from the 20th-century racist characters in Don Raye’s “Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat” to more contemporary, uplifting, and pro-Black characters like Huey and Riley Freeman from Aaron McGruder’s “The Boondocks”—and juxtapose them with photographs that celebrate and/ or line up more authentically with my Black experience. These photographs in the pieces are made by my hand and come from my camera, allowing me to fight back against the historical racist caricature illustrations by reclaiming them to depict Blackness authentically. By combining these ambivalent visual languages, I intend to expose to viewers America’s deplorable connection to anti-Black tropes through pop culture while simultaneously celebrating the reality of what it means to be Black.

Anti-Blackness seems inescapably mixed into whatever context I place it into; literature, science, government, health, art… look into any “field” and see for yourself. My people have had to cry, scream, and fight for respect for centuries, and we still have not gained the full respect we deserve. In order to move past the damage this has done to our society, we can’t simply deny our history—we must recognize it. We should not hide it because it cannot be erased. We must acknowledge the many ways in which this country has perpetuated a racial hierarchy since these lands were first colonized and stripped from indigenous peoples, and Black people were stolen from their native land and brought to America.

© André Ramon-Woodard, “coonin’ and bafoonin’,” 2023, Colored pencil, crayon, marker, and ink on photograph printed on sketchbook paper, from the series “BLACK SNAFU”

© André Ramon-Woodard, “1312, 2023,” Digital illustration, colored pencil, and pastel on inkjet print, from the series “BLACK SNAFU”

Raised in the Southern states of Tennessee and Texas, André Ramos-Woodard (he/ they) is a photo-based artist who uses their work to emphasize the experiences of marginalized communities while accenting the repercussions of contemporary and historical discrimination. His art conveys ideas of communal and personal identity, influenced by their direct experience with life as a queer African American. Focusing on Black liberation, queer justice, and the reality of mental health, he aspires for his art to help bring power to the people.

Instagram: @andreduane

© André Ramon-Woodard, “hate monger,” 2022, Digital illustration, colored pencil, and pastel on inkjet print, From the series “BLACK SNAFU”

© André Ramon-Woodard, “power,” 2025, Digital illustration, colored pencil, and pastel on inkjet print, From the series “BLACK SNAFU”

© André Ramon-Woodard, “the Black box (of race),” 2024, Digital illustration, colored pencil, and pastel on inkjet print, From the series “BLACK SNAFU”