While there is no blatantly Jim Crow signage within the Art World, my experience has illustrated a significant measure of segregation, especially within institutions. This is entirely unfortunate, since the social sphere of the Art World veers towards wide-ranging diversity. I want to speak directly to this "Whites Mostly/ Colored Rarely" trend by using Marina Abramovic's 'The Artist Is Present' as a platform. Inspired by the Greensboro Sit-In (February 1, 1960), I am hoping to gather 30 individuals who identify as Black/ African /African American/ Negro to join me on May 24th for this performance. Meeting at the Museum of Modern Art at 8am, I believe that there is a good chance that this group will be among the first to sit with her for the day. In fact, I think that the darker skin tone of black people is viewed as a kind of performance by the mainstream anyway, and might encourage folks to step aside (in a sense). As each sitter is engaged for a prescribed duration (timed), snapshot portraits are recorded as entry tiles on MoMA's Flickr page. This record is the linchpin of the performance. My thoughts are that in this grid there will be an obvious burst of 'color' followed and surrounded by the whiteness of the mainstream. Ultimately, it's the context of history that adds another layer to the dialogue art inspires. As a Black artist of color, I want to assertively make a place for our voices in the visual record that is being created. So,
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i will!- rashida
ReplyDeletehow about just going to the exhibition and experiencing it?
ReplyDeletethere have already been so many interventions and responses to this project that it's all getting kind of played out.
Experiencing and responding aren't mutually exclusive in my book. This only serves to prove my point- essentially all I'm doing is organizing a trip where a group of people get to experience this happening, my calling it a performance just happens to attract more people...
ReplyDeleteYour original statement in no way indicates the casualness you're now describing - "...all i'm doing is organizing a trip..." You are asking people to come to Abramovic's exhibition in the spirit of the Greensboro sit-in. That's kinda serious.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find most problematic in your original statement is your use of the word segregation. The art world is not segregated - and I take particular issue with you stating that your experience has indicated that it is - because if that were true, you wouldn't have a studio at LMCC right now.
I actually appreciate your conviction and I agree that artists of color are not rewarded in the same way that white artists are. However, I think your approach is a little misguided and your use of language is simplistic, reactionary and inflammatory.
Perhaps it might be helpful for you to look at what happened to the art world in the 90s. The 1993 Whitney Biennial would be a good place to start.
Good luck with your project!
Again you are giving a clearer voice to the points I am trying to make. Allow me to elaborate, "Anonymous"...
ReplyDeleteReferencing the Greensboro Sit-In:
Essentially, sitting at a lunch counter is a simple act made complex by the context of a particular time and the identity of the people doing the sitting. I feel strongly that in most instances, where black people decide to participate en mass within the space of the (white) mainstream, a certain gravitas is implied, regardless of the intention. As I mentioned in my previous post I believe that skin color is inherently viewed through the lens of performance anyway, and that adds another layer to these types of interactions.
I was having a conversation with a colleague and they mentioned that there might be an intervention of the intervention- that this action would somehow not be allowed to happen. What struck me is that despite the fact that this performance is actually casual in its normalcy (relative to the context of The Artist Is Present, of course), my colleague exhibited a mental preparedness for the worst. I can reasonably identify race as the marker that lead to this anxiety, since there are many groups that connect and experience Ms. Abramović's piece (as I witnessed on the day that I sat with her), without being deterred by museum staff, etc. So, I will continue to reference the Greensboro Sit-In as a statement toward the normalization of blackness, and embrace the seriousness that this implies.
Segregation:
Segregation absolutely exists in the institutions of the Art World, in fact it exists everywhere! In our schools (which blew my mind during my experiences as a teaching artist in Brooklyn), neighborhoods, churches, workplaces, etc. It makes no sense to believe that this enduring tenet of American life would skip over the Art World. While I agree that this type of segregation does not take the form of Jim Crow, the lack of integration is just as insidious. Make no mistake, I am absolutely thrilled to be an LMCC resident and I celebrate the diversity of this particular class, but there have been many years where there have only been 1-2 people of color represented. I am hopeful that the current trend I am a part of will continue, but I am aware that the most vocal champions for actual diversity are often not in the room. The diverse social interactions of my personal experience are often in direct opposition with the homogeneous appearance of the committees entrusted with selecting the participants of these types of programs. When you consider that segregation (or lack of integration) was/is not about the presence or absence of black people, but a lack of mobility within the sphere, then this phenomena is wholly apparent in a variety of contemporary scenarios. Segregation was a restriction, that in the 1950's manifested itself physically, but in the 2010's is revealed as subconscious limitations on both sides of "the color line".
Language:
You may not agree with me, which is unbelievably crucial to a constructive dialogue, but to classify my use of language as "simplistic, reactionary and inflammatory" is itself simplistic, reactionary and inflammatory. One of my particular strengths is my precise use of language and I take particular care to investigate my choices accordingly (i.e. "segregation: the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means.") Perhaps you may want to want review the entirety of my blog archive before you make such a claim.
Finally, this is not my "project". 'Sit-In' is a part of a performance piece created by Marina Abramović called The Artist Is Present and an eventual portion of MoMA's historical archive. I do hope you reveal your identity as a participant or spectator on Monday May 24th, 2010.
i do not identify as black, african american or negro. so...unfortunately your strength in using precise language has segregated me from participating in your project-sit in-performance in response to marina abramovic's performance project at moma.
ReplyDelete