3/31 (Sheku)

 

Sheku Koroma                                                                                     3/31/24

                                                         

     Part 1

    There are a plethora of social-economic issues in the world that have been impacted or have been impacted by art culture. The issues we currently face are getting harder to contain and they're also affecting art culture in immense ways.  Drew's essay "This Is What I Know About Art" and Dr. Maura Reilly's essay "Towards Curatorial Activism" tackle some of the same themes as our own. “There have been black people since the beginning of time, but I was not seeing any of their art in any classes.” (Drew-20). Throughout the readings, it is apparent that authors, historians, and curators can engage in activism through their voices and works.

    

    Author, historians, and curators practice activism in multiple ways. They can use their platforms to shed light on social issues, injustices. or the need for change. Author's have the ability to use blogs, articles, and books as a tools to spread positive messages, and issues that currently face our world. Historians provide context to current sociatial issue,a nd help people figure out the root causes and potential solutions. I believe curators have the ability to make history accesible through exhibitions, which in the end spreads awareness, depending on the message. The fact of the matter is each of these individuals have a role to play to push the world a step further towards a more connected, and understanding society. Curatorial activists, according to Dr. Maura Reilly in 'Towards Curatorial Activism', are curators who organize art exhibitions to ensure that a large constituency of artists, who have historically been silenced or omitted altogether, are included in master narratives of art. “And don’t we have an ethical responsibility to ensure that, if not the past, then our present and future are more inclusive than exclusive?” (Dr Maura Reilly, 14). I think her idea ties into what Kimberly Drew actively fights for, and highlights one of many themes we discussed during class. cultural activism.

    

    Drew draws from her experiences as a black artist in what is perceived as a predominantly white art scene to share her story. She conveys her early experience of being discriminated against, unwelcome, and verbally blocked. While attending art classes, her professor stated, “If you wanted to be in a classroom with other students of color, then you should not have enrolled in art history classes.”(Drew 27).  This was a meaningful moment for me, as an activist for free speech. Seeing an institution that was supposed to foster, and build these students do the exact opposite isn't surprising to me, but a reminder that we need to come together to bring about lasting change. This relates to the theme of 'protest' we discussed in class. Changing her life drastically and letting others see for themselves what the issue truly is, I think she actively protested against these people. 

    

    "I am concerned with museums' relationships with blackness, our ideas of white supremacy, and the ways that we can liberate ourselves from these structures."(Drew, 28).In the text, I believe Drew is expressing her irritation, and I believe the criticism she received through her life and art journey brought her towards activism. Her emotions can truly be felt in the novel, and the way she expresses not only resonates with me, but the fighting spirit in me as well. These quotes stick out to me, due to the fact that I don't like seeing people being discriminated against for what they believe, but I believe her journey is as significant as ever, and I truly can't wait to see how much more she accomplishes.

Part 2

The piece 'Connected 2022,' conveys Ben Jone's vision on connectivity on a global scale. Jone's connects spirituality and nature and its many forms and introduces another element technology. Ben Jones was able to combine an overlay of light grid lines from a computer circuitboard and cell phones with their app icons. He includes images of a cell phone, the universe, spiritual symbols, plants, and fish. “Art is a pathway to understanding ourselves and our world.” (Drew 27). I think his message of connectivity is very clearly understood in my eyes. This is a great work of art.

"Deliver the Funk" is artwork by Ben Jones. While Jones was well aware of the appeal and conflict of the time, he chose to follow the path of spiritual healing. As a revolutionary socialist, he dedicated his life to the struggle for equality and the liberation of all people, which led him to create this piece. Participating in traditional rituals such as Santeria while traveling in countries like Cuba, allowed him the skill of protective and transformative magic to occupy a physical space in the gallery. Some of the black arts movement's leaders, such as Joanne Mitchell and Andy Warhol, inspired him. It seems like his journey is similar to Kimberly Drew's, in that he was sick and tired of doing nothing about the unspoken injustices of the world, and decided to make change through art.