Essay Post

 History-Making Art

    Diversity is something that brings forth much needed change that helps advance and improve ideas and societies from the holes they would be stuck in otherwise. Society has benefitted a lot from the number of diverse identities and cultures that come together. No better example is that evident in than art. For centuries, the only art that had ever been valued was art made by white men, and on rare occasion, white women. However, in the modern day, the world has finally made the effort to start turning this all around. Two strong individuals tell us of their journeys, Kimberly Drew in her book "This Is What I Know About Art" and Ben Jones and his gallery "The Universe of Ben Jokes." 

    

Part 1

    Kimberly Drew is an art influencer that is no stranger with the world of diversity. She had fought time after time to make sure that all artists, especially black artists, can get the attention and respect that they deserve. Her book "This Is What I Know About Art" delves into her life and her experiences about the discrimination against black artists and her efforts to combat it. 

    "Though I appreciated my fellowship, I could not help but be frustrated by my environment. When I was hired, I was one of five people of color in our office" (Drew 33).

     Drew was someone that constantly headed into things with the hope that things can change for the better. Upon gaining her desire to bring more attention to black artists, she truly realized how unfair the world of art was beyond just artist representation. Colored diversity was virtually nonexistent throughout many of her jobs and she continued to push forward to improve that. She would not stand for the imbalance of representation and while appreciating her peers, she would not stay silent.

    Dr. Maura Reilly is an intelligent curator with years of experience within the field of curatorial activism. Her essay "Toward Curatorial Activism" comments on the innate flaws and systemic issues with the way art has been treated for centuries and the ways to improve and diversify the works that people view and are able to see in museums and other mediums. 

"Likewise, here in Australia, there are curators working tirelessly to ensure that the voices of Indigenous Australian artists are heard, among them Djon Mundine, Hettie Perkins, Brenda Croft, Diane Moon, and of course, the Director of this year’s CIAF, Avril Quaill"(Reilly, 14).

    Reilly pushes for the recognition and sole involvement of the works of those that are not "White European men" as one of the grounds of curatorial activism. They give attention to those that are less privileged, less recognized, less understood in the broader world of curators. 

Traditional Values and Quality Return to the Whitey Museum, 1995

    Both Kimberly Drew and Maura Reilly are those deeply involved in the world of art and pushing for those that have been ignored for centuries to finally get the attention they deserve. Fighting for those that have been left behind in favor of the far too overwhelming number of white male artists. Drew and Reilly make it a point to try to make all art exhibits more inclusive, as no one group of people should be the only one speaking for the wide world of creativity that exists within art. 

Part 2

    The trip to Ben Jones' gallery "The Universe of Ben Jones" was a one-of-a-kind experience. Ben Jones is someone that is believes strongly in exploring cultures and bringing to life imagery that can help convey history, stories, and emotions unlike anything else. He speaks much of his time visiting other countries and experiencing life with his own eyes. However, there is nothing he speaks more on than exploring one's own heritage and culture. Throughout his entire exhibit, he would speak about how if one is not in touch with their roots, their culture, then they do not know who they are. As the history of their heritage defines them as much more than they can ever know.

Huey Newton Incarcerated, 1970

    An immediately appealing piece in Jones' gallery is his piece "Huey Newton Incarcerated." It is a piece that is immediately appealing as it combined photography with physical objects to allow viewers to come to their own understanding. This piece was made due to Jones' own involvement with the Black Panthers group during their time in Jersey City. The Black Panthers were a Black activist group, with many of their leaders having been arrested for a multitude of different reasons. Despite how one may see their actions, Jones tells of how their actions brought communities and artists together. They gave them hope, and in doing so, he made a piece to represent the arrests the leaders had to face.

Benin Images, 1970

    This image was inspired by Jones' time exploring the world and getting in touch with his roots. He was mesmerized by the depth of the culture of Africa, naming the piece after a country in Africa, Benin. Without the use of any words, the piece gives one the idea of the importance of these individuals depicted across the canvas, the headwear and jewelry giving a sense of royalty and high status. Jones used the multitude of colors here to further play into the fact that these groups are never just one color. The colors vary and that is what makes it so beautiful, so special. 

    Ben Jones is an enthusiastic artist, constantly engaging with the audience during his time there. He values the importance of giving room and beauty to the cultures that have long been ignored in the world of art. Much like Kimberly Drew and Maura Reilly, Jones tries to give attention to African artists, with the description of Benin Images in the gallery talking about how he was "a key figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1970s..." He has fought to bring together community and love to the art that respects the roots of their people. 

Work Cited

Drew, Kimberly. This Is What I Know about Art. Penguin Workshop, 2020. 

Jones, Ben. Benin Images, 1970, Harold B Lemmerman Gallery, Jersey City, NJ. 

Jones, Ben. Huey Newton Incarcerated. 1970, Harold B Lemmerman Gallery, Jersey City, NJ.

Reilly, Maura. “What is Curatorial Activism?” ArtNews. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/what-is-curatorial-activism-9271/

The Guerrilla Girls. Traditional Values and Quality Return to the Whitey Museum. 1995, Whitney Museum of Art, NY