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 This Is What I Know About Art, by Kimberly Drew

          Kimberly Drew talks about the relationship between art, activism, and representation in her work titled “This Is What I Know About Art,” while Dr. Maura Reilly addresses the same issue in her essay titled “Towards Curatorial Activism.” The story of Drew shows her path from a simple pastel artist to an active individual, underscoring the fact that minorities and diversity in the artistic world are equally important (Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 3). She disfigures conventional art history by suggesting the inclusivity of black artists in the development of art and their creative input (Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 4). 

          Writers, historians, and curators are also activists because they offer their position of strength to uplift marginalized voices, criticize those who retain the mono-narrative, and champion social change. The choice of Drew to open up her blog that serves as a platform for showcasing black art (Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 9) and being part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement through artists (Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 10) is a nice way for these people in these roles to do activism. She also does so through the inspiring stories she shares about her journeys. This is meant for other people to also find their way. Hence, they should use their chances to be the agents of transformation that the world needs today.

          The book's main breakthrough comes when Drew stumbles upon Jean-Michel Basquiat's work while searching for those black artists who did not receive sufficient appreciation for their education (Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 6). She got interested the more she absorbed it, and you'll discover that her activism gradually took shape around black art. Drew's quote, "I’ve found the Black Warhol! Then, it occurred to me: by the statement, "Why would I know Andy Warhol, the white guy, but not 'the Black Warhol'?" we are reminded of the significance of representation and the urgency to resist the Eurocentric focus of art.

          In the present exhibition "The Universe of Ben Jones," the art pieces "Black Lives Matter" and "Say Their Names" are also considered among the art activism linked to our discussions. "Black Lives Matter" is a mixed media artwork that includes photographs from the protests that occurred during this period, portraits of blacks, and texts that draw attention to the movement's call (Drew and Lukashevsky, 12). Such a visualization stands within the framework of activism, which theoretically possesses social justice and equality, as discussed in the readings of Bell Hooks and Susan Sontag (Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 13).
"Say Their Names" is a sculpture created out of collected or second-hand materials, with the black people's names who were killed by police brutality listed under it (Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 12).

          Besides the above-mentioned works by Ben Jones, the art pieces equally become powerful visual manifestations as well as interactive components that stimulate in the viewer all kinds of emotions and cause topics like race and violence to be discussed. Through artists' platform art, Jones shows that artists can use their position to advocate for change and expose the defects in some social norms by injecting activism and social commentary (Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 10). By doing these, Jones keeps up the artists leading the campaign for art activism and who are role players in answering the buzzing social matters.

(Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 12) Image of "Black Lives Matter" by Ben Jones 

(Drew and Lukashevsky, p. 13) Image of "Say Their Names" by Ben Jones

Works Cited

Drew, K., & Lukashevsky, A. (2020). This is what I know about art. Penguin Young Readers Group.