Curatorial Activism Response
Curatorial activism is that of collecting and exhibiting art in a way that highlights works made by those outside the typical demographic of White male artists. Doing so provides a place and audience for these otherwise overlooked artists in today's art world. The artists that are represented are given a chance to show their work in a world that has historically glossed over them. Curatorial activism is "a practice that commits itself to counter-hegemonic initiatives that give voice to those who have been historically silenced or omitted altogether—and, as such, focuses almost exclusively on work produced by women, artists of color, non-Euro-Americans, and/or queer artists" (Reilly). This excerpt gives a really solid and intuitive answer to the question "why" when it comes to curatorial activism. People may question why there should be a focus on artists of color, women artists, non-Euro-Americans, and queer artists. All of these groups of people have routinely been silenced, both in art and in other aspects of life. Curatorial activism offers a way to display their work and give them a voice instead of allowing them to remain unheard.
Curatorial activism approaches art history in a way that acknowledges its past pitfalls while providing a future that embraces artists of all backgrounds. By focusing on art that has been made by people in marginalized groups, these people are represented when they would have previously been largely ignored. The MoMA, for example, is a place that has historically failed to represent these people in a fair manner. "The fundamental problem with this biased representation on the part of MoMA is that since its founding, it has functioned, and continues to function as an international icon, as an institution that other modern art museums have looked to as a paradigm of excellence to be mimicked" (Reilly).The point that one place, especially one that is esteemed as highly as MoMA, influences other into following in its footsteps is one that seems to be ignored in the discussion of representation and curation in the art world. There are things that need to be changed, such as the misrepresentation and lack of diversity when it comes to race and gender identity in the art world. Exploring the fact that one prestigious place has these issues is a good place to start; if a place as esteemed as MoMA has perpetuated these issues, it can also greatly alleviate them by correcting course today. If it is as influential as it has been regarded internationally since its inception, then this influence could be taken another direction.
The representation that is given through curatorial activism can take multiple forms. There are cases in which this activism can involve art that specifically targets the issue of stealing and a lack of a voice in the art world. For example, "Bell’s continual sampling from the master narratives of art history is one of his most powerful propagandistic weapons. Roy Lichtenstein, Imant Tillers, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns – no one is untouchable. In his hands, these ‘masters’ become slaves to his politics" (Reilly). Richard Bell's work is very interesting in its reversals and exploration of the history of popular White artists. Much of Bell's work dissects the origins of the elements that made these works popular, such as the dripping that Pollock is known for or the interiors of Lichtenstein. Small details are changed or emphasized in his works related to these people, changing the narrative to show the real origins of what made them successful, and who they were derived from. However, this does not necessarily need to take a form specifically addresses the past, as curatorial activism can be as simple as showcasing a person's art; simply having an artist from a marginalized background present is already a curatorial activist move. "If our process is rooted in vengeance, fury, hopelessness, or despair, our efforts will likely fail. If we only act when we are outraged, then that outrage is either going to consume us alive and burn us out, or ebb over time and leave us without motivation. Either way we won’t be artistic activists for long" (Duncombe and Lambert 59). Curatorial activism, and activist art, both are parts of art that do not necessarily need to be built on ideas of aggression, they can be used to positively bring people together and provide voices where silence used to exist before.
In cases where curatorial activism can provide a specific meaning, there is an importance in highlighting what statements both the curators and artists are making. There exists a multitude of issues that deserve a voice, with curators having the ability to create and display a narrative, and artists having the power to use their work to drive their points forward. "These are not issues from the past, folks. This is now. We are living and working in an art world that cares little about racism and sexism..."(Reilly). There are many aspects of life that are still approached unfairly; nobody deserves any unfair treatment, and the fact that things such as racism and sexism both exist and remain accepted in many spaces is unacceptable. These issues are not things from the past or things that should just be read from a history book, they are things that still need to be addressed today. That being said, "there is often an expectation for people who take any political stance to have the 'right' position on everything: to be a master-in-all-things, an angel without wings. This criterion haunts the field" (Duncombe and Lambert 78-79). While striving for art activism, there is not necessarily a "correct" position to hold. As times change and shift, so do ideals. It is important to acknowledge that "you will make mistakes. We all make mistakes. These are not the kind of mistakes one makes every week or so, more like every few minutes, and even the most experienced creative people still make them" (Duncombe and Lambert 83). it is important to acknowledge both the fact that art activism is incredible in what it is capable of doing in sharing a message and drawing attention to an issue; however, this same capability can be misapplied. Maintaining an open mind very important as someone viewing a piece, creating one, or curating them in the context of activist art.
Some of my response is taken from the following submission in my "This is What I Know About Art" post, in which I chose quotes from Dr. Maura Reilly in a previous "post.
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