Black artist, black subjects and black critics
Talk at Boston University about arts criticism
Discussing 3 works of Black subjects Martin Luther King sculpture by John Woodrow Wilson, painting of Emmett Till by Dana Schultz , Vogue photoshoot by Juergen Teller, inspired by Mickalene Thomas.
Who and what can be a critic
What stage art is critiqued on
How institutions, curators, galleries, and artists respond
Who leads the critique?
What platform allows space for the critique?
Dana Schutz “Open Casket”, 2016
White Artist, Black Subject, Black Critic
“Open Casket” - Open Casket is a 2016 painting by Dana Schutz. It is a portrait of Emmett Till, a black 14-year-old boy who was lynched by two white men in Mississippi in 1955. It was one of the works included at the Whitney Biennial exhibition in New York in 2017. The painting caused considerable controversy, with protests and calls for the painting's destruction.
Artists as critic, Physical protest as critic, Boycott as critic - Artworld stage
Hannah Black’s letter
“Black Death Spectacle” protest group- Patricia Bright
Dana Schutz at the Ica
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/dana-schutzs-exhibition-at-the-ica-boston-faces-protest-1033961
Whitney biennial curators response (Washington Post Article)
John Woodrow Wilson, “MLK” bronze in MLK park in Buffalo NY, 1983
Black Artist, Black Subject, Black Critic
Created by renowned African-American artist John Woodrow Wilson in 1983, the sculpture hovers over a stone ledge inside the 50-acre park, which was designed by Olmsted and Vaux in the 19th century. Upon installation decades ago, the statue wasn’t widely praised for its likeness, but Wilson reportedly sketched the bust not to entirely resemble Dr. King, but rather, to look like an “everyman” that young black men and others could see themselves in.
Petitions as critic, Twitter as critic - Local News as stage
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1985, John Wilson, MFA.org https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-310957
Petition Phase One, fundraising phase two, install by 2020
Thousands back push to replace Martin Luther King bust with better likeness, buffalonews.com https://buffalonews.com/2018/10/19/signatures-for-change-of-martin-luther-king-jr-bust/
More than 6,000 signatures collected to remove statue from MLK Jr. Park, wivb.com https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/more-than-6-000-signatures-collected-to-remove-statue-from-mlk-jr-park/1542844736
Black Twitter
Activists Are Demanding This Bust Of MLK Be Replaced With One Actually Resembling The Icon,blavity.com https://blavity.com/activists-are-demanding-this-bust-of-mlk-be-replaced-with-one-actually-resembling-the-icon
Replace the statue
Buffalo Residents Want a Remake of a Busted Bust of MLK, hyperallergic.com https://hyperallergic.com/467426/buffalo-residents-want-a-remake-of-a-busted-bust-of-mlk/
Mickalene Thomas vs. Juergen Teller: Style, culture, and accessibility
White Artist, Black Subject, Critics
Juergen Teller January 28, 1964 (age 54) is a German fine-art and fashion photographer.
Mickalene Thomas January 28, 1971 (age 47) is a contemporary African-American artist best known for her complex paintings made of rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel. Her work draws from Western art history, pop art and visual culture to examine ideas around femininity, beauty, race, sexuality, and gender
10min
Instagram as critic, High Fashion as critic, -Popculture as Stage
Althea Criticism
Did Juergen Teller’s Vogue Photo Shoot of Rihanna Rip Off Mickalene Thomas? Twitter Certainly Thinks So,artnet.com https://news.artnet.com/art-world/juergen-tellers-vogue-rihanna-mickalene-thomas-1322729
In Rihanna Photoshoot for Vogue Paris, Juergen Teller Cribs Imagery from Mickalene Thomas, hyperallergic.com https://hyperallergic.com/452631/rihanna-vogue-paris-juergen-teller-mickalene-thomas/
Amber Lehman Maupin Gallery response
Vogue’s Photos of Rihanna That Rip Off Mickalene Thomas Go Beyond Plagiarism, observer.com
https://observer.com/2018/07/juergen-tellers-photos-of-rihanna-for-vogue-rip-off-mickalene-thomas/
Artists as critic, Physical protest as critic, Boycott as critic - Artworld stage
Petitions as critic, Twitter as critic - Local News as stage
Instagram as critic, High Fashion as critic, - Pop culture as Stage
White Artist, Black Subject, Black Critic
Black Artist, Black Subject, Black Critic
White Artist, Black Subject, Critics
Who leads the critique? What platform allows space for the critique?
Where are the black art critics ?
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