Tag Archives: now dig this

Self Censorship for African American Artists

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Summary:
Leigh Raiford: The Black Panther Party faced internal and external struggles and successes with its visual image and media.

Ken Johnson: Black artists accepted by the art world often sacrifice black solidarity to make their viewers feel comfortable.
Kellie Jones: The Black artists of Los Angeles created a new visual culture in the ’60s narrating the tumultuous political culture of their time
Response to Forged From the Fires of the 1960s by Ken Johnson:
In a review of the exhibition “Now Dig This! Art & Black in Los Angeles 1960-1989”, Ken Johnson reveals the struggle of African American artists in Los Angeles and beyond to depict their black solidarity or make their white audience who dominate and control the art world feel comfortable when viewing their work. This brings up the question of whether the black artists should sacrifice the authenticity of their own narrative for their artistic success. Artists, like David Hammons from 1960s Los Angeles, use universal symbols in their works so that their entire audience can relate. This choice allows him and others who follow the Hammonsian mode to gain more recognition in the art world. But moderating the narratives of the black struggle that is translated into visual art deprives the work of its truthfulness and continues a trend of obscuring the African American experience. This presents the danger of gradual censorship in African American art for the pleasure of their audience rather than the unrestricted freedom of expression needed to communicate the minority’s history in America. Yet artists, like John Riddle who is also from 1960s Los Angeles but chose to depict black empowerment with less universal symbols, divide their viewers into those who identify with the empowerment and those who cannot identify with it. Such artists run the risk of excluding audience members who feel uncomfortable or cannot understand the African American experience. Whether African American artists chose to take Riddle or Hammons approach, they face the difficulty in their identity as an artist before he/she even presents his/her work. This makes embracing the Hammonsian mode more appealing. However, the expense of recognition and favor of the audience prevents an accurate depiction of the African American experience.

Black Art & the Promotion of Solidarity

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With a substantial rise in African American migration to Los Angeles during the twentieth century and an increase in civil rights and Black Power activism, the African American community in Los Angeles began growing stronger.  Simultaneously, black artists were creating art that symbolized and depicted their own as well as the experiences of those around them – many of which were represented in Now Dig This!  Art and Black Los Angeles, 1960 -1980.  Johnson believes that through promoting solidarity, the art in Now Dig This! “poses a problem for its audience” because it divides them into 2 categories: 1 group that identifies with the black experience, and another group that does not.  However, I do not view this as a problem at all.  How are black artists creating art fueled by emotions from events that took place in their lives any different from Picasso creating art during his Blue Period?  It isn’t.  The fact that these pieces of art can be identified with by a certain group of people is secondary, and should be treated as such.  One can not expect an entire audience to have the same feelings, or reaction towards a singular piece of art whether it promotes solidarity or not.  Art is meant to promote discussion, and these pieces do just that.

In his article reviewing the exhibit at MoMA, Ken Johnson hones in on a piece by Melvin Edwards and writes: “Such dualities would be enough on which to base judgement and interpretation were this a piece by, say, the white junk sculptor Richard Stankiewicz.  But it makes a difference to know that Mr. Edwards is African-American…”  The real problem lies here. The race of the artist shouldn’t take precedence over the art.

Here’s an assemblage piece featured in the Davis Museum that both readings reminded me of (Kienholz, Edward; Kienholz, Nancy Reddin Sawdy 1971):

Mixed media assemblage (car door, mirrored window, automotive lacquer, polyester resin, screenprint, fluorescent light, galvanized sheet metal)

Johnson:  Black artists unconsciously divide their audience by taking assemblage, an art form initially created as an expression of freedom from parochial social mores, and using it as a way to promote solidarity through their art.

Jones:  A cultural shift within the black community opened up the possibilities for African American artists and fostered artistic innovation which ultimately led to the West Coast becoming notable for the acceptance of assemblage in mainstream America (through its symbolism of the black struggle between the 1960s and 80s).

Raiford: In the 1960s and 70s, the Black Panther Party used photography to create an image for themselves and give the black revolution more visibility in the American public eye.