Seems everywhere I look, artists are making artwork that directly comments on the world or imagines how to change it. Maybe it has always been that way, even for abstract work. Maybe we have always used our imagination and intention to understand the existing world and create new ones. I am grateful to be able to employ what I do for the good of living things.
The world changed on November 8, 2016. Maybe for brown or black people and others, things are not that different. But for me, I feel my safe, insulated life crumbling. It’s no longer me wanting to help other people from my secure and comfortable position. I am now in the trenches with everyone else. It’s probably always been that way. I just couldn’t tell. But T. and his minions have no filters on their oppressor voices so all that garbage is out in the open. That’s the silver lining to this storm.
As a result I don’t see any reason to be cautious anymore. What could I do if I was bolder and more courageous than I think I could be? Not in an urgent way but in a visionary and confident way. I like what installation artist Diane Thater said. “If there is any place we can imagine a different world, it's through art. Maybe if I’m willing to say it, maybe other artists will say it, too. Come the revolution, I’m going to be ready.”
I’m planning to be ready, too. I am working every day to find more places to show I Am My White Ancestors. This project is even more critical and timely now. I welcome referrals and introductions to people who could help bring this project to your city or town. So if you have a college gallery, museum, or community center in mind, shoot me an email. White America is holding on for dear life and wants to bring everyone else down with them. White men in suits are desperate to maintain dominance where they are free to act out a whole range of oppressions. Anyone who isn’t a wealthy, Protestant, and a heterosexual white male is at risk.
It’s tempting to let the fear turn into haste, which is not conducive to truly visionary art. Ideas may seem to come in a flash, but really they are the result of a long gestation period of research and reflection. I want to do the best work I can. So while I make my cold calls, answer emails, and follow up on every lead to get I Am My White Ancestors into the world, I am diving deep.
Preparing for the revolution
