Open Casket - Free Paper Example

Introduction

The system of racism has strained society, and many people carry deep wounds because of it. However, when we say "racism," can we understand its meaning and the pain that many people have? The world of art is not outside of this debate; artists throughout history have depicted violence and inequality to show the things that cannot be written or spoken. Dana Schutz, a white American painter, has expressed her resistance to society's limitations and beliefs through her artwork, "Open Casket." Although the painting portrays the maimed face of Emmet Till, a 14-year old boy grimly murdered in 1955 after he was inaccurately accused of flirting with a white woman, it has been criticized for perceived racial insensitivity. I believe that art is against any rules, limitations, and damage to humanity; each artist has a unique way of expressing his thoughts and feelings about the world, society, etc. Therefore, it's our responsibility to let everyone speak up against racism, inequality, and discrimination.

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Race Promoting Racism

Demurral of Schutz’s open casket by Hannah Black and other artists reduces the entire artwork to one topic; black suffering and Schutz's artwork is judged based on her race promoting racism. Hannah Black’s argument focuses on misleading information that purports that the painting was created only for profit and fun. In her open letter, Black points out that it is unacceptable for a white person to transmute black suffering, and the open casket painting was purposed for profit; a practice had been normalized for a long time (e-flux). The allegations are unfounded and are not grounded in any way. The argument denying the painting ignores other essential topics and membership, excluding race that would have rendered the painting acceptable within the mixed population.

The debate brought against Schutz is primarily based on her social and racial status, which is her being white (Smith). On Schutz's account, she points out that her painting about the killing of Emmet Till by white supremacist primarily points to her identity as a mother and not as a white person and relates to Mamie Till’s mother losing her child. The allegations made in the black letters and Schutz's defense create a problematic situation as Schutz's reason is somewhat insensitive as white motherhood and black motherhood are incomparable in this particular context. Similarly, the portrayal of Black Death in paintings is considered to devalue life. Such sorrowful experiences are too distressful to be captured on canvas (McDuffie). Both cases are based on essentialism that is characteristic of white supremacism. The painting in itself draws out the existing conflict between the artist's whiteness and the blackness of the painting's subject, which is supposed to be non-existent when it comes to artwork.

Open Letter

The open letter by Hannah Black also alludes to ownership of particular forms of art by specific groups of people. Group membership, such as being black, is used as a foundation for ownership of different art forms. The system of ownership is inappropriate as it disagrees with legal practices such as copyright law and intellectual property, as in Schutz's case. The art belongs to her, and she can decide what she wants to be done with it. Supporters to the open letter claim that only black should have ownership to black suffering, which pertains to artwork and sole representation. The claim is ethically is socially and politically taxing. If the system is accepted, it would have devastating effects on society. It would create a representational monopoly on art and other forms of expression such as the media such that Muslims would not be allowed to cover Christian deaths or Palestinians cannot discuss Israeli attacks. A form of representational segregation would be created where only one group‘s standpoint of an event would be considered, and the other will be regarded as a hoax.

Conclusion

In such a setting, sharing concern for a different group of people would be viewed as illegitimate. In Schutz's open casket, her expression in the painting is considered illegitimate because she is white. As an artist, Schutz should be allowed to fully express herself and her feelings in the artwork regardless of race. Today there are mixed races, and they too should be given a chance to identify with paintings that identify black suffering despite them having white affiliations (Smith). Art is for everyone, notwithstanding race or social factors.

Works Cited

E-flux. "Hannah Black's Letter to the Whitney Biennial's Curators: Dana Schutz Painting "Must Go." E-flux Conversations, 22 Mar. 2017,
http:///www.conversations.e-flux.com/t/hannah-blacks-letter-to-the-whitney-biennials-curators-dana-schutz-painting-must-go/6287.

McDuffie, Candace. "Where Zadie Smith’s “Getting In and Out” Misses the Mark." The Ploughshares Blog,http:///www.blog.pshares.org/index.php/zadie-smiths-getting-in-and-out/.

Smith, Zadie. "[Reviews] | Getting In and Out, by Zadie Smith | Harper's Magazine." Harper's Magazine, 7 May, 2020,
http:///www.harpers.org/archive/2017/07/getting-in-and-out/.