A new exhibit at the International Center of Photography in New York that focuses on what it means to be white is bound to give a needed dimension to conversations on racism, a Washington D.C. arts critic says.
"It's [being white] been a part of the discussion for a while now not only in the arts community, but in circles of communities of people who deal with racial and social justice issues," Esther Iverem, editor of SeeingBlack.com, a Web site that explores art, politics and culture from a black perspective, told BlackAmericaWeb.com.
"It's important, because when we talk about race and racism, we're not just talking about issues of simple racism, like the kinds of racism that we grew up with, but about white supremacy as it impacts people of color throughout the world ... you can't really talk about racism without talking about white supremacy. "
"It makes sense that the show will approach racism from that vantage point."
That seems to be the goal.
"White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art," features 10 pieces ranging from photo essays to sculpture and video. The show opened on Friday, and will continue through Feb. 27.
Maurice Berger, curator of the show, said, "It's assumed on the part of many white Americans that it's the job of people of color to deal with the issue of racism. What I'm arguing is that since white people are part of the structure of race and racism ... that white people and whiteness itself must come into the dialogue fully, openly, in order for us to have hope that certain kinds of prevailing attitudes and ideas are going to change."
One piece, called, "Untitled [Men Who Look Like Jesus]," is a series of photos by Nancy Burson that show a group of long-haired men – white, black and Asian – juxtaposed against a composite image of the Western characterization of Jesus as a white man. The piece raises questions about why the popular representation of Jesus looks the way it does, and what affect that has had on society, Berger said.
In a video presentation called "Heidi," artists Paul McCarthy and Mike Kelly take on the image of the all-American, middle-class white family so often seen in sitcoms. They showcase their vision of the story of the Swiss girl Heidi from the Johanna Spyri children's tale that starts out innocently and gets progressively darker.
Cindy Sherman's works, "Bus Riders" and "Untitled," consist of photos of herself masquerading as different types of people. One series is of black and white people she saw on bus rides, the other has her dressing up as different stereotypes of white women, from an upper-class society matron to a young, blonde ingenue.
And in the only piece looking at whiteness from outside America, William Kentridge produced a series of short films examining racial realities in apartheid-era South Africa, which Berger called "whiteness in its most virulent form."
Iverem said it was fitting for the visual arts community to take on the topic of race.
"When you're talking about images, the arts community has a special role to play in the discussion of whiteness and white supremacy," Iverem said, "because it is precisely in the medium of film and television that these notions of whiteness are reinforced."
The show had previously been seen at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Berger said he was in talks to take it elsewhere after its run at ICP. He hopes it will inspire thought and discussion during its run at ICP.
"I want people to have an intimate experience ... and to come away from the show thinking about themselves – think about your attitudes, think about the assumptions you've been making, think about your behavior," he said.
This is the second show ICP has held in recent years dealing with race. Director Willis Hartshorn said it was part of the museum's mission to examine visual images and their impact on social change.
"If we don't start talking about it in a different way ... we're going to give the same kind of limited conversations that we've been having for the last 200 years," he said.
