Mapping The Terrain

Wn.,,,,,,," . n inlroducC'J" nd ic. n)· d ifferem "'ork, n, mahod li and challellSrli !Tign;ng Icncu, In., , riunl u sk is oomplicned. ",7jth Ihis book Ihc o ther authors and I hope 10 m.kc eOBl;rne. discou rse Ih.I, ",hile pan o f a Ihinl,or U r hit lOry, is rein"'igonlc.! \Od. y b y Iht idulili m of )'01,1111; a" ii t) uld S1 udc:nu. The Irell\CndOlls recem inlcresl in engaged, carin« public an lkllUnds. oonlClIl in.n hUIOf'Y and prac'nt ,nll(ISm, It demands .. well In., gukl.ancc of prcd«flson who an pus on tU111~ 11.....1allo,..tn., ...hcd 10 mo\'t forw.ni, DOl wff« mdkn rn n"cntion.

1.J.kc!lv..oR it annnpu 10 apb-,in. In., approxh .. 'r

h..a"rc~n

C'<>llicioud" coIl..bonu\,e. NOM of us O1"n I~ idru. 1'hor}' h....e VO"" OUI of a compli.:.llfti history O'\U Ihrt\' ~ 1M ..-nun were lid«tfti b«-.u~ of Inn. undcnund,nJ of nnou. up«u of tholl hlSiory, R..uher th.n Simply ,011ecr t indl",idu. Ur ...nlll:'l\ ~y, into .... hoIc._c h..,c delibn.ltly SCI OUI 10 dlvidc and aamiM ""' genrt pu blic an from ... rious perspeceic es, 'Ii

The idea for Ihe book ....cse from . prov.m ealled · Cily Sues: An isu and Ur b. n Sirollegies.· sponsored in 1989 by the C.tiforn i. College of An s.rid CDrU.' A M'rin o ( lectures "'lI1 dd iverro al nontrad ition.l lil ies in O . klMld by 11:'1\ an il lS "'hoi.t ....ork add.csSfO a panieular cooomu rncy o n Jpt<'ifiC' ,"un but also stood u. proeoeype (or a ..;der nnGe of hu rmn ~Ul\li. ,...., .mill' d ,~sHd lhelr ,..on: .and 1M strncglt'S tM"

had dC\'doprd for ",.lehing audiences. 11Icy lipoke from Ioc.OOnII d i' «1.ly linked 10 thnr commun.in or su~ nuntr--f'rom homdns she-lie", SpulJh-l.angw~ comm unllr librutC'S,c""'retla. rrWmm.ance pr.tgn for (i cy ,..or!tns. con,'.lactnt homes. C'~nt.., ochooh, aed IIlghld"bs.

TIt.ost ",ho aueeded IndvdN DOl onl) srudtnlS.and aru profeuwNb bul people from .. .. r& range o f baclr.grovttds ...ho Iud . special intcrat llllhc sub ject maUeT of lhew a.rtins.

"

.....u

In .&ddlUon 10 kcluring, 1M .anill' wok!Wt in JP«i~ ("l"tnl.l IMy

!wi dcsi gMd. IUd! u progr~ms far M"niorcitiun,. "'OI'"k,hops on ..·,ulr dl 'f'OAL ~nd i", ... ith ninny founh~C'n. AnlJllI from O~k­

land mC'fIloredS1udmU in a Clall It tM ulifomia CollW of Am ~ vafu hdJ In t.Indml with "'"' publiC' WTln; Ihn.t mJdn,1.I okYdoped propos:.aU fOC' t he-It ,""n InlC'TXti,"C' :utworl... Local _ap.aprn rm ....ucln Iltal u plond t M wci~ w un ukm up by 1M miring kcrurus. 11w "Cit}· Siln" smcs YOU Iud( a mockl fOC' _ ~" rubhc CIUOft ~ d("loclopmml of 'J'C'f'fK Con' l itUcnc:iocs. l lte pu rpou of thC' prog ram ....n 10 'p«UI;ttC' on tM oonncoiow

un.abk 10 be prese ne, ..' C!'"C' fIo:"'\"ftthclcss 'ny mlKh '" p~rt of the' COIl'au-

rion about IK'"W1lc:n1'o:" publle: an, At 1e-.lS1 once dunng tho:" prllafl of dn fl lIlA Ihcv t'II.I),. bdOl'"C lhe fin.al rc·....rite, 1M
rnpond io e:Kh O1bft ', INnUKnpu. 1ltc-" ""len ~ dirmcd ",a)' from r("l'io:-wing or dCKribt", ",d i.. idu~ .uum.and to ud tonSlodmnli qunlions md .honK). bu l.all pb.,.o:-d a rok In W~U"ll lhe .utl>ll"hose, ,,·n..u <11'0:"

included in "'"' tornpmdium

of t hIS book. Rraodft'S an Ihu, INk.: their

own tonntclior» bo:-t.. ttn t M Q\·¢f"'w..·s MId spcculallons _"h", 1M es "'yl aDd Ihe atlU

cu,siotu ""e-",

,h ~p<-
mis)td. md for Ih i, . "e- who m.wr l he final d« isions
projce" seem ed 10 , uggcosl lhis-lhe'n the nen qunt ion wu whet her

o r public an for ,ours, m~ny fo r O' "CI'" t..-e dlXsdc). so Ih"'l lhe-lr . o rk h aS;t

e-urrr nl ~ri lkb m provided 1In 1IpprOpriale- co nt es t in which to co nsid er t hil

developed. mature, and o ften distilKt b nj;uasr "The-)" 1I. ..e c- ngsged br<»d.

b<1....een the-l en ani, 1$.. If ;t """ d iKC'lion in public an

" ' .11 indeed

la king

wo rk " The Ca lifo rn ia College o f A rlStnd C rafts and lhc H eedls uds

l ~ye-rM. or at ypin l ~udiencc-' , I nd Iho:-y imp ly o r )Ule ide-as abo ul soc!..1

~OIer f01'Ihe- Arts 'ponso rw a public ,ympoti u m al

chsnl\( Uld inle-rution. ,\ I<»t impananl , t ho:" ~ f1 i ,u .d«tl"(\ pro' "ide:d iffe\'"

the San Fr
MUsnl m of Moder n Art ~nd '" Ihr« -d ay re lrUI for th irty e-rilic,. ~uruon.

e: nt mod d, of pr act ice and idooktg y.

~nd
In O:-OIlsldmng whum to incl ude:, ..-e ruJiud dU I 1"101 all rhe . ·ork

Ge-" .e- Pubhc A n. " 1M particip",,," con,itkred iU lIcs includ ing t lv nerd

I1K'I

10 develop
;tmplt$. Tho:- bound ~ric:s

un iting ill poIilical and anlhetic upiruiofu..

the I;c-n.rc .., ..til.., lhe-e:n u.:.l1 ,,·rio ng
Inle-rnungl}'. unlil_tl} Ju
n.c, ha'"r b«n (:u nllMd ..-ilhin Innr

.anlIDC' duclplinn-pcrfOl'TnUM:C...ideo. inu


&lilt" <>I MKull r e:onsc_

Of"

poIi lie.al artists,

our cn lCl'"ia C'\Ill.l1ly" '\li'o:- optnl to ind udc- more n l hc-r Ih
of Ih i, e:hoic:e- ...CTt' in k«pin~ ",,"h the fIo:"""I)t$' of

R ill tQO lmuu, c- 10 c:ondC'flK lbe.- ftdd of "'quill', Instud. the mmpln;(TeIntUlI as a nftfft'lCe-. and tM re-.adcT i, in'"it nl lo ,oi n "-Ith 1M ..-ntC'n ....

ooruidmnt the coaac-.::l ion , .uodd iffc-nnc:n C'ftCompuk'd by the ..-orL Of IWCc:uitr. the t:UI~., in Ihi, book are lpU'Ulal ;u. but 1M)' ..... &11 eo redr"," CUffe-nldc:foamnn in Ihinkinc .about pu bl '" .an .and 10 poInl oul pos ,ible mlnU fOf1M usnsmml of nor be-nrcpu bliC' ;tn.. 111;, coIJ« IKNl

Ie» in '0fj;1Kdcpmdinll upon 1M CUITmc:y of t lwiTJubj«t rn.Imr, tlut is., the- unl1}"1lll m.uxlt'TIIua lu..c- bC'cn Km
Ihuf IS not docl"n",i" bu l UsoOali'-e- in n.alure-•.md lIIlCGpC' 1$ Inu,todtd 10

mvnur~ mo
rC'1 pond to",", ~ m lc:rUl-Md by l he
fIlQff Of"

10 lhe ir lopiC's :&nd p
' \11'0:".

ret then.lfC' rtLItor po ints

of uni lY thb.ppin g Ihr Te-rnin " rftl'o:"ll ihosc: helping 10 de:-'c-lop Ihis

Cott..-ill and F..slclb C on....lll M.ijoU) u prcsMd It dunng 1M " ~bpping lhe TCI'"mn " srmpotlum. " Wo:- <;n'&lr m.lp' of bnpal:e th ai rq m :, m l cul lunl pi lyi magcos ~nd meu p hoTic juurfK"YJ of tra nsfQflll ~1 inn and C'lTlflO"'"c:rmc:tlt."

book listed is,un thll rould he' co\"e-rtd. and ~ugso:"lIed odll: r _ rite:.. who,

"

"

, CO Ii N iC Tl V (

AnT"iT IC ~,

AU " ' T(I\

IIiOIVI01,JA~IH'I }su;C~"ldt

ha'e bCt'n iruermlized h)' our whole ""I ture and made 10 {'tn-ade e"er~' el'pcricme_ It is not hard to see ho.... th c , rutilu,i()l'ls and praclic« o f the an ....o rld havc been moo d ed on the nme c01lfigura ti\lnJ 01 powe r ~nd p rofil uut suppo n and maintain our .wdet":, do m' nant "'· otkh·ie"".Th is ~busi ­ nns ~s u;"ul ~ pJ)'cho logy of affluence is ne w Ihr eatening the «
1\$ a crll'Cin Ihe ninelie~, I am 001 really iercrened in .... riting (atalog

s)'s tem manipulating the ' ndi,·it!ual into the spiri tually emp!)' relatlon ~h,p

cnay_ or an reviews. What l::om concerned ...ith is undeu u n
of the p rod uccr to the p rod uct Man)' people llre a"" llrc thal tltc system 'sn't ....o rk,ng. Ihat it ini me

nature of our cvltuul mylhs and 00'" they evolve-the inn itulional fr:amework ....e lake for granted bUI .... hich nevertheless deeermmes o ur

10 m(~,-e on and 10 revise the desreucue e mylhs thai t uide UI. Ou r "mi re

Ii,·<$. One question that has p rnxcvpi td me. fo r instance, iJ what it muns

cultu r:al philoso ph )' and iu narrowntuof «lueem are u nder imen se sere-

be a -SIIC(l.'$l flll" anut wor king in the world to
lin,.. Among an ists. there ;s , grealcr cri tlcal a"''.lrc~s of the rocial role o f an . and II rejcction of mOOemism'J bogus idroklgy of neutrality. Man)'

to

imase Ihat comes 10 mind i1 o ne "'." u n IUppurt and believe in. Cc nainly it ~nu Ai if Ihat image i, IInde, s oin g a radical re-visioning al this time. The domiIl>;Il! moou of Ihinking in

dorsociety h,w e condirie ned

artius now n:fu)(' the notion o f 1. compktd)' nareiuiSIK uhibition puc·

Ui to characterize an primarily ai sp
rice 1tJ the dffirahlc goal for an. f o r 'n star>e". I"'rfornu.nce anut Guillerffil) G6tnn- Pcl'ia StalCS; ~ Mon of the wo rk I'n l dlling cunentl)' comes. I Ihink.

or p ractk al or social reasons, but r".th n 10 be "onte mp!.u cJ and enjoyed.

from the ruli7,a tion Ihat ",·e're li,-ing in ~ Jtale 01emC'1lency.... I fcd thai

Within the modern era, an ....as defined by ;t$ autonomy and self·s uffi·

mOn~ than ever V"e mUSt s~t side the Itrietl)· art areru . It is nol enMlgh to makt' an. ~ In a "milar ,'ein , an, administrator L,nda Fry e Burnham has

ciency. and by its iwl ation from the rest of socielY. Exposing Ih" r.>dical panieipant in u pi""list ideclegy hn been a prim.u~· aceomplishmcnt o f

<~t'd Ihu gallery an has lost its resonanc e for he,. especially gallery an by ....h"'l she terms ~ white yup pies.. ~ "There is tOO much going on outsi de.·

lhe aggren i"e ground-clearing work o f deetlllslr\l(1i0l1:....A lltonomy.:..."'·e

she up. - Ru l lifl" is calling. I can no longer ignore thc clarno' o f disas-

no w see. has ecedemeed an to .ocu,1 impotence b)' tu rning it into just

ler----t'COIlO mic. spiritual, en"ironmental, politiul disastet-in the "" o d d

another d au d <)biecu for II1.lrktting and ccnsumpeion.

in .... hich I move." Perfcl'lio ns such as m ese are a d ir<'e' cbahenge to the

autonom y of ae~ lhetics as S()mnhing Ihat is 1'101 ~nelll r:al · but iJ an ACtive

Manic.p.oouction and ccnsurnptioo, oo~pct-2i\':'<:.St:lf;ll$1enion. and the mui miting of profilS ar" all ceucialre our societ)"s r\OIion of success, Thest same u sumpl ions, k~ ing to maximu m ene~ flu... ~d mindless ....aste 11 the expenst of poorer coun lri", a.nd of the. cnviron ment.

h~"e

al$O

.>niJt's nc rmanve SCUff of h,s o r he, role in the ""01111: al su.ke is one's pers.on~ l idem't)· in relati.:>n to a pan icu],r "iew of life thai oe r eulrure h~s

m:&dc a".>ilahle to \1S. Thalt hr ",n wo rld's ulut$. structures, all
beeeme the formula for glob~l dnuv ct;on. An itself is not some aneil"'-ry

fermem has been "vident for S()llle time. and the d('{;onst",ctiolU of the

phenomenon hut is heavily implk-:ll ed in this ideclog yI n the l.n wor ld. we are all ~ W lre o f the esrem 10 .... hi-tha power-o ne eted, hu ruuer::uie

eight,t$ cerainue to r~ ,-erlxnle profoul\dlr f\ c!in'1X in these upheavals ....as reached for man)' with the eom ro\Cu ial l99} Bit'flnia.l ;lt the 'IX' hime r

profeu ionalism has promoted a QM-sid etl. c<)l\lumm n ie anirude to....ard

Museum of American Art-thc lin t multicultu ral "'nd poli' ical Bi( nn1al-

an . l nstitulional models hased on no t'o n, of prod uct dn 'd opment and

""hith d e'nonnr:t t«lthu the an wo rld is under;;oing a d ismantling of it~

cart'('r :lChiC'o cmt'lll ocho the Slerrol)"pie p~ lriarehal ideals ~nd values Ihat

profCSf ional di tiJm and Ihal ,n closed, sdf' referential ranks are under

"

,

•

, ,

CO N N EC T' VE "'UTHETl C S; ... .. T AfT E"

,

I

INOIVIOV"'~I$H } s.~. G~"I.*

,

have b« n imerna li1ed b)' ou r whole culture and nud e to P'CI'\."de c" cr}' eXf'<'riencc. It il nOI hond 10 see 110...· the in~l itu tions ;& nd pr~clku of rhe art ~rl d have been modeled o n the $ame eonfigu....lions of po...-er

and profit

I h~1 support and m.untain our $OCi('t ~', do minant worldview. Th is "busi·

neu a~ usual" pS ~'ehol ogt of
.

whieh ~'e Ii,'~ " 'ith it. d\·sful1Clio n.ll nlu e. and

syste m manipulaling the individual into the spiritually emptv rclaliouship

euays o r UI reviews. Wh al lam concemed with is u nder5landi ng the nat uu"o f our cullUm m~'lh) and bow lhey evolve-c-rhe instituliona l

o f III<- producer to the prod ucl. M ~ ny poople are a...·are rhat the system

frame....-e rk ...·e take for granted bill wh ich nevert heless dele nni nn ou r

10 mo ve Qn and IQ revise the destructive mp hl that guidt us. Our entire

lives. One questio n thu has prwccup iro me, for instance, i, whal il means

cultu ral philosoph,. ~nd its narrowness of concern are I,mder imellU scru·

i~II'1

working, thaI il is lime

to be a ~sucecssful- .ln ist work ing in lhe wo rld toda y. and whether the,

liny. Amo ns ani$ IS, there il a grealer erincal awareness Qf the social ro le

i m~ge Ih~1 co mes to mind is one we can $lfppo n and believe in. Ce rtainl y

Qf arl. aod 1 rejection 01mod ernism'l bog us idcolog)' o f neulral;I)" M~ny

it seems IS if th at im~ge is \Indcrgoi ng a n diu l rc" 'isioning at this lime.

anisu no.... refuse the

The dominant modes o f Ihinking in I:/Of so det)' ha"e condi tioned

,.

. o f life: it i, a single

W1V

As a critic in the ninet ies, I am IlQt ru lly intnettcd in wrineg (a t~log

us to characterize art primuilr as specialized 00'

cre.llN nm fOf mo ral

or p rACtical o r iIOCi.ll re";On;: bUI rather to be contemplated and enjoy rd.

1101 ; 011

of 1. complelely nal"l:issistic exhibi tion pr.te·

lice af the dn ir1b1e G;Qal fOf" MI. For inslante, pcrfOl'l'1Unce 1rlist G uillermo G6 me1-Pciia Sl1les, ~ Mo~1 of the ....ork I'm J o inl; eurrentlyeomc:s. I think, fro m Ihe ru li1..1.ti<>n thaI ....' ·re li.;ing In
With in the modern eu, llrt W ;IS d efined by it, aUlooomy and sclt' suffi-

mo re Ihm ever ~'e muSt SttP<:,u uide Ihe Slrinl )' an oncna. It is oot eno ugh

cierlC)', and by iu isolnion from the rC$t of so.:.iel)'. Ellpos ing the nld ical

10

~u lonomy of aestherics as some th ing th~t is 001 "neulral" bUI is 2011 aeli"e

eGf~c-d that G;~llcr)' arl hu

~ n icipan l in capitalisl idrologr has ~ n a pri mary aU Qmplishmem o f

by ..,hat she terml ~ w hi [t )'Upplcl. " "There is roo much , oing o n outside,"

the aweui\'e ground.de",ring work o f dC«lnwuetioQ.:j uIQoomy:..,....e

Ih,' uyl. • Ru l li(e i, calling. I un no longcr ignore the d~ mor o f J iu, -

now $~, hI' con demned art IQsocial impo tence by turnin g il into jlUl

rer-c-ecceomic, Ipirilu"l, ",n,·iron mcnt:>.l. political d iu $lcr- in rhe ....oetd

",no ther c1u s of objtCts for muketing and consumpncu.

in .... hich I mo.'e." Perceplion s such .l$these arc ~ direce challenge 10 Ihe

-

Mani, produCliQn and co nfU mpliQn. eQQlp!!iti"c ~rtion, and

make an." In a similar ,·...in. an, administruvr I.joda Frye Burnha m h1S 1011

ils reson ance fQr h~ r, "sp«i111y !p ller)' aft

~ni, t's normali" ... sense of his or her role in rhe ~'orld: at $lake IS one's

the maximi7;ins Qf p rofits arc all cruci al to ou r soc iely's flOlion o f suecen.

pt'rSQul identity In relation to a f'an icular ,·i",... o f life I h~ t ou r cultu re h.t!

T hese ume u , um ptions.leading 10 maximum encrgy flow and mindless

made a,"~ ilable to us. Tha I th e an world's values, , tN eture'. and bcha\'iors are in grul

wute 11the expense Qf poorer cou ntries and Qf the enviro nment, have 1.ll-O becom e lhe fQrmu l.l for

glob~l

desreucrion . An itsclf is nol some ancillary

fermenl h.l$been e"idcnt fo r ~e time, ~ nd the decorutruetions of rhe

phenomeno n bUI il he1.vily implicated in Ihis idtQI~. In the an wo rld.

eighties cQn[inue to reverberate prQflWooly. A d imu in thu c uf' he~'",ls

...e are 111 aware of the exter a to wh ich 1. powe!'"orielltN, bureauenuk

WI'

p rofe,sionalism hu promot ed 1. one-sided, cc nsumeri siic attitude reward

Museu m Qf American An - the first m\llticultunl and polirical Bicl1nial-

art. InS\itut ;"nal modd,!»sed on OOlio ns Q( prod uct devejopmcm and

.... hieh d, mOI1$1r.ttcJ tha I the an world i, undergoing a d is m~ntl inl; of its

career 1, hie\'etnem echo the srereorypic patrionehal ideals ~nd

professiunal elitism ;and thaI in closed, u lf_referent ial ranks are under

"

~ alu u t hat

reached for many ....ith the co ntro "ersial l'l'9) Bienni1.l al the WhilneY

"

h....,·y s,");e, Much of t M new an (ocuso On social':Teat,,"it)" rar h...r than un ...If-expression and mmn.diclS t ~ myth of the isoLled genius-pn""t....

(n cc nsid c ring t h... implicatio ns of t hi s ~ sea changt'. " one t hing is

subj('(Cli,·..., behi nd c1<»cd doo rs ,n rh... studio. separate from cr hers and th...

be ~bl e to SCeCUlTeDl sesrheric idwlogy as aet i"d)' co ntributing to the mOSt serious problems of our lim e m...ans bruking rhe c ultura l t rancc

wor ld. A.I . h,,1t arl\u " in this essay. neat i "i t ~· in the modern wo rld has

and rcquires a chan gc of heart . The who k framewor k of mod er nist aes-

gone hand in hand .... ith iodjvid ualism and has been "i"'''''n! stricti)"as an

thet ics "

indh'idual pn.,nomenon. I b..li......·... t his conuption of an is one of the th ings Ihal are no.... cha nging _

';ew; lik scienlists, anists in our cultur... ha" c been ... ondilioned nol to ...·OlTy aboUl I..... ~ ppl ic-ation. or con"""!I1\.".,.,s o r moral purpose of th eir

r

acti,·ily. It is cnou gh

As rhc work of artists ....ho an' discu s, ...d in this hook makcs d car,

clear:

10

tied 10 Ih... ob ject ifring ...o os..-iollsness of the sci...m ific wod d-

to

g" ncr ale resul ts. llul JUSI as th e sho n comi ngs of

th" r... is a d iSlinCl shi h in 1M locu s of crealh-ity from the aU lOnomous. self-

' obj« li, ('" sci...nc e a.... beco ming apparent, ....... ar... also be,g innin g to per-

m ntai ned ind i,-iduallo a new ki nd o ( dialogiul St nlClUU t haI frequ... nd~· is

c.,;,·.. 00'" t he rC
\ no t Ih... prod uct of a singlt' ind i,-id ual bu t is the T<'$ul l of a cotlaborali,'t'

n...utralizing aspects of acsthetics and

~an

for

an \ sakc ·Iu,·... sig nifican lly rcmo"C
and int erdependen t proc ess. As ani sts . tcp u ut of lhe old frame work J nd

moral imperat;"c eXL'cpt Ihat o f academic an history and the galler y srs '

reconsider whal il m.....n. to be an anist, Ih...y ar e ueo!'.r ruCling rh.......b -

rem. We ar... beginning

liomh ip between indi,-ldual and community. between an ...ork and public.

di mensio n. lhe romann c myih o f actoncmous ind i"idualism ha. crippled

l oo king at an in terms of KlCi~lJ?u~rather than ' :!!ual nylt'. an;
art's etfeeriveness and ;n ilurnc... in thc social world.

to

perceive how, by d isa"o ,,-ing an 's co mmunal

The quest for freedom and auto nom y has been now her... b..- tte r sum~

sett ing J high priority on opcnne ss 10 .... hat is O t hcr, causes many of OUr cheris hed nOlion s to break do wn: tnt' , ision o f brisk sales, well-pat ronized

marized for me than in Ih e! c co mments

gallmes. good r",-io.-s. and a large. ad min ng audieece. As Rid u rd Shus-

publ ished in 1M caulog of his exhibition ..t the \l:·hit...chapel A n Gallery

terman ".-nICS in Pr"gm"/lsi Atstbelics, · Th... bel lhat o ur en l'"leht'd

in London in 198J:

b )'

the painter Georg Ih selilz,

instit ut ions of an ha "e lo ng be... n eluisr and oppressi.·c does nOI mean t hat they mUSl rem ain such. , . . Th...rc is no com pelli ng r...aso n to acCCpl Ih... narro""ly R sthctic limits im~ by Ih... establ ished id""I~. of aUIOnom ous an. ~ In !'ebru ar r 1'J94. 1 had occasion to lapc a conce rs.nion wilh

rhe Ut dealer leo Castelli, in wh ich h... com mented about the Whitn ey show,' II was ~ sea change. not JUSt an y dunge. B......... use I had

to

acccpt

Ihe f.lel that lhe " 'ondcrful days of the era that I pan icipau:d in. and in which I had plal'ed a subst ant ial role. ""ere o ,·cr." In HaJ M odrm lSm

Failed? I .... r"~...j G ...neutly spea king, th ... dr n ~ m ics of pro fessionalizelion do not d ispose' anists 1('10 acccpt th eir moral mit'; professionals H'" eo nditioned 10 noid thin kiog:about problcms thar do DOl bear d irectlr On Ih";r wor k." Since writin g Ihis a d ecade ago. il seems as if th ... pict ure has changed_Th e politics of reconccplUali~.at i on has bq;u n, and Ihe se.rch fo r ~ ne'" ~g...nd.J. for;lJl h.u become ~ conscious s..... rc h.

;;;... a rt;";, "o t uS/'Q",iblt' /0 ,mJone. H is wri.Jl role is .._;.,,/; hi, onl)' re,po,,-

s>b,llly Ct»IJ'SiS m ." '''!lIlIae IU ,be- ......,.; be JQts. TINrt' lS" 0 romm ll",c" rion ~lfb Or.Y7. Tht' JJ'l1U u " .uk 110 qlltsriorl " d bt' m".""s " 0 J,,, t..mC7tt; '" offe .. "0 ;"[I)""..,io" . "nd bis l.-orlr U n" ot be d. Ir tJ the ""d

p

Ii'hi,h "'''11/1, '" my e",e, the p,a",.....

Mor.. tlLln.J.deade old. rbese commeeis by

DO'"

nu.,. sound hope'

lessly OUt o f da le, bu t in a more recem 'm e n 'e"'· in AJ'I Nrun. le "'as dc.ar th Jllh c anist had i,, " o " 'ar altered his \'i" ..-s_~Th e idea of changi ng or impro ving t h... world is alien

10

m... and seems ludi cro us. - Basd itz said.

"Socicry functions. and al""ars hu.. " 'it hou t 11.... ar1;SI. No arti n Ius C\'cr changed anyth ing for bcner or ...o rs c _ ~ H idd en behind these comm"'nts is t he p<:r~onal and cultu ral my t h thaI h... forme-d l hc ani ~t'~ idcntit)" in t h... mOlk rn worl d : rhe myth of t he solitary b'eni u<w hose perf ct io n Ii.... in absolu.... independ ence from the world. ~lif... i. so horribl • Gus",,-e

Fbub<.n wrote ~I th e bcginni nll of the mod ern era, · th ~t Or>c can only bear

it hy H oidin!: it. And Ihot c~ n he dun e b~'

I;,' ing

in Ihe world of HI ." Fo r

j ean -Pa ul Sanre. the e"isle m i~1 tt\l lh o f Ih e hu man ~i tuat ion wn ilS co n-

Christo's Jele"m of freedom is ebc unw~"cring, C"·er-prrs..nt mo r..I impo.'rati'·e I h~t continues 10 be brandished poli linlly ~$ wdl
lingenc y, man's sense dut ht docs not belong-is OOt ncccsSH}'---!o lht

sophie~lIy in t il the modun mldi lion s o f Western thou ght. It r"" erocrated lo udly in the ia rease con troversy tlut f\1g.-d for se ,·en.1yean o"e r the

uni,·coc. Since life ...as ubitrar)· VMJ ""'Ml inglcss, Sarrre .ld,-ioed Ihn .."

pf'OpOSftl rcmo,·,,1of Richard SMn's eo mmisJionnl sculptu r.. TJrt'J A rc

must a111,,~rn to live withoul h~. ~nd th e English wrher Cyril Connoll ~'

fro m its site a, Federal PIau in do...·mo wn Abnh~It:ln. Although co n-

summed up ~ whol" cu ltu ral eth os of ~Iien~l ion with these now l
cei..ed specifically for rhe site, Ih... sc,'cnry-thre..-to n Ie" ning curve of

eom m..nt~: " It is dosing lime in rhe gudens of lh e 'IX'''~10 f rom nOWon ~n

welded sled. which

~ ni Sl ""ill boo: judg.-d orl1)" by the rCSOnMlCe of his solitude and the qu~lity

chitect ure Progf\1m. provtd so unpo puIH and obs u-ecrive to local office

of his d<'Sp~i ,.· Wrnint; abo ur this form of o ntological distrusl, rhis eoee of

"" orkers dut rbey pelilioncd to ha\'e it

'>',,, i n st~lled in 1'18 1 by rhc go\-ern mem's Arl in ArI ......

O\ed. A5 One ..mp1or «' of th.-

"no confi de ncc· in th... I.Eni,·~, Colin Wilson in A" 1",roJ" r;rion 10 Ib..

u.s. Dcp>.nmcnl of Educaoon srared ar rhe tinK: - h!u.s dampened our

N t'MJ Exisr"'rlliaJi. m r..ref'S to the p~r.wigm of ~Iienation ~s l he "fu l ilit~,

spirits C"'''\}' day. h has turned imo a hulk of ruSty sled and d ..... lr. "11"""1

hypolhesis - of life-the nOlhingn cn, estrJng..mem, ~nd ~li ..n~t io n that have f"..s.

to us, il dOf'sn 't h ~" e any ~ ppe:l!. II might h~,· ... artistic ..alue but JUS t not here . . . anJ fo r Ihose of us at the plna I would lik.-10 J~y. ple~se do us ~

'I ~' friend P~trici~ Cmo., who t.... ¥I-.cs ~t the Kans.lS City An Instit ut e, no... rders to Ihis pm inJ lu miOO-S<.'t U · N d mod..mism.· 10 ~

b "or :>nd lakc il """~~ .• s..rra·s response. a...ash in the spin l of -bad mod ernism.· .."s 10 Sue

C(lu!"St" sl>.- gives
the gO" cmmenl for th i'T)' million dollan beca use il had -delibeu td}' ind uce
d~ogerof beEC'\";ng ,h~1 hutruln~ (.... helh.-r they are artists Dr nOl) a, " so me-

ho'" outsid e o f, o r exempt from , a respo nsibiHtr to rociel}" Or to the en" i-

r' mo" ro. To remove the wor k, ~eeord ing 10 Scrr~, w:os to destm r ir. Scm

ronmem. \\:'e h ~,'" been raoghrro experi..nce the self;l$ private. su hjective,

sued fo r breach of cont ract and .. iol ~t ion of his COnStilUlion,,1 rights: ten

sepJnte. fro m others ~oo the "'·0I1d. This no tion of iOOi ,-K\u"lism has so

million dollars for his loss of sales ~nd eomm in;on, ten million for harm 10

com p!nel}' $It\letu red ~nistic idenriry md e<>1o,ed our ri.".· o f an du t e--cn

his anist ic reputauon, 100 ten million in punit i..... dMlUges for ,·iolatio n of

for Ml anisllik.. Chrino, wbose public pm j«u such as R"n1fing Fmu md the more recent Um brl'lfai Tequire rhe panicipation and cooper-Ilion of

in M:rrc.h 1989, the SCII lptu r.. "''AS; remo..e
his nghu . In j ulr 1987, the F.-dera1 Disuiel Coun ruled againsl Serra, and 'lX'h~ l the

thous and s of peo ple, inne r consciousness is still domin
Tilu d Arc cont rO" ets)' fo rces us to cons ider is whether

o( being Indepe ndent. soliury. ~oo n-parate . In an intcn'icw in Flash Arl,

~n

Christo commented:

subscq uendr inscn.-d into Ihe pub lic sph CTe without ,e gard fOllh, rela-

that is ccn lerM o n not ions of PUte freedom and radical autonom y. and

rio Dship it has to other people. lO rhe community, or dn, con swef\1tio n

T1H: ~ ofan IS irT~ I'O'If41 ..nd ~s irTft/'O.u,hlt'. ,\ -obody "nds ,s. TIN 'Or.l> IS " h"gt m diciJ",,11SI1c gr' l"rt Ibat i. I'miul, dt'(IJ ..d by ", ... . . . 0 "..

ncqn tl>.- purs uit o f art. un con rribure 10 tl>.- co mmon ljOOd. Me.,.,.tr to pose thc q Ue$I;o n. howe,·c,. ind icates tb3t ""hat h:u most dislingu ished

of th.. greaUl1« m lrib" tiom of modlm arl i, ,h I "Olro" of i""if.'id",,lism.. / Ihin.l> th .. artiSI c.. n da any/hi"g hI''i/,;an/S 10 do. rhi, i. ",'h, I ""0"1,, n"",...

:lCsth..tic ph iloso ph )' in the mod ern paradigm is a de , ire fo ' art thai is

" CUpl .comm iS
"

absolmclr (r.... of ehe prelensions of d oing the "'odd ~ n r good . " I do n'e j.

kno ..' ..·h~1 public an is, reaily;~ lhe: sculpto r Chris Bu,den once said. " ' jusl make an. Publ.ic an is somet hing else. I'm not SUrt it's art. I thi nk it's

"

~boU I ~ I«'ul ~gmd~. ~ JUSt ~ disin le'filcG and " n lue-fr« " scienc e oon t~ins n<) innn , csu'lIi" t ", ithin it> mrdloOd olO\>.' · !lUI woul d linUI ....h~ t il

fed, cmirlcd 10 do , · v, llIr-fru ·

~t;\Il\Ctki)m rev""l, nOlhing abou t tltc

All of ""hieh brings me dirffd )' 10 Ihe q uesl;on or ... hether an n n build eommuni ~·. A rc lherr ,·iab l... a1lcmath·cs 10 " ;ewins Ih.: self in :ln ind ;vid ualilit ie mJ nner ! And if 50, h.,,,,· docs t h;liaffeci our norio n of " succc,, · ? Can anislS and art inst itu l io ns rcdefin.. themselves in less spa:-

limits aee should respect, or Ihc co "nnu uil}' it migln s.. . ...'c. Modcrn ist acnhcdcs. c01\(cm t'd willt ilself li S th t: ch id sourc.... of

mo riall )" oeien eed warli in order 10 regain tltc e" pe rienc.. of inrc-co nnecr-

value. did I'lOt inspire ereaive f'lrt..... i pnion~ ralko-. it " ncou u ged dis la lK-

rdn<'u-.f sllbj«t and object intert ...·;ning-l.hal "'aSIOSI in d u..lisl ic

i"6 and deprecianon of the OtMr. h s n<)nrd"l ionaL nonimeracl i,'e,

En lightcnmem ph i1oK>phic:s, ...hie h COIISlru ed the ...orld as a spccuek

r>onpan ici palC>ry' on"m alion did

DOl

u si]) ac«>m mocLI . . die

fl\OR"

femi .

10 br~'rd from
\1'11 c n C alifo rni..a :lrtis l Jo nath.m 8orofsk r :lnd his collabol";llor.

nino: 'alues of n r.. . and oomfWsiort. of sc:c:ing and respondi"!; 10 n«d. Thc notion o f po"'er Ihal is im plied b,. ..ucrti "g o nc·' indi,·idu ..Ii~' and ha" ing

ar)' G Ll5sm:l1l. lu' clcd in 19S5-86 10 t hree differenl prisons in C..liforn ia

une's .....y Ih ruligh bei ng in'·ulnr ra bl.. . l.. . ads. 6 nall}'.t o a deade"inK of

in o rd er 10 nuk e Iheir ,·id eo dOC'Um... nla~· Prison...,.,. Iher did not l!i" in Ih...

em pathr. Th model o f t he anisl as a lon .... lienius struggling again SI society

mod c o f network repo rters im endi ng 10 o bsc -e '01 a d ista n ce and then

dO<"$ nOI allo · us 10 focus o n Ihe b•."ne6"..1 and ht: alin!> role of social

describe the co nditions Ih<,y fou nd . Inslead rh y went to liucn to t h...

intcrKt ion. nor doxs it tend itself 10

priso ners in order 10 tr y and undersund Ihri r pligh l. T he" "'anled to

.... hn

ph ilosopher D.."id :>.Iichacl

Le"in ults ~ mlighlcnrd lislcni~ " ~ liSlm flrg-1n..1 is oric:nlCd reward 1I\C

und...rsl:lnd fo r t hr msch·cs ....hat il .......
achiC"e mrnl I,Jf sh..red undcrsu ndi np. As LC\·in . ·riln in The Lutmmg

10

k if, "'«'e need w Ihink abo ul 'p rUlku of the K if thn "" den/a"d tM essent ial inl...rt",·ining of self and c sber; SC'lf ..nd so.:iny. t haI ar': aware of

Borofsky md G lassman in" i\
she sub tle compl""ilics o f rhis int...n,,·in ing. "

shue poem s the)" ha" e wr illen or sho ... art...·o rks lhe,· Ita" e m ad e. C on-

C enainly lh.. . $Cn se o f being iso laled fro m I h~· wo-ld and alo ne wil h

10k" }OIIr freedom aed li,'c " our lift' loc ked up in :l cemem box.

versing with t he ,·ide.., makers. tit",. describe t he o ppre» i..encss of life

o ue's cr eations i, ;1. common . . xpe rtenc.... fo r art isls in ou r cu lture. rbe resulr

i" i id.. a prison. whue ev... ryl hin g is program mcd and i\COp1c neve r gel 10

of modernis m's hislon.. . failurr 10 con nect ""h h rhc arch elypal Olher. As

talk i pon u.nrou, lr abou l rbemselvcs because no o ne is intere sted. Th.. .

Xanc~-

h ou ...r pUIS il in hrr bouk UnntJ,. !'Tani«,." "Th< monulog;'" ,oj.,..... is

lhe: Romani;'" indi,'id ualiSI , i....- in , 'hkh .. . a soli t at"~· "oIeC [is) err ing OUI int o thl." nighl ..gainS! an utterly undifferen l ialed Inc:ksround . ... T'hcre is

r..no.·lt'dj;(' thai oor is be ing hurd. accordi ng to G lassman. crc:lICS :l sense

of cm P'J""cnnenl. In Suzanne Lac y's

TwCT]U~f Q_i!l. performed in Mi nn...apolis on

no room for .. repl y Iha t cwld qualif)":u a difft'Teol ..oic e, T hen: is no

M Olher$lh~' in 19$7.

room fo r interaction. ~ "The art ist co n,id...rs his iso lano n, h is subjt'i.:livit}·.

bla... k,!hIt down logel her
his individualism :llmo~1 holy. ~ Stat\'$ film di rector l ngmar Bergm an.

c rher Ihcir accom plishm cnu ..nd diuppoint me nts, their hopes and fu rs

~TItu ~ wc finall)' g.ll l,er 1000ether in on< large pen. where ....... ~talld and

abour 19inj;, in a ct." remonially orche ~lratcd art wo rk. A prereconlcd sou nd

1I

p~ion of ...)Oo ld cr "'·omen. ...l1 d ressed in

bl...at abolJl our Ioncli n~ "'ilhoul I;neoing 10 ellch olher and without

t rack of the vciees of k" emy -two ,,·om ...n
r...,.lil.;ng dUI "'-c are slTlOl.hmng e;>eh OIher 10 deuh."·A rt ...nnol IM, :l

rd1.......lio ns \Qud ... nou gh 10 be heard by Ih... aud iencc. ~W...·r... no IongC"l"

~e. ~ lhe Fre nch " 'nler Albrn C amus 0 ............ roiC. · Contu~· 10

sill illl; Ito....... in Inc rorking chai r anti knill ing. lik... ~·ou thi nk of grandmas

t ltt C1.l lTflll prnumption. if 1Mn- is any nun w ho Ius I'lO right 10 so litud.....

in the ol d d.-ys.. We gr..nd nus ~1't'II'1 doiol; th '-I
it ;s til< art i,t."

"

.

f~~1 t h'lI oobod~' asks r ou an ylhing, -

su tl'S anoth er. " N o bod y asks r o u to spl"ak. Pren y soon,)'ou lose r o ur memo..,'. I s l.lf(~r a lot from peoplc 001 IUlcn ing 10 mt:. q;o-St:lf. G i\-rng each person a ..oi« is ...·1u.1 bu ilds comm unil)' and mak es ~n social!}' rn pons.i,·e. Inle TKtM>n

b«oma Ihe medi um of opression,:on

a}· of seeing th,ough artOIher's eres.. - Like a subj«u ,'c IJIlhTO+

poologiSI.-

..·hich 011(' linms to and includes other "oitts, For ,""n)"artists no ..·• this moe"nsln ting pfC\;ouslr excluded groups Jpc'ak dim;t1r of thei r 0 "'11

Empat hie lislcning nukc:s room for the Othe, ~nd dec cnlulizl'f lhe

cmp~l hie

can onl}' come inro its o....n Ihro",gh di..l.IOj;U<'.,u OJ'C'n con'·crsat ion. in

rit es Lac)', - jt he arml enltt5] lhe tctritOf}' of t he Otha'. ;and" ,

expeneece. The aud ience becomes an KI;\"ol' eomponem of I.... ,.'o rk and ;s

pan of the proeess. Thisl utminJj orient~lion ch" lknge, Ihe domin:>.Ot oculan:emric tradition.. which sUSbCS!s llul an is "n ....pcri cncc anilabl.e prim.a.ril) to 1M "re, and represents ~ R':>.llhifl in paradigms. As D~vid M i<;Jud l .:>;n Sl.lt~ in MoJ""lty ~mJ tbc Htgt mony of Visioll, -This mar

b«omt'S a cond uit fo r (Iheir] upl"ri~. The " 'o,k beco mes a ~aphOC"

be d w: timc-. the appropri.l.t., hisloric~l molTlCnl. to encouraJ;C J.IKI promolC

fo , maliolUh ip-"'h i<;h has a hnfing po...~,.- When there

a shift in parad i\!:ms. a ~ul rural drift Ih~l, III some ClCle nt,

is no q u;';k fill:

St:C:II\$

alrcJ.dy 10

for some of ou r mo st prn sing soci al problems, xco,ding 10 Lacr. rbere

be I~k;ng plJ.e e. I am referring, o f cou rse, to Ih" d rift from s«i ng 10 IlslCn-

may be onl y ou r abilitr to ...ilAdS and Iecl the ru lil)' uking place arou nd

ing, and to Ih e hism rinl porcneial fo r a pa radi pn shift displacing visio n

us. "T his feeli ngness U a service: lhat art ists off~r 10 the " 'orld, " she $.iys.

~nd insl alling Ih" " ~rr d ifferent infl uence of li, t"n ing.-

New models pUI forward by quantum ph)'sl",s. "col~ " and srstem~

Afte r Mierle Laderrrun Ukeles bec ame t he unsJlaried, St:lf-:l.ppoinu:d ar tist-ie -res idencc arrhc Ne'" Yor k CilY Sanil.w.on D epJ rlment in 1978,

theory that define th e wo rld in lerm s of int eract ing pr ocesses and relati on:>.1

she Went on rounds wilh $.lJIilalio n workers and fore men from fifly · nine

fidds c:>. 11 for imegrat in ' modes of Ihinking th~t focus o n Ihe rehricna!

municipal dis ericrs, talking with t hem . nd gelting 10 kno w t hem. H er firs t

nature of re:>. litr rath"r tha n o n d iscret e o bjects. b cy states. - " oeu. ing on

p; c:c:e of an was a pcrform~nce \\'ork u lle
Tou,h San i/alion , whi~h ....enr

aspects o f int<.' rJ.Clion and rcl:>'lio nship rath~r t han on an objects calls for '"

o n for eleven mo nlhs. Du rin g lh.;.1 t ime she ..isitcd t he five boroughs o r

nd ie~l rearrangemen t in our cs pectariore of whJI an :>. n ist doa.- (I 0.1Is

K ~w

for ~ d ifl'erc:nt approa~h 10 making an and l'\"q llires" differem seeof skills.

Yo rk and shook h.>rlds with 8,500 workers. - It " 'OU an eighl -hou r-da r

performlnce ,,'ork, - she states. " J'd rome in at ro ll call, Ihen ""alk lheir

To rra.,s.cend l he moderniSl. .. ision -
routes ....it h them" " I did a ritual in ",'h teh I bCN each p<'I"son and shook

epislemology, ,.·c neN a rdraming p~s thai """l ei SCTlSol'of this mo re

Iht:ir hInd: and I said , "Thank }'ou Ior keeping N ew York Cit)' alive.t Tbe

interacli'·e. int ersub jCC'li"e p ract ice ... hi~h is cmcrginS- We u nnol judge

real a,",'ork is the h~ndsluke iudf. Whm I sluke hands ..nIh" sanituion

l he

IIWl , .. I p rl'fCm Ihi s idea and pnfonnance 10 lht:m, and lhen. ill ho"'lber

nornu lh;tr.li~teni ng genmtO" a ,....ry differenl q1lJtem~ and onlolog~'-J.

r<'S pond, tlvy fin u h the art.- TQMcb .tvr" "llOn ,.·u Ukdrs 's firsl aucmpt

"C'ry d iffCi"C'nl meuph}'sics,- write LC\;IL

10 commu llieate as an artisl: ,,'ith lbe ,,·ork cn. to o vercome tw-ricn and

11<:....

m b" lbc o ld standnds.. -'nformed by an iOlctacth'e ~nd re:c:.cpli>....

Modcm ism 's confroo u lional onellu lion , nulted from deep habils

ing of §c!f and Other. sl.lggcsl s a flow -through experie nce ...·hich is not

of th inki", tlul SCt in oppos ition society and the ind i"idll"l ,u 1.....0 COlItra,) and anuto"i$ l i~ Categories, neil her of ...hic h coul d apand o r de \'dop n;~cpt al lhe CXpn1St: of t he ot her. Thc Ieee ~nd .self·sufficien t indi ,'id l.l~l lw loog be:en Ihe ideal of Ol,Irrollll re. and ~" isIS cspcci~lI~' have

delimired b )' Ihe self but utends into th e eom munitr thrcc gh modes of

seen themser.-cs as q uiarcssemial free agC'nl$. pursuinJj Ihcir own ends.

o pen lbe ... ~}" 10 undersundi ng-to bri ng aw~rcnns and a.ring in to her K lions b) list eni ng.

I\n tlu.l is ' OOI ed ;n ~ " Iu lening- §clf. thai cultin lO,"$ I.... intertwin-

reciproc al ori~Olcd,

"

emp~th}-.

Beeau:sc th is an is list ee er-cc ntc red ""t her th :>.n vision-

il n nnot be fl.llly

re~li:ud

t hrough th e mode of sclf-Cl'p reS$lon: il

But if mod ern ism , and Ihe art l hat emCIl.ed ", ith it. d.:>-dopcd ~round thc nodon of " uniqu e :l.OO separate self. the an genel'iltcd by whn I ha"e called

"

· co nneai'·e ...othetiC$· is ,·el)· d ifferern . As I ha "e ... rgu...d in The Rem _

;lIdu d~

cb">ltment of An, radic al rd.at~ncss hAS d ramat ic imp lic...tions fo r ou r

.herc i. no den ying Uul t1..,.m voork! subtl y disappro"cs of ..n in. ",,1>0

undees....oding o f an and ccmeibetes

choose ;"f en ct;On ;lS thC'ir mnl.ium. r.llh~ dun tM

10 a

new COI'I$Ciousncss of howlhe

di~mbod ied ~·c. J Uli t

self is to be defined and experienced, For one rhin g, me bou ndu r ~·«n

... aut;,-il} in rhc 'il,7cs1cr n world has been based on an undcnl:;mdin g of

self ;rnd Othcr is fluid rasher (lun fixed: Ihc Ot her i. included within 1M

UKself AS ;IUIOnolllO\lS and

~mll.· .

•he hegemony of Ihe ~'C is "cry

bo undar)· of sclfhcod. We arc u lking about a mere imersubj""li'·e "crsion

strong in our culture. We ar.. obsessed ... ilh rhc gu e. Al lhi. po int, [0

of t he . elf t hat i. mu ncd 10 Ihe interrcl ... riorul. ecological. and im eracti,'e

challenge Ihe ,,;. io n-"'nlrrnl pand igm by unde rm ining th.. p resumed

chataele r of realitr. · M yself now includes t he ninfore5', ~ "..rile s A U5tU -

spccraro rial diStance of .he aud ience, o r br empowering ot hers and m;tkin g

lian deep ecologill John Seed.

~ It

inclu des d ean air and wat er. ~

T he mod e of distanecd. obj,x ti" e knowing, ....", ovcd fro m mo ral o r

them awarc of t heir own crea li,-ity, i. tn risk t he co mplaint t haI o ne i. produci ng not art but . 0<:;..1 wo rk. Persona lly, I h" vc ne "Cr heard of ~

social rcspon~i b ilil)'. has bct,n the animaling mOlif of bolh science and art

social " 'ork n who was interested in sha king h" nd. with 8,500 unit..tion

in the mod em "'·orld. O bjecli,·it)" Slrips a......>' emo tion. "'am s only t he

",orker \, or w·ho uied

facts. and i. detached fro m fuling. Objccri"il y sc...... as a d isunci n~ de-

hu ndred olde r " 'Omen about ...ging. Soci... 1wo rkers proceed qui te di(fCT-

viee. presu ming a world Ihn SI...nds M orc us 10 be scen. su...·e~·ro • .and

entl}' from anists in ,,-Iu t , her do.

man ipulated. Ho ..·• then. Ull we ,hift ou r ustf:j,( " 'ay o f Ihinking abou l an

· ,.

in .his book couresdices, a!>wluldy. th~ rommCnl..s. 11,, " 'C\' cr,

(0

orchCS lf:llC a pub lic con"<'rs"tio,, among four

To all t he'S<' obj«ooM, I e... n onlr

$.I} '

W I romp,Jring mod els o f ,he

,,;,..., of atUchmenl " ~1(:;IChmcnllo;rnd co min uiry wilh 1M worl d_luI

..,If based on iso....tion ...nd on connecte'lln.ess hAS gi"m me'" differenl sen~ o f m Ih...n I had bd"o",.and hAS cha nge'll my ide,lS...bou t whal is ;m po n u ll.

archnn>al p'~'chologist Ja ma H illman u.Iks about? To 5« our inlCrd~n ­

:\i v concl usion is tlut ou rcul rure's rom ... nee ... ith ind i.-idua lism iJ no

dellCe;rnd irneeccnnectedness is Ihc feminine perspective thaI has been

longer adequae. Mr

missing no ' only in our sci,:mifie Ihinking and policy maki ng but in o ur

co nccpt ion of t he self tlut ind udo mo re of t he en, ironm cnt-a sellhood

so t hai it b«omcs mo re com pa.s. io ru.tc ? Ho w do " 'e achiC\·e Ihe • ..·o rld

0"'" ..·o rk ...nd thin king have led mc to a ficld like

a... thetic philo.oph y as well. C are and compassion do not belong to the

that releases us inlo a ..,nsc of our radic... l rd... redness. It s«ms , hat in

false ~objeel i,-i.m ~ of Ihc di sintc n,slcJ gne; CMe and co m p~"ion u e rhe

many spheres we ha'·c finally come up against t he limiu of a wo rldvie...

tools of the 'oul. bUl the}' are oflen rid icule'llb) ' ou r sociel y. whic h has

based nnlr on individualism. In the field of pSj"" hoth c.-apy, to give ju>! one

been wcak in Ihe ('m pathic moJc. Gary Zu kav p UIS it well in The Sr"t 4

c~ a m p l e.

James H illman. in his boo k U',, ''Ve Had .. Hun dreJ

Y Pd YS

of

the Soul, "..hen he States t hat there is currentl y no placc fo r spirituality, or

P.)'ch otm·rap)__lt nd the '(f/ Qr{J ', Gclti"8 Worse. eastig... res t her apy for

Ihe m ncct nSof t he heart, ""ilhi " science. poli ti~. business. or acadcmi....

enco urag ing us 10 di..,ngage fro m t he wo rld. Hc maintains that t hen py

Zu lu,· does n'l menti on ...n , but un.i l r...,..ntly Ihe re h..... b«ll no panleular

inc.........." our pl'C'OCcup.au on with indi vidual fulfillmc m ...nd perso nal

r« cp li,·il}· tMe eirher,

gro"'1h"'l tM cJ:pt'n~ of any coneet" for communil y Or rhe communal

:"oiOllong ago. I had occasio n 10 .lure ... lectu re podium ....·it b lhe critic Hilton Krame r, ....·ho proclaimed, ...ilh 1M fo rce o f a I~'pboon, thaI

...n is al il. besr ...rhen it

K!"O

on h· itself and

001

5OfI1e Other pu~.

Th ing. Ihat in hi. opin ion ha"c no I'<'Lation 10 ...re arc now bc-ing "'''''Pled

good. ~bn y h.lCkln h..."c been raised in tM thera.peu tic communit>· b >' H illm.an·s assenion that therapy Ius b«o mc ... sd f- irnp1"()\'emcn l philosoph>' ..·hic k turns us in"'ard, a....y from tM ,,·orld ... nd ils problems. Ps~ ' ehOlMapy is on ly ..orking on t he - ins,de· sou l. accord ing to H illman.

and legitimizro as an ,,·hen. aeeonling 10 Kramer, an is incap ablc of solv-

while outside. the buildinp. Ihe schools. the streets. ... re .i ck-Ihe sickness

ing any problcm. bUI a"'Slhn ie o n...... I would a'l;ue tha' m""h of Ihe wor k

is out t here. The pat ienl in ncro of healing is Ihc wo rld .

.

"

Conn ective Iodthnics st rikes ..r t be ~~ of Ihis ,1.licn:l.lio ll by dii -

OUI p.1r,1.d igma tin ll)". Th e ope n hand . cxeeaded to N ch ....o rker. t',·o l,,:,

act ive and ecological models emerging in o ur ealru re. I bcliC"o'r we ....iU see over t he nett fC"'· deeedes more art thn is tsSrnlii! I~' sceial and purposd"ul. :lnd th~t rejects lhe modrmist m )"t M of aUlOno m}' and l\C'Utra lil)" This book bun ...-irness 10 th e incT'l'aiing nu mber of anislS ...."0 are rejectin g t he p rod uct o rieeuarion o f consumer cultu re ,loti find ing e,·e. mort r e mprlling r s of ...·u ,·ing en " ironmcntal 3nd socii! rrsponsibilitr directly

qu alities of geneTOiil)' l nd c..re. We need

int o their

wh;ng th e mcd und di" isian bet...· "'" s.elf .>nd

world Ih,1.1 Ius p revailed

during t he modem tflO'"h. World ht ,1.ling begilU .".jlh the ind ivi du..l ...·ho ...·ek QrnC$ the- Ot her. In U kdn·s ...·o rk. lo r instance , em p:>th)",1.nd haling

..rt t he parame ters, rhe ln t of .... beth er the ""o rk is. in f.tet. bti ng carried 10 cuhivaic

rhc co ropessionat e,

rcbtionll self as Ihorough lr.t s w.. ha,·c cuhivaeed , in lon g r<"aN o f abst ract thinking, rbc mimi gc..red

\(I

o rk. l n ehis complex and ...-on hy endeavo nl sincerely wish

th em well.

scientific and aesthctk ncut mlilV. A i more

peop lc ,1.ckno w leJ ge t he need Ior a new philosophical fnmcwork. ' c .u".

learning to go ~~' ond our eu ltu re o f sepual ion-l hc gender, class nd racial hicrarchin of ..n elise \l;'eil cm Ind ition th..t has C"o'ol"cd through,1.

precess of exclosion and neg..tio n.

....

.

h_.~ -..l~",",-, ,... ~. ~ _ I

...- . ...J"'- . C.

'f

",.Jo
\\T,t h its focus on rad inl ind i.'id u.llism .tnd iu lW llci,ue of k«ping an

s.ep..rate from life. modem ..~the1: ics d rcu ms
___ ''''~''''_ _ •••of''' ....... yoot.. . t.000600:n.-.-.Jtw-. '"'"

[lut of .. d n adwd spec tatcr-cbser...a . Such .. n u n eeves-build ccm mu-

nity. For t his ....1.' eeed intt u ni"e .tOO d i..loginl pracnces d UI un wO lhtrt into lhe pr o«:ss.md ehallenge l he n(>lian, in the ....crds of C ..ry· Sn yder. th aI · only some people arc ' u lenlcd ' and t hey become artists and live in San

_ , - . .... Mo
'--'L..... . /I"""" r_"'''''b'''' .."....•

.p"c..-

1--..

........ ,....

...

l,r.",- u..,.14.dood.,.,. u.:.-. J4 \" .,,~

H.J ~

""_0-.... _'"

.1 ... ...,., " ' -

~ -.J '" ~"' .......,.".,.. :-o

...

Francisco workins in cper.. and ballet and t he rest of us sho uld be salisfied w it h wal chin!; television . Connceti"'" .t~ l hClin sct'S Ihat hum ..n nat ure is W

deeply embedded in the world . It makes art im o a mood for connectedness

SIo_.. ... o.a,......... " .. M,, ~ »l>< . ...
_,>11 . .....,~" ' '''Ol...-.y. " " ......, A"."'''''''' ~
and huling b y opcnin!> up be ing to its fu ll di mensio nalil y- nm jus rr he dise mbodied eye . Scxi~1 CORtn t bec:o m.., ~ co ntin uum fur inl eraclio n. for ;l p roc ds o f rel" lin g .1nd weaving l o!;nher. cfe~ring a flow in ""hich there if r\O $p«talo ri.11 d isl.ln«. no :lnu gon istic im per ui,·e, bu t "'ther the rrc ip roc . il)' we fi nd ~t pl.l) in ;an ecosy stem. Within .. lilleMN-tntcrcd pn;adigm.. the

old IpolX"iaIiz.u iolU of ~ 'Iisl ..nd ,1.udi .....cc.crru h ·e ..ocI uncrn ti,·e. profes· sional ;and u np roffi$ion..l-cl istinaions bct...·«n ",·be> is and who is not :>n m in-brgin to blur.

· r.. "''''''''' \;,u jp I

~/~,.{ ..... rn:-'~~1.... ...thM~

,r/-_ fr- ...."'"7>1 " ,

u>d»rr.'....

To foll()~..Ih is path, I would argue, i$ mou Ihan jusl a matt er o f prrson:>l taste; it rcp rcscnlSthe opening of an c:o:pn;menl:>1spur in ....hich 10 instiru tco and practice a nc ...' art l hal is mor e in IUIIC ....ith the m:>n)· inter-

.

"

world and ",ho we are, between ...·ho " 'e arc and wbat ...-e do . The an i" tends Il,,, prin te garden of th" so ul and gives e...idenee"f this process publicly Ihrou gh tl\., a" thaI. in l urn, insp icei o thers 10 tend th..ir o ",n gardcru. T h.. oflcn-asked questio n as to he ,,· one mo,·.,. fro m be ing anisrto acti,';" I find ime resting. b«am e I do not make the ",pantion in my o wn To search for the good and make it matter: this 's [he real chJ.t1~ng~ for the

mind. f or m". thc 1...· 0 roles ai, t as a single entity: the ' rlisr is the aeti ...ist. Indeed , ...-u hin th... African Irad ilio n, the arnst's work has a function iuS!

ar tiSl_ N ot .i mply 10 Irand orm id eas or r~,'rlations into mallCT. bu t 10

like .....·er ythi ng else in the wo rld . As Ihe mask is fo r fCiti. al.. and Ihe

m~k~ tbosc revelations ac,ually m~((CT. Th is qu est is measurw u much in

ground -dn...·ing f~ rnarl.ing a sacrc
the trUlhs we allempt to cnflesh "5 in the cby we might ae, thetk allr de -

dnwing energies 10 oneself. so. too , the rit uals that wc pe rfor m and the

sign. At bcst. artist ic "': or ks nQl only inspire Ihe ';e...-er but gi"e evid"n n

monume nts that ..." make ha"c a fUllelion: the trans forma tio n of self and

of tl\., a"is,'s O"'n snuggle to ach",'e higher r«ognilion of " 'hat i[ means

commu ni,,'. " 'hieh is the extended SC'lf. An is a nn:essil)-·. as the poe l Aud re

10 be Il\l lr human. Th " works arc leSl4ments 10 the artist's effort to eo n"en a pa"icular ,-isio n of trut h into hi. o r her O..-n nun o,,·.

Lo rd c 'ays. nOI a luxu ry. The assu mption that an could be somtlhing

As I mwi tatw on l he tl\.,me of Ihis b<&. I found myself Ihin king abo ut t" rrit orie., bo th public and pri" ate----abo Ul pol itical turf and ddinili,~ lines, Ihose Ihat eeelc de and l hose Ihar include. I began 10 reflcct o n Ihe t an h and allrhe rW t,lI':n borden Ihal ...·e " 'ho arc in"oked in pu blic an mU ,1 bring to the mAp if Ih" re ar<' [0 he posili\'e new directions {or Ih e " 'orld 's cu!lurQ. I found mvself con templa ting, as anr ani, t might. the

separate fro m the Iif" that su stains us. that an is indeed a luxury. i, as false a Iheo ry as Ihe not ioo thai the corer Icrrain can unde'l;o traosformation without af{,'Cting the so ul. AI,d yet. man y believe that th" places oUlSid". in the "'o rld, are the IrU" sitcs of ehangc. Notions of separation and ot herness arc ingrainw in Wcstern thou ght. and it is thi' \'Cry "" a~' of th inkin g tholt has wreaked havoc On th.. cuhures of th e wor ld.

cc rrespcnding lemtol)' -Ihe terrain o f Ihe so ul. , har sac...... space within

While no single culture has a copyright on tl\l th, per bars emb racing an African \;ew of Ih e inrrins i;:co nnectedness of all ihings wou ld help u,

the self that mllS! be ackno wled gede nd tended. that d ream space wh"re

to recall the mother from ...·ho m we ha' e all come. And in remembc:ring

Ed" n and ...·o mb arc ri lualisticalJ ~' rd ale-d. ...·hCTe roncep lio n 15 possible.

her. pt"rhaps "' e can beg in more profo undly to ~ re- mcmber- ourselves.

...· her~ we can r""d " e in order to gi"e again,

This charge o f rcm"mbC1"ing the mOtber is impom m hc.:ause ...-ithou t il

The dream l pacc of th" soul is th" real tenai" that " 'c sho uld map. If OOt. then l\Othin" else lhal "'e are fighling for 01" against has an ~' possi -

our cuhu ral and cross-cult ural amn",ia is nc:" er liftal; Our commo n humanit,- ;s nn '" r fullr acknowledged. We eever kno,,' who ...." arc. and

bilily of transformation: not the miliuristn that ":e resist. nol the oppre, -

baving no l ruc idemit,-, ...-e end up like a perso n who suffers amnesia.

, ion wc d'1'l o r~, no t Ihe toxic ...·a
f('aring ",-el)· face th.u is nQt the (''' act replication of our o,,·n. Alld so me-

the nosm o r II\., sexism tlul "'e expose. No~ of lhese COl1<:Cms can be,

times in ou r dcsperanon, we even fear our own facc. W" n~"'er de velop a

taken on u nless th" r are naminM. ack nowlw ged. and confron ted within

sense of cont inuity Or ...'holeness amo ng peo pl... Th e cultures that rcme m-

the in ner territ ory of the ~e1f, the eart h thai. in (act, we ar,',

ber this connccredness arc r«alli ng the crucial eleme nt tlut has been part of our su.....i,al since our beginning.

Th~ sou l is Ihe~bed afou r actions. Evcrve hing llut "'"conceptualize, cr..ate, or d"s tcoy has its b<-gin nings there_ Wh at ...-c see cuili" aled and Ihri. ';ng in Ihe Outa ter rain is a man if""tation of our inncr creative or

.

~lrucri\'C impulses. lhcre ;s COlIDl"ClM nn Sbetween ",hal "'e SC'C in Ihe

The ani sls who remember Our common h llmanil}' and in, tigate rl."Cog nitio n of o ur true Datur" are those like Anna Halpri n, who ...·00 1.1 ha.·c P"Op lc li"inS ...·ith AIDS and rbose "'ho arc no t afll icte-d circle Ihe

.

bl"..

unh in a d
", ",In- ..,'.. ler yo _

u.~ like Suzanne u C}·, ",·ho would prod uce
/ U )'. "-,I/n- ~.. In ro- .fln'l 00 bl" .. I d""r rhtd u d fo r Mprlf..nd tJ,cre'• • sky in )'fJ .

wh oi<'cho reog..p heod b ying on of h:md s hdpcd ehMlge the p
.in 'l

J<)

,

, hcir lives and make visib le rhc bo nd ing
T his for m-<:OllJ, Olnswer, and rd elle-is a meu phor for Olrt it,elf

",·orking ...ilh scicfllisu 10 develop b ~'brid pl~u Iha' absorb po isons fr om

and thc polenti~ IhOlt it holds. Thc call is iecired by t il<.,.,perieneM ....e

thc cart b ie uoI""...-es whi ch can be pluckeod from o ur chil d ren's su rround-

hOl' c ";Ih thc "'·orld. br rbe h uman condhio ns and preod;c.un enu ""';Ihin

ings. Th ey arc t hose like the husb
our terrain th at arouse our intere. 1or conscio u. ness. N..xt come, t he

1I,by..r H amso n, ",·ho h
respon~,

Lod('ml:ln U kd rs, ani,,-i n -~c~c of l he N ew York Ci l)' s..niution

gate d unge Ihro llgh his or hcr ereni.,c opressio n. But t he ani,,·, creation

Dqnnmem , .rnd Sheib Levr.om de Br"l u,ville, and PCler Jcm ;so n.
is nol Ill< end o f rh.. p ro«ss. as il is c fecn thought to be. "J'ht. process Co n-

ma ny more whu reco gnize t h.. illu sio o of dU-

l inues <1S m..mbe... of Ihe rom mllniry exprrienec the rcle..lSe, rh... inspir:nion

ric n. and the beauty of making tru th maner,

t h<1t allo ws t hem

N o ne of t his is to sugges t thu liM: aen hetic qwalitr of
t he artist', erenion- th e ancmpttc name, recogn i ~e. MId insl i-

to

enlles h t he me"Olge and oc,;in act ivati ng change in

their own terrains. This b.>sic human -to-humMl inl...-acrion sign..ll. liM: symbiolic reb-

ar l projec ts invol" ing com mc oiry par ticipan ts wh o arc not m>c('S uri l)'

l io nship among hum an bci ngs. When ...... un dcr.tand t hi s, we can go On to

aetisrs. Somehow, it is fcueod. ,he paruciparns ' aesrbencs wil l br ing do wn

b.'Hcr ap preciate Ihe br..at h d ynam ic b" "" cen ours..!'·es
t he qu.a.liry o f Ill< wo rl<. But since the acsthetic is dCICl"mincd br lite: Mlin.

a n undersu nd our reb lio nsh ip

pcrh
",,·ithi n tiM: uni veerse.

mo re coll aoo..t i..... publie art , Perhaps t he greate r [ear is rhar elit ism ..·ill be desl roy<'d. lhat t he func tio n of

" I ..·ill

once again be recognizw , that

10

<>euos and ozones and othcr 7.o ncs

Thc blues f()Tm is no ' OlbOll! being do ...-n
QU I.

The blues call. to


singer< willi ng 10 · "..o rk rbe M>Und- imo nl"W ;lnd kno""ing

frttdom o f expression will cUT}' t iM: imf'\l lsC and surl< bcaUI~' of our fi... t

It IlLlk..s

brealh. and tha.t o ur o wn rd ..v
pcoplc who go aboUll hc business of making tnc IT\lt h

in ,he mu ning of ou' acts, If th is is wh
eou ld nOl lea"" holf",ay th ro ugh
tinue

U nnOt afford 10 do it eit her. T he poet 1- b Y
10

make such art and to redefine rhe w
i~lr a celebrated p rocess.

In deciphering rbe mystCT}' of th is precess, ,n., blues fo rm , o r for-

1lLl1lCf.

Brssi.. Smith

d" plh o f ..xpe rience is in dir <"Ct p roportio n t o the dedicarico of our artists. Indeed, w.. MlislS h
mula, fro m Afriun Am erican cultu re Can pro_'ide insighl. As cthno -m usi-

po55ibi!ity fo. " ariatio n in , he song. Wc h
culogists t ell us- the blu es has t hr ee lines: , he firsrline is the call, the second i,

invites irs Olud ience inro th.. cru t i.·.. process and empo wers them. \,(rc must

the response, and the Ihird is t he release. The second line rnigh r be the same

sing in such a "" a~' as to promi5<' our list.. ncr~ who ""o uld become singers


first but ""it h someslight vari
line rhymes with t he first and, ,;:,scntiOlllr, sets yo u free. The " 'ho le no tion is tra nscend ence. a5exemplified in t hi. ' !
tha i t he t hi rd line is a bruklhrou gh. procb.im ing ".-i,hool a do ub t tho, - I do ne checked for rnyse lf and Ihere's a sky in

It seems 10 me tha t in o rder for , his IF.lns fonnat io n to happe ll, utislS must prepare ourselves

.

~·ou.·

to

",'C

respo nd ucati,·e1y
"

~mh

in ~ d~nc~ in ;l.lI ~{I~m pt to bll'~k down th~ I».rnef"$ 01 f~n. Th~\' all'

11"........ ",· ..lr r ) '011 ain'. KI blur I $"I}', r .r..... = Ur ) '011 am '.... bill.. I donr ehn*rd f.". InJorif ..nd rINrc't " sky In YO".

thosoe lik~ Suz.a.llle LaC}", " 'he " 'ould prod l,Iu a cry","" q llilt of ..·o m.... wh~ choreog....p hcd

laying 011 of hands hd p<"
their liHs and make visible the bonding and powu among thl m. Th~)' arc thos e like Mel C hin, who would move us inlC the mystur of met~phor by "..o rking ..; th seienriscs 10 develo p h ybrid planu th~t absorb po isons fro m the ean h into le.a' ·n .... hich can be plucked from our children 's surround ings. They arc tho se l i k~ th e hu sband and wife team N ~W lOn and Hele n M~ }"er

H arri son, who h....e eo llabo ....t...! for O\'er I.. ' ~nty years, and Mierlc

Udmn:m

Uk~I~

ani.t-in-resid eIICeof tbe N C'1II' Yo rk Cit)' Smitalion

Dq>anmem, ~nd Sheila u n ""t d e BrC'ttC"o';lI~, and

P~te r j emiso n, .and

•

This fOIln --<:~lI , answer. and rdease-is a m~lal}hor lor all itself and .he poIenda lthal it holds. T he 011 is incited by th" npcriences we ha, e ..·il h tho. " ·ond.. b~' the hu man cond itio ns and rredic~ments ....ith;n our .erra in that arouse our interest o r co nscio usness. N""t comes th e response, thc m ;st's creation-the atlempt to name, re<:ogn i1-e. and inSliga. c chang~ through his o r her crcati.e expression. But the anin'. erearion is llOt the "nd of Ih" pI0CC5S. as;. is often thoughl to be. l1w: process Con-

many mOre " 'ho roxo glli" e th~ illusio n of dUMity, the miracle of col bbo....-

tinues as members of the com munity upcrience the r"lease, the insplra lion

no n, and the beauty of making truth matler.

lha t allow. them to cn ll"sh . he m~s ...gc and b1,'gin activating change in t err~ins.

No ne of Ihi$ is 10 suggest thl.l lhe u nhnie qualitr of .any ".ork need .....·c. be sacrificed. I sa)' th is kno,,'ill1; il.~-t il is ~ C1i lical issue of public

their own

art projects involvin g com muniry panicipams who arCnot nccessaril)' .>rlisu . Someho w, it is feared. the particip ams' aenhet;cs will hring down

tionship amo ng human b.:ings. Wh en ...." un der
the q u..J.! iry of lhe work. BU I sincc rhe aesthe lic is de termined by the artist,

can und en und our relnionsh ip 10 OCean. ~nd o zo nes ~nd othe r zon es " 'itm n the un iw rsc:.

pcrh p. lhi. i$ nO\ the uh im~te fear o f rbcse ..,ho arc leer}"o f rbe new, mor e eollaborativ,"p ublic art . Perhaps the gr~ate r Icae is that elitism will be

This buic human ·to- hu mo!ic relabeu~r appreciate

the brca.h d ynamic he.wce n ourse!' es and the II«,S. \X'c

Th e blue. form is nOI abou t being do...-n and ou t. The blu,," c~I Ls to

dcstroyed , thai .he functio n of ar t "'ill once ag.un be recogn ized, thal

and tra nsfor ms the hollerer. and contin ues o n to .randorm Ihe communil V.

frffdom of cxpussion will carry the imp ulse and sUlk beaut )' of our lirs t

It rn.Ik",s .hose singers willing to " work the sou nd- into new and knowing

brealh, and that ou r 0 ...·11 rcle.....nce .... hunun beings ..,ill co me to be seen

people who go abOUlt he busi nos of making the tru th rn.Illff. Bnsie Smith

in .he meaning of ou r acts. If this is what is w fearful, . hen W~ mllst con -

could flOt Inve halfwa y thro ugh a mneen . We, as the co mmun al sing~r.

tinue 10 make such an and to redefine the w~ys in wh ich th e making ;s

CannOI affor d to do i. either. Th e poet Maya Angcloo ...mind s uS that ou r

iuclf a celebra ted proces s-

d eprb of np("rienc~ is; n di rect proportion to the dedic auon of our artists.

In dec iphering the m)'StC\')' of this proces.s.. the blues fo nn, or formula, from African America n cultu re can provide insight. Asetllno-musi-

Indcc-d , ...·e ~ nis .. h "e to .ing th" ~ood.lillC in such a "'a~ as 10 siltltal . he possibi1i I}' fo r ' ariatiOIl in th" so ng. W\· h....e to create relevant an, an that

cologi,.. tell us, the b lues has three lines: the fi rst line is the call. •he secon d ,.

invites its alldienc~ inln the ncati"e process and ~ mpowcrs them. We must

the respo nse, nwi 1M .hird is the release. Th e seco nd line might be the same

sing ill such a ...·ay as 10 prom i~ ou r list" n..rs who ""ou ld beco me singers

as the fin t but " 'ith som" sli!:ht variation. and the b51 is a depart ure . The last line rhymes with th" lir st and, essentia lly. sets you Ieee. The "'hole notion is tra nscend ence, a, e~empl ificd in th is ,tanza [co mposed fur illustrat ion'

thaI the third line is a brcAahrougb, proc1a.im ing ..·itholl' ~ dcubr t h~t - , don e checked for m> self and the re's a sk~- in yOll.· It seems to me .hat ill o rder for this trans format io n.o happe ll....... an il;ts must prepare ourselves to respo nd creati,'cly and app ropriately to

"

"

fO " • • <; ~ ' 00

thc ull$ in our enviro nreeet. Th is i. no .m~ 11 chorc. <'Sp
<;0 0 0 . "

" ..

11>ough th,., eoco un rer with d ru m time i. enli,·ening. it e:tn also be

u' in the publi c realm, who fiod oursch'c, tJ king on ch~ll enging. l'ft...n

frightening. Thc problem is not ou r dcscen[ into the wul; it is our emer-

emotio nally draining iSSU ~l ; wr iting Jnd r~\witin g proposals 1O obtain

genc", or coming forth, O nec we emerge, we must begin reco nciling w b~t

funding fo r projects; me..ting fo r ", hal S«lIlS like ~o entire lifetime with

V"e hJ \'e come

Jn istic colb oo n ton ; addrnsing com munit}' pMt "ip~m,s Jnd rdcmln.l )"

.\.ekes rhere is no rime 10 relreat; we tell ou r..,"'cs any thing to k...,p fro m

nllying tnnr internt in the proj«t; getting no funding ~t JIl. o r JUSt enou gh to pr~Jlt only h~lf of the e-welened proj«t; tD«[i ng apin wilh

rcpeal in& rhe ritual o f departure. But if "'c do suee...,.) in a,-oiding furur,., descenu imo Ihe soul. "'e ..,ill more [han likdy fall into rhe Irap of m ~king

CoIlJOOnlO.... abouTthc meeting 00 the meeting; encou ntering [hose critin

an that is sim ply creari"e f"Jlhc r rhan

who themsel\'es have nu l decided 10 be imJl:iin~ti\'e in their o wn ....ork;

to

know ....irh what we still sec in the world. W... lell our-

[ rul~'

,·isioll.1f)'.

Th cre is, ind eed, ~ dist inctio n betwccn ere~t i" e art and " ision ary an.

Jnd, last but not le~.t . ocvcr finishing because we are still Jctiw ly listen ing

lt pJ.r aHeJs the d ifferencc bel"'een the aniSf who is In observer, or reporter,

to the commun ity's response and rerruining ..,n siti,·c to the soun d. and

J"d one who i, a pan ieipanr ill rhe creJti"e process-~ mat ter of invest-

feelings in borh th.. inner ~nd outer life.

ment or soul in"o h'emenL Quire simply. the visionary artist h.:t.s root m crel~' sighl hu t ,-i. ion, rhe lighr rbe soul makes 10 iJlumi n:l\e the palh for

To be an anist amid u l tM:sccu rTenUi. dcrrund ing. H o. · is the

•

f~ (

~n iS1 to prq>are? Dc-'dop mem of o ne's mfl and k« n awarc ness of onc'.

u• ..Il Th is norion of the ,-isioll.1f}·being apar1 from life. going inlo his o r

su rroundings are impo rrant bu t ~re harJTY eno ugh, To be able to make

hcr d re~m sp~cr. is nOI Sr non)'mous ....ith Ih" Western notion uf thc mysric 's ~pat:\t io n. Th" "is iou ry anis r in the com munity work. in the

tm l)" "isionarr J r!, we an isrs musr hJ"e in Our lives the croeiJl dement called drcam time, that is, ti",c when we leave this world and gl' inlOOur

fields of Ihe perso nal self. dreaml time .. .,d engagemen t with Ofhers.

own sacred .p~c.... seeking thc grJCe needed to c!'eJte ou r "..nrk. Dr um timc holds thc lurmoil and trauma of rbe world al bay and allo.·s the

engagemenr rhn marks a pcrform n« fro m the soul. An l niSI Can sim ply

All artists arc able to d isplay thei r craft wirho Ull h... exenion and projcct his o r her persona "'hile rCrrWning dn a.chrd fro m [nc, performance

vision 10 be gran rO!d and 1M nc:Uing nores [0 altunt "'S. Some sound I....-cls in the "'orld's chaos no bc dcafening. Our "-ork

and Ihe aud i...nee. But if ~-ou are • ..·orking the sounds ~ _ if you

M '"

in-

in the OUIe.- terrain c:loD beco mc SO demanding Ihat " 'e thi nk ....e c~n nol

"okc
stop 10 med itJte. BUI this deli berll" pausing i, Jim pan of our wo rk, ~nd,

fears. and limillt10n., rarher tb Jn merely present;ng wh lt yo u ~ I read )'

in rel lity, it m~ r be rhc o nl)· Ihing that diStinguishes us fro m rhose com-

know; feeling ,"our o,,"n disco mforr and tak ing that discomfort imo the

munit), mem bers who 5 im pl~' cannot make Ihe rimc 10 llkc rhis inn er

terrain where rhe tr uth expose s you -Ihcn yo u arc quire poni hly in the

sp~e,.,.

lerri [O!}' of the "i5ion . You ar'"<:10se 10 grasping 1M mystery or rhe heu -

Yet Iher arc depending as much on us 10 Mar rnc ulls ~ nd 10 sou nd

1M first responses as "'C He depend ing on rhem 10 form ~ eborw fo r the song in order 10 release thc h......ling and nu.gnif~· the [ruth. And

:t$

od d .... it

ml )" sou nd, tbi. is [he nali ve territo ry o f Ihe public ~ nisr. h is ~ 'p~ec to

ing. You arc then. on ly Ihell. • -ilhin reach of the gift Ihal }'ou can bring back ro Iht .-orld. Once you ha,·t glimp.ro rhis \"i510n. ,h cn yo",are ind eed a partici-

which Ihe community. time ~nd lime again, banish es us for it. O"'n H I'l'

pant. And thc dua lify berwcen vo u and r our a",dience. you

t;on, a spu e thaI we o urseh'C$ e"enlll~ll)' choosc as a healing h~" en and h~l1o,,'ing ......'·e. Th e soul. ~ difficult bUI necessarv terrain o f Teneat, hold s

a perfurmance. You h~ , c cnfleshed Ihe hc~utr. Yo u Iu" e mad... it matter;

the bluepri nl. or one mighl Sol)' the " bhres-prmt ,"of I~ ...orld "'e inha biL

And rhe co mmu nity, u king pMt in the an. eomplcrn Ihe lU I line of 1M

~nd

you r

wor k, becomes an illusion. And you have wrille t' " poem. You hHC don t

blues ref.....in. inilialing I new rC2l il~ .

"

"

~ "

.. ,"

, T he elock of t he de<:ade is runn ing. As mem bers of t he end ' of-the-c enl ury

A~l · MAG E DO O N

FI\ OM T O G I\ INGOH I\O I" A' ) A MANI fESTO AGA IN ST C EN$0 1\5>1 1'

C"iI1",m~ (;6"'U.P
soci ety, the wo rld in dallger i~ our tru e and on l)' neighbo rhood. We are living inexplicab le cOlllradietio ns t hat sh an er ou r unde.... stand ing of the world: as th e fo rmer Se vier Unio n and Eastern Europe weleome w 'lIcI1l",,1chans es. the U.S. power st ru ct ure withd raws into ils o ld repub lican mod el. As Latin A meric~ finall)' sets rid of its last m i li u ~'

Etlill>" s note: O rigin" lIy p" bfi.h..d ;,/ J'J9 J, l fJiS " mele has b<m ,lightly 1(> "'iud. One 1<;llOJl, wh'cb!rx"iCd On Ihc /hen-"/KMning q" im:enrcn"",l ceton, / W O n tra;li d /"te, dtriae. '£o...th \rot/d "n d Otlu . UlIJp;'' '' C" rtog,,'phirs, " h..~'l! iKm mc/HJd "r Ihe md 10 exund the deb"u .

r"''''

dicrarors, the United States beco mes more heavily mi litui7,oo. Whil... dip lomatic negot iatio n and inre ecuh u ra! d ialogu e eme rge as viable options to conSlru ct a peac eful futu re (ha\'en 'l we seen eno ugh examples of

,ran~i ­

tio n-w ithout -ruptu re in ot her cou nlries?), the United Naric ns begins

to

pu c!ice pan ic politics in lh e i\l idd le East. Wh ile ot her socie ties are be ing led by utopian rcformists such as Mandela and Havel,

W (·

arc being misled

II)' hemispheric mach os.

l I\A C", I : Fl NIHC U LAI\TE

While an:ish and writcrs in orh..r cou nt ries are lud ing th e way to

/ SOHndb..J ofG'('go,i"" "hdtll!

t he ne X1 century,

" 'C arc

being CUI back, censo red, and excluded from t he

We encou nte r the nOJ[ d ecade of tho:' twentie th ccm ur)' wit h gre~ t per pk v

political process. We h ee a strangc historical di lemma: we stJot! cquidis-

ity. Unp l'l.'Cedentcd cha nges in t he " 'or[d have u ken place in t he p~~t Ii,-e

rant fro m ulopia and Arma geddo n. with on e foot on each side of the bor-

r eus : from Tiananmcn Squa re

d..r. and our an and t houg ht relle<:t this con ditio n.

to

the Persian Gulf and from Berlin to

Panama City. we all felt the o"erw hel ming b irt h pains of ehc ne,,' millen · niu m. Massatrc$. ci,·i[ war s, ecolog ical dissscers. epid emics. end abr upt transfo rmations of political regimcs "nd economic st ruc t ur es shook bolh

TI\A CK 110

TH ~

CH I L DR E N Of

T H ~

f iR S T A ND TH IR D WORLDS

/SIIH'" dbeJ of pu"k-a'a cbi mu,ie/

t he pla ner ~nd our individ ual p<.,·chcs . Majo r bo rders disappeared and other s were insu nd y created. The CQm munists finalh' cro ssed the Iro n C un ain 10 go shoppin g. while the

e~pitalisti se~rchej for no smlgia es tOuri stS in lhe East ern bloc

\VCfeh like

un in,-iIOO acto rs in a cyberpun k epic. The .1mOUIll. CUntp lexily. and inrcnSilYo f t bt' cha nges made i! impossible for us to deeod ,fy them adeq u~t..lj-.

In rhc eighries, all increa sed awar eness of t he existence and imporronce o f mu hicemric perspec tive' and hybrid cu lturcs within the UnitOO SI3 ,t ~ made us ret hink the imp lications o f O rhe mes s. As a resul t of demograph ic shifts, gene ralized soc i~l l ur moil , global media. and t he exposu re to no nAnglo -Eu ropean art and thought-lead ing to in tensificd tr affic between

J ust as il had been io t he Eu rope of the late 140>:)s, c'\'Crj' l hing scemcd to be

N o rth and South and East .tnd Wcst--cthnocenlric notio ns o f · po~t mod ­

up tOf' srab~ : ideo log}\ identit y, religiou s fait h, lan guage, and aesth etic s.

ernism " and ·Western cuhu rc " " 'crc to ppled by t heir ow n weight.

And in the midd le of rhis fin-d e-sicclc eanhq u ~k c, m~< contemporar ies and

Latin Amcr ica and Asia arc alreJd y ent ren ched in N o rth Amer ica;

I have bee n look ing fo r a new place 10 speak (ro m, and a new "o.;abubry

Afri ca slow I )' mO\'C'S nort h into Europe; and, after a four-decade-long

10 describe t his bizarre li""il iguo /" "'e inh er itcd .

idwlogical di-'orce, Eas te rn and Western Eu rope are co m mingling ~g~in.

The IIOUse
,.

00

lo nger defined by geopo litics, cu hure, or ideology, bUI by lime.

The · \\'e~t" is no longer West, and the "Th ird Wo rld " is no lon ger coo n ned to the Sout h. O ld binary modd~, legacies of European coloni~lism

and l~ Cold Wn mental ily, have been npbCffl by a bo rder di.tln:l N: of

~'orld , a lerritOr) tlul t My fed by hist orical and cultural right bclony

o ngo ing flux. We now inhabie a socio<:ultunl universe in m ru;lan l mo tion.

only to them.

,1 mm·ing cartogu pb}- wilh a flO.ll ing cultu re and a lluefu.lling "'Il$<> of sdf. A. artisls. " 'e no w underst and that we un . peak two or mor.. languages.

T~ "' C K

ha,-e IWo <>r more ide ntities and/ or nationalities, perf or m different role. in

fS" .."JbeJ by Ihe G)'pl' Kings '" Ma>lo Neg .....1 Ih(" ...·. ong lpud]

Il l , L A H U LTt · C O N f U 5 10 N CU l T I. MU LT U ~Al

mu h ip lc co ntexts, and nOl neccssa rily be in co nflict with ourselves and OIbcrs. Conmd icrion i. no longer penal ized . H yp henated. Iransi tional.

ln manr way. multiculturalis m sou red. We managed to l ur n the conlin er u

and multip le idcntili n ne no longer jUSl l heories o f radic al .lnthropo lu -

ups ide do wn. so t o speak, and insert into t he central di scussio n t he d is-

gists bUl f:unilin pop-cultunl rC
cou rse, t he t t'nninology, and th c
.lnd OIM conti ncnu ("d >et hCT muln to•.,mes eizos, Chk
experimental arti SI ~. '\t'e cv.", ffi.l1Uge
French A lgcri.ms. G ennan Turks.. Brit ish Pak ist
"'... ",'CTC unu>1e to ref orm the ad min istrni"e stru ctu re of I~ .ut ;",ti lU'

u ic childr"" of the I-l rsl
l ion~. lbc~' remain la'lely rnonoculturll.

of socielY. In doing so. th ey are re
Tod ay, man ~' fall< of ho"" "("Xdt ing, ~ " ncct'SS3.ry, · "confusing," Or

bo rd er experience i. b«oming · c..nl1;>I,- and Ihe art and lilcratu re pro-

- exelusio n..rv~ multiOllturali.m is. Respo nses range from 10Iai ,,·illin gnes$

duced in Ihe pan fi,·c yea.. Can te.tify to t hi. . ....

to fund and pro mote fhis cau se. 10 milit ant ang(" r al th(" pro spect of shari ng

i n this mo ving carlo graphy, it becomes increasin gly d ifficult 10 slista in separalist or essent i..list pos ition•. Mu ltilin guali. m. s~'ncrel ic an -

ihencs. bo rder th ought, and OIltunl plura.lism are b.-eo ming common

llIo ney and nOloriety with artists fro m other eth nic backgro unds. to fight ing .. bout ,,·hose suff..ring de serves mor e an em ion . Th(" debat e has alread )" reached the main ~tre,1m, r et crucial poolitiClI

practices in th<' arli"ic and int ellectual militus o f rh is cominenl, nOI be-

issues ar c still being avoided. Block hu st cr c:-xhibit5 present multic u ltu ral

cause o f mallC1"S of fashi on. :os rh.. do minalll art wcrjd wishes to t hink , but

an as th e · OIning edge", f ort. ""itb a f...... es ceprions, thCTC is no men lion of

because o f a buic pol itical necessiey. To StOO} t~ h ino~'_ art. and po litiu l

t~ hislorical crime.

t hougbt of ou r neighboring Othns I nd to lear n Spmish Ind ot h... lsn-

rela tio nship bet....ttn Aogln- Eutopnn culture and iu surroundi ng OthC1"S.

guages bc«!mes indi~nsahl.. if " -e ""ant to cross borders, regai n our lost

l ike l~ U nired Colors of & nenon ads, a utopi..n disccurs .. of ...mencs s

" Amt'rican- cifizen. hip, and parricipare in t he drafl ing o f Ihe n("Xt

help, to erase all unplcmnt sto ries. Th.. mes... ge becom es I rcfrie
cemury'. ClTlogr.tphy.

ni,11 ide .., if w e merely hold hands and d ance Ihe mambo tog rlller, we nn

T he holde r. of polil ical, economic, ami cu hural pow er-incl uding

and social inc:qui tirs Ihou lie beneath Ihl' neocolon ial

cff~ct j\C l y abolish i d~o logy, s("xual and cull u",,1po litics, ..nd class differ-

lhe broadcast ing .y~IC m S t hat shape and d d i ne o ur notions of t h,' wo rld-

ee ces. Le t's n ee it, the m issing text is "cry u d: in 1995 racism, sn ism,

lei eXlrcmd r scared of th("sechange•. Unabl(" to co mprehend thcir new

x..nophobi.l, and "Ihnoc:entrism au alive and ...-dl in t he U.s. A., ..nd the

plu e and ro le in this st ill incomprehensible c:mograph y. they fed Ih lt Ihe

eom munil i... th at mo re propon io nalc1}' reflre l th e mu lticultural composi-

....orld I n
tio n of societr are eh.. horndn.. the prison..rs, P<'Ople " ';Ih A IDS, and Ih..

ba.ck. Their feMS Iu'·e reached I><'Urocie proport ions..
so ldiers ""ho rftUmr-d from lhe l'("rslan G ulf.

Iu" e been fn rrom enli ght cnOO. Thry arc currentlr doing r.eryr h' !1g t hey can 10 com ro l l he en~' o r 1M Oth er. ..nd

to

reco nqu... t il<' OO1-so--N ..,,·

n.., ""ord "mu hicuhural" hun't .....-en been defined. Due to the lack of an m

mu lni"e m..mof)' that codifies p ubljc d..bne in America., it s«ms

t hn oery r ear wc h..H 10 restarl the d iscussion from zero, and th erefore

..

"

..001 A., "'G' DOO., ' 0 "'''''0'' ' _ '

,,·c still can', agree on a basic dcfiniuon. Wh~\ arc th~ di ff~r~ncC5 b<"1"'cen the mulli-, intno-. intra-. and cTOSS-<'Uhural? \\n".t ~dy d o ,...e man by oohu ral cqu it~.. diversiry and pluralism? Wlu.t ar~ the di ffno~""es

bet"'~n

coexistenc e, ~~ch~nge, d ial"l,"Ue. collaboration, fusion. hybrid iu tion,

A ~. ", . " . o

. D..... co....,.•••

do n' t Want to gi v~ us a f..w mQr.. )'ears o f attent ion. If we don't ace fast to r~'ore eLaril)'

10

th.. debue, . "e might soon lose: the lillie terrilOry j;ained

so painfully in tn.. pasl f....· yean.

appropriatio n, and cre ative exprop riatio n? Thes ~ terms Me very different.

Th~ impul... behind Ih.. clumsy multicultural debate is the collecli,'" reali7.ation of the need to readjust our anachron istic n~l iona l inn itutions

Some onrla p and OI h~rs ~" en h..w opposite meanings.: ho,,·C\·er. wc often

and policies to the ncw social. cultural, linguistic, and demographic reali-

them indiscriminatdy. As phi!osophfi3" PracUtiOllCfS, or impraarios

ties of this cou nu)'. \\"'h~1 " ·e all ar.. tn 'ing to sa)" is that ..... "'ant 10 be pan

o f multiculturalism. "'e must ask some k~~' questions: \l:'hich of t hese fonn s of rcl~tionshi p between cultures are morc sY'n mctrical and desi rabl~, and

of a -m Ul li --pan icipaIOT)' soci ety lhat t ru ly emb races us all, includ ing Ihe

which arCmore " 'actionar )'? Which are those thai .ro ly empower margi nal i ~ed groups? Which arc n",,' names for old ideu, and which arc ne. ..

l>rants from the Soulh and the East. th~ children and clderlr peop lc-ou r mosr ''Ulnerab le and beloved onn-tbe prop I.. ..·ilh AIDS, and the hom.._

realities in se:arch of a berrer name ~ Where cnctl~· do "'e stand?

less, ... hose only mi.tak.. is fK)1 being able to ;lffo rd housing. Th is is nOi radical politics but ~l"m..ntal humanism. From rap music 10 puformanc ..

UlC

An istS and wriu..... of color arc losing patience. The~' ha"e ro.>pt'lI cd ly srared that it is time 10 begin talking about economic and labor rcalities. In 199> wc should no longer n«d u. be ree\"al u ~l i ng pau digms.

multiracial and multis..~ u at communities, the " byb n ds." the recent immi_

art, and from ndghbor huod pol itics (0 the international forums, our con I ~m porarr ooltu r.. is already retlccting this q uest.

cOntczts. and nnons. Sc-'enl yean of ('Xc~lkm books. anicles. and catalop are anilable for tho se: who ani ,'c Iat ~ (0 the imellecrual banqUCI.

T It ... CIt IV : P E Il 'O It ..... NC E POl ITIC S Olt P O llTlC"' 1

Today, multiculturalism muslliso be u nd erslood as a questio n of "'o rk-

HIt' OIt ., ... NC E ... It T

placc. All cultural institutions Ihat claim to profess it m u~t hire prop le of CQI..,.. in impo rtant adminislrati,-.:,anist"", and I« hnical positions. The~

/S
m\l$l be .. ~l1 ing to shue tnc pa~-ch«k. the desk. and the decision-making

J os~ph Beu)'s prophesied it in the $C' ·.. ntlc$: an ...iIl become. polities and

process ...·ith Ih~ O ther. no r JUSt the excitement of th.. artwor k. 'llIe enigmatic unwillingness of some "m inm it}·" an isu and orga·

eightie s. Amid abrupt changes in the poliliul can og...ph)", a mysterious

niutions to

p~nici pat e in 110.. debate is also

a malt er of

~col1Omics. The y

kno..· tha i if lh~' blindly join in, 110.. Larger orgmizations.. ...hich ha"e

mor.. conn «t>Ons. · credibility.·

~nd bel:t~r l)ranl ..·';ten.

will intercept

their funding and funcl ion as multicultur al mCta-sponso rs. We must ....atch out. The debat.. hasn' t ev~n ,-ngendeTcd significant change and ther~ is al r~~dy a backlash: m~ny Anglo-Am~ricans ...·ho have b«n unable 10 find a pix.. at the multiooh ural dinner table ar e becom ing increasingly ....cal ;lgainst u cili. s('Xua l, and political differencc. T h.. far right i, lumping all polilicizc-d m"tteTSo f O therness under the 1ab~1 of "pol itical corr~ctne5S· and bra rwlinl; it "the n...... intellectual t)·ranny."

<>/ Brot~ ;liot n hu.vy me,,,'j

politics will become an. And so it bappened in Ih.. second half of the ron " ~'bl'nCC of pcrform:rncc an and politics began 10 occur, Politicians and

ani"isl$ borro""ed performa nce t<'Chniques. ...·hilt pnfQrtDJflCC artists b.-g:rn 10 mil< e~p.-ri mCfltli art ... ith d ir<'C t political actio n. An outstand ing elfam p!~ is SUp"rba rriQ, the se If-procl aimed "so;;:ial wrestler" and ch~rismatie political Jni"ist ,,·100 emerged OUt o f the ruins of a \I .."ico City d....·aslat..d b~· th t: 191t> eanh qu~ke. Utilizing the mJ,sk ~nd anire of a tradi tional Merican ""r<'SrI". h.. b«-amc the kader o f the

Asamblu de Barrios. a grass-roo ts o rgani7.ation thai helped ro rebuild rhe workiog-class neighbor hoods affeclcd by the quake and lobbiffi succ e..fully for ""pand cd housing programs_Bchind Ihe ma., k of Supcrbarrio

AftCT fi,'" hund red " ..,rn; of s~'Slcmal ic exclusion and indiff..renee rh..y

th~re ~I"<' at I"~I four d iff..rent ~tl\·islS, each ievolved in a spcciaJiud l.as k:

.

media int..n·~n,>On. grasS-fOOlS pol ities. politicallhcory. and rca1 wrcslling.

..

Aoother Mexican ~onnancc activi" is F u

} " To rmmu,

a Catholic

priest ""00 '·....Iured in to profess>OlU.lwr""ding in o rder to urn lh .. necesUTr mo ne y to build orph anagl,'$ and bri ng med ia allClll io n 10 rh.. plight o f

doing bord er an . MFonu nat c-l)'. Ihe reaction of the Tijuancn ses " -as mOre

original ~nd pon ic: in thei r counter-performances. Ihe)' ' cspondrd " 'il h ,"i rron and candles.

abandoned child ren. In chu rch, he wears his wresrli ng mask In u r mass> in th.. "'''. nding ring, h.. chall<,nges his oppo nents wearing religious vestments. In Peru . Alberto Fu jimnri. lh c po litiClllr inu:~rlcn<:ed son o f Japanes(

immi ~I7o Rls.

r s CULT U '-A

ma naged to win rhc ];15\ presidem ial dect lon by

ut ilizing performance and med ia art tactics. At «"n ain Sl ratCbic mo meRiS

D uring the se troubled )"U t> . art in the Un jtcd Su tes became a highl>'

of his dCClonl camp.ugn ht appe.tred in publ;(" d r""scd u a umuui. In

$ym bol ie lerrit Of)' of retalialion. Ult neonscrnlive relil;io us and gOH'rn-

these Lu io American examples, th.. mrl!tial

p<'oon~ crcatl'd

by politi-

n>em SCClOt> Ixgm to UI"!;" noooommrrci>.1 Ut drpie1 ing se:t:u.tl, rui~J.

cuns and $OCia! aeti,is" fu nct;o n ..,. both pop-<:u!lur.l1 allegorin and 50-

and ideologica l altemal ives top~tria~h~I WASP cuhuRe.As in 1"-'

phi .• tin ted med ia u ral<'gics .

McC arlh)"en , artis ts once agJ in were confro m ed wilh the specte r of J

D uring Ih" urn" t;me. on this .ide a f t he bol dcr, EU I Co",,, ~n: col l«ti,-~

,.

r'- A C I( v C ENSU '- A NO /So.mdb, J of prmro-r41'1

suc h as Gmup

Mn";~1. G n.n

Fury-. md the Guarilh G irls used

blacklist, spaces were closed. and cultur al organizers were sent to

COU rt.

This tim e the S1nt<'g)' wu to use scnu.l moralit~· iml~ad o f idMlngy as a

gue rrill~ Ihe~trr, in.ullat io n, ~nd medla-"1"n: sln.trgl n 10 dra...· anenric n 10

p. elC:t:1

the A ID S crisis lnd 10 rhe art world 's racist and se ~i SI practices. O n Ih,· WC't

ues. N ot coincidenta lly. ", osl o f thc arl wo rk chosen as Mconuo"e rs ial"

ColSl, groups like rhe Border An 'IX'o rkshop and the Lo s Angeles Povert y

was don.. by gay, wo men. African Ame rican. and LaI;"O an islS.

Depart mer nemplo~-rd npcrimrnu l m

methodologi~

10

cond emn ,,'o rks of an: that co" fm nt rd mythical American val-

to Intn'nne d irectly

Th is lime. censorship was pan of a muc h larg e' politic:al sp«trum.

in Ihe realms of im mign t ion and homelessnns.ln 0 1><' " 'ayor anOlher. most

Symptoms of a totalila rian sta te. t he logic~1 prosrns io n of a decad e under

art ist., . thin ke.... and arts o rganiu rs wer c aff""'tcd by Ihe act i" iSIspiril of an

Ihe Reagan-B ush adm inistralion, wer c being felt every" ,her.... 'Ib e ovcrrc-

and the performance natu re of poli t iC1 Juring the late eight i.... . The sp u rn t ried

10 d...·clop

ie; anl idOin . In M

« ico.

the go n 'm-

action o f J esse H dms and Ihe Am...ican Family Associa tion 10 sexually e" pliol an. l he attempts 10 dismant le afllr m;ttive acti on md bi l in gu~1

mem r~pond..-d 10 Ih., popuLuil~' of Su perbarrio by crealing ~ pcrf.,...

o:ducal 'on, Ihe effo rts

mane., rival: Super pu c blo . In t he Soulh wCSI, m;lny co rporation, h ypt-d th c

bod ies. rhe , ilent milita rizal ion of th c Mexican hord..... the gU' ern ",cm's

bo rd er as a nuquiJadara (assembly pbnl ) he;l"en I() seduce inveslOrs. and

un ...·illingne"

many m;lins"eam cull Ural im l ilUl ions followed 'UII. T he pseudo- MC'1ic.tn food chain T~oo Bell began dail;Ding place mm inspired by Ihe coocq.-

On d ru gs. the ilJrgal in vasio n of Panama. Ihe display of eulirary beavsdo in the Persian G ulf. and t he prcsidcnti~1 \-eto o f Lb... ci,·il rightJllrg;"Luion

lual murals o f bo rd e. ani mo Even the far righl began to appr opriat e the

"" e' e all di fferc nl expressio ns of the same censu rin g mentalit r , Jn d fC;tr

perfo rmance tactics of its opponents. In 1990. a large car avan ..., anti-

of O therness was J ( ;1" co re.

Mcxic.tn "ccocern cd cltizens - and ..-hite ' Upn:nuc;'ISscarred monlhl y

10

[0

b,m the basic righl of " 'omen to conlrollhd, O"'n

respond t o AIDS and hom d essn...ss, th e eup hemistic "'ar

Since il$ fo und;ltio n, l he, U nilW SUIts hu used t he S1 ral~J of

gal heri ngs ;lt the 5.>n D iego-li juana. border fence, w ilh the;r cae he:w-

allu king the cuh ural ~nd i.dcolugical Ot her 10 consol idate ilSClf. From

lil(ht.. poi nting so ut h as a protest against Ml he Mexican im-asio n. ~ When

above, A meriu n idem il)" hu been dcti no:d in opposition 10 an evil Other.

quen ioncd by arl iSI Richard Lou, San Diego's fo rm er mayor Rog er

I' m m N at;"e Amer icans 10 So" iet. , l his Olher firsl had to bc demo nized

H t-dg« ock, ...1>0 spc-u he,adt-d Ihe entire cam paign. an,,,.-erW, MWCarc

and dehumanized in order exploited. 01" dcstm~·C'd .

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10

then be junifiably cari catured, ce m rolled ,

'"

\\lit h the end of the Cold War and the sudden d isappuuf\Ce of Ihe Communisl t hr eat, n"", ellCrn;es had to be, invented. Fint on t he I;"t

re

exprasiom of l he Zcilg" isl of America.. the OIher America, the one to ..hich "'e truly belong.

Mniun migran t ...-o ekers blun«l for the gro...·ing u nemp lo~'ment er ared

by elitist gov.,rnment poIki(:$. Th.,n cam e Colomb ian anJ :'> In ian drull:

T Il "' C~ V L

lords 1«1 by General Manuel An tonio N oriega, but Ihri r past assoc iation

{!.t.JK by Jdlo Bi..jr....nd Ih" ,V ..ritJt .hlt-lic..n Bmi Sm gt T<}

Il( S' ON S(S TO ' ... N I C CU ITU Il [

,...irh Ihe Whi te House: m.ul., t h.,m a bad cho iee. Then carne African American and Lat ino ~ gangs ' from thc inn er ciries who wer e blamed fo r ur ban

My genera tio n "" as bu m and ra ised in a world of multi ple crises and co n.

"io lence and for the dru g problem o f the American middle m d upper class.

rinuo us fragmentat ion. Our curreOl li,'O' are Iram,>
Next On the ES! were Ja panes e bu sine, smen .....ho wc re ~. i le ntlr buying ou r

muda rr;ang lc of w. r, AIDS. and recessio n. We seem 10 brcloser than ever [0

count ty," and , latcr on . gay and ' co nt ro," ers i al ~ artists of co lor whose art

the end, and pr ecisely bttause o f t his. our action s have t wice a$much m~..a n.

rd lected a soci"ty in crisis, a rdleetion that Washingto n didn't want to

ing and moral weight, lho ugh perhaps fewer repcrccssic ns.

look at. Finally came rhe "monstrom " Ir:oq is. and by o u nsio n. all Arabs, A r:ob~ looking J>Wple. and propl" who opposed th" "'u.

All progressh'e and diulh=u g«l Others ....ho ...-eren'e bo rn C hris tian, nuk ",'bite. and ...· uhhy seem to bt; In one ""ay...- anorhcr. impcd inl> the OOR$truction o f lhe N..... 'IX'o rM (D is)Onln-. This much-lout«l order is a un ique autoc ratic utopia based on OIlC point of ,-jew-thei rs. All Or h· CO imid" and

Ol llSide

Ihe U nit ed Sule_...hrthcr upcrimcnul art isls..

oo nalignw inrdl«nuls. und om esrie.aed African Amc ricam and Latin os.

Our fragil" COntempo raries arc searving, migra ting. and d ying at. ,. <"t)" you ng

age. and the ~rt we u e making already reflects lhis sense of

em"rgeDCY· BUI it is nOI "nough juu 10 make art. We mUSI step omside of Ih" saf" an ar ena and an" mpl lO recap tur e OUr stolen pol itical " 'ill and mu tilated civic self. As tht ninn in unfold. U.s. ani5ls.. lUlrural organi urs. and inld l« · tuals m ust perform cemral ro les in rc-making socitt y. We muu fine-tun" OI.I r multi ple roles as in tercultural di plo mals.. bo rd"r philo.rophers. chroni-

wom"n. ga~'s. ho meless people, or for ri gner s from un fri"n dly countries-c-

clers. and acti"isls fo r wor ld glasnos t and local gringosnoi.ka. More than

ha"e nOWbegu n IQ su ffer in our ow n skin t he repe,""un iom of t his

e,'cr, we mUll pr.ct;' .... promO le, and demand access, tolennce. dialog u". and refor m.

sinister ord er. We arc astun ished and profound lr scared, fur now wc know thaI

We mUSt speak wilh valor aud e1~ri t y. fro m rhc nrw center, ne t the

after t he exo nrra tion of Oliver North and the Baghd ad genoc ide. the

old marg ins, and we mUSI do it in l a ~e.se:ale for mats and for lar ge and

viClOrio us po lilicos in WashinglOn and t heir European side kicks ar e ("a-

dive rse aud iences. We must uS(' public-access TV, N atio nal Public Rad io .

pable of anythin g, 'Ine militant erhnccenrrism o f Ihest new c",...ders

printed media. video. film, and fax art. \I 'e mUSI uke ad "antage of high

reminds u. of the original Spanish and Briti)h co lonizers of th" American

l«!mol,,!:Y· \1'e must redefine and expand t he :leli"i" legacy of the late

con tinent. ...·00 perc-eked eulru ral differences u signs o f danger.

eighrin 10 form mere im"rlUlt ural eoll«ti'·n, eomputn- d ala banks.. and

Despite our fcar; ...e mu51 nC\'er I~ th is perspttti,·e. An y anist, inlellrcrual, Of arts organizer "'-00 bd i....·es in and practices ci"il and human righu. cultural plun lism. and fr«dom of expression is ,,"olu nuri ly or

publicalions linkin g '-;u;ous armlic. po litical, . nd med ia communitin witbin and outside the C6UnU)·. \\?e mU51 dcf"nd Ihe sunival of the an ""...-ld as a d emililarized ZOne.

in"olu nurily ~ m...mbet' of a resistanCe againsl t he Ic rees t hai seck ro rake

'\r"e must continue to suppon tbe com m unit)· C(,OI"""and the altematl" e

our basic rights a..ay fro m us. And hislher words. images. and actio n) are

sp~ces , hat ar" rot ~n tiall ~· facing "" tinction . Larg e irmiru rion s muse tl"}" 10

'"

'"

kccp the snuner ones fmm , in king, fo r wil hout lhem, the large inslit utions

save the human !King ..nd hi,t her eo ncentr.ua! hahitat, " ·e ","o n' t eyen be

wouldlese their ro ots and t heir seeds. Successful painters mi~h t comc m-

here to

pla te donating ihc proceed, fro m the sale of an artwork 10 a co mmunit),

","i t n e~ s

In

li me~

t he extinction of the great whale and the Califo rn ia condor. such as th ese, nationalism is no longer useful. The surviva l

cente r or a.n ahe rna rive spuc. l n w me CU6, one pain tingor sculptu re

of rhe hu man sJX"' ies is ~ Concern to all com muni ties. As respo nsi ble an i. u

mighl !K enough 10

o f this cnd-of· tbc-centu,) soc iety, ...-c m c sr challenge the anachronistic

pa.)'

forsenral mo nths of opcntiona..l apcmcs. If some

of Ihe smaller spaces nnnOl surv;"e the crisis, ""e mu,t dn-elop diHc.-cnt

l1OI:ion t hat Qys; ..e are o nly me""IIO " 'orlt " 'ilhin ou r p..nicular et hnic,

modcls that respond 10 t he ne" condi tions o f cultural em"rgenc)'.

pol iTical. or w :rual eo mmun;t;es. s,ried r an contexts, or marginalleflist

We mus, li$[en car efully to ot her cultu res Ihat ha'·c a lon g hi, tory o f

milieus. Our place i. the ....orld-in -dolnger, a, bi g as i, can be for cach o f us,

facing rep re~si on. censor ship, and exclusion. N at i" e Americans. Lat inos,

and ou r com munitie, have m ultiplia! expo nentially_R ega rd l es~ of age,

African Ameri cans. and A, i:lJ\ Amt'riu ns have becn fighting t ht' ~ banles

race. gender. metier, or na tion~l ; tr. ~ n r ,",,;all)' respon~;b le person-nOI

Ioe «nturin . We mUSI r" bu ild communi ty t hrou gh our an, fOf" ou r com munilies have be=. dismembered. The insidious colonial tendClK;es th.>.t " ·e ha,·e

jus t m i' lS- from ,h is Or other continents ...·ho trul)' believes in and prK rices CU ilUral de~' and raci..land sexual <'qui!)' must!K considered .. member of ·our- com munity.

inte rnalized-and t hai <:JIprcss rhemselves in sa.di SiK comp"tilion for

P..""IIc1 to this majo r protect, .. much more private. but equall y

money and attent ion, po litical can nib alism . ~d moral di. trust-must be

important , path must be pu rsu ed : t he human i?:..t;on of our person..l un i·

o\'e reo mt'. We must ru l i ~ e thai we dre not each othe r's enemies anJ ,hat

'·efS{'. We mu st lu rn to take good care of ourselves and our loved OnC 5. If

t he tru e enemy is currcntl)" enjoyin g our divisiveness. We must d ialogue and collabo rale ..-il h an;sts fro m ot her disciplinC$

wc are nor responsible and Im·ing fri" n
and nhnic communities. as ...·ell as ....ith politOcal acl;yis ts. educators, Ia...••

citizens at Inge ? If ",e don 't rcopl ure Ihe necO:SS.if)· ,imc and personal

vers, journalists. cult ural cril ics, <>od social scient ist5. The old schis m!K-

' pacc.o enjo)' rom muni~' ritu als, fr iends hip , food. uCTriw. .lnd ""'.

t ween ..rt i. lS and academic, mU5l !K resolved once and fo r aiL '1);'., must

..-he-e ...·ill ...... g... t Ihe str ength to conli nue?

come 10 t he real iulion th at we hdVC ~en equallr m..rg;n..lized b y socict y

The humaniulion of our disjoim ed lives is also an expr.... ion of

and that t herefort' we need on e anoth er, ,\
the seuch for a new soc ial orJa, and th e reaw aken ing of our wtal sclf-

of acade mics, mel ther n«d our . ki lls to populariu issues. Academics

ci,·j[ian, po litical, 'pir; tua.!. erotic. and ae.chetic-....ill ;nev it..bl)- demand

have access to more cnensi ve info rmation, and ...e h..vc acces, to more

.. ne..· l'OCial bodv to conum it.

d ivCf'SC audiences. Toget h«. "'-e an d",·clop .. na. io na..l consensus of prio riti("j[ ~nd s.u.egi es for t he ne.... decade. Some people u y that t he n;ne.i" ...-ill be · ,be decade of t he en,·;ro n-

T lt AC "

vu . T Hf CU l TUlt l

0 '

T H E EH D 0 '

T H E C lNTU lty

[501", dbed romposed by the re"Jer/

ment, ~ and I wish with all m,- heart they n e right, but, as pcrforma nce ~rl i st Ellen Scb~"ian sa y ~ " We, t he hum an beings, are th e ultim ate em·i·

l

ronmenl.· From Sio Paulo to Baghdad, and from So"'e' o to t he Bmnx, ', "e

pl. " of t he ..rtist in a pcsr -gri ogost roik a SOC;cty.

ant 10 exerris" my po l it ic ~ 1 ..isio n for a moment and try

arc a fau~ in d anger of <:JIl inction. Our n;osysICms" the d eteriorata! mul· tiracial cities ..e inhabit, an: part of the IU.lUte " 'e must saH, If we don',

".

10

imagine th e

Per haps b~· the end of thc nineties po li' ici1.ed anisu and inteUec· tu~ ls

in ,he U nited Seaes ...·ill no lo ngn- be border p;n 'es

01'" .. ltcrtUt;"·c

'"

chroniders but respecta ble .social l hinkers . Per haps a muhincial group o f

I N 1 E il C U l T U il A l

WA IIF AII E

artis!.S.lnd ans orpnizers ..·ill hC2d a Minisl!)' of C uhu ....1Affairs. Per haps th ere will ne n be a ~l inisU',. of CullUra l Affai rs ....ith a budge'! rquivalem to

lh at o f o thn co unt ri" s, and mo re t han a hund red cxp.. rirneeralar ri sts

..·ill br able 10 sU1"\';" e eKdusi"el y on thdr art. Per haps lhere ..,ill be a Free An Agr« menr bet...ecn It... Unit ed SlaI ts, Mu ico. and unada. and ..·e

To
"" ill be ab l.. 10 exchange id..as and arnsrie prod ucts, no t just conSumer good . and ho llow d reams. Perhaps th e Spanish .o nly in illuiv.. will replace rh.. E nglish ·o nly. Per haps t he border with u t in A merica, t he Crru Ton i·

It won'l Cut it any mo re 10 pretend th at the enemy is always outs ide. The

lla Cumin, ,,'iIl6ru.11,. mllapsr. Perhaps one of tMsr daY5 C hiclna arti$'(

scp ar.llist., sexist., and radSl lendmcies rhl.l ....e eo ndemn others for prrpct....-

Amalia i\lrsa-Bains will become gonmor of ul ifo m ia, and performance

ling also exist ,,'ilbin our O" -n communit in and ..; rhin ou r c ...·n indi" idua l

art ist lim ~l ;He r or Jo hn .' !alpede the mayor of 1.0. A ngele•. Perhaps po.'!

selves . l ike", i.., _the art " 'orld is a d ysfu nct ional family_

Vielor H ernm dc-I:C ru z " 'ill ba:o me president o f Ind epe ndent Puerto

reflecring t h.. lar ger .societ}·, We c:>.n' t com inue to hid.· beh ind t he pr clCXI

Rico, and N mm Chomsk)' us. S«reury of Info rmat ion. Per haps Ralph

tha t the all-puIJ'O"" · dom inam cul tu re- or ·sc....ighl ..·hit e men" arc the

micro-uni" rrse

Nader ....ill be S« reury of rhe E n\;ronmenr. and l ui!> Valdez the hud of a

scure.. of all OU r p roblems. We must no ..' have Ihe courage to tum our

genero us INS. Per haps perform ance anius will be heard r"l; ularl r on

gu e inwa rd and begin to ....ise t he [Oueh " issues that mos t of us avoided in t he paSt dec ade-

N at ion al Pu bl ic Radio. and peers and philosophers of colo r w ill publish

daily in d.e majOC" M ..'spapers. Wou ldn't ~'ou like- 10 read the opinions 01 C h<'Ti Mora ga. James A. luna. o r E""", H em phill in you r 10caI paper? Perhaps we will be able 10 " 'atc h Trinh T. Minh -ha. Ju sica Ha g~-dorn, G a~ atri Spin k, Michele Walb ce . Com Fu.co, G loria An:u. ldua, Corn el

uri bl....ans have a hard t ime gett ing along. U.S.-bo rn Latioos and Latin

West. R ubin Martinez. James Cliffnrd, and man )' other thinkers from Ihe

Amer icans cannOt fullr u ndersund o ee ano lh er. Despite o ur cul runl

ol her Anw:r1ca o n muhilingual n.uional td e,; sion. PerhJ.p, t here ..;11 be al

similari t>cs. ..·e are scpJ.rated by ie viaible idios~ nc....t ie borders. Third

least five cuhural television channels in eve r}' citr. and C\'e..,' independent

'oX'o rld feminists and Amer ic01Jl feminis," nil! ha'-en't reached a basic agf"C<'-

film and "ideo an piCe(" .... ill be availab le in the local ,·ideo store. Pe rhaps

r nent regarding prio rilies and stra tegies. Th e " bop ' clubs" of the sixti\'$

" 'e ..ill be abl~ 10 purchasC' books b}' Ch k allO, Afri"" n Ameri can. As ian

,100 ",\'~min c:a n hard ly be in the same room ..-ith th e mul tiracial and

Men of color au aCli" e prol:lgon ists in the histOl}' of sexism., and Anglo- Am erican " 'OlTKn sharr t h~ blame in the hiscory of racism. We must ae, ept t his with valo r and dig nity. Afriun Ame ricans and Afro '

n.cembiuered ,·etcrJ.tU

Ameriu n, and N J.li,-e Ameriun ..·rilen at the: supermarkn, and .....("rl at the

multisc:rual an isu o f Ihe C'igh lies and nineties.

7- Elen n, I'er haps thc re will be so ma ny alte rna tive spaces that they " ,ill no

resent the in c"eren ce of th ... yomh and t he inrensity and directness of the

lo nger be called alte rnative. Perhaps t here willnc longer be a need for CO Ill-

WOmen ;lrti. 1S and int ellectuals. In fact, most st raight mcn are slin ir ritat ed

munit )"c..mcrs, since C\'e~ d~' will fu nct io n as a real com munity. Per haps

wh en sexis m is ment ionOO.l>l y lo..er has co nsiseemly pointed OUI the hy-

r~re

pocrisv of my hid ing behind crhnici ly

will be 50 man~' artists J.nd imellectua ls of color "'orking in our ee l-

rural, educuio nal, and meJia instit utions t hat there ..·il1 no lo nger be a need to labe l us by ou r et hn icily, Perhaps ". ~ will no longer need

•

".

•

•

10

im agine.

10

a"aid gender i$.Sun.

The bo rden keep multipl ying. A ni. 1S and acad emi cians ....rd}, u1k to One another. So-called commu nity an isls and po litieir.oo art iSiS working in major insntu no ns sLi I! s« o ne anorhce a.s enemies, nor as allies working

'"

OUTcultu ral institu tion s can perform an impon ~m role in t his

on diff erenl fru nu . Politicized arlists who work dirl'Clly wit h tro ubled com munil ies SUC h ;lS the ho meless, prisoners, migra m wo r kers, or in ner

respec l; they C.ln function as labo rarcri cs to de,'clop and rest ne,,"' modcls

city youth are seen as o pponuniuic.
of colbooT
tionni by P'""Pk ...ho do .absolutcl}· noching Io r rbose communities.

u diCill t hink ing.

·Successflll- ~rtislS of color~", pcrcci.-ed U ·Co-opled: and rhose who vent UTe into rhwr y ~re seen ~s elitist .and no. -o~
llH G R E A T COl l A IO R ATl V E

~ R OJ tCT

commu nity. Bo. h Anglo lil>cral, and essemialin s of color "-fe ,till ;mmCTSC
~ Tbr peaplr from

Poliriciecd art;"l$ ..-00 f~" or h~'bridi t y
-LnJw .11......... w..... .or• ,.."eI JiM..-.......

~re seen

tbe SDJtlh,z" coming to " ':Ie..-"- •

wit h dis t rus t bl' all sides _

Wd l - m(>~ ning

liberals have learne d the correct ICrmino log y 10 not

offend us, but l he}' rem~; n un willing to give up con tr ol ;lnd StOP run ning the shu ..·. When called on t heir b..nign bigotr y, . hr y suddenJ ~' become

moM'cn. :\h ny ....hire multiculturalislS Me cu rt"C'ntl}· experiencing.ll1 ;lCU IC

Ou r ·nhnic· communitiC5 tu,·c clung~

casc of " co mp.m io n f~.;gue. · Tim.! of bcing Hicetoo and scolded b)'

years Ih~t I~r might no longer b.. JUSt ·ours.· Our oeig bborboods and

f""Ople of color. they arc eil hC'C bailing out for good o r rcrrcoching 10 pre-

burios have become mue h more mulli r"ci;ll;l nd i mp(n'erish~ . Ou r f~mi~

muhieultu r~ 1

lies, schoo ls, ;lnd com mun ity ceme rs arc f;llling apart. T m er~ci a\ violence,

sranccs. The;r Ih;n co mmit ment 10 cul tu ral '''lU;ty en po ratcs

$V d r~m~t ic~ lI r

in t ~ pasl ten

hom d cssnns, AI DS, and dru gs have incrcasN exponemi~lIr. It becomes

before our "CITe}es, In rhe ni~ie>, OI,Ir communi.ics arc ferociously di,·id.-d b~- geod ct,

turdcr to differcmi ~te bft""ccn the Sout h Bronx ~nd So..-eto. between

race, class, and ~ge. An ~byss-noc I borderlilloC'----'5cparates u. from ou r

Soul h Cnll r~llos Angeles MId the ~ Paulo f",:.:el.rJ. Our ccrdaed social

chi ld ren, Ollr teClu gers, ~nd ou r ciders. The Cclur obiae legacy of divisi,'c-

theo ric:s h;lve been rc ndC'C~ in:adequ.tte by these ch
ness i. mo re present than ever. Thi, i. co ntemporu r Amerir a. ~ land of

acti"i$1$ h~vc become foreigners and exiles in OUTown co mmun ities. Despite lile fact Ihat in the Ilinel ies the word -co mmuni ly- has

such di"crlity ....he"' nOone toler alC'S d ifferencc, " bn d o f such bizMre eclecti
u kcn on m yriad meanillg. (mOSI of which arc open ended ~nd C"C'C

acn ..isu spend more time co mpeting for ..tten.>On and fu nding thOUl esrab-

ch.lflging), some P'""Ple slil1 utili7.e the demagogic b.lnnu of
lishing emlitions "" ith ot her ind i" iduals and grou p>.

alld uni fied commulli~' 10 infuse their actions wil h mora l suhsunee. The)'

C hic.no t heo retician Tom~s Ybarra- Fuu sto su ggests t h ~ t in the nineties " 'e muse resist aU at tempts

a.t

int..rcu lt ll r~l ,,"'~rf;lrc, and I com-

pktcly iubscrib.. 10 his call. In o lder to ~n t he gre.l.t pro}cct of racial. gender. ;lIK! gellCTa.ional

rcconcili~I>On.

..-e must.ign a Innporary rca.ce

all ack ~ Ild escl ude others who express d ifferem views On u d al identit)', sexua lity, and ~esthetin; - [ TCp resent

Ill} '

wm munil)', H e/she deem ·t. ~

- H is communiI)-' dOC'sn'l hac k him
based....• Th;,. sd/-righlcous 8 5 must Slop. Noc onl)' docs ir ...iden ai-

tTC.lt )·. Perhaps t he key here is the recog nilion Ih. t we all arc pan ially

re~d y

guilty, and (h. t most of us arc pan i~l! r discnfr rnc hised . At least ~ mong

tioll ' wilh Ih e con firm.tion of t heir steTco trrc-t hal arti sts and p,'Ople of

ourselves. like in a family rl."tlnio n, ....e must face these issues fro null l' but

color who d emand change simpl y can't gel alon g.

....i, h respect. ....thout indicting ~nronc, withoul calling na.lOC'S.

..

,

exi,t ing di"isions but il provides rhe m~ia;lnd dorninan r instilu -

Under rhe current fog or cOl\fusion, som~hing is ek ar: ""e mu.1 rediKO' er ollrcommllnilies in tu rmoil, redefi ne OU r prob\nn;l lic n:U.OOnship

.

,

" "" '. ' _ ~' "' ''<>o '' ' '' G ."",,,..... ...... . KU,,,,," ."".... e. ~.......... 10 th..m, and find new

"' :I." S 10 ~ rH

t hem. And those who ehoose for

po r..ry America. T he r:wieal imdk
wh:l.tever reaso ns never to go b3..k to t hr ir o riginal co mmunities must be

gm'ern menu wilh rega rd

~Spn::led.

Po liticized women can r....ch us ho w 10 org anize and co llabo r:o.t.. mere

No on e h3$ t he moral right 10 qu~tion rbeir decis ion.

The an .m rkl , 10<>. i. 3 paniculul ~' nung" community. II h;as no

to

demou nic;;ally. T he g:o.y:ond lesb ian commu nities can show us },o... to

eklers oc children. Tnc clden:lre ignored,:l.nd the: children He.s«n;as a

red...im our bodies;as Srtes for p leasur.. and cd cbr.l[;o n. )i.wy mOt"<' com~

nui... nee. This b el is:l. microcO$mic expression of the de hunu.ni7..u ion of

munilies must join in.

the l..ger scci..t}·. Lu ino 1cad..r. insist t hat cn.ry,thing we thin k :lnd do in

It's about time Ihat po liticians :ond ci" ic .Ind co rporate leaden begin

t he fUlUre must h.csh:or..d wit h other generations. We must in" ile ou r

to rake note: no cffeni ve so l... l ion 10 Ihe m ultiple crises th.lc affl ici Come m·

cide rs, t<'e.u.g..rs, and young chi ldren to IIte!:l.ble and reco nnect ..-irh them,

por.lr~· socie ry cm

for t her nn remind us of the lruly imponam lhin;s in 1if". We must bridge

d irtct part icipal>on o f cuh of I~ ove.-l.lpl'ing commu nities. \ f r co l-

this gTa"e g"ncnl:ion.a! g.>p:o.nd. make sur.. d UI "'hen we le.l,·e the table

lC2f;ues .Im1 1 poli tely ask ~'OU to join in.

oth..rs ..·ilI t3ke ou r plue.

bI' impl..menled wuhourr h.. consen t, co nsensus. ..nd

Please forgive mr incom mcnsurahl.. .Irrogance.

The case of the d istTU stful teenagers is parricuhrly sensitive. They rightfully believe " 'C are pani:l.lly respons ible for rbe dangerous worl d ther are inh..riti ng. Th..y sec us .u ineffici..nt and int <:iOlsigent, and Ihe)' h.."":l poinl- We mustln rn to an:q>1 r~ponsibilit~· and seek mo r.. diceli.... languagn 10comm llnlat....·il h rhem. lbe ttt,ug"TJ!u.,·e u ..mcndous Ihings 10 IN ch us: they Iu."" Iewer hang -ups about rae.. and gende .. they are much mor.. at cue wilh crisis and hr b riditv: :l.nJ Ihcy un dersl... nd our e i ti~

and neighbo rh ood s bcuer dun we d o. In faCl. if Ihu e is an an lor m

Ih..t trul y s""us fo r the pr esent crisis of ou r eommun ili~. this form is rap . The ind igl'llOUSphilosophks of t he Am ..rX-as remind us lha t """ry. Ihmg is interco nnected. "11 dnl"'eti.... .and divisi" e Iorces have me

S:l ......

'IOurce, and all snuggles ror Ihe rcspn::t oflife in all ilS " ...riann lead in Ih.. same dire ction, Th e ~rcal proj c~t of reform and rccond lialio fl mUSI be, ab<we ...11, a collaborative one , and ..ll - discnfr:o nchised· r om mu ninc s muSt takc pa rt in il- w.. .&11 nc..d

to

begin sharing OUr secrets, skills. It rac egi ~

...00 inff;lStlVClURS- ~ indigenous communillcs of the "m"';cu c:o.n tach us mo"" ..n1 il;hlencd " ':lr S10 proouce com inuing 10

d~IT(>Y

food and medic ine ",ithoul

the :tir and h nd. Th e recenl Lat in and Asi..n imm i-

&ranls can mak e I)ur cit ies walka blc and livable again. T hey can also leach US ho..... 10 res p"'l our children and elderly peopl e. since Iheir £ami!i:o..l Sl rucl u r~ :lr"

much llronger rhan o urs. The ani,u md ,,·ri,ers of calor can

help us undmand the bizarre racial .lnd cultural lopogr:o.p hy o f Con l..m-

".

'"

r c • • • Tl'

• .oo " ~ c

.. o ~ ~o

WN 'OI .... . . .. "'. , . . .... ' 0..' 0 "

we hsve loS! our own pl~ccs; n the world. we have los! rcsp<'O for lhc LOO to:lNCi A ROU N O ,

l O O ~I J'l (;

eart h, and I(UI it badly. L.cking a sell,e of microcosmi c com muni ty, we

)

WH H E W I ..... e. WHHE W E COU LD IE

L",. }' R. U p" .."

based art bring people · cloSC'T 10 home· in .. wciet}, ChM2C1.ni7 ed br "..lU.I Gn:>rg Luhcs called - In .llsundcnuJ homdcu ness- ? Not $; n~ [~regional.n of the Ihi rli~ h""r so m.n~· people lookni .round . rO,'<;or dcd wh.t rhcy sec or wo uld like Co sec in thcir o wo c",-im,,-

....OU NO

]','e spen t a lot of my life loo king, bu t less of it lOQking uound. An history

rnCnls• • nd u llcd it .n. Some have gone

~y ond

th e rctlecnve Fu nction o f

and th.. an world "make progr~s, • focusi ng on an invented ,·..rush ing

co nventio nll an fo rmS,ll1d thc nKI" " function of mlKh activiSl an.

point. losing sighl of the cydic. panoramic .......·s. And of COUr1o(" it's not

Those who h..,·.. b«n . 1;1 for • long ume

"ur 10 be visiona ry in Ih.. smog. M~an""hile, Hucl H enderson 's - Ihink globally. ael lonH,·· hn become a l ruism-an o.-erused idea impo rta nt eno ugh

10

remain tru e. Th c nOlion of the local. the locale, the locmo n, the

local i t ~" Ihe p/
. ,.

bil lD prot eCI ou r murocosmic global home . Can an imcnnivc. proce ..-

because in order to auraet suffieiem buyen irrfhe currenl syst..m of d istribUlion , ....

=

musl be reb li" d " gencnl ized, deu chJ bk from polities 1J1d pUn .

Th e soc;",1:unnesiJ and a l11 ihistoric~ aui tudcs Ib.at chuaClcrlU OUr

society al brge Jffect lhe an world as ,,·..U. "C hJ nge increuingly appears 10 be all Ih at there is. . . . Thcre is no sense o f progress which can pro vide muning or dept h and a sens.. of inheriunce. ~ I But, perhaps beeaun "" e arc al a retrOSpccli,'" mo ment in bisrcrv-c-n..arin g the end of a millennium ,,00 jusl ~llhe fl"e bundredth 1Jlni"el"SM}' of the mosl heralded po inl o f coloni~ism-man~' of us ..,-.. Iooking back 10 fiod solid gr ound from ...,hieh to leJp fo rward, into [he shifting future. 11 "'~ms significant that whal the

U C rcp r~ud

individu"]ly in t his book. BUI tfH,y also .....,... heirs and colleagues among younger .lnis<.. . wri ters, ~ nd .lCli,·islS ....ho rq;aro the rd alionshi p OO""«n pn>pl~ and peo ple u ll1ik~ rbcm. bet"""",n pooplc and place. b.·tween peoplr, plJce. /lon, bunJ. and no w, neces.suil )', e,'en armo~phere. as a " 'ar of undersu nd ing his to~' and the fuIU~. Th e growing "mubiC1l hunl~ (and cross-cuhural, iml'rC1l hun.l) «Intribu tions of th~ lut decade Iu.,.." optncd up fresh "'J~'S of urw:l ......unding Ihe incrcJibly complex po l i li~ of nu ure. Culru re and the concept of plJce J re in [act inseparable. yet people (J nd id<"<.>IOJl ies) arc o ilen lefl o Ui o f In aboUIl and and landscape . A5 K"nnelh H d phand has observed, l=dKapc$ (...hich I would define as plue al a disunc~) -carry legacies and ksson s ~ and can create "1Jl info rmed tandsc~ cnizen rv.•j Nalional. globa.l. collective narr.Ol;'·cs uc CS(>C'("i~lIy sceessible

historian Lawrence Grossbe rg calls the · ,·ery co rnersto nes o f hiSlorin l

Ihrough one 's b mily hislo~'--br asking simpl.. qun lio ns abou t "' h~' ...-c move d fro m One block or citr or smc or cou mry 10 anOlher, gained or lo se

rneueh · can alro be called the "er~' cornerstones of the an to ",· hieh this

jobs, married. or didn'l marry whom ",'e did, kepi Irack of or losl track of

book is d...·OIcd: -appreciation of differ..nce, und ..rstand ing of co ntext,

ccru:i n relarives. A su ni ng po im, for mmpl..: simpl e ~Mch ~bou llhe

and abili t), 10 mak.. critin l compuati "e jud gmcnu On lhe basis of ..mpathy and ...·id ..nc<:.·'

have b«n m"lic ? h~ ..e r ou made ? " 'h en ...-as the house bu ill? Wh~1 do Ih..

Ecological crilis is ob. ious ly respo nsible fo r the currc m preocc upa-

deeds in the coumy records ha"e to ...y about il and rhc l.lIld il su nd. on ?

tio n with place and cor\l.·~ t ,:IoS is In ongoing noslalgia ior lost con nectio ns.

How docs it /it into the histo ry o f Ihe area? Has its monelary "alue Jppre-

The Gr....k root of the word "eco logy " mu ns home, and it's a hard puce

eialed or deprecia,ed? Whr? When did rour family move thcre ? Fro m

10 find these dars. Prteisd~' beau", 50 nu.n~· people J rt' 001 at home in the

""here? 'I};'h y? Wha, Nui"e peoples first inhabited. it ? Does ~'our family

world. Ihe pl.lrlC'l is being rend ered

'"

l.ll

impos;sib k ho me for rmn~·. Because

pt.ee ...·hff\' ~-ou li"e o r ...·ere raised. Who lived the re Mor~? Wlu.t ch1Jlges

b.a'·e J hislOI')' in the u e;&. o r in any u ..a? Do rdali..es liH neJrb)' ? Wh.al is

'"

~O O < ' W G

differnit no..' from ..-hMl rou were r oung? Wh y ? H ow docs , he intn-ior

plm

of }·ou r ho u$(' rd n e to tbe- o;lmor~ H o ..· don its sej-le

001 s}'non~

~nd

d.,.,or:llion

"OU~O

" HI"

w I . . . .. ~ . . . "'- '

eou, o ..

are rhc rcscn'oin of hum.:tn comem, .. "'bil.. pb ce and ho m.. arc moos. a pl...,e must h.l" c something of the hom" in il. In these

~fl.,., t r ou r f~m il >". cuhur~l background. Ihe places from ...·hich you r

chillin j;timcs. Ihe canupl o f place hu a ...·ar m feeling 10 it. T he implic~­

people urne ? ls there a g~rage ? a b ""n' a g.udcn ? 10 the flo u loa.l or

rion is that if "'·C kno w oor p lace ..... kno w som"l hing abo ut il; 01'1;.- if .....

impon«!? Is t here ...-ate r to sustain it? Do an y animals li" e there ? And On

" kno w· " in th e h istorical and ex~rient ial sense do ",'" uul~' belong Ib,'r e.

a broad er scope, arc rou sati,fi l-d wilh lh e pr esell1? If 1'0 1, ~ re yo u nosral-

BUI few of us in contemporary North America" socie t y know uur plsc" .

gie fo r the past or lo nging for lhl· fut ure? And ' 0 f" n h.

(W hen I ask..d IW" " l>, uni '·ers it,. stu dems 10 nam e Hlh eir place.· mo st had

Questions like t h"" can set off ~ chai n of p<: rso nal :lIld cultu ral

none; the excep lions wcr e two Nan ju women, ra ised t radilionall y, a"d a

remi niscc ncc. and ra mifications, incl ud ing lines of t ho ught ~bout inter-

man ...·hose famil} had bc..n on ~ southern ill inoi s b rm for j;Cneral ;ons.)

linking histories, t he ull3ckno.... lcdged Amcri u n c1.us s}'scem, racial.

." nd if ...-.. ...n Iocal c nursc l.-..... " ·e ha'e not ncccsnril}· exam ined our place

gende r. :lDd cu ltu ral di\"isions and Cammon grou nds. lind usdabusc. gCOl;-

in.

Of"

OUr SCIw.1 rclationd tip 10, lhal place. Some of us h~,c .wopl~ p laces

np hr. MI ,·ironmc nt. to..." pla nm ng, and th e es perience of natu re th~. h.u

tty t ar " nen really ours excepl psychol ogic..!ly. ~'c ha" e redefined place as

m.:tde ~ ~ rct um· 10 it ro mYlhiul. \l'hcn rhis k ind of research into socia l

a fclt bUI inveible donu.i.n.

In ce n rras e 10 Ihe hol istic. eanh -cent ercd indi l:eno us peoples of this

belo nging i. inco rporate
"·a ~' s

to un derHand

how hu man oc" u p~ nts arc also pari o f the en\' iron men t rather th an mere!r I n' 'aders (hu l thai (00). According to Wend ell Berr y, Ih e mo st COn, iS1Cntlr

hemis phere (",·Ito, (WeT Ihousands of }·ea.... had ~Iso madc changes in t h e land ), the inndi ng Eu rop eans saw rhe nalural ....-orld a. an o bi...,1of plunder 10 be co nquered, cxp loilcJ , and co mmod ified . Th c>, impo n ed d enial.

inspi ring writer On A meri c~n place, - Th" COlKepl o f count '}·, ho md and,

sli ll a pre" ~l e nl dis ease among t heir d..sc..ndants. Thc causes of Ihe ex-

d...·elliog pla ce becomes simplified as ·I he en\"i ronmcll1'--Ih~t i... wh al su rrou nd..< us- Once ...-e ~ ou r pl...:e, our put of th e ....orl d. as ."rrrnmJing us, "·e bsve .ure~}· made a profound di' -mon bet..-een il nld ourselves.... Rni immers ion is drpcndem on a hmilWil r " 'ith pl...,e and ia hisl o'}· thai i, U re tod>.y. O ne ..·ay [0 umlcnur..J ...here •.-c b..-e landed is

hauSled resources. the scarcily' of wood ami ara bic land in an "o ld wo rld " " 'er e n...·er

~ckno ...l«!gcd;

....o rld. ~ Althou gh

~

old habi a " 'cre

simpl~.

reasserted in Ibe ·ne..'

sense of collective loss spread through rhis cou lllry' al

rh.. cnd of Ih.. ninctC<'fllh ctlllU'}·....hen mos l of the arable 1M>.}· st ill ...am to believe

[0 identify Ih.. econo mic and hi $loric.J.fOITCS lh.1l brought u. ",·h..r.....·e

I h~1

nc-~Ion"

un r..b loo i~ the scam anent ion paid 10 [hc w~ys ru ral and urban spaces arc

" 'here

Or acco mpani ed. (C ult ure, .uid on e co ntcm po rar y artin, is 1'01

w" comc fro m; il' Swhere we·re com ing Iro m.) As we l()(lk al o ur-

ou r reso urcC$-...· ~ler. to!"oil, (orals, fucls, o:\'r\;c n- are infiniU, Not

Sl ructur<.J and how Ihey affecl Our nllion~ 1 psycholog r- (Histor;anJohn

scl" es crili cally, ill soc ial co ntexts, as inhabiu l1lS, user s, onloo hn, tourists,

Slilgoc sal's that in "oloni ~l New England , low ns plann\-d in odd shar'C5

...... c~n scruli ni7."ou r Own part icipatory ro les in rhe nll ural p rocesse' Ih ~ l

"'·c re seen as disorderly and wer c - mo r.. likcly 10 har bo r civil and ecclesiasrical unresr.·)"

~re

fonn ing o ur fUlun :, . Similarl}" the st udy of place offers access 10 exp<:o

rimee of lhe land itse U (and ...·hal ""e ca ll

-natu re ~)

as ....dl.u 10 ..-o rrel'l

ecological pclirics aod a se nse of responsib ility 10 II... futu re. Jeff Kcller h.u d istinguisbN the nOlio n of place from th ai of silc.

made po pular in t he lal.. sin ies b)' t he te rm

~ s ilc- specific ~ .sculpt ur e: -A

5,1" rep resents Ihe cons tituenr physin l pro penin o f a pbce . . . whi le

".

Tod ay. acco rding \0 Rosalyn Deu ISC h. spac.. 1$ a reflect ion of PO" '''' ~III>Of15 (prod uced

by social rclllions)

~i.

on the pol itical agenda.as il

oevcr Ius been before, ~- This is t rue fo r artists " '00 have bc..n Hfr.uning" I~nd fills,

shopping nulls. park s, and Other social coot..Xls for man y y<'1r5

no ..... Yet the e veralltonc is no r exuberan t.

r ,·e bee n seue k br dtree

recene

'"

, < OO ~ ' NG

~' O UN O

"'" _, . , ... . . .

w., .. ....

..

~ OU ' O

nuning pb.mumen.l: First. th~ posunodemin imp ulse (no'" ~l lea>l:l de-

by modding rhem sel....." o n Indi an. even ",'hile wiping th em OUt.' The

eade old, and sup remcl r wr<»nin' in iu o wn right) h:os S\U-..-ned:l

resurgence of mains tream inte rest in Nari.·... culture in Ib~ last Ie...· )'ears

rlnhoTa of uhihiuons. "nid~ M>d books called Tl:'· >;rw' ng, K'-\'isioning,

(a process dur began in the sixt ies) is pan ly due to Indians' grass-roots

re·m..pping. rc~thinking. re. photographing. S«ond, th e titles o f exhibi·

strenglh and pride al h.a...ing sun'i,'cd, p~rtl~' bolsternl by tbeir ra.ge at t he

lio ns about Lmd ..nd nUUr.. are becomi,,& mclan.;holic and

cost in Nati...e culture. health, and land. BUI il is also a p roduct of the

C>'C'n

apocal}"p-

lic: fo r insu ncr, .~gll;n fl ,\ "a IMre, The Dcmor,,/'uJ Lrndsc..pe. TIN Unmdk ing of,v,,,,,u, I.OJr 1/I"51005.;rnd Ulopta, Prlfl-UlOpi". Third.lhc

terms

~ Ierri[ory,"

"bod." ·unh,· · u r....'n ." and ' m"ppi ng ~ :lre "Iso

gruwing recogn itio n amo ng Euro-Amcrjcans that the fi"c-hunoret:l-yearold dream wem a.... ry. T he 5Carch for place is rhe m yth'cal search for rhe axis mundi. fo r ro me plaa 10 sund , (or som elhing 10 hang on 10 . (Scnet::a

ub iq uitous ;n both rhecry and p....c li cc. T he map as a micm/macro visual

Jrti,t Pele' j emison has said it is nOt the Hag but t he pole J Oe n~l~ on lOp

co ncept has lo nl; been of in tcresrro ..rusts, and panicularly to "concept\lal ~ and · ca nh ~ "nists from 191>5 to 1')7>. On o ne hand , mapp ing thc

Ihal mea n some thin g to his pl'<>plc; th(·y c(""''XI cJnh and ~ky, body and

turf can be seen as abening .I u n ·c ys . fences, bounda-ics. zoning. and ot her

(oVo'ard nalure is nccCSSlI)' because an ylh in~ SCIon a pM e51a1 can

inst ru m<"ms of po5scssion. O n the O1 hC1" hand, mapsl ell. uS wh ere we arc

be u ndermi ned.

and .ho... us ....here ....c·re goi ng. Un dcnlanding our cultural grognphy.witl be a nn;~' ce mpencDt..,f tlx: ","in.-enlion of n.ltu n:. Wc 0C'Cd 10 Slop cknying differ ence and ..prctmding a ""oo:ty u no'ersalism W I masM and mainU.iM dttp """ial

>piri(. ) At the Same I;me. a dc-idcaliU l ion o f nJrure aod of N ative attitudes . 0 ca5 i l ~'

" res po ru iblc an of place must be pm: of a cenlering ptOCC'S)'. 'I),"a' "e :oftcr wa" e of exiles is slill coming t hrough Ihi" land. and ""e hne made lnlern.al exiles c>cn o f lbose wl>o ue iu nath,n. The immigrant popu luion in the U niled Scates (all of us) has no center; DO ""ay of orienl ing ilSClf. 'I),~e

divisions, We h.a,·e 10 kno ...· more about ou r rdatio nsh ,J'l; 10 eaeh (}t h....., ;as

tend to pres u me ou r ancestors ha.d one, bUI my family, for enm ple. <:on.

p"" of Ihe cultural eco logy, to kno.... ""here ...-e sla nd as art;s", and cullural

slan d ) m()\ et:I around; from the 1700. on, fe...· generatio ns sn yed in t he

work el"l' on ho melesmess. ncism, and land, waxer, cul lUral, ~nd religious

same to.... n. When J pl~ce-oriented sculptor sa~ .. " Place i. wha l you hJ'- e

righl s. ...hel her or nnt we ...vcr " 'o rk direcdy on thn e i.~u cs. Benuse Ihey

lcfr, " I'm not sure w hClher .he means "all thlt remains · or -t hat whic h is left behiod."

arc linke
nOI ind uded ,n trad itional u l education. Multicultura l . rudics especially

Alth ough art has often bet'n used in Ihe p,,-'I as prop aganda for coloni'lli sm and exp~ns ion,sm (especially durin!; t he ni net« nlh .cemu t}

need to be incorpo rated into an about hislory and place. If o nly white

m n" ~me Ol "" est ), and muc h COOlemporal'}' pu blic ln is still propagaod'l for

hist ory i. st udied, the pl"'e rem ains hidden. f or inSlance. wlte n I taught a

exist;ng po ....er srru crures (espccially d e'c!opmeOl and banking). no bcuer

semi nar o n land in C olorado. I fou nd Iltad to indude th e " 'ar land was

medi um exists in this society to rei magine nature, to negotiale. in Dunna

used and COlIcrpt Wl'i~cd by the origi lLll inh.abiu .nrs. the Ingie histori... o f

Haraway's ...-o rds, -Ihe term. on ",·hieh 10"e of ...lIure cou ld be pan of Ih e

~ui " e land.

and bves and or t he cont inu ing SIN gle on Me,.ican 1M>d

gn nts, t he roles o f bbck farmel"l' and co...boys. C hinese railr~ and agricultu ralworket$. and the dnen. inlemmcm of Japanese Ameri c.ln$ during World War II, ~'hite A merica has been d"'pl y affected (so deeply it doesn 't oft...n

sho "" o n t he surface) b~' th... bnd-bascd Iradil ions of Nali..e and mCSlizo

sol ution n thcr than pan of Ih e imp05ido n of colonia.! domi nalion and cn,-i.ron mcnlal destru ct ion. . " The upper middle clas s (from ",h ieh lhe majori ly of aniSt. emerg es) Iturn . in mou nuins, on abandoned fums.

cull ures; colonists inherited ~grieultural si'es and technique. ami survived

'"

'"

.00 < ""

But u rb~n cnvironmenl'

~re also

pUcc. , ~ Ithough fonn ed differently, more

likely to . pawn the multiple sd ves that ease cross-cult ural co mm unie~ ­ tions, tha t in f:l(: , afe the reSult nf UOS$-cuhurai com municat io n. Thns t of us l i~'ing in any big cit)" "x u y Ue confronted by a ,'"st minor ",henc" er ...·e Strp outdoors. It reflecrs us 1nd those wt.a. like us. lin- on this cO mmon grou nd; our appe.uanccs IDd lives o ften diffn-. but "'e can'r look into rhe mirro r wilhout see ing them 100. Th c r«iprot~1 natu re of cchural cc mmumcaricn is rhe nailJames Baldwin hit on rhe head when h c said,

-nI am not who you thouj;ht I was. then )'01,1 arc nOI who )'ou thought ~pcrimrnling

~bo>·e.as u~hing

...h,ch teachers "no! "tudenu can collaboule 10 6nd their ing number of artisUi

~,e

'~

G~~r W~U

the varied (but srill not n ried enough) forms that have come

to be called · publ;c art" deserve rhe name. I would de6ne public HI;U accessible wo ri< of any kind 1h.:.1cares about. ch~l1eng.,., inn .h-a, and consults ttK: audience for or with " 'hom it is m:a
inc",.as-

relaees to cont exts and co ntent rath"r Ih~ n to Sty le and tr.nds. M)' models ... arc the artists whose concepts of place and hisrory inelude people and fo rm ~ ne ..'

~11

pl~n; an

becoming in"ol-'ed in similar idas. Inll1ld y

rhe guss roees of much inreracnvc or

.... . . . WI CO ..., ,, "

tool.. ~s way. in

illlerdisciplinar)' and multicultur.d, thi$ linrlll' inq uiry and prod ut1;o n

,.. ..

W_ . . . ..., ' "

m4'

Not

",ith thc ide:lS sk...ched

o u~ o

Any ,,= lu nd of ~TI p•.uri"" is f oing /(J h.....,. 10 I" Ju puu "1/~" 11 ptl-ni.Jl., oUlud~ of Ih~ ~TI u 'orld, And b~rd " s ,I i.,o r$(J.hlu b onr..,lf i" Ibr ..n "': orl,( Irn rirrum,CTibeJ !Crrifo,;," dr. ../1 Ihr rn rn-e fra ughl ",-jlh p. ril. Ou lf/uT!, rno fon,.. lire 0 ..1, 10 b~ fo_nd b"ricd m WOdI rn"81f1 not )" 1 ru og..iu d .., IIn.U

you Yo'crc cithcr,"" The dial« ,ic hrtw«n placc aoo ehange i." cruli,'c cros uoad s. I'm

"

genre - an - from Judith Ib u 's

~nd

environment. The orh.,.,. ' Iuff is still privale an, no matt.,.,. how big or

expo sed Or imrusive or hyped il may be. In o rder to ro n 01,11where ,,'r slOnd at the momenl , I"'e made a neeessaril)" ,enu li,·., 1;51 of Ihr existing genres of · o ullookin,- art abou, place. These n e nOl illlended as Irozcn categories, and manr obviousl y o,'.,.,.lap:

ofLM AngorlC'J, " 'hich brings logether teens from diffC'rem

cuh uraJ bxkgrounds to cru,. a mural o n lhee non..-hile M oon ' of California, 10 Micd e L:a
~h l ped e 's ~ rnall -_, calc

m ~n age

ou r waste

examinatio ns of

1. Wo.ks prepared for cOll\"enlioouJ indoor exhibition (inslall.alions., phoc"l;raphs, eorw:q>tual
histo!)·, Or en, ironmenu l issues. Examples an: Deborah

Bright and Nancr Gonchar's ChiragQStorieJ, N ewto n and Helen

hOlnelessncss 10 Ncwton and Helen Ma)"er H arrison's large.scale en"i ron-

Mar er H arrison's proposc
menul,.,.cue ~ttempts. Art iSlScn'-;s;on (
M;srach's 8r~f"o 10: TIN Bom bing of thC' Amfflc«n \t'r' l.

praces. Ih.:.t rcsu]Ui in an ~ n"·ork. WoHH W!

"''1

I've been struggling "'ith these queslio ns for a long time. In 19671 wrote th~ 1

visual art "'~5 hO" rring at ~ cro ssroads · that ma)' well turn out to n.,

t....o roads to o ne pLacc: an "s idea.and an as action . . . . Visual art is still ,isua! e..-rn ,,'h.n it is in,'isible or ,-isiona r)...· " In 1980 I ...·role:

,,.

2. Tr.ad ilional outdoor public an (nol ~plunk an,· wh ich h.as simply been enlarged and dropped o n the site) that d ra...-s attention 10 Ihc specific characleris,ics o r fUlXtinns o f Ih e places where it interve ncs, either in prlodiCiab le locatio ns su,..h u parks, bank I'laz.o.>, museum gardens, and college campus." ($uch as Andre'" Leice. ltr's mininl; memor ial in Frostburg, Mary land; Athena Tach.:.'s M emory P..th in Sau.sota,

'"

<00 0 ' ''&

Florid./.; ~nd 8~rbmJo Revelle's Prop/c's Hutor)' of Color.do, in lh::n"er), o r in unex!X'r1W ~tld sometimes inaccessible locations, " " h U streets, store windows. ~ cabin in th e wooJs, a 1aund rom~t, 1 goli co urse, ~n office, 1 supernurkct. a craler in th" desert. ~ residentill neighborhood (such ;lS Cha rl"" Simo nds', imaginary landscapes m d ci.-iliu Uons for "Lint" People" .md Oa,-id l·b mmOlllis HOMw of lIN in Charlesroe. South Carol ina). This group WO\Ild also include innon ti,'c ~nd officially funded public an and m"morials with social ~gend~s ~nd 10( ~1 rcfer...nCI'$, such ~s Ml ya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Barb1 r~ Kruger's Litd e Tok~'o mural at the Museum of Cont e mparary Art. Los Angd"" . F itf Ul'

J.

Silt-specific outdoor anworlu. ohm eolls bo..ati"" or ccllccnve. Ihal significandy involve Ihe oonunun'ty in execudon. backgrou nd infornution, or ongoing fUr1CIion. Eump leol a..e o(fici~ n~· condo ned graffiti w~lI s; Joc l Sisson's G r...:n CIJ.r,r pTfJjret in M i nl)c~poli ,; O livia

...

Gudc ~nd Jon Pounds', PI/11m"" Projeeu in Chicago; the Bord er Art \'(lorksh op in San Di.-go ~nd TijU.;ln.t; D r. C turles Smith 's Afrin n Ameria.n Heriuge MUSonl m in Auro n, Illinois; and ..·or ks by nuny prcgressive muulists.

~.

Permanent indoor pub li,; insulbt io ns, often "'ith SOme function in reg.rd 10 the commllnit)"s hiStory, such as P05t office murals across the enuntr y and Housto n Conwill, Estella Co n.. ·iIl :\I:ijozo, and In.seph Dc Pace's The Rh:CTS ~I the Schomburg Ccn tU for Research in Blxk C ullu.., in New Yor k Gt y. l1t.is gr<M.lp also includes hisrcrysp«ific communi~' proj«ls thai focus on ongoing educational proeesses. such as the C hinato wn HiSIOt)· Projert in N ew York Ci~· and the Lowell, M.lSsachusctts. natio nal ind ustri.l park.

s. P~rformances o r rilU~1s outside of resdiric nal ~rt spa.ce. that call attcnlio n 10 pb ces ~nd th eir hiSto ries and problems, or to a l.uger communit}' 01 idcntil)' ~nd cx~nce. Like SIren J>OSICTS, Stencik. or st iekCTS,

'"

~' O .... b

"'" • • , _ . H '

... ~ . ...... <;O"'D.'

Ihe$<:' ....orks often fUllction.lS ~ "'akc-up ~rt,' a c.:ltal ~·St l<.> oollc<,:ti,'c aet;o n. Examples ~re Su"a"n" l.acv's Three We"ks in ,l/a)' in Lo. Angeles, and G uillermo GOmer.-Pena and Coco Fusco's TIJI! Year ofII],· While Be.rr:lt se"eral sites in the Unit..d States and Europe_ 6. Art Ihat funCl>ons for- enrironmenul a,,'arenos, imprO'·=>tnl. o r rccr..mation by lrand orming WUldands, focusing on nalUu.! history. opc ruinj; utilitarian sites, m~king p~ rks. and cleaning up pollunon. An eumple is A I~n Sunfis!'s Time L.m dlc.rpc of NF'" York CII)'. 7. Direct, didactic polilicalan thn co mments publicly on 1.Ily in Ihe form Qf sil;n.&ge on tnnspon~Iion, in parks, on huildi ngs. or by dloC rINd, which marks sires, ",·tnt.<, and in"isible histo ries. E:u mplcs arc REPOhislOry 's sign projCCI in LO" 'er M ~nh~tt;ln. D~" id A'Ollos, Louis Hock. and Eliu hcth Sisco'. San Diego bus project, ~n d Hs chivi Edgar H eap of Bird, 's Host projects at multiple ,i tcs. 8_ Po rtable public-access ..dio, tel"'-ision. o r prillt media. such .lS audioand "idcorapcs. postcuds, comics. guides. manuals. artiSts' book.. and po5lers. Essm ples are Car ole Con de and KHI B",·eridge·s boo k and poster wor k ,,'ith Canadi an unions aed I)~pcr ligl.'1' public-access television. dem onstr~tion art such ss Ihc AID S q uilt. and the Spec/ad e

of Tramform.rrion in Washingu," , D.C. 9. Actio", and chain acrlon, lhat tr:t"eI, P'Crme~le .. -bole IOWns, or app"ar all O\"rTthe cou ntry simulla.l'lroWly to highlight or link current issues. Examples H e John Fekner's slencils in rhe Bron x, NC"" York; the Shadow Project, a narioewidc co mmemoratio n of H iroshima Day: and Lee N ~di ng 's highway ideograms." Fo r decades no..' a few mists h~ "e ventured out into the public rontnt and made interactive, participatory, cffecti,·e, and .ffC'C1.i' ·e an relating 10 places and tbe people in lhem. Since the lat" fifties lher e have

'"


O ~"O

W~ " '''' ' .''

"' . ... ... COU'O "

bun alt emp ts b~' ani SiS utili:!:ing form, m.:nm..u, ~nicip
and rnCT t bat shou ld ~ going imo thO' mUlual:l.nd collective educat ion (If ar tist, and bureauer:l.ts anJ audiences iso'l evailable.

Carole t< Schneeman) 10 escape fro m galler ies and museums . In th e sixties

Of th.. peoplc I'v.. wrill co ahou t since 1981 in my colu mns on art,

the gerund (Ihe gramma tical fo rm of proce"j overc ame ", ulpIUTe, ",hi ,'h

po lilics, and community," most are still 0 0 tr:u::k. ColI:l.boratiUII and orga-

~gan scan ering, leaning. hanging, fold inS, strelehins, aning OUI, and

ni7.:l.lional suppo rt see m 10 sustain o urr..;)ch ..ncrgies, whil.. "success" and

othr.....ri se muu a ns and mobiliz.ing. Since around 1%6 there Ius bee n a

the al1l1lCtion o f co nnnlio nal venues tend to wukcn gra.ss-roots io,'o"'c-

body o f work Ihat q uestio ns all o f Ihe structures by which an exist! in th e

mrnl. ("\-en ;\S l hey offer high..r profile opportl,lllilin to ...·ork in public. .'...

,...o rid-i.lK- mod em is, myths, Ihe commod ily st:nu s, efJeas on Ihe «'01-

fca'

og~'. male and ,,",,:li te do minance, tlK- prn;i ou s objece, the spccu liu o o r

across to tru ly law. thou gb not neces...rily b road, aud iences h)' expand iog

uppcr- c!u s audience, and the cultu ral co nfinement o f anis15 tlK-mseh·cs.

their media

Paralleling the development of a socially aware experimenul an s;nc(' the sixties, a fragile moveme nt for cult ural democracy hal recognir.ed

highl~'

visible progtCS5ive min s h.•x e b<'= able 10 get Ih<'ir messages :>a: CS$.

T he art " 'o rld's no ,-clty upress tr ain. which oflen rewards the

an as useful. though no r neccssarily u tilitarian. Th an ks in p:U! to the

, ul'erficiaHy ~""", - aod ignores those who arc in for the 101\1\ haul (uole, s their prod ucts are ul eable), i. parrially respo nsible for the attrit ion amo ng

women 's an mO"emem, which silKe rhe u ri)' seventies hll emphasized

p ublic anists. as is Ihe poli lical and «ooo mic d ill1:l.le. E,·.... a, it fails to

sociJ l struCtures .... f(>[m.al innon tio n (morc"";:'omen nuke and ...·rite abou t

reach iu goals. bo "·("\·cr. hil-and · run (o r hug.and · sidllHJff) an o ffcn

J>MIidp:no ry public an du n men). -e lu"e ~n a brwdening of Ihe n0-

u m-alizing glimpses of ne...· entranc es l(1r:an into ("\ erp u r life.

tio n of public an into a nunuring as -ell as nllcrta ining, plcasure -gi" ing, or critical enterp rise.

rearing -new parameters, de mand ing -nca' - parad igms. It remai"s 10 h.-

Moderoisl an is

al "'a~'s

moving figun li,'c!y in to " ne... ~ terrain.

w

By rh... late eight ies, rath...r surp risingl)'. this impt'IUS was rclati, eI y

seen ....hether ,he "new" g.,nre pu blic an wit h which th is book is COn·

an,epled intu the mai" str eam, thu ugh its amcccdcm s are n"'er aekllo,,· I-

cemcd cao transcend the bo undar ies (and the eo mm..rcial demand for

edged . But tbere is, in fact. lin le full)' realized ·oe"· geMe public an " OUI

no n ·h y) that shelter or impri so o even that an whic h mO,",S OUI into the

there yel. Th~ rclatioo~hip, bet ween ani, t and co mmun it)" ha"e usu ally

world. Altho ugh I\ ·c usd the word I I much as aoyo ne. I'n co me to

bern scri.aJ1~· monog.r.mou$. Th e anisl {"'ho m:l.}' li"e in situ (lr n", y have

undersund tlul a tru ll' pu blie an " ccd

fJOI

be · n",, " to be significant.

parachuted in) goes on 10 $(Imething else. and the community is (liren

"nc.. the socia.! eon lexts and aud iences so crucial to its formation an- #f-

iru ufficic,mly in" (lI"ed to co ntinue (IT U I..nd thr pr(lj« 1o n its (I""n. Too

<:4y' changing. As I go over IlK- « ologica.l:an thai h.u been made in the

m:l.ny :mistS ....ho had h(lped t(l help change the ...·(lrld throu gh making

last ""'enty ~'c:\rs (cspcciall~' the ephemerallandscape an of Ihe lare sixties

issue-
and u rly s,,·ent ies. and the spiritually orien.cd feminisl an o f Ihe SC" cn-

com.. disillul i(ln..d with the acc() m p ~n>' i ng bu reaucr acy. ~ Public Jrt sucks "

ties). I am sim ultaneou sly heane eed

i_< the o pinio n (If onc much . resp..cted and luog·commilled public arlin.

co mmun;cati"e [imitations. H elen Mayer

Ano ther tells me sbe is fioishcd with p ublic an after "" orki ng for years o n

~pokeo

.

.

.

a p ro}ect that Wll full>' o kaYed and funded um il an officiall,' concocted

b~

its variety aod di_,,"-ppointed by i" H ar ri ~o t\ s~ ys,

· We haveo't

the voice of the ri"cr; cultivate hum ility.»'· T he int eractive aspects

of IlK- ouuuchi ng ~n ·about- pbce Ihat has been dC\eloped du ring tlK- last

glitch appe-ue'lf and wiped il off tbe sc,,"n. IdealiRic an istSall o'er Ihis

f....· rears may be fragile and tentati,·e. but they are budding. eom po:stcd in

countf)' are being " rung up "",ith ud upe. nunyn 10 the tM.>pdul cause of

a renewed S<'1Ue o f mcmory. rnd y 10 blosso m if "",e c-an ern Ie a ...·ek oming

a truly pu blic. imcrae,i" e, ~nicip:l.tof)·, and pr
O
'"

'"

W H£ U

m<:<.:hlnism. , into th e poss ibilities that a life of an ma kin g hold s lor thos e

WE C OUlD U

tempted b)' suth ri~ks ? Wit h few except ;ons., t he art schoo ls and dep art -

T here is no reaso n to cur the l in th ~t bi nd such art to its home in t he corn -

me ntSin t hi. country still t....ch a einerecnth-cemury norion o f the runt -

mu nity. ...·hich ~t ....orst co nstrictS and regul~les it and ~t o..st shares its

tion (or func tio nlessn....) of art . There .lIe a few - ~n in a social co ntext"

co ncer ru.. o ffering rrspo"sc- ible crit idsm and suppon . In n u d. t he task is

co urses sp rinkJeJ " rou nd the ....o rld. " b ut (he r re nuin o-erwhclmed by

to

u t:lblish .ln additional sn o f bo nds nd iating oul to pan icipant com mu-

eon"enlion al view • . Most an students. e\'C n sophisticated o nes. know linle

nities.,.ludielKd . and orber - marginaliud " anists, so that the an ide"

or nOlhing about she historv of atte mp ts 10 bre.lk do wn the " 'Ills. The

DttOmes. finall~" p"n of rbe cenrer-c-eoe "n elite " elller sheltered and hid -

fact is, " " need ' 0 elu.nge the sr .tem und er ,,-hieh ""c live and make VI.lli

de n from p ublie ,·ie.... bUI an accessible eemer to .... hich panieipants Me

•

anracted from .ll1 sides of ~n and lift. To affcct percept ion its-elf, ...·e nttd 10 .lpply ide... as .....d1 ... fOnDS

citize ns ..nd

ilS

= ,,·orke-rs. We

Me

b ring out I},., in gredienu bUI Still

lookin g for the recipe . Once t h, re Me more coo ks, " 'erybod y will use ehe ingrcdiom d iff... end ~'_ We cou ld be " Ie.Khi ng- fUIUr' ~n-nol ...h.lt's

to (he ....,.ls people see and x t ....it hin melOn thei r su rrou nd ingr-in muse-

already been m:ode, and nol n«CSS<1ri1r in inst itulions. 'IX'e could be propa-

ums., parlrs,.lnd educ u ion .l1 institu tion s.. Ide... catch lire in di.l1ogue..... hen

g;>-ting Ihe sou recs and eontextS o f lhe art W I hun 'l been made yet. Th~ is

one penon's e~'cs light up as a......lfter con jures iltUgrs.. An ilsdf, .lS a ",nu·

-

Irri,,!ized sp.ark, an X I of recognition. ean b.. .. U t.l1p l in ..II..<us of lif,

",hm: the absol ulely cruci.oI mollimltunl aod intu d isciplinary co mpo-

. breW .l.....ly from the rultural con fineme nt of the m.lrkn rc.l1m. once It

nen lSof art aboul plxe eo~ in. Cultur, is " .hal defines pl.lCt .lI1d iu meaning 10 poop l, . The apol.ili-

Redefinitio n of an ..nd art isl can hel p he..l .. ..",-in,· m...t is .llicn.tred from

ul.lnd " ccleureless" ......ltu r' in which most of us liv, in the Unired StatC$

its life Iorees. As Lr on SO...-der hu pid , "We muSI shift ou r Ih inking a,...ay

il1C\·iuhl}· ln .·cs US pl:acekss_To
from bringing gn'at an 10 Ihe peo ple 10 ...·or:king ....itb people 10 ernIe

. gful·"F . . th"t ·,s me..nm . emlnlSm

- ~ I....,

=

:acli.';sm hl"e created models, but

,,-e've bard }' lou ched rhe dcp'lh of romplu il y " ; Ih .... hich an could inter.lei ....ilh

soc itl},.

that's

not

1(>

make knoWIl.l broader sense of eultu rc.u a pan of our li,'cs

hirrarcilal but tempon.!. ongoing. Some an haSbecome a (:lui rsl

or " ehid e fo r ~ 1Ll1 exchan ge among cu llu res. helping as find our multiple seh ·n .lli oppos ed 10o nc-d imr n. io n;aj slc-rrolrJ>O. Regard less of class

To eh ange the power reUlio ns ;n hn,n t in ,he ""'y In i.

00'"

nw:Ie

and dislributed. " ', need to eontinue ro seek OUI ......· fonns bll,uJ in rocWl cn"8~s not )~r

..,nlured

rrrogn,u J 'If . n. SOme of Ihe most inttr...ting ..n emptS are

and opportunity, ,,-e ~II h..rbor several id"nt itics-religioo s and po litinl Mfiliuions o r Ixk thereof eu lttlnl aod grographinl backg rc cods, nurilal o r parmul $latuS, occup.llion. and so on. To lam 10 use these mtlh iple

, hott that refrarne not-n «es$.lril} -I n pract ices o r piKes br S<"cing rhem

identi lies. not ju ~t lO kno'" ourselves bu t 10 empath ize and work ,,·ith

th rou gh Ihe ern of art . Th is, too. is an idea thaI origin.:ued in thc mid -

others, is one of ihe lesson. ~n imeraeti,,, an a n o ffer. O ne of the work

sixties . At lhu lim e such " looking around" "..a. t he prod uct o f a rejection

gro ups at t he ~ Mapping the Terr ain - con ference su mmarized, • AesthelietO

of .ut :lS "precio us objects,- as mo re ffllff fi lling up the ,,·o rld. The id ea "..a. 10look at what was alre.ldr in rbc world and tn nsfonn it into art hv the process of seeing-e-n..ming and pointing oUl-nlh... tha n producing.

If the ral's nrst o f pr oblems Ihat ateo mpan ies anv fora... out of t he . Iudio has de tlc<:ted man)' anists fro m new Or old

genr~ p ublic an . no

an ist who hu vent ured out returns without being change d, and thn ged .

shapes relationships het"·,,en people. Constant negotiation s of life are rt('nacted and released in an . Yo u t an' ! do rommu nit)' ...·or k unless ~'ou lisrco. use imuilion.· Comm unity dOt."S n'l me"n understanding eve ry lh; n ~ about e"cry-

hndy and resolving all the diffcrenccs; it me"n s knowing ho'" within difference.

J.S

to

work

t hey cha nge anJ ",\·....Ive. C ritical consciousn ess is a

H ow can we build t hese changes inlO art ed ue..tion , into t he e"rerr

I

l

'"

'"

, O O" N ~ " O ~ N O

procas of r<:cognizing bOlh limirat ions and pcssibilines. We need

10 001-

"'"t..

w i . . . . "' . ' "

w ,
relalio nshi ps and hist oneal consr rucrioes o f place. \l'e need artis ts to guide

laborale ....itb small and large soeia l. poI ilieal, epecialieed groups of people

us Ihroo gh t he S<'I\SUOU'" kineslhclic respo nses 10 topogr.lph~.. 10 lcad uS

alread y infonned on and immened in Ihe U:sues . And ....e need to leach

into rhe a rchuo~·:ond rcsurr«t:;o n of bnd -b.asrd soci al hi' lo"'-, 10 bn ng

them 10 ..·deome Htisu. 10 undenland ho.... M1 can concret ize and en,i-

001

sion l heir goaJs;. AI the >.=Ie I;m e ....e need 10 roll abonle ",ith Ihos<, ....~

and at diHaent limes. And rbcre is muc h ..-c can learn fro m Ihc ironicJ.Il ~·

backgro unds and maybe fonyound s Me unb m iliar 10 us. rqc:eti ng lhe

labeled · pn m't i,·c· cultures aboul undcrs u.ooing ou rsd..cs as pM1 of

insid ious no lions of - di ,-enil y · tim simply

nJ.lure. interd cpc nd"nt ...ilh C'·CT)'"Ihing in ;t--bc:causc nalUrc ind odes

~l ral i7.r

and exchange ar e ke}' ...onl.s.. E,-en for imeracrive

difference. E mpath y

ut ",·orken

..-be> Ila,·e

mult iple readings of pl:KeSl har mean diffCR'J\It h.ing:s to diffcrnll poople

evel"}'thi ng. C'cn recheologv, cru led by humans. ... ho

M C

pan: o f naror".

Wh,u w ould it be likc. an M1 produced b~· l he imagination and

all i he nghl ide-as. elit ism is a hard habil lo kick. N othing th:1.I excludes the places of people of col o r, women. lesbia ns. gays. or ....orking prople can be

responses of ilS ,-i<:",-en or u ...n? How can an ael i.....tc local acriviries llId

called inclusive, universa l, or healing. To find the .... hole we mUSI kno ....

Io<;al ' alues? With .>dequatc fu rniing reso urc es. p oblic an islS might set up

and respect aU t he parts.

so<:iJ.I and po lllicalspaccs in w hich cncll;ia could co me t ogeth er, d iJ.logue

So we need to weave a relatio nship and

r~i procallhoory

and altern ath·a o r opposition could be co ncrclized . T hese mighl be secn

o f multi-

plicil Yaboul wh o w c are, what is our place. and ho w o ur cultu rc affcets

in rclation to the fam iliar -frami ng" nnl cgy. in wh ich w hat is alreadJ

o ur cnvironment . Wc n~ to kno w a lot mO<". aoo ut ho w our work affcelS

there is pu t in shorp relief by th e additi on of an an of call ing alte m ion .

and d isaffects Ihc pcople cxposed

" Parasitie " art for ms, like corrcelcd billboard s. can r ide thc dominant

to

;1. w hcth er and how il dot. and docs

nor com mu nicalc. T his 100 Can he: bu ilt into exp er imcnta l ed ucation in both an hiOlo ry and studio courses [the tWO remain absu rdly separat ed at

cultu re ph rs ically while challenging it pOlit ically. cruting opcnly coo-

•

rened t,'ru;ns t har cxpos c thc lruc ider uhics of exist ing places and SpJ." " and the ir function in sociJ.l con trol. A nother set of p<)ssibililies is arl that

most schools).

To retu rn to the notion o f place, an Ca nnOt be a cemering (ground -

aClin t c$ the conscio usness of I. place by sub tle mar kings witho ut d istu rb -

ing) devic.. u nless Ihe arrisl hersel f is centered and grounded. Th is ;s not to

ing: ii -a booklel gu ide.....alki ng tours.,o r d irect io nal signs captioning Ihe

sa)" t hat the ahenared. the diso rient ed. the deracinaled. the no madic (i.e _.

hislorr of a house or a fam ily. sugges r;ng t he deplhs of a b ndsupc, Ihc

mon of us) can not makc an. But wme po rtable place must rest in our JOUls. Pem aps "'-e are lucky enough to have some SUSlaining chunk of

•

cluncleror a com mun ity. An is o r should be grnnous. But utiSlSca n onl~' give",-hal th ey

- nalu re- to nourish us. Per haps th c city is jusl as sawfy;n g. Perhaps Ihc

receive from thcir sourcr5. BelicYing as I do Ihat conneclion to pIa<:" is a

SIU<1.0 is l he dcn ..M re "'·C li..k our ...ounds. d ream up images. plan """

necessary· co mponcnl of feeling dose to people. t o tM ean h, I ",·onder ....hal

strategies, gath" r th c nrcngth to go out again. I'erlups l he limiulions of

... ill make il possibl" for an ists to • gin· places back to pooplc "'·00 can r>o

l he i,·o ry galln)· and

t ....

p
u" stu ming th e groWlh of

longer see t""m. Breause land plus prople-thcir presencc and absence--- is

an an t hai dreams o f Slndin g fC1t'lcssly into the S1~ts. inlO th.. u nkno",·...

..·hal maka plac c resonat e. Alternali,·es "''ill have toe""'Tgc org m ical1r

10 meee and mingle: "ilh uthers ' lives.

fro m the M1isu ' Ii,·es and expencncl."S. And Ihey .... on't unless a broader set

As "en,i.ionancs, · an istS should be able 10 pro,·idc a

,,·a~·

to

of oplions is b id Out by !hose ...ho are esplo rieg thest - ncw · ter rit ories.

wo rk againslt he domi nanl cu ltu re's rapa cious vie",- of nalu re (· Manifest

Tne an ist has to be a pan icipanl in process as ....cll as iudirecr or, has 10 ~li ,·e

D estin y" ). to reinstat e the myt hical and eUllUral dimensio ns to " pub lic·

th ere " in some way-phys icallr. symbol k allr. o r cmp~lh"tic.alt y.

expcr ience and arrhe Same l ime t o become conscious of rhe id w logiu l

'"

'"

t . , ., .. ,

e c r es W HOU M O N UMl N T WHf U ! ) 'U' ~IC ...~T I N '" I'1"'N 1' . C U l T U~f D SOC IU1'

, ...-.-.C,_.....-......... l-ofoiu. T_'_l )l~V_...,. .. "'_

f" d" b F. IJ. U

._

,_ ~",l.I.

l- MMW'IIo 1~ .. l-.IIllolpIu'" """ l ... "'_ _ c..-J.,..

....) ..... _

.. ~

~~a-bot.

_1..

'_ 0(.."--

~n l

inugn

10

mind in ~J.cb o f us.

P.... hJ.J!S SOI1l<' of

us envisiUT> I h~ frnc:Of1

:and SUN" of (h~ lulian Rcnais.u.nc~ ox Ch riSlo 's umbrd lu. ..·hil.. otn..rs

...--e-

............ -10.... -..- .. II<JI-IoJoo-oi ..s.. ' -__ ,""1 ) _ l.oo..... _tooIo-.l_~-".. ,u.:.. '''-poood_ .......... 4 '5 ' ' ,. . -

. ,...k.......

Using Ih~ I~rm ·public art " in an J.ud i~nc .. of man)' eulrc res bring~ d iffef"

f~

see the murels o f Los T.-..s G ~ or t~ ri"1.11SUKI pJ.inli np and 1001'ms

r-"

_ ...

o f Nui,'~ peoples. Sc mec ee SJ.id IhJ. l lhe purpose of a monurmm is 10

~

e - . - . .of__

'~

.. f ,. ' ~

......

bring rhe pul imc ' ht present 10 il1$pi~ lh, fuw~. M onum~nts ma,' be

..t t..w. l _ ~ _

l -.:~ "' ot

Iih In.. ~ fonn«! from dw mud o f a p1J.c.. into tn.. bu ildin, block s of

•

a ~in)'; Ihnr putpOSt' nur be to in>·C'StigJ.l~ and reveal rhe

Do ..',

~O'-!l.-li

~,

....... '_ n.'

_...... s...,.. ~ ... o.:nm-.""-_m-..

_

_

_ I ~~"'''..

...."'_----. .....,... ,,~-tco<-CiN. ....... .._ ~... ,'

-*

._

ehoou 10 ~a1i1~ in ou r lim~ ?

II'- ~ J. l t.._

·AC, ...... _ · . _ J . .......,._(~..I.._

0...... t~ p,m I"'~my ~-~J.n as:a public :anis!. 1 hJ.~ been strvck b~' how our com mon Iq; x y in pub lic an i. dtri"ed from tht ·can nOft·i n·tht·

n.~

" . - ...._." 1'. ...To-.· ,100l\ .. GN"".... -.... . - , . , , _ .., 1td. _

..

ron-

reined in I"" ground bencuh a "pcblic site, ~ mar king o ur puugn as:a PNPI~ and r...., ·ifloning of6ciJ.1hislory, As anim e~:ali n5 In.. mon urmrou of tftc nmnil's. the ullinuu: question for u. 10 con sider is. 'l\TJu.1s!W1"...

_ 0(.-'-"'1:-... 1'_-'-"'" ,.., ~,... ,........ _

1IH1l'I(>t'}

,...,.M-. ...

puk ~

,.",1

~ _ I_"'.

impu lse, ""hieh .::auSC$ us to dras oull h~ rusty n nnon. from ~I

...·an. po lish lh~m up, and pl ~e them in t"" puk for children .0 era,,·1over I I Sund:ay

11-...... k. L~

.,10< '""- An..t ......... toe.' """- _ ' l1 "'~ ",17. .. _ ·U ••_ '--r _ _· ..,..........· S AUt I-"'"' I

' .. .... ~ I_ 11..~~""'-1-"'

_

_-........ _

..,...... ..

..

.... .......-.

_ .0i_"'

_

....__.. _,....... .. ~.

............t ..

natio n's po .... er 10 essen its miliary

..... .. ""-..,.." - - " ' - ...... ,S.,•..,.__ ........ ...... ......... _;".."..........,'. n....- T-....t . ...._ _ -ll~

~

ou' hands over ih",poli. hrd bro nze,

_ ~_.-

".'kIno l L n..

.101..........."" A,.

".

..;""lo . - -

u4 . . C
" " " - ""'-
c.a.

C"""

!to more conremporarj- exampl.. of displar ing (J,nllOns in tho: puk occu rred during rhe pro menade o f mililary' weapons on Ihe Mall in ~'u h ­ ingron. D.C., immrd iatdr afl~r Armrin d ..d arrd victory in rhe G u lf War. In an el
lr 'JO,, ""'.. ,. ~..,.. ).I

(".. .fi t. o.kl

U

_

.....".I:,.,-.""r.. """"-

e slu, ed in , he5(: viceceies aod beca me

nOI o ur fo refalhe rs.or even if rhc triumphs "'I'r~ ofl ..n o'·cr ou ro...n propl ~.

e.-..- ......-~ l>r""

,,.lt_ _ . -...-.... .. ~ lllll .. u..""-L

d
ill and prC" ail o ve- eee mies, Running

eelisred in . h..se (':a uSC$. N ever mind if for us as people of colo r Ih~y were

~

~I.o. " 11Mt_ ...... _ · ~ . ." - - '-... <:oIif
picnics. The pul'J'OS' ...·as 10 evoke a rime pas' in ...hich Iht triumphs- and ~!>(ruggln of ou r fo,~f:alhtrs~ sh ifted tbe tour$('

of hisl0t')'. These Oipos itions ...·ero:mean t . 0 inspire an awe of our , reat

,~

.. ... ~

~.pl~ndid

,

i

Smilhsonia n l nstiw tion Hall of Scien", a gnndfalhcrlr "oi('~ (sound ing

'"

j remn kably like Ronald Reagan) ,oothed uS into belin ·jng the war was a

which disp laced a historic Mexican com munity ; Bunker H ill, no w ho me

b lood less. computc rized science demonstration of gigant ic proport ions.

to

Young American men with adro it reflexes Irained by a "ideo- game cultu re

a premier ..rts ceru er, which d ispl..ced ..no ther: and rhc less w!'lld ocumented histo ry of how lour major frreways intersected in th,- midd le of

demo nstra ted ou r ,uperiority as a nat io n over Saddam Hu ssein thro ugh

Easl Lo s Angelcs", Ch icano com munities. O ne of thc most catastrophic

video-screen strategic air ,trikes. From the triumphant bronze gener al on ho rseback- the public',

consequent es of ..n end less real estate boo m was the concreting of the

view of which is the und erside of galloping hoo" es--to its more contem porary corporate versions, we find eumples of pub lic art in the ",""icc o f

earrh's an ctics-thus ..tro phied and hardcn cd-c-created .. gi..nt sur across

entire Los Angel..., Ri"er, on which the cit )" w ~s founded . Th e river, as the the land which serve<.! to further divide an alrcady divid ed city. It is thi,

domi nance. By their daily presence in our Ii,-c<, thesc artl'rorh intend to

mctap hor that insp ircd m)" own half-mile-long mural on the histo r), of

persuad... us of the justice of the acts they represent_The power of the

ethnic p...oplcs painted in the Los Angel..., riv...r cond uit. J ust as you ng

co rpo rale sponso r is embod i,x1 in the sculpture stanJing in from of the

C hicanos tatt oo hall ie scars on their bodi es. the G.....M Wall o! Los A ngel" ,

towering office building. Th"sc grand work" like their militar y pred ecessors i" the parks, inspir e a SCnSe of awe by their scale and th" import ance

is a tanoo o n .. snr where the river once ran.' In it reappear the disappc..rcxl stories of ethnic po pulatio ns that m..ke up the l..bor force whiclt

of the artist. H ere, pub lic art is unashamed in its intentio n to med iate

built Our city, state, ..nd n..tion.

between the pub lic anJ th" developer. In a ~ th in gs.go do wn bette r with

Public ..rt oft...n plays a supp orti "" role in deve!o!",rs' ..gend..s. In ma"y inst..nces, ..n uses be..uty as a Ialsc promi se of indusion. Be::\lll y

public art' men tality, the bitter pills of development arc deli"ered to the public . while percent -for-art bills have heralded developers' cr..-atio n of

ameliorates the erasur... of ... thnic presence, scn-ing the transformation into

amenable public places as a po,itive sid e effect of ~ g rowt h: every inch of

a ho mugcniz"d ,·isual ,·ultu re: give theon some thing be..utiful to stand in

urban . pace is swallowed by skyscrapers anJ priv..tizeJ into the so-nll ed

for the los, 01thcir right to .. public presence. Two N ew ¥o rk-b..sed

public space of shopping mall. and corporate plazas_Thes e d",-dopments

art ists were selected

to

d ttor..te the lobby o f the new skys crapu of First

predetermine the public, ' elffting out the ho meless, "e "dors, ado lescents.

Interstate Bank in do wnto wn Los Angeles. To represent multicultur..lism

ur ban poo r, and peopl e of colo r. Planters, benches, and o ther "pu blic

in Los Angeles, they chose ..ngels from the Basilica of Santa M..ri.. degli Angeli ne..r Assisi, Ita ly. They then tacked ethnic emblem, onro the

amenilie , ' arc suspect as potential hazard, or public loitering place, . Recent attempts in Los Angeles to pass law, to SlOp o r scyerely restrict push -

European ..ngels, "borro win g~ the pre-C o lumbian Iearhcrcd serpent

cart v endcdorcs from selling clore" !",ra,, palcras. and raspado, mad... aeti,-ists of nonaggressive merchants who had silently appropriatM public

Q uetzalco atl from the An ees, the erowneJ mahogan y headpie<:c fro m

space' in largely b tino sectio ns of our city. Vend"dnrc" 10' ed hy the peop le for offering nOt o nly popular produ cts but familiar reminders of

blems of a '-ariety of cultur es." These symbob replaced the real voices of people of colo r in a city torn by the greatest civil diso rder in th... United

Nigerian masks, and the eagle's wings from our Native peop les as "em -

their homeland. , provide a Latino p resence in p ublic spaces. Any loss of

States in decade, . At the dedication, which took place .hon ly afu r the

botAnica" mn-cadM. v endedoTts, and things lamiliar reinforces segrega-

rebellio n (the Los Angeles riots o f 1992), b lack and Latino children un-

tio n, as ethnic people disappear io .. nother corne r of the city.

"eiled the angels in an elabo rate ribbo n-cutting cercmony_Hailed by the

Los Angeles prn,-ides clear and abundant example5of d"'clop ment as a tool to colo nize and d isplace ethnic eo mmunitic"S. [nfamou, develop -

d"'"c!oper' as a great symbol of " unity," the se anifecrs stood in for the

mentS abound in pu blic record, if not consciousocss--Dodger Stadium,

$500,000 spe nt on this single work was more than the who le city budg et

'"

real peop le in a city terrifi ed of tbe majority of its cirizens. Tragically, th e

,'

co ncep t of - ma n m 'er nature· on ",hich lhis co umev " 'as fo unded a heri·

Anwn cm neighborhoods.

concrete conduits th..u kill

tage of t hought tlut has b rought u. clear-cutti ng in firs t gro"'1:h forests and riv~ as

an scceprab le method of flood control.

These ideas find their !Urnl..! in the !.atemodcrn in and postm odcmisl

N o single ,y., of public ~e ,,00 the an du ! ocru p;cs it will " 'or k in a metropolis of multipk p"np<"'ti ,-C'S . While compt"tirion for public

cu lts of t"" exalted indi,-idu..J, in w hich personal ,·i.ion and origilUlit~· are

spsce boro....s d~r. cuilunl communi tif:S <:211 for ; 1 10 be usa! in dnmui-

highly valued. As a soliW}' creator the ~niSl ..alues sel f-n:prcssion and

nil) differenl .... ays. Wlu l comes ;nlO qU<:$lion is the '-cry differ""15n1S;-

· ar tistic freedom" (or scpa"'tenas rat her rhan conf'lC'C1M ncss ). H " is

bililics o f order and beauty W I opcr..re in d iffmml cul tures. When

t hcrci'or\' rn ponsiblc only to himself ruher t han 10 a shared vision. failing

Chriseo, forenmpk,

look~ fo r

10 reconcile t he individual to the ... hole,

the firsl (i~ at El Tqon Pass. he $;I""

When Ihe naWre of EI Tejo n Pass-a place kno"'n 10 locals for its

poteeti..!. H e sa...· the polcnti.lJ10 create beau ty with .l pcrsoO

thO' Wul K~a bcau~' (lui

high ... i nd5-.lS""n~ its~lf d uring Chri'ilo 's pro ;«t and up rooted an

6 1 his ind ividu al ci sion of yellow

u mb rellas IIutt eri ng in t he wind , marc hing up ,h.. sides of rolli ng hills.

umbrella plam M in th~ gro und, cau sing the t ragic deat h of a woman .... ho

The b od became his n on . , a Inckdrop for his ~rsoruJ ..es,hetic.

had come to sec the ...·ork.. C hristo said, - My pro;« t imiu ,es real life.• J coul d n't help mus ing on ...·hat a differem pr o jcet it wou ld ha"c been had

Native peupl e might took .lI the same b ndsc~ ~ ...ilh ~ v~ry diff~r_

,

.

.

who ""ork within Los Angelcs's diverse Ch in~. African Amerinn. Kc re..n. T1u.i. C hiano, and Cc mral

10 fund publ;" mu r.als by ~Ihnic aniSls

er n idea o f beauty, a be ~Ufr without impo sition . 'J:h"y ';'ight.tt a p"'rf~et

th e be autiful yellow umb rellas marched lhrou gh Skid Row, where l os

order cKe mplill ed in nature itself. imcg",1 to a spiritual lif,' grou nd (x! in

A ngeles's

pl~c.. N atu re is notro be lam pered with; hence, a pbm take n r('quires ~n

no nfun ction aliSl state, relcgarcd by an "art ro r an's u kc~ t yranny. Wou ld

o ffering in return, Riehled Ray W hil man, a Yaqui artist, said . ~Scienti fi ·

it nOI havc been more beautifu l ro shel ter

call)' eoh"si"~1 am the atom s, molecules, blood, and d usr o f my ances-

t ur e and Slate me nt about our failure as a society 10 provide e" cn Ihe mon

I ~ O,OOO

ho meless lie in (he rain . An can nn lon ger pcopl ~

b~

(ied 10 lhe

in need of shelter, a ges-

tc rs-c-noe as hismry, but as a co ntinuing pocop le, \X'e d~scribe our culture

basic need s to t hc poor' ~'h}' is it not pos sible for public an

as I circle, by ....h ich "'~ m..an dUI it is an im"K"a t~ wh ol.,.-, \1 ainu ining

than - imiut..- lif~ ? Public an could be insq>4r4bl~ fro m the dailv life of

a relations hip " 'it h t"" dus t of

to

do more

Ihe people for wh ich it is created. Developed to live harmo niously in

0"'''' s ecesrors rcqu ircs a g~ncr.ationa l

relationship ""ith tJ1., land and. a respectful treat ment of O1h"r lif.. fou nd

public space, it could h~,- .. a function wilhin the co mmunity and ",'en

on the land.

provide a \'~nue fo r their '·oices. Per the Maican sensib ility, an imponant manifestation o f public

Or perhaps N an ,'e peoples cou ld nee think of this area witho ut «'Calling Fort Tejon, one of t he fin t CaJifomia Ind ian r~rnrioll'< aub-

art is :o. ...-o rk br MexKan arrist Da"id Alfar o S'quci ros on l os A ngeles'.

lished ~r t his site in the, Tduchapi Mou nu .ins. pbc~ thn-e 10 ~ prot ..... t ~

historic O lvera Strtt'1-. This 1933 mu n l, pa.intcd O\'cr for ncar l}' sin}' years

Ind ians rounded up fro m various neighboring areas, most o f "'hOR col-

br city fathITs because o f its pomayal of rhe pligh t o f Mrnc.anos and.

lura have been entirely datro~·cd . In C hristo's and the N~l i\'e ,isions " 'e

Chic~ in Cali fornia, is cuTl'"ntly in ralO"'lion. Siquei ros d"pieted as

Iu "e [wo diff.".~nt aenheric sensibilities, as d i,·crtcnt as t he ninereene h-

the cent ral figure. a mn rizo shooting at the A mericUl "~gle and ~ cru cified

cent ury English nunicurM gard en is fro m the rugged natu",1 N c.... Mcxi-

Chic~nolMe:
can landsc ape of t hc s"ngre de CriSlo Mo umains.

lions of dollars pro vidM by the G et t )' Found ation for its p l esctYatio n :o. oo

Per haps a I",s benign implicatio n of C hrism 's id~a is th~1 bndsc apoc un tou ched by man is ~undeve lopcJ land . ~ This is a co ntinuatio n of t he

'"

,1, 1

\\7},ile t his mural is beco ming mM>ro- tied, wit h mil-

re-presentation to Ihe public, it i. important 10 recognize that Ute same imag", wou ld mon likd y be ccn$
'"

j udith F. 8 M"

st ree!>. T h e
message fro m t he boy in t he principal's offi ce said, " I need vou

th en. Morals dcp iClillg the domination of and rcsislanet' by Los Angeles's

her e r ight ..war becau se I'm go ing to gCt th rown ou t of schoo l again."

Latinos or ot her pop ulations o f color prov oke the same official resistance

My d eal wit h the bo r, for mub led over a lo ng mcntors hip, was t hat he

as t hey did in 1':133. Desp ite t hese struggles, murals ha ve be c n l he on ly

would not qu it school again withou t lalking to me first. I ar rived

inte rventio ns in pu blic spaces t h.at articulate the presence of et hnicity.

the principal !OWl-ring over the )'oung , holo, who was holdi ng his head in

Architecture and city plannin g have done little to accom mod ate commun i-

a dcfiant mann er I had seen o,·cr and o,·er in m r wo rk with the gangs.

ties of colo r in our cit)'. As co mpetition fo r pu blic ' pat e has gr own, pu blic art pol icies ha'-c

This sta nce. reminiscenr of a w ..rr ior, called unc erem oni ously ~ holdi n g

beco me calcified and increasingly b urcaun ;lI ;c. Art t hat is sanctioned has

principa l was com plctelr frustrated.• You"·e wrinen on t he schoo l's walls

l05t the po litical bite of the sevent ies 1n"", I•. Nevertheless, a rich. legacy of

and

mur als has been pr odu ced since A ma ;u Tropic,'[ was painted on O lvera

wo uld you do this in r ou r own house ?" I co uldn't hel p bu t smile at h is

Strc ~'1 b )' the maeStrO. Thousands of public mur als in places wher e people

adm onit ion, despite t he serious ness o f the sitllation . Th is boy was an

li,'( and work ha "e become tangib le pu blic monu ments to the shared

important graffiti art ist in his commu nit),. I had visited his hous e and seen

expe rience of com mu nities o f color. Chicano mu rals ha"e pro ,·ided t he

t he walls of his mom. where e '- cr~' irlCh was co\'e red with his int ricatc

leadershi p and t he fo rm for oth er com muni tjg to assen th eir presence and

wri tings. Two different not ions o f beaUI) and ordcr werc operating , a.

anicu lue their issues. Tod ay, wor ks app car that spe ak of children cau ght

"·ell as a dispute abo ut o wnersh ip of the school. T he boy's opinion was

" in t he em " fire of gang war fare in the barrios of Sylmar, the hidden prob lem of AIDS in the South -Central Afncan Americ an co mmu nity, and t he

to

come

to

lind

your mug,· is abo ut main taining dignily in ad"erse circ umst:lnC CS_The )' O ll

simp ly do not have respect for olher pwple's pr ope rtr _Tell me,

t hat he had aesthetically impro , ed t he propert y, not destroy ed it. Ar this l i", e t he condi tions of ou r communities are wors e t han those

struggles of immigration and assimilation in the Ko rean commu nit y. Thcs e

tha t pre cipitated t he civil rights activism of t he sixtie' ;",d se'·cnties. Fifty-

murals have becom c monu mcnts th at serve as a co mmu nity 's memory.

twO percent o f all African Ame rican children and fo n y- two percent of all

The gene ...tio ns who grew up ill neighborhoo ds where t he land -

L.t ino child ren arc living in povertv. Dropout rat cS exceed high schoo l

scape was dotted b y t he mu ral mO'·ement ha,'e been influ enced by these

grad uat ion rates in these co mmunities. W hat. then, is the role of a socially

works. With few a,'enues open 10 trainillg and art produn;o n, ethnic

respo nsible p ub lic ..rtis t? A s t he wealthy and poo e ar c increasingly pol ar-

teenagers ha,·e cr eated the graffiti art t haI has beco me anothe r method of

i7-cd in our socicty, h ce-to-face urban confront atio ns occu r, oflen wit h

resisting priva ti 7.~x1 public space. As the first ,·isu al an for m ent irely dc vel-

catast roph ic consequences. C an pub lic art avo id co ming down on the side

oped by youth cul ture, it has become the focus of increasingly severe

of wealth and do minan ce in t hat confronta lion? H ow can we as ani sts

reprisal, by authorit ies who spend filly-I";I;o million dolla" annuall y in t he

avoid becomi ng accom plices

County of Los A ngeles 10 abate ",,·hal they refer 10 as t he ·skin cance r of

trium ph s 0" '" nations and neighborhoods as victories and ..dvaneement' .

to

colo nization? If we chos e nm to loo k at

soc iety.' (I is no accident that the pr olifer ation o f graffiti is concu rrent

what mo nument s coul d we build? Ho w can we create a pu blic memorr

with the reduction o f all yout h re,rcatio n and artS pro grams in the scho ols.

for .. man v -cullUnxi meiet y? \Vhose stor y shall we tell?

Wor ki ng with co mmu ni ties in producing public artworks has put me into cont..ct ,,·ith man y of these yout hs. O n o ne occasion, I was called

Of grnt est inte rest to me is the inven tion o f system s of " voice giving" for those left without pu blic vcnue s in which to speak. Socially

10 a local high school after havin g conv inced o ne of t he you ng G rea r Wall

responsible artists from marg inalized com mun ities hHe a pa n icular re-

prod uctio n team memb ers Ihat he should retUm to schoo!. T he urgent

sponsib ility

".

to

aniculatc the cond itio ns of Iheir people and

to

provi de

'"

~~I~l rS LS

fo r ~h ~ngc, since perce ptions of u s ~s indi,-idu~ls are tied 10 t he

con ditions of ou r communities in ~ r~ci~lly un roph iSl i~ue<1 soc iety. We canner e$COOp" that respo nsibility enn when we choose 10 lry: we are m~de of t he "blood and du st " of our anen ton in ~ comin uing hiSlory. Being a c~lalySl

for change will change us ~IS(>.

We an evalua te o urselves by the processes with which we choose to tn.:Lke MI, nOI simply by t he ul objects we ere-ne. Is Ihe artwork the

O ver the plll decade. t hos.co f us interested In ~ scriws and ehallenjting

rnu ll of a pri" ate
public an have hnrd onen of t he benefits of colLabou tion bet ween ,m;"ls

achieve i, hu bankru pted f u rocem rK mod·

and ar chitecu . The con'-entioru.! wisdom is thlt artists bring ~ fresh. unen -

the creative pnxcss used

10

eruisr and post mod ....niSl tr~d it ions. An p rOCC"scs"juSl ll an ob jects. nu)· be euln.. ~l1y specific, and ..ith no single aesthftic. ~ diH'O'e socift~, ....ill

cumbered sense o f design to areh itecll,'n l proj C'ClJ.. and th.1t t he pcculi~ri .

gencnte '-O'rJ' di ff....em forms o f public an,

corp on tt'..,.... environmenu m:hitecu eomC' up wll h 100 m uch of t he time.

'to' ho is tb.c public no '" that it has ~lunged color? H o..· do people of

.-ariow elhnic and class gr oups usc public spacc? ~at idas do " 'e .... ant 10

pUce in public memor)'? W~ doc:s an btgin and end? Anisu I",xe the

un ique wil it)' to eranscend designaled sphcrcs of aeti,i~-. Wlw rep resen LS something deeper and

m~

hopefu l ~boutl hc fUlU", of our tthnicall}' .md

c1ass..cJivided e iees u e eolbbonlions th,lt move ....,11 ~- ond Ihe artist md archi rect to tb.c m i$l and t b.c historian, scientist, en,-rronme nulin. or weial

tics of t he ~nist's ~O-CC1:I1er somehow enl l\"C'n the othc.....i$c con ve ntloml.

The anist is llsumcd to be Ircer Ihan Ihe a.., hitec l. aed Ireedom is assumed

be ~n. The m:hilCCI is regarded II ~ relari...e technician by comparison. eonstr~i ned u he o r she is b,. the I ai, fiscal. and m~tcria l Iimitat ioM of the rrade . Thc idea is thlt ll artists and architccu ·collaboratc· m:hitecrere ...·ilI be m2de mo re hu man, or ~t kut mo.., ~rt-l lkc. An-like ness is assu med 10 be more hu mane.

10

Con"entionaI wisdom aside. rrue col1abor~tion among anuu and

service prov id.".. Sueh colbbor~llolU arc mandated by t be seriousness of

arehi lC'Cls nrely h.1PPCIU. Gin n tb.c51C'rcot)'pical "·~rs in ..·hi
the tasks al h~nd. They bring a n nge of prople mID oon...en.nwm abo ut

each other. iI'S no "'·onder. \t'hn passes to.la~· for colb bo rn ion tends in

!hcir ,-ision s for their neig hborhoods o r IMi r m rion s.. Find ing ~ pl~u for

f...,t to be ~ frustr;l.Iing procCS$ of compromi se ~nd concession. Th c arc hi-

t hose ideas in monumenu thai are~o nst rncled of the soil and spirit of t he

tCCI U almD5t .aI"·a)·s in ch.1rge. and ~ni.ts.. who are paid "Cf")' liulc fo r their

people is the mon challenging task for pu blic m isls in rhis time.

scn -ices, often mus. fight for recognitio n as members of ~ "design ICam.· M()n·o.....r, in ou r s<Xiety thc cond itio "" arc no t usually ufe for coIlabon ticn 10 occ ur. '[be loss of professio m l identi l)' ISat st.llte. and in corporate

","OTlS

America, pro fessio nal ;dentit)' i. oft" n .all o ne has. Gi\"en rhis ter rito rial l. n........ _#41 0{ L.. A_t- r-«I .... . __ """ ..... _ ..1~ • • _ Mood -.i
L"".....""""",.

_ ..... .... ,_J.",L.""

to,- • .. _..1

r ,.-10. 1

_-.-"' > ·~

" , .....,

_

,li' j..- .... 01<:_.', ~ r- ... ,..."....... <1....-. ....

_~ ft l ~ _

-.. _

..... .... " " ~ 1Iooo! .-...I m-I.

~ntagoni sm

and the burcaucratic hu.les of the public sector (wh ich is

usually rhc dcs ign~ted - d ient - in a pu blic an /archit ect urc pro ject), many anis ts have simpl}' gi'-en up ~ nd gune back to thc studio. Per haps t he most typ ical misund erst and ing u ch itcclS ha"C' abou t anim i. th~ t the r want to bu ild -a rt- into the proj«t. orthat lher w~nt tc makc Ihe arc hitecture ilself; that is, that an;srs Want10pIa)' at being ~ rch iICCLS . Th er" is somc trut h to t his. Per haps the mus t typ ical m i su n derst ~n ding

".

".