Free Essay Sample on Images of Pain

Introduction

The system of racism has strained society, and many people carry deep wounds because of it. However, when we say "racism," can we understand its meaning and the pain that many people have? The world of art is not outside of this debate; artists throughout history have depicted violence and inequality to show the things that cannot be written or spoken. Dana Schutz, a white American painter, has expressed her resistance to society's limitations and beliefs through her artwork, "Open Casket."

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Although the painting portrays the maimed face of Emmet Till, a 14-year old boy grimly murdered in 1955 after he was inaccurately accused of flirting with a white woman, it has been criticized for perceived racial insensitivity. Her supporters and other blacks point out that white sensitivity is evident in the painting. The blacks believe that Dana's painting is a representation by the whites, of the sufferings blacks endure as a commercial exploitation exercise. I believe that art is against any rules, limitations, and damage to humanity; each artist has a distinctive way of expressing his thoughts and feelings about the world, society, etc. it's our responsibility to let everyone speak up against racism, inequality, and discrimination. Therefore, Diana Schutz's painting, "Open Casket," should remain in the Whitney Biennial.

Transmuting

Dana Schutz's painting should not be removed from the Whitney Biennial despite Hannah Black's urgent need for the painting to be destroyed. Hannah's argument is that to a person who cares about the blacks; it is therefore not right for the whites to transmute the blacks' sufferings, all in either fun or profit (Smith). However, Dana aimed to display the white shame of how the whites treat blacks. The painting should not go as Emmett Till is now renowned globally since his passing on. The injustices have come to stand for one, if not for all, as Till became present to blacks as a warning and inspiration. From Dana's painting, blacks’ communities collectively comprehend that they will keep on dying in these white supremacists; they will keep living in abject poverty, and their children will still be retracted from childhood.

Hannah's open letter asks for the removal of Dana's paintings. On the contrary, this painting needs to stay. The Whitney Biennial sheds light on various human encounters that are hard or painful to confront, like racism, gun violence and death. The artist exhibited all these problems Americans endure for being black. The art sought empathy from its viewers in that divisive period. Dana's painting depicts an unsettling picture that voices the long-established violence that has since been subjected to African Americans. For most blacks, the image particularly has immense emotional resonance. The painting also acknowledges the significance of this extra consequential and impressive representation in blacks' history and race relations in the state. Besides, in defense of the stance that the painting should stay is that it raises awareness. It is a social capital art way that conveys the message without presuming any responsibilities or risks as the artist.

Artistic Expression

Dana's Schutz's painting should not go; when it is an artistic expression, then nothing is off-limits. The painting is mediocre and not to provoke any heartfelt feelings but presents the continuing brutality present even today against blacks. The ownership system is inappropriate as it disagrees with legal practices such as copyright law and intellectual property, as in Schutz's case. The art belongs to her, and she can decide what she wants to be done with it. Supporters of the open letter claim that only black people should have ownership of black suffering, which pertains to artwork and media representation. The claim is ethically, socially, and politically taxing.

If the system is accepted, it would have devastating effects on society. It would create a representational monopoly on art and other forms of expression such as mainstream media; Muslims would not be allowed to cover Christian deaths, and Palestinians would not have the right to discuss Israeli attacks. A form of representational segregation would be created where only one group's standpoint of an event would be considered, and the other will be regarded as a hoax. In such a setting, sharing concern for a different group of people would be viewed as illegitimate. For Zadie Smith, he believed race conversations are a shared one with many entry points (McDuffie). Racism is an open subject for all to discuss it, for artists to make images of it since we are all part of it. It could be we are affected, implicated or a combination of the two. In agreement with Zadie Smith, the paintings bring to surface the racial terror to anyone from just the mention of Emmet Till, a reason to keep it.

Conclusion

The painting “Open Casket” should remain on the wall as it strategically places the harsh racist realities faced daily by the blacks. Smith, on get out, handles the political, symbolism and social commentary the African Americans fear. By showing how America has dehumanized, it has fetishes and brutalizing blacks. The similar means that Smith extracts the pains of the blacks verbally from his text. I believe the paintings also do the same through the art by Schutz. Unlike Smith's text, the painting “Open Casket” does not miss the point as it meets to explain the present cultural appropriation in the communities of the black (McDuffie). The blacks are regarded for hard labor, exploitation as sex workers and not justified to protect their culture. Dana's painting brings consciousness to the viewers that it is the time not to tolerate killings by racists. As blacks for the last three hundred years, we have been fighting for freedom, and the time is now, to begin with, not letting the painting by Dana go because it ensures we remain conscious by the sight of it.

Works Cited

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

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

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