Clayton Feeley
2/27/2025
Bell Hooks: "Art on my Mind" and Responses:
"If a few individuals don't see something in a creative work, does that mean this thing doesn't exist?' - Bell Hooks (pg.87)
Response:
This quote made me reflect on how, as artists, we sometimes feel that our work only becomes “real” or valid through others' recognition. While it’s important for our work to communicate effectively, cliques and selective appreciation are inevitable. Just because someone doesn’t grasp a concept in your art doesn’t make it any less "real" or meaningful. Some art simply isn’t for everyone—and that’s okay.
"Despite the tenacity of white supremacy as a worldview that overdetermines the production of images in this society, no power is absolute to the imagination. The practice of freedom in daily life, and that includes artistic freedom, is always a liberatory act that begins with the will to imagine"- Carrie Mae Weems (pg.97).
Response:
I love this quote. White supremacy is deeply embedded in what we consider art—even shaping ideas of what’s “good” or “beautiful.” So often, art is praised because it centers whiteness, reinforcing outdated ideals of purity and femininity. But what it can’t control is the imagination—the freedom to think, create, and express yourself in your work. No system has total control over the imagination. Exploring that is liberation.
Notes:
- White supremacy and Patriarchy play a big part in how people perceive what "real art" is.
- Confusion or not understanding a topic does not make art any less "real".
- Topics of Blackness, Feminity, Decolonizing art, Reclaiming Bodly Autonomy and Resilience.
- Imagination is unlimited, explore it freely.
No comments:
Post a Comment