“I am always annoyed when I read critics who are so fixated on the blackness of the images that they ignore the question of gender of desire and power.”
This quote resonated with me because it closely reflects a thought that has been weighing on my mind for a while. I’ve been contemplating why non-white American creators are often pigeonholed into telling the same stories about race and culture. In Carrie Mae Weems' case, critics seem unable to look beyond her Black identity, overlooking other significant aspects of her work, such as gender and power dynamics. I understand that this perspective is shaped by our culture and history, which tend to position cis white people as the default. However, I can’t help but feel defensive about my own identity, based on how others perceive and expect me to be.
"She [ a white woman ] walks over to me, she says, "Is the work angry? But this work is not making me feel guilty. "She wants me to tell her how to respond to the work because she assumes that the only legitimate response is guilt in the face of perceived rage.”
I chose this quote because it reflects another thought that has been bothering me. It also explores the same themes I wrote about earlier. It highlights how shallow some people can be when interpreting the work of Black artists, making assumptions based on a first glance rather than critically analyzing the piece and its full meaning. The woman’s actions also remind me of white guilt and how self-serving it can sometimes be, as well as the irritating pity that often accompanies it.
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