tear down the statues is not enough. We need to radically rethink the way in which power celebrations

tear down the statues is not enough. We need to radically rethink the way in which power celebrations

A few days after protesters pulled down a statue of British merchant Edward Colston slaves in Bristol, a statue of the actor Jamaica-born Alfred Fagon in the same city was vandalized with bleach. This is no accident. It is a very pointed comment and clearly sees a lot of feelings and emotions to the idea of ​​what they represent these individuals. public sculptures and statues were signs used to maintain power to illustrate, look at the power and systems. Now the public for his depictions of people searching and immersion in history is to fly instead of unpleasant parts of the past, go ahead. We need to look at what these sculptures are and what they were like originally intended. In the United States, were the Confederate generals to celebrate. It is a belligerent, aggressive, conscious action because it normalizes a racist mentality and psyche. When we look in the British patent, it is so difficult to see a statue of someone who has made all their money from slavery. Colston Statue pulling down is to eliminate not the story – is the creation of a historical moment, and at least it is recognition of the existence of a new contemporary thought. You can not hide behind words like “tradition” and “history” when used to neutralize any kind of discussion of change. Now we think of who gets to make these substitutions, and is a process that should not be rushed. The immediate response Colston statue had to ask: who are we get instead? Currently there is a petition of a statue of Paul Stephenson, the head of the Bristol bus boycott instate. It could be, and we managed to find alternative figures from the history of sculpture, but I still to play before the game grow certain persons and people set apart. For me it is not a zero-sum game. There is almost a sense of entitlement thinking about the white creator, which are the solution. white artist proposed pieces sculptures from the owners of slaves with no sense of irony to create. The complex is a savior, and that exemplifies what is wrong, even if the solution does not bring the black experience. Black lives matter, experience counts blacks and quality of life black counts. blacks artists should many of these sculptures are first checked to replace the removed. If we fail to see the irony down a statue of a slave owner, and replace it with the work of an artist whose ancestors have benefited from slavery, it is an indication of even greater problems. If we really want to get involved with the story to do, and we use public sculptures so, then the public should be consulted on a case by case basis. We need to have an idea of ​​what people feel. But people are just going to have feelings and opinions about things they already know, and then I think things can not stop the sculpture. To be considered education in this country needs, from scratch in terms of how it is taught that the British patent has been built on what the United Kingdom, has done and what it represents. If we do not understand this, we can not go on. As a sculptor, I always others to observe people interested and try to create empathy. One of my first projects was a great showing stop-motion animation of a small brown plasticine head relative who happens to be black on someone who I see. My original intention was not to create works on the race, but I realize that there was no power in the figurative, and gave the right to represent the people, because I could give you a real insight to this experience as I’ve seen. All numbers are fictitious I do, because I’m trying the whole concept of portrait for criticism. Portraiture is based on this idea of ​​money than a person with a work of art in order to give or done these great things that work of art is given in his honor in order. My characters do not smile because this is a question that people like to put I do not seem to be threatening. I want the weight to be removed and this psychological pressure, and show that, if you are a black person depicted in the sculpture, do not have to be an athlete, or performing a pose or an expectation. These figures are imaginary people who are not in line with the expectations of the Association for the success it could have slipped or could have a hoodie, as one of my pieces is the case with regard to police shootings lead. The fact is that you can wear like a black man being killed. As a black man, please contact seems to be slightly suspect used. In addition to our historical figures like celebrating, I would continue sculptures like how people look, I recognize in order to meet the endless stream of tropes limit and identity for people of color, not just in the UK but in the United States and around the world, as well. It takes an opening and be more sophisticated understanding, which means that there will be black, and this is only happen if the people in the Commission’s power positions who understand where our art comes from. I really hope that we have some fortitude and courage, and show a genuine desire and look into our past to learn and integrate these new insights into our strategy for recording. We have a chance to create a cohesive society, if we choose to take it. We ingrain continue the historical figures of the current system should be the choice of the values ​​we aspire? Or we seek the common ground that we all share and embrace representations from those who stigmatized before or invisible? It will be popular, not at the beginning, and it is people who are totally against them because they threaten their understanding. But if you do not get along as a company that contracts to pursue something more radical with each other, so the debate is on the statues is all just talk. As I said, Suyin Haynes
Picture copyright by James Beck-The New York Times / Redux

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