I discovered an ex-date's blog entries mostly still concerned me. Calendula-infused oils were created. Moon-unit band pieces were composed and recorded. Surprise Parties were organized and thrown. Vows were made. Discipline ramped up. An ex-love propositioned me after almost 2 years of love lost. Books were published. I saw Peaches walk on a sea of hands.
My art was censored. For including an icon of a Yoruba deity on it, one I've been praying to and one that meant a lot to me. I did a lot of research about cultural appropriation in school. There's been a lot said and a lot read. It's something I think about often and something that can at times be a slippery fish in one's greasy hands. The different spiritual practices I subscribe to and ascribe to, while may be called into question because they are not in my genetics, or in my childhood upbringing, are tended to with care and reverence. The imagery that I derive inspiration from in my art comes from a myriad of sources, all of them researched and sampled/referenced for a reason. Putting one's self out there as an artist, means one may get criticized. But I never expected to get called a racist, or subtly accused of ignorance, for including imagery from other cultures and sources other than an American/white/Jewish one, whatever any of those mean any way. What do you think? When and where does our art cross the line? How do we exploit? Where do lines get drawn? What am I "allowed" to represent in my art and "who" decides the laws anyway? Why is policing still the standard practice, of the day?
SNOW PIECE
Think that snow is falling.
Think about snow is falling everywhere all the time.
When you talk with a person, think that snow is falling between you and on the person.
Stop conversing when you think the person is covered by snow.
yoko ono
1963 summer
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