Devanee Osorio
“This is What I Know about Art”- Essay
“This is What I Know About Art” by Kimberly Drew tells her journey as artist, curator, and activist. Within the book, we see Drew’s experience as a young colored woman trying to manage life right after college. But within her story, many forms of activism were intertwined. She narrates her experiences and frustrations of being a colored artist and also questions why she didn't know more about black artists, herself. Through her lens, we see these uncomfortable processes of her trying to bring more light and speak on what became important to her. Along the way, Drew realizes there are ways to get a voice across about the black artists she so dearly admired and knew needed to be displayed in the world.
Within the book, we see how Kimberly experiences this surface-level reaction her classmates had given when viewing a film about an art piece that mimicked a colonial tradition. Drew says “I, on the other hand, felt solidarity with the artists’ needs to highlight the shameful history of the world’s fair and how, more often than not, people of color are brought into art spaces to perform for white audiences. How couldn’t my classmates see beyond their guilt?” (Pg.25) During this narration of Drew’s story it was quite interesting to see the reaction of white people when learning about historical occurrences that Drew already had internally understood, while they were focused on how that made them look. Drew herself understood the artist and what was being done to get the point across but her classmates had a different perspective. It was also quite surprising to read an interaction like this occurred and I hope more white people are being educated on topics like this as well.
The very interaction Drew had with her classmates connected me back to what Bell Hooks had said in “Understanding Patriarchy.” The book read “ No one cared that the constant retelling might trigger post-traumatic stress; the retelling was necessary to reinforce both the message and the reborn state of absolute powerlessness”(pg.21). This quote really emphasizes the fact that although learning the history about what occurred during the past may be triggering for those who understand and resonate with it deeply, the message should still be told. I myself believe that Drew might have felt some sort of traumatic connection, while her classmates were too caught up in how they were viewed. But retelling these stories and making people uncomfortable is activism within itself and can change eventually. Consistency is key.
Image from blackcontemporaryart, Kimberly Drew’s Tumbler: “Frank Bowling, Greenacross I, 2009. Acrylic paint and gel on paper.”
During Drew’s story, she did keep this consistent passion to keep learning and advocating for black creators. She was very passionate and expressed much emotion about the lack of diversity in the exhibition she has been looking forward to. She had realized only out of the 109 only 9 were black artists. From there Drew began angrily tweeting about her findings. Therefore, this led to her boss Thelma helping her understand the power of her voice which made Drew realize “It was not just enough to be angry.I had to be strategic”(pg 43).
Being passionate about what is important to you can either further your end goal or can either backfire. I believe Drew realized that tweeting angry comments did backfire in the fact that she was given consequences by her boss. But if she had used her rage more strategically and authentically, more would have been accomplished. Within activism, I firmly believe that being too emotional will sometimes not even get across the message you're trying to put out. Drew’s experience parallels back to Duncombe and Lambert in “The Art of Activism: you’re all purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible.” On page 59, it states, “ If our process is rooted in vengeance, fury, hopelessness, despair, our efforts will likely fail.” I believe this quote is a great reflective asset for any activist ever, whether it be small or big our efforts shouldn’t be rooted in anger because it will never communicate the real message across. The real efforts are going to be proven in how intentional you want to be with that rage. The progression is going to be within how you communicate that passion into something bigger than being mad.
Kimberly Drew on Lorna Simpson on Tumblr, “Lorna Simpson (born 1960) is an African-American photographer and multimedia artist who made her name in the 1980s and 1990s with artworks such as Guarded Conditions and Square Deal. She is one of the leading artists of her generation (to much critical acclaim), and her works have been included in numerous exhibitions both nationally and internationally.
Kimberly Drew’s story was relatable and real. I believe any person of color can relate to at least one of these experiences somehow. Her story inspired me as an activist to speak on and start creating action on what I’m passionate about with small steps. She came a long way from being a college student, to making barely enough to support herself, then to being a well-known curator and activist. She believed that black artists needed to be seen and made that happen! It all started with a blog as well. This inspires me as an activist to utilize my social media presence to advocate for the things I believe need to be heard as well. I can even make that a career for myself as well.
“Stanley Whitney, Untitled, 1989”
Works Cited
Duncombe, S., & Lambert, S. (2021). The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible.
Drew, K. (2020). This Is What I Know About Art. Penguin.
Hooks, B. (2004). The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love.
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