This is a really great and very short article that I refer back to often. I thought it was pertinent to our discussion on Dana Schutz, and the discussion on how to go about discussion. I shared it with Brian briefly during class but thought you all would like to take a look.
This article is written by Greta Christina It was first published in the March-April issue of The Humanist magazine, which is one of my absolute favorite publications.
"...I don't want a peaceful life. I want to let myself be shaken by the world. [ ] I want to shudder with joy, all the way down to my bones [ ] when I read an idea that radically shifts how I understand reality...And I want to shudder with rage, all the way down to my bones, when i see terrible injustice and harm."
https://thehumanist.com/magazine/march-april-2015/fierce-humanism/new-thoughts-on-atheist-anger-and-the-difference-between-peace-and-complacency
----
Thanks for posting this Ericka. I think that Greta is tapping into the human motivation for resistance and resilience through anger, and that fact that most forms of social revolution are spurred by some type of emotional and horrific culmination of events. The best example that comes to mind for me are the Zapatistas in Mexico that have typically cover their mouths with red bandanas and wear hats. They remove their voice from the resistance because they do not want their words to be used against them, and instead march and resist in silence, where they all look the same. It is very powerful. In that respect, not using their voice helps people to see them all as one, encouraging empathy instead of menace. One could make a connection that painting is also a silent revolution, that does not allow the painting to be used against itself if the artist does not speak about it. it would have been interesting to not hear a voice and back story from Dana Schutz to see if that changes things. Either way anger can be a powerful motivator for change, sparking empathy and conversation.
ReplyDelete