Saturday, July 29, 2006
[IMA] Open call for words about Israel-Lebanon war
I am posting the following letter in full,
as I feel it is ALL important.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shiri....
Thank you for your insight and bravery in bringing this to our program through a call for entries.
This is such a heated topic, and I've seen that your simple call for entries has become a major dialogue on the ListServe. I personally responded to Gocken, Josh, Jarah, Allison and Simone, as I felt they were the most active and the most verbal on the list and I didn't want to cloud up the "public airwaves" with any more with comments on this. Wow.
Your astute question:
How should artists respond when the mask of culture is being taken off and bloody war exposed?
Here's what I think: There have been many wars and many masks taken off through time, and artists respond, I hope, as human beings first. How an artist responds rests on what the artist identifies with, first personally, and then perhaps how she sees herself within a larger context. I would like to think that art transcends the incidents of history and brings us to the realisation of the most inclusive issues between us, but of course, this is only one perspective.
The specifics: Israel/Lebanon
Personally specific: I am not Jewish
Why should/does this matter in terms of what I feel as an artist:
I feel if I express disagreement with Israeli politics or what Israel does relative to its neighbors I will be labelled a racist or be seen as "un-American". As a non-Jewish American, I feel that I have been "taught" to respond this way. It is reflexive, and thus I do not feel I have a "right" to participate in this dialogue.
DISAGREEMENT = RACISM
I am not a racist...ie...
I AM SILENCED.
This is truthful for me and you've really given me cause to think and express myself on this. If you wanted to use my above statements in something you are putting together, that would be fine. Thank you again and I'll be interested to see where this ends up....
Clare Ultimo ¶ 6:18 AM
as I feel it is ALL important.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shiri....
Thank you for your insight and bravery in bringing this to our program through a call for entries.
This is such a heated topic, and I've seen that your simple call for entries has become a major dialogue on the ListServe. I personally responded to Gocken, Josh, Jarah, Allison and Simone, as I felt they were the most active and the most verbal on the list and I didn't want to cloud up the "public airwaves" with any more with comments on this. Wow.
Your astute question:
How should artists respond when the mask of culture is being taken off and bloody war exposed?
Here's what I think: There have been many wars and many masks taken off through time, and artists respond, I hope, as human beings first. How an artist responds rests on what the artist identifies with, first personally, and then perhaps how she sees herself within a larger context. I would like to think that art transcends the incidents of history and brings us to the realisation of the most inclusive issues between us, but of course, this is only one perspective.
The specifics: Israel/Lebanon
Personally specific: I am not Jewish
Why should/does this matter in terms of what I feel as an artist:
I feel if I express disagreement with Israeli politics or what Israel does relative to its neighbors I will be labelled a racist or be seen as "un-American". As a non-Jewish American, I feel that I have been "taught" to respond this way. It is reflexive, and thus I do not feel I have a "right" to participate in this dialogue.
DISAGREEMENT = RACISM
I am not a racist...ie...
I AM SILENCED.
This is truthful for me and you've really given me cause to think and express myself on this. If you wanted to use my above statements in something you are putting together, that would be fine. Thank you again and I'll be interested to see where this ends up....
Clare Ultimo ¶ 6:18 AM
