Cause of death: implicit bias (painting): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 16:30, 3 August 2018

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Artist: Annie Young

Year: 2018

Date of Action: May-June 2018

Region: North America

Location: Ames Center, Burnsville, Minnesota

Subject: Political/Economic/Social Opinion

Medium: Painting

Confronting Bodies: Burnsville Visual Arts Society (BVAS)

Description of Artwork: Cause of death: implicit bias is a painting by Annie Young, a blind artist, who is involved in advocating and inspirational speaking, and is a former member of the US Air Force. Young was invited to display her work at the “Art Fete” exhibition (May 9-June 14) in the Ames Center, Burnsville, Minnesota. This was orchestrated by the Burnsville Visual Arts Society (BVAS), a small non-profit and volunteer-run arts organization.

The painting is comprised of a yellow banner with the words "Qualified Immunity" as well as a figure of a child, which casts a vast black shadow wielding a gun and displaying a chest full of bullet holes in the shape of a peace sign. A quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is positioned on the left-hand side of the painting, bearing the words "True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice." Excerpts from statements by Benjamin Crump, the civil rights attorney representing the families of African American victims of police violence, are also displayed. One salient quote asks: "How many more black men will be killed by police officers before real change is implemented in the way America polices communities and people of color?"

With this artwork, Young aimed to stimulate discussion on the current issues associated with police violence against people of color. Her personal connection to this phenomenon, as a mother of bi-racial children, has further encouraged her to speak openly.

The Incident: The subject of the artwork was deemed to be "too controversial" for display by BVAS board members; who demanded that Young remove the painting and replace it with another. The apparent offense of "police bashing" was the reason for this objection.

In response, NCAC wrote a letter to the BVAS board, urging them to restore the work to the exhibition before its closing date, June 14 2018. The organization highlighted BVAS's contradicting decision, which goes against their mission to "encourage our members' artistic growth both professionally and personally and to advance the value of the visual arts in our communities." According to NCAC, BVAS has set "a precedent that could usher in demands to remove artworks that may be at odds with some individuals’ beliefs" (NCAC, May 31, 2018).

Results of Incident: The BVAS board members upheld their decision to remove Young's painting from the exhibition.

Source:

Burnsville Visual Arts Society Removes Painting About Police Killings, NCAC, May 31, 2018.

Burnsville Visual Arts Society official website

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 |date_of_action=May-June 2018
 |location=Ames Center, Burnsville, Minnesota
-|description_of_content='Cause of death: implicit bias' is a painting by Annie Young, an artist with a hereditary condition that has rendered her blind. She is involved in advocating and inspirational speaking, and is a former member of the US Air Force.
+|description_of_content=''Cause of death: implicit bias'' is a painting by Annie Young, a blind artist, who is involved in advocating and inspirational speaking, and is a former member of the US Air Force. Young was invited to display her work at the “Art Fete” exhibition (May 9-June 14) in the Ames Center, Burnsville, Minnesota. This was orchestrated by the Burnsville Visual Arts Society (BVAS), a small non-profit and volunteer-run arts organization.
-Young was invited to display her work at the “Art Fete” exhibition (May 9-June 14) in the Ames Center, Burnsville, Minnesota. This was orchestrated by the Burnsville Visual Arts Society (BVAS), a small non-profit and volunteer-run arts organization.
+The painting is comprised of a yellow banner with the words "Qualified Immunity" as well as a figure of a child, which casts a vast black shadow wielding a gun and displaying a chest full of bullet holes in the shape of a peace sign. A quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is positioned on the left-hand side of the painting, bearing the words "True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice." Excerpts from statements by Benjamin Crump, the civil rights attorney representing the families of African American victims of police violence, are also displayed. One salient quote asks: "How many more black men will be killed by police officers before real change is implemented in the way America polices communities and people of color?"
-The painting comprises of a yellow banner with the words “Qualified Immunity” as well as a figure of a child, which casts a vast black shadow, wielding a gun and displaying chest full of bullet holes in the shape of a peace sign. A quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is positioned on the left hand side of the painting, bearing the words "True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.” Furthermore, statements made by Benjamin Crump, the civil rights attorney representing the families of African American victims of police violence, is also present. A salient quote from this excerpt includes: "How many more black men will be killed by police officers before real change is implemented in the way America polices communities and people of color?”
 With this artwork, Young aimed to stimulate discussion on the current issues associated with police violence against people of color. Her personal connection to this phenomenon, as a mother of bi-racial children, has further encouraged her to speak openly.
-|description_of_incident=But, despite winning a merit award in pre-show judging, a painting by Annie Young that takes on the difficult subject of police violence against people of color proved too controversial for display. Some BVAS board members demanded that Young remove it; she was given the option of hanging another work instead.
+|description_of_incident=The subject of the artwork was deemed to be "too controversial" for display by  BVAS board members; who demanded that Young remove the painting and replace it with another. The apparent offense of "police bashing" was the reason for this objection.
+In response, NCAC wrote a letter to the BVAS board, urging them to restore the work to the exhibition before its closing date, June 14 2018. The organization highlighted BVAS's contradicting decision, which goes against their mission to "encourage our members' artistic growth both professionally and personally and to advance the value of the visual arts in our communities." According to NCAC, BVAS has set "a precedent that could usher in demands to remove artworks that may be at odds with some individuals’ beliefs" (NCAC, May 31, 2018).
+|description_of_result=The BVAS board members upheld their decision to remove Young's painting from the exhibition.
+|image=Annie-Young-cause-of-death-implicit-bias.jpg
+}}
+[https://ncac.org/news/press-release/burnsville-visual-arts-society-removes-painting-about-police-killings Burnsville Visual Arts Society Removes Painting About Police Killings], NCAC, May 31, 2018.
-In a letter urging the board to restore the work to the exhibition, NCAC’s Arts Advocacy Associate Joy Garnett asserts that “claims of offense do not in and of themselves provide adequate justification for censoring artwork, and in this era of intense political polarization, many artworks may be offensive to someone’s viewpoint.”
+[http://bvasmn.org Burnsville Visual Arts Society official website]
-}}