Jean-Michel Basquiat Interview (Edited)

*Edited*

I wanted to follow up on our conversation about the Basquiat interview that we will continue next week. Please read and consider the following for the discussion of how things like race, ethnicity, mental/physical/emotional health, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, economic situation, age, housing situation, education (added; the fact that I didn't even think to to include age, housing situation, and education is a testament to how unaddressed the issues are!) etc. are reflected in, inform, and factors of conversations around visual culture as these are the conversations we will be having through the semester.

An excellent comment was made about how the media is interested in finding that "exciting," "interesting" aspect of someone, something that sets you apart, something that is the 'anomaly.' (that was the word I was looking for)

We discussed how this is the case with Basquiat's race, Francis Ford Coppola's ethnicity, and Ernest Hemingway's alcoholism. This is also the case with women artists, as well as gay or lesbian artists. Many times interviewers, writers, scholars, journalists, critics, viewers, etc. want to focus on those aspects.

But let us think about the idea of how exactly does one's race, ethnicity, mental/physical/emotional health, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, economic situation, age, housing situation, education, etc. set one apart, why it is considered an 'anomaly' that is in need of pointing out, addressing, sensationalizing, and the factor which dominates the conversation. In order to be set apart there needs to be a thing the be apart from. If these aspects are what makes you 'different,' 'other,' 'stand out,' what are these qualities standing out from? Why are these things the 'exciting/interesting' aspect that interviewers want to focus on, why are these things 'other'? "Other" to what? "Apart" from what? What is the "normal?" What is the "boring?" What is the thing that makes someone's race, ethnicity, mental/physical/emotional health, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, economic situation, age, housing situation, education, etc. something worthy of sensationalizing?

But most importantly for this course, what about material culture (especially the media in this case) reinforces the idea that one's race, ethnicity, mental/physical/emotional health, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, economic situation, age, housing situation, education, etc. somehow makes that person 'different' and, again, 'different' than what? These factors have been made to be the 'anomaly,' they have been made such on a systematic level, but as the interviewer of Basquiat demonstrated, they are also made such by individuals, individuals who reinforce the anomalization of things such as race, ethnicity, mental/physical/emotional health, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, economic situation, age, housing situation, education, etc.

Here are some excellent resources on Basquiat that have been provided by a fellow classmate:
Basquiat: The Manifestation of Racism in Art
Art and Prejudice Dealing with Sexism, Racism, and Ageism in the Art World

Please come prepared to discuss these issues by reading the above and considering the questions I ask and the issues address in these readings.