Whiteness, racial issues and the ways they can be expressed through art will be explored on Sept. 20 in a discussion led by ASU graduate Dr. Chris Boyd.
As political and racial tensions rise, many contend that community discussions around race and privilege are vital. However, these conversations are difficult without a medium that allows for a multitude of ideas and perspectives.
With a bachelors of fine arts in painting, a masters of fine arts in sculpture and a Ph.D in psychology with a specialization in transformative change, Boyd is adept at using art to examine concepts from multiple perspectives.
"If we went to an art museum and looked at a painting, there’s not just going to be one person who says, 'Well that's about this and that's it' and then we move on to the next one," Boyd said. "We might have 30 people who have 30 different stories and perspectives about that."
Boyd has taken art's inherent ability to transcend borders and used it to spark difficult discussions, specifically regarding whiteness.
"I think it’s important to examine whiteness and especially those layers of white supremacy that have existed for hundreds of years," he said. "Because the majority of white people are unaware of them, or they’re ignoring them, or there’s a sense of guilt or an uneasiness to even begin to have a dialogue with people of color about these issues."
The discussion is co-sponsored by ASU's Center for the Study of Race and Democracy as part of the Brown Bag Series. The center's interim director Dr. Ian Moulton notes that the program focuses largely on community discussion rather than a more traditional lecturing style.
#ExaminingWhitenessThroughArt with @overmanarts will explore intersections of art + social change. Don't miss! https://t.co/akHpL18Uxt
— CSRD (@CSRDatASU) September 14, 2016
"The format of the event is going to be that Chris Boyd is going to speak for maybe 15 minutes out of the hour and then the rest of it is just going to be a discussion by the people who come to the brown bag, " Moulton said. "But he’s going to lead and respond to the issues that he raises so really it is that sort of opportunity for conversation."
Moulton notes that although the format of the event may be different, the content falls in line with the work CSRD generally hosts.
"We’re primarily a kind of forum for discussion, especially discussion around issues of race, social justice and democracy," Moulton said. "The thing that Chris Boyd does, and he identifies as white, is he uses his art to explore issues of racial and ethnic identity and the way they’re represented."
Although the underlying themes of the talk may be familiar to many attendees, the introduction of art to the discussion could give rise to a new understanding of them entirely.
ASU freshman Hayden DePuy is a justice studies major who plans to attend the talk. A fan of both art and social justice, Depuy said he is excited to hear a discussion where the two intersect.
"I've always been a big fan of Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat — you know — artists who use art to get people to notice and understand their struggle," DePuy said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how different people view that really critical intersection."
This free discussion will take place at ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus in building Mercado C, Room 145 on Tuesday, Sept. 20. It will span from noon to 1 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to bring lunch.
Reach the reporter at ampruett@asu.edu or follow @ampruett32 on Twitter.
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