Concerto in Black and Blue

David Hammons, Flying Carpet, 1990 image source

David Hammons often uses his art as a commentary on racial stereotypes so it’s not surprising that when critics viewed his Concerto in Black and Blue they were quick to offer up the description of African American art. The problem with the way that critics reacted to this installation was not that they identified it as such, but that they then ironically used racial stereotypes to further describe the installation highlighting the point the artist was making.

In the introductory chapter of How to See a Work of Art in Total Darkness, Darby English uses an art installation by David Hammons to illustrate the problems black artists face when critics refuse to see past racial stereotypes. Concerto in Black and Blue was a 2002 installation that consisted of nothing more than an empty gallery, some blue pen lights, and the viewers themselves. The idea was that the viewers became the art, and that the definition of blackness lies within the precepts of those interacting with each other in the dark space. As the viewer is highlighted with a bluish light the perception of who they are is changed and reduced to the blue hue and an existence in darkness. Critics were falling all over their words describing the installation in ways that fit their idea of “blackness.” One critic even claimed that “all the ‘black and blue’...refers to African American culture.” Meanwhile, Hammons was simply trying to create an interactive installation where the viewer could decide what the art was about. Was he trying to describe what it is like to have his identity homogenized and reduced by people who have no concept of his reality? We don’t really know that because he hasn’t described it as such. That would be us forcing our own biases on the interpretation. What it did accomplish was a collaboration between the artist and viewer and, in effect, shared something profound with each other that could not be explored or known from the outside.

Black culture is more than a homogonized ideal, and “African American” art is a social construct that is heavily steeped in racism to begin with. It’s not just the reductionist labeling that is bad, but also the segregation that occurs when we use such labels. Is it possible to integrate black art without removing the artist's identity? Racism is a complex and tricky issue and it has been a part of our institutions from inception. The artists that English has highlighted are ones that attempt to “decenter and dematerialize black images.” Concerto in black and blue was a strategic attempt at bringing these issues to light, but it’s more than an “African American” work of art. If a person had experienced this work without prior knowledge of the artist, then the reaction to it would have been markedly different.

After reading about David Hammons I wanted to look at a piece that was described simply as chicken wings nailed to a Persian rug. It sounded bizarre, but I could not find a decent picture from a reputable source. That’s the artwork I have included in this reading. I don’t know how to react to it. I am honestly kind of scared to write my first reaction because, again, it is steeped in racism that I don’t intend to feel. Food is one of the ways in which we reduce people to stereotypes. I find that to be fascinating in itself. The best part of this blog was discovering the artists that English was writing about. David Hammons deserves a closer look because he has a way of injecting poetry into visual art.


Source
Darby English, “Introduction,” in How to See a Work of Art in Total Darkness (2007)