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Artists Create Dangerously

This document discusses Palestinian culture and the artist Emily Jacir. It provides context on Palestinian cultural aspects like customs, literature, art, and how the 1948 Nakba war shaped Palestinian culture. It then focuses on Emily Jacir, a Palestinian artist known for her work documenting Palestinian history and the 1948 war through photography, writing, and film. Specifically, her project "30,000 Books" preserved Palestinian history from that time period. The document asserts Jacir's art is "dangerously" challenging as it asks viewers to consider ideology and look beyond just art theory. It promotes examining issues from a broad perspective to shape understanding and the future.

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
119 views14 pages

Artists Create Dangerously

This document discusses Palestinian culture and the artist Emily Jacir. It provides context on Palestinian cultural aspects like customs, literature, art, and how the 1948 Nakba war shaped Palestinian culture. It then focuses on Emily Jacir, a Palestinian artist known for her work documenting Palestinian history and the 1948 war through photography, writing, and film. Specifically, her project "30,000 Books" preserved Palestinian history from that time period. The document asserts Jacir's art is "dangerously" challenging as it asks viewers to consider ideology and look beyond just art theory. It promotes examining issues from a broad perspective to shape understanding and the future.

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api-512800689
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Huang 1

Sijia Huang

Victoria Rue

CA-172

05/19/2020

Artists Create Dangerously

Art is a field that is pivotal to the progress of various countries. In the past year’s

countries used to borrow different attributes of culture from others. Similarly, some used to copy

how others were doing their things because they thought it was the best way to lead a good life.

(Léger & Marc, 312). Palestine culture involves various things, which include; costume,

literature, music, art, and cuisine. They have popular customs, beliefs, and traditions. The

cultural characteristics involve literature, poetry, art, festivals, mysticism, and folklore. Palestine

had many beautiful places that were preserved in the way of culture, and they are the ones that,

to date, portray such a rich culture. These cultures involved making events of childbirth,

historical occurrences, and other crucial.

The Nakba, which was as a result of the Israel-Palestine war, marked many essential

aspects of culture. The Nakba came about as the need to maintain their culture of living together

and love for one another despite many problems and challenges that they faced in the war. May

were displaced, and a significant number killed. The Palestine nationalist movement happened as

a result of maintaining the community together and addressing many challenges. The 1948 war

helped to shape their culture, and that is why it is inaugurated every year.
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In the culture of philosophy, Palestine’s were in the pursuit of knowledge regarding the

religion that was about the canonical texts. Their culture was vibrant, and it promoted the success

and welfare of all the people. It was guided by the principle that the world should be made a

better place for all the people to live in, and that is why they led the best way of life (Norton, 32).

The Palestine culture was more attached to religion, which means that everything that they

undertook was within the holy doctrine. Therefore, it involved following the biblical

commandments and more of enhancing posterity and progress of humanity. Their religion was

monotheistic. This means that they trusted in God, and thus, they believed in the holy book.

Palestine’s also had their secular culture, which involved many aspects. They included

literature, media, cinema, cuisine, marriage, social customs, music, and dance. However, it was a

historical process that was intended to divest different elements of culture to various religious

practices. The philosophy was designed to impart values of enlightenment to the people.

Generally, the Palestine culture was mostly centered on giving people hope and ensuring

nourishment and purity of their hearts (Mehta & Rijuta, 348). It was focused on promoting better

humanity and appreciation of various things that the world had provided. The culture encouraged

loving one another, and even the events that were recorded in history followed Gods teachings

and influenced positive behavior on the people.

Palestine beliefs, culture, concepts, and events are permeated and visible in different

American cultures and heritage. The Palestine culture did put up a strong foundation of Islam

and Christianity. It happens that Palestine used English in their culture, and as it is today, it is

one of the building blocks of American English that is widely used. Therefore, many issues that

are seen in America in terms of art, music, and other facets of life were all influenced by the

Palestine’s. The unique factor of Christianity would see a lot of transformation in America.
Huang 3

Norton denotes, “there should be a counter/actual as a form of past-talk in a conscious

intervention into socio-political and ethical issues arising from the Israeli occupation of

Palestine” (Pg. 28). Palestine did set up the pace for sacred scriptures, which led to ethical

dynamism and inclination of America towards Christianity. It did not only lead to the promotion

of American culture but overall western civilization. Palestine did set the pace for human liberty.

That is why, to date, Americans value other human beings as complete, and there is no need to

treat them as slaves.

Palestine’s were embroiled in the shackles of segregation, rejection and discrimination.

However, they brought about light to the modern era, and that is why Americans in everything

they undertake understand that there is no need to victimize others. All the people are the same

before the creator. Scientists, politicians, musicians, artists and many other people are in

America. Many facets of what they do is derived from Palestine culture. The aspect of morality

was so much borrowed from Palestine. Christianity being the dominant religion, it means that the

Americans would be influenced in the Christianity way. Chambers et al. (2) denote, "authors

consider the museum space, practices and institutions in the light of repressed histories, sounds,

voices, images, memories, bodies, expression and cultures” to help the people understand the

occurrences and take caution. This is a doctrine that takes into account integrity and transparency

on everything that is done. The culture of love was influenced in the society which has facilitated

its prowess and success. Therefore, so much was borrowed from the American culture ty the

Americans.
Huang 4

Palestine Israeli / or Palestinian Artist; Emily Jacir

Emily is a Palestinian artist and a historian whose work has been immensely reviewed.

She is majorly concerned with telling the past and the present while making a comparison of

Palestine and Israel in terms of war history. Her focus has been on the suffering that Palestine’s

people encountered in the course of the war. In her ex libris, she speaks about the preservation of

Palestinian history. In her 30,000 books, she talks about the occurrences and events of Palestine

from the 1948 war. Her projects consist of photography, writing, performances, and film. These

all are as a result. Her books have been pivotal in understanding the past and coming up with

ways to correct the situation. I think Libris was the best thing that happened. It was the most

excellent way she preserved the Palestine history. She highlights various things that happened,

and that led to the war and the lessons that they can learn from the war. Emily’s work is related

to 1948 in such a way that it speaks about the struggle for independence and the war that

happened between Israel and Palestine. It gives memories and goes ahead to give people the

briefs on what happened and why it happened. Therefore, people can reflect on the good things

that came out of the war and plan better. One of the aspects of Libris was to help change the

mindset of people towards how they view others. The books speak about love for humanity and

promoting brotherhood.

Therefore, discrimination and racism are castigated in the books. The art is dangerous in

different ways. The article denotes “artist’s work by looking beyond art theory and towards

questions of ideology” (Léger & Marc, 312). Emily’s challenge to the viewers has been of the

most significant importance. She developed her art in the 1970s and 80s. She has been a source

of revolution, asking the viewers and other people to be keen on different aspects of life and

uphold the values of Christianity as well as those that promote societal expansion.
Huang 5

In her artwork, the dangerous aspect comes in whereby she asks the people to observe

and act as the teachings of the bible. She brings out the contemporary issues on how art has been

vital in the transformation of society and the cultural aspect of it. Artwork is a good aspect of

challenging people to see issues and different factors in a broad perspective. Emily uses

comparison to help the people understand where they have come from and where they are going

and lessons that they can learn in such aspects. Mehta & Rijuta (349) denotes that “It is precisely

when the future appears uncertain” to mean society should be prepared to handle issues to shape

the future. Emily's paintings are crucial in understanding various aspects of life and how they

have contributed to the thoughts of people regarding different aspects of life. She dangerously

opens up the mind of people not to be inclined in a particular idea but rather be proactive and

view the world as a big platform where they can undertake different activities while observing

humanity.

She cites that humanity is the greatest gift towards promoting a positive culture that can

lead to the success of everything that goes on. Usually, films and other different aspects of arts

are intended to teach and impart knowledge to people on diverse facets of life. Therefore,

Emily's work is known to incorporate various features of Christianity as well as be a stepping

stone for people who need nourishment and power to overcome different struggles of the world

(Kerman & Monique, 15). It is the work of art that has seen him awarded and being regarded as

the greatest of all time due to her ability to address morality issues affecting the people as well

quote the biblical perspective.


Huang 6

United States Artist; Adrian Piper

Adrian is an American artist whose work of art has gone beyond the expectations. Her

artwork includes photography, art books, and mail. Her work is exemplary due to her ability to

show people to stand for what is right and enhance humanity. One of her writing is The Mythic

Being: I Embody Everything You Most Hate and Fear.  Adrian speaks about the problems that

black man face in the streets of New York. The mythic being cites that black people are also

human beings. Adrian takes the character of a black man in her writing to deliberately highlight

the interests of the marginalized and the challenges that they face in their daily life. She wants all

people respected, and people treated equally without discrimination whatsoever. She also

describes the needs of African women and how the culture affected their lifestyle. She tries to get

rid of the racial discrimination and ensure that people of African descent are respected. Adrian

has been through the humiliation in the streets of New York due to her African ancestry. She

intends to leave a mark to the people and change how they view each other. Her intentions are

clear and designed to make the world a better place for everyone.

In her issue of biracial identity, she speaks about the need for valuing different people

regardless of them not being from the same racial identity. She helps to bring about the spirit of

togetherness as she speaks about the need of people living together. She talks about people

seeing society at a wider lens and beyond the black color. This helps to bring about sanity in the

community as they concentrate on improving the life of each other. She speaks about racial

segregation and why there is no need to discriminate against the blacks. Her work brings about

enlightenment and how to move the society from the York of sexism, political related issues as

well as racial discrimination to a generation of integrity, hard work and love for one another

(Léger & Marc, 316). Her work of art also touches on the incidence that happened in Palestine.
Huang 7

This is because he speaks about various issues that occurred in the war. She gives out lessons

and ways that people can explore to address such scenarios when they happen. The artwork also

highlights the value for togetherness on approaching societal issues proactively with the intention

of ensuring success in everything that is undertaken.

It beats no logic as to why people should discriminate against each other. Therefore,

Adrian's artwork warns against such practices and elaborates on how people can ensure the

success of different life perspectives. The article denotes “There's Apathy, Broodiness,

Compassion, Curiosity, Disgust, Envy, feeling like a Fraud, Grief, Homesickness, Joy, Love”

(Cica & Natasha, 23). The art creates a dangerous scenario due to how it brings about the need

for people to think about the decisions that they undertake in life. It asks them to evaluate them

and assess whether they are noble to take and whether they impact life positively. This pushes

the viewers and other audiences to think more and see the essence of living and how best they

can ensure their lives are made better for the benefit of enhancing a better world and that

everyone would be happy to live in. The art of Adrian brings out the essence of valuing each

other and understanding that Palestine culture was about teaching us that we are equal before the

eyes of God and we are created with her image and likeness and therefore the need to ensure that

we preserve that humanity and ensure the triumph of everything that is undertaken.

What it means to create dangerously in the United States is that artists have the rights and

obligation to speak about the ills that are happening in society to institute a change. For instance,

in the case of political turmoil, artists have the responsibility to cushion the citizens about

engaging in such activities. “The central part of the exhibition contains dozens of works from the

late 1960s, a phase during which Piper experiments with complex systems and grids, using text,

numerical combinations, working with maps, daily recordings of her actions, seeing her own
Huang 8

body as an object to record, monitor and document” (Dzuverovic & Lina, 4). This is to express

Adrian's work in the field of art. Therefore, artists are vital in the promotion of peace and

ensuring that society upholds the dignity of life. Therefore, creating dangerously should not be

confused with the various issues and activities that people undertake. It should only take into

account only those things that are of national interest, and that affects the operations of the

society pertaining pursuance of various goals that makes the lives better.

Therefore, artists should be motivated more by the urge to initiate a change in society and

not on the amount of fame and money that they make as a result. There should be a need to see

an improved community that is free from crimes, diseases, and other social evils. When an artist

comes up with educational content, the generations are well-shaped because they are aware of

what they are required to uphold to enhance a prosperous society in the future (Mehta & Rijuta,

350). Therefore, Adrian remains an enigma due to the contributions that he made, and that is

why her artwork remains important in shaping other artists looking forward to grow in the field.

Artists Background

The background of Emily is that she was born in Bethlehem, Palestine, in 1972 and

works as an artist and historian. Her work of art contributed so much to peace and justice in

different ways. What she did was more related to vision, and she was guided by the division and

separation that had happened in the Palestine war. Having been available during and after the

Palestine and Israel war, she was able to identify critical issues that led to the eruption of war and

how the society would avoid that in the future (Norton, 39). This, therefore, means that her

artwork has been tailored more on the ways to ensure peace is upheld in society. She talks about

what transpired and how justice to those affected would be honored. Therefore her contribution
Huang 9

to peace and justice was immensely influenced by the place that she grew in and having seen the

impacts it brought; she was prompted thus to come up with essential points to warn the people

against engaging themselves in the war and the need of ensuring there was peace all the time.

Adrian, similarly, was born in 1948, and she used different types of art to promote peace

and justice in different societies. During the time of her artwork, the Palestine war had already

happened, and therefore he had many issues that would guide her work to ensure success. From

a thorough analysis of her work, it shows well that there is a need for people to discuss various

issues affecting their peace and come up with the mechanisms to solve such challenges (Kerman

& Monique, 32). She cites that the only way that peace and justice can be promoted in society is

through addressing different issues proactively by identifying the root cause and brainstorming

on how they can be solved. The collaborative approach between the residents and society leaders

can be an excellent avenue to encourage peace and also find out the techniques on how the

affected people can be helped to get justice and lead a better life.

Similarity of Critiques

The critiques of the artist are similar in their culture because of how they approach issues.

Despite them coming from different cultures, they address problems that happen in all societies.

Peace and justice are pivotal in all communities. Social evils are prevalent, and therefore the

artist appreciates the fact that there is a need for coming up with strategies to ensure that they are

addressed adequately. Emily cites that, having experienced Palestine and Israel war, there is a

need for people to value each other and appreciate the spirit of the neighborhood because it is

through that various life challenges are addressed.


Huang 10

She points out that there is no problem that is bigger if people are united towards fighting

the common enemy. She cites that what is required is a positive spirit to fight and believe in

themselves that they shall overcome. On the other hand, Adrian, denotes that evils happen in the

society to test people’s preparedness in countering them. She raises the point that there is a need

for human beings to collectively love each other and help them come out of difficult situations

they might be in. The article denotes, “The strategy of working on such an ambitious

retrospective with a living artist has proven fruitful” (Dzuverovic & Lina, 2). This how Adrian's

works have impacted society. He depicts that she uses her work of art as a sign of passing a

message of hope to the people on why it is essential to observe peace and align their goals

towards the success of various facets of life. She is more concerned about transforming humanity

and ensuring that every activity that they are engaged in looks at the world as a whole. People

should ask themselves on whether different actions that they undertake promote a better

humanity.

The two artists might be a dangerous alliance because their sentiments are interrelated

and are tailored towards meeting particular goals. It, therefore, means that, if they had an

alliance, their message would be better and would impart more people as compared to those that

have already been imparted. They would have a clear guideline and roadmap in ensuring the

triumph of everything that happens in society. The alliance would be more vibrant, which means

the more they would be able to counter different evils that happen (Mehta & Rijuta, 349).

Similarly, they have similar goals, which means that if they sat down and decided to approach

everything from the same perspective, then great results would be experienced. They believe that

artwork is for creating a significant impact in society, and with that in mind, it would ensure

successful implementation of set goals, aims and targets; thus, promoting a better community.
Huang 11

Conclusion

Artwork is the future of every society’s prosperity. This is because it helps to raise the

need of the community working together and setting goals that are tailored towards the success

of everything they do. Artists should also center their work more on impact rather than fame. It

should ensure that it elevates the lives of people and leads to their triumph. Different

government agencies should also support artwork because it is the future of society's progress.
Huang 12

Works Cited

Chambers, Iain, et al. The postcolonial museum: The arts of memory and the pressures of

history. Routledge, 2016. 2

Chansky, Dorothy. "'Bad Girls' of the 1960s–1990s American Performance: Adrian Piper, Karen

Finley, and Carolee Schneemann." The Palgrave Handbook of the History of Women on

Stage. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2019. 455-486.

Cica & Natasha. "Signing up to the social contract: Adrian Piper and the art of

inclusion." Griffith REVIEW 67 (2020): 23.

Dzuverovic & Lina. "Adrian Piper: A Synthesis of Intuitions, 1956-2016, MoMA, New

York." Art Monthly (2018). 1-25

Kerman & Monique. Contemporary British Artists of African Descent and the Unburdening of a

Generation. Springer International Publishing, 2017. 1-50

Léger & Marc James. "Dialectics of the Real: On the Art and Politics of Emily Jacir." Third

Text 30.5-6 (2016): 311-329.

Mehta & Rijuta. "Dissonant Archives: Contemporary Visual Culture and Contested Narratives in

the Middle East." (2018): 348-350.

Norton, C. (2018). The Counter/Actual: art and strategies of anti-colonial resistance. Art History

& Criticism, 14(1), 28-39.

Soni, Roma Madan. "Nothing to Write Home About." NECSUS. European Journal of Media

Studies 8.1 (2019): 259-271.1-15


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Appendix 1; Emily Jacir-ex libris

Emily Jacir-ex libris (2013)

Retrieved: https://publicdelivery.org/emily-jacir-ex-libris/
Huang 14

Appendix 2; The Mythic Being: I Embody Everything You Most Hate and Fear

Adrian Piper (1948)

Retrieved: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/200003/the-mythic-being-i-embody-everything-you-

most-hate-and-fear

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