Unit Ten: Critical Thinking
25 possible points
Critical Thinking
Read up on the controversy surrounding Dana Schutz’s painting called Open Casket.
Dana Schutz, Open Casket, 2017
Read the article “Why Dana Schutz painted Emmett Till” by Calvin Tomkins (The New Yorker, April 3, 2017) See files at Critical Thinking Resource.
Read information found at the National Coalition Against Censorship website on the Whitney Biennial Controversy: https://ncac.org/news/blog/your-primer-on-the-whitney-biennial-controversy-a-timely-and-necessary-exchange
Now,
imagine you are either Christopher Y. Lew or Mia Locks and you have
curated the 2017 Whitney Biennial exhibition which includes Dana
Schutz’s painting called Open Casket.
You are probably
surprised when protests called for the painting’s destruction. You
clearly need to respond to the controversy, but how?
Write one
(1) paragraph explaining why you have decided to keep Schutz’s painting
on display in the exhibition. Provide three (3) solid reasons for why
this painting should continue to be shown, despite the valid questions
raised regarding cultural appropriation.
Then…
Write one (1)
paragraph explaining why you have decided to remove Schutz’s painting
from display in the exhibition. Provide three (3) solid reasons for why
this painting should be removed in response to valid questions regarding
cultural appropriation.
Remember, it is your responsibility to provide convincing reasons that would arguably support either position.
Sources
NCAC’s Primer On The Whitney Biennial Controversy: A Timely and Necessary Exchange
read
https://moodle.umt.edu/pluginfile.php/3949156/mod_resource/content/1/What%20the%20Mullet%20Means%20Now%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf