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Whitewalling: Art, Race & Protest in 3 Acts
In 2017, the Whitney Biennial included a painting by a white artist, Dana Schutz, of the lynched body of a young black child, Emmett Till. In 1980, anger brewed over a show at New York's Artists Space entitled Nigger Drawings. In 1968, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition Harlem on My Mind did not include a single work by a black artist. In all three cases, black artists and writers and their allies organized vigorous responses using the only forum available to them: public protest.
Whitewalling: Art, Race, & Protest in 3 Acts reflects on these three incidents in the long and troubled history of art and race in America. It lays bare how the art world--no less than the country at large--has persistently struggled with the politics of race, and the ways this struggle has influenced how museums, curators and artists wrestle with notions of free speech and the specter of censorship. Whitewalling takes a critical and intimate look at these three "acts" in the history of the American art scene and asks: when we speak of artistic freedom and the freedom of speech, who, exactly, is free to speak?
Aruna D'Souza writes about modern and contemporary art, food and culture; intersectional feminisms and other forms of politics; how museums shape our views of each other and the world; and books. Her work appears regularly in 4Columns.org, where she is a member of the editorial advisory board, as well as in publications including the Wall Street Journal, ARTnews, Garage, Bookforum, Momus and Art Practical. D'Souza is the editor of the forthcoming Making it Modern: A Linda Nochlin Reader.
Whitewalling: Art, Race, & Protest in 3 Acts reflects on these three incidents in the long and troubled history of art and race in America. It lays bare how the art world--no less than the country at large--has persistently struggled with the politics of race, and the ways this struggle has influenced how museums, curators and artists wrestle with notions of free speech and the specter of censorship. Whitewalling takes a critical and intimate look at these three "acts" in the history of the American art scene and asks: when we speak of artistic freedom and the freedom of speech, who, exactly, is free to speak?
Aruna D'Souza writes about modern and contemporary art, food and culture; intersectional feminisms and other forms of politics; how museums shape our views of each other and the world; and books. Her work appears regularly in 4Columns.org, where she is a member of the editorial advisory board, as well as in publications including the Wall Street Journal, ARTnews, Garage, Bookforum, Momus and Art Practical. D'Souza is the editor of the forthcoming Making it Modern: A Linda Nochlin Reader.
160 pages, Paperback
Published May 22, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 5, 2018
This book features a clear breakdown of the events surrounding the 2017 Whitney Biennial + two historical cases of antiblack incidents in the NY art world. There’s primary source material in the second chapter I was pretty grabbed by, taken from letters penned by Roberta Smith - who is now the head art critic at the NY times! - and Lucy Lippard - that betray their ambivalence towards these issues if not downright racist attitudes (Smith defends the right of anyone to say the “n” word, Lippard talks about attempting to quell - merited, & predominantly black - public anger). It feels valuable & unnerving to see it spelled out plainly that such influential and successful figures hold/held these violent stances.
June 5, 2018
This is a well-written and nuanced description and analysis of 3 complicated and controversial exhibitions/displays at 3 New York art museums, dealing with issues of race, audience, power, and systemic racism. D'Souza, who is a critic, editor, and writer, does a fantastic job elucidating the numerous major players and their positions in each of these scenarios, while also demonstrating that the demands of the protestors were generally misunderstood by the institutions and often pushed aside under sometimes patronizing attitudes or frustrating diversions. The examples are the 2017 Whitney Biennial exhibition that included a painting by the white artist Dana Schutz of the lynched body of Emmett Till, a 1979 exhibition at Artists Space that featured a series of work titled "the N****r Drawings" [asterisks mine] by a white artist single-named "Donald," and the infamous 1969 Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition "Harlem on My Mind." I'd not heard of the Artists Space event, nor did I know of all the many people who were active on both "sides" of these three events. I do wish d'Souza had offered a conclusion. She presents each of these case studies in reverse chronological order, which emphasizes how issues addressed by the protestors have been publicly shared with museums since at least the 1960s (looking at these 3 cases only), and thus how frustrating it is to STILL be having these conversations and requiring these demands in 2018. Also, several groups and people show up more than once (e.g. the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition, and Howardina Pindell -- who seems to be having a belated wide-spread recognition of her artistic achievements), and it would be great to have d'Souza's thoughts on the greater "arc" of this type of advocacy and its participants. That said, the author's thoughtful descriptions and analysis, communicating complicated ideas in uncomplicated prose, is much appreciated.
Here's an example of d'Souza's very clear writing style, regarding the protest of Schutz' painting in the Whitney Biennial: "What started with questions around a single painting by a single artist in a single exhibition turned into a national public debate over the fundamental questions that bind culture and society: who art is for, socially speaking; what are the responsibilities of art institutions to their audiences and artists to theirs; who is granted the right to speak and paint freely; and what censorship is and who has the power to censor." (18-19)
Also, "... the Whitney, no matter its own aspirations, is neither neutral nor infinitely large--a Biennial is by necessity carefully curated, meaning that certain voices have already been excluded. When the protesters were demanding that the Schutz painting must go, they were not suppressing Schutz's right to speak--they were challenging the curatorial decisions that gave her a platform, while denying others the same opportunity. And they were asking that the museum recognize its power to do so." (55-56).
Here's an example of d'Souza's very clear writing style, regarding the protest of Schutz' painting in the Whitney Biennial: "What started with questions around a single painting by a single artist in a single exhibition turned into a national public debate over the fundamental questions that bind culture and society: who art is for, socially speaking; what are the responsibilities of art institutions to their audiences and artists to theirs; who is granted the right to speak and paint freely; and what censorship is and who has the power to censor." (18-19)
Also, "... the Whitney, no matter its own aspirations, is neither neutral nor infinitely large--a Biennial is by necessity carefully curated, meaning that certain voices have already been excluded. When the protesters were demanding that the Schutz painting must go, they were not suppressing Schutz's right to speak--they were challenging the curatorial decisions that gave her a platform, while denying others the same opportunity. And they were asking that the museum recognize its power to do so." (55-56).
March 3, 2021
An absolutely excellent and essential read. D’Souza relays the events, words, and personalities at play in these three case studies with intelligence, balanced and sharp insight, thorough research, and a bit of dry wit, perfectly portioned out.
It’s terrifying (though perhaps not surprising at all) to find that some of the individuals expressing deeply racist and tone deaf—yet o so coded/gaslit—opinions remain in positions of power with the art world.
Reading this book with the effect of 2020, covid, and the BLM movement upon the museum field in mind has been incredibly valuable in allowing me to correlate these various vantage points to build context for my own role in visual art and museums.
Because it’s so good, one does wish for more (color) images and a concluding chapter that zooms out for a wider view of all three instances alongside each other and some forward momentum tipping towards a view of the future and its challenges. It sounds like this volume was produced quickly so as to be timely within the scope of the evolving BLM movement; I hope D’Souza will revisit/continue writing on the topic.
It’s terrifying (though perhaps not surprising at all) to find that some of the individuals expressing deeply racist and tone deaf—yet o so coded/gaslit—opinions remain in positions of power with the art world.
Reading this book with the effect of 2020, covid, and the BLM movement upon the museum field in mind has been incredibly valuable in allowing me to correlate these various vantage points to build context for my own role in visual art and museums.
Because it’s so good, one does wish for more (color) images and a concluding chapter that zooms out for a wider view of all three instances alongside each other and some forward momentum tipping towards a view of the future and its challenges. It sounds like this volume was produced quickly so as to be timely within the scope of the evolving BLM movement; I hope D’Souza will revisit/continue writing on the topic.
May 24, 2023
this is my first academic read since graduating from college, and i’m so glad that i decided to pick it up! d’souza is such a skillful researcher and writer: her pages are chock full of information and important narrative of the greater history of racist institutions neglecting to learn from the past, but i never found myself feeling bogged down with information or lulled to sleep. i ended up reading the intro to the book and then not picking it back up for awhile, but when i did pick it back up, i finished it in about three days because it’s so interesting and well-written! i also love the reverse chronology of the three essays—it really helps demonstrate the huge missteps that the met, the whitney, and the artists space took and probably would’ve avoided had they looked to the last for guidance.
overall, this is a great book and i hope to read more by d’souza in the future.
overall, this is a great book and i hope to read more by d’souza in the future.
March 27, 2025
Incredibly well written presentation of the facts. I can’t wait to see her speak in a few weeks.
February 23, 2024
Read for class - super digestible. Recommend to anyone interested in art/museums!
September 17, 2021
Anyone who has worked within any creative industry, including the institutional Art world, can speak firsthand about its backward racism and classism that uphold them. D'Souza's commentary, in the sense that it is laying out what actually happened in the three seperate "Acts" in history, is not wrong or petty at all. The book is a useful read for anyone interested in Art history or the general workings of the Art industry.
Aside from that, like much of Art history texts, the acts read like Art world melodrama as it intersects with racial protest and criticism towards it. The Art Industry that was, is, and will continue to be a racist Industry that values whiteness, elitism, and capitalism/ capital accumulation above racial understanding and *actual* progressive politics that aren't window dressing for the next exhibition.
The book is about the art world but also *for* the art world. For those of us outside of the creative industry, this book is not much more useful than that. Yes, Art world institutions are cemented in racist, classist, anti-black legacies and practice. I live in Los Angeles and imagine the readers who will appreciate this book to be those hipster artist/ creatives moving into my low-income immigrant neighborhood who are chasing a spot inside the Institutions rather than the immigrants or the working-class themselves who have to put up with these dream-chasers and the Institutions gentrifying the neighborhood.
Aside from that, like much of Art history texts, the acts read like Art world melodrama as it intersects with racial protest and criticism towards it. The Art Industry that was, is, and will continue to be a racist Industry that values whiteness, elitism, and capitalism/ capital accumulation above racial understanding and *actual* progressive politics that aren't window dressing for the next exhibition.
The book is about the art world but also *for* the art world. For those of us outside of the creative industry, this book is not much more useful than that. Yes, Art world institutions are cemented in racist, classist, anti-black legacies and practice. I live in Los Angeles and imagine the readers who will appreciate this book to be those hipster artist/ creatives moving into my low-income immigrant neighborhood who are chasing a spot inside the Institutions rather than the immigrants or the working-class themselves who have to put up with these dream-chasers and the Institutions gentrifying the neighborhood.
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April 16, 2019I appreciate this book for the author's stance on the three instances of art, race, and protest that she uses: to not express an overt biographical neutrality. This attitude, especially in the case of the Dana Schutz painting at the 2017 Whitney Biennial, is both welcome and needed in the current era of Trump, Brexit, and the global rise of the right-wing. That being said, I did expect more analysis and criticism to be delivered out of this non-neutrality. The bibliographies at the end of each chapter were helpful resources, especially since I had never heard of the events presented in the second and third chapters of the book. My biggest qualm that I have is that I wish it were longer, but I appreciate that the book is structured to be more of a survey of the three events and the contemporary dialogues (presenting the book as an abstract play, hence the title "3 acts") that were generated by them.
May 31, 2018
A well-outlined social commentary on three defining exhibitions that deal with race and protest and their surrounding issues. "Open Casket"at the Whitney Biennial (2017), "The Nigger Drawings" at Artists Space (1979), and the Harlem On My Mind exhibition at the Metropolitan (1969) are each offered the space of a chapter. I found that the final or near final sentences of each chapter is where I would have expected an analysis to begin and found a lack of a concluding chapter just unfortunate (although some but not enough references to each were done within the chapters themselves).
January 3, 2024
As someone not part of the art world I found this book very interesting and easy to understand (for the outsider). I do wish, as some others have said, there was a bit more analysis from the author. i think the last section on Harlem on My Mind lacked a lot of analysis, while the Whitney’s section had a fair bit. Overall very informative and a good way to process the art world’s racism at a base level. This book is the start not the end of understanding how the art world is racist and how people have historically responded to that.
April 24, 2023
4 stars. d'Souza masterfully wove together the stories of three controversial art exhibits in New York in reverse chronological order to demonstrate the legacy of racism in American art institutions. Most powerful was d'Souza's choice not to depict the works and rather give a platform to the reactionary art of Parker Bright.
The book, while demonstrating the various influences at play in the choices surrounding the curation and exhibition of the works in question, poses important questions: who is art for, who is the intended audience, and what makes art art? d'Souza's narratives highlighted the incredibly frustrating logic of well-intended white art professionals and honored the efforts of Black activists in the wake of these exhibits without reducing the Black artistic community to a monolith.
Ultimately, this book challenges us to see art not as a question of free speech ("can I create this artwork?"), but rather one of critical thought ("should I create this artwork? Why, or how?").
The book, while demonstrating the various influences at play in the choices surrounding the curation and exhibition of the works in question, poses important questions: who is art for, who is the intended audience, and what makes art art? d'Souza's narratives highlighted the incredibly frustrating logic of well-intended white art professionals and honored the efforts of Black activists in the wake of these exhibits without reducing the Black artistic community to a monolith.
Ultimately, this book challenges us to see art not as a question of free speech ("can I create this artwork?"), but rather one of critical thought ("should I create this artwork? Why, or how?").
May 26, 2018
An institutional critique, an exploration of the role of protest and what it has accomplished or is still struggling to accomplish in the museum world, and a reiteration and refinement of what is actually at stake, what is being called for and how the systems of power at odds with these protests fail to understand. A breezy afternoon read.
February 21, 2020
Did you know that in 1969, the Metropolitan Museum of Art presented an exhibit entitled “Harlem on My Mind” that had NO Black painters or sculptors included? How does that even happen? Aruna D’Souza writes about that along with two other high profile controversial NY shows in a clear, well-researched, and accessible fashion.
November 19, 2019
Excellent review of important protests against whitewalling in the art world. Anyone planning on working in curation should read this to understand the implications leaving communities and narratives out of exhibitions.
March 18, 2021
At least the phrase “problematic ally” in a serious discussion of white supremacy gave me a quick laugh, but otherwise just boring “i’m here, i’m listening, you’re seen” bullshit and a few incisive bits of analysis.
June 16, 2023
A thorough and meticulous look at anti-Black institutional racism in New York institutions in the last 50+ years, Whitewalling is a historical resource as much as it is an education on how to serve audiences while taking community voices into account
May 29, 2025
Adding more knowledge onto the stack of things that turn me off about the art world and discourage me from participating in it. Also this is the first thing I’ve read that had a meme printed in it… we’re cooked.
June 10, 2019
Three essays unpacking how art institutions' curatorial prerogatives demonstrate who they believe their publics to be.
August 5, 2019
A very detailed and specific book. If you are part of the art world in any way, this book is a must.
April 16, 2021
Historical events reflecting issues on race and museum content.
January 15, 2022
I wish that there was a concluding chapter, but this is nonetheless fantastic!
September 16, 2022
I do not normally review or star books that I am reading for my research, but this book is stunning, engaging, and an important read.
January 5, 2019
These accessible critical essays are structured in three parts, with the three events of focus moving back in time - an effective strategy to confront the tensions and intersections of these stories about institutional appropriation in the American art scene.
I agree with Roger, another reader here, that this book would benefit from a concluding chapter, allowing d'Souza to perforate the barriers towards more understanding.
It would have been helpful to have included more images of the exhibits and artwork to further contextualize reading.
I agree with Roger, another reader here, that this book would benefit from a concluding chapter, allowing d'Souza to perforate the barriers towards more understanding.
It would have been helpful to have included more images of the exhibits and artwork to further contextualize reading.
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January 22, 2019709.7309 D811w 2018
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews