Reading Fred Motten in class last week made me think a lot about how art can be used to define identity. In my experience, I have found that many of my friends who are artists find a strong identity in saying 'what' they are as artists. "I'm a painter," "I do photography," "I prefer sculpture," etc. It not so oddly reminded me a lot of my job. I work as a lifeguard in a rather multi-ethnic neighbourhood of Montreal, and every young person who comes to the pool asks the others: "What are you?" the what referring to the other person's race. ‘Latino,’ ‘Arab,’ ‘Hindu,’ ‘Muslim,’ ‘Québécois,’ the other children answer. Then, if this response seems satisfactory to the kid who asked, both of them will go on swimming happily. In fact, the truth is that every answer seems satisfactory as long as both of them are aware of "what the other is." It's a very casual question and most of them insist on asking the question, answering the question, wanting very much for the other to know, because in answering the question, they seem to be giving something of their identity with it, just like the artist so often does.
Errantry (errance) 18- errantry does not proceed from renunciation nor from frustration regarding a supposedly deteriorated (deterritorialized) situation of origin; it is not a resolute act of rejection or an uncontrolled impulse of abandonment. - The thought of errantry is a poetics, which always infers that at some moment it is told. The tale of errantry is the tale of Relation. 21- The thinking of errancy conceives of totality but willingly renounces any claims to sum it up or possess it. 20- The thought of errantry is not apolitical nor is it inconsistent with the will to identity, which is, after all, nothing other than the search for a freedom within particular surroundings. Rhizomatic thought / rhizome 18- the rhizome- prompting the knowledge that identity is no longer completely within the root but also in Relation. Poetics of Relation 11- each and every identity is extended through a relationship with the Other 20- in the poetics of Relation, one who is erra...
I would be curious to hear more about what it was about the Moten that connected you to the concept of identity? Tell me more!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am certain that I am not the only one, I have struggled with the question "who am I" for as long as I can remember. There were many aspects of myself that I could very conjugate with the idea of myself, but the question of who am I truly was more puzzling. I felt like saying "I'm a white Canadian woman," "I am a Fine Arts student," or "I am an avid reader" left too much out of who I feel I am. So I guess I could say that this is something that is always on my mind to start with. In reading Moten - and I might be mistaken - I felt that his 'dialogue' with the ideas of Hartman, Derrida or Douglass serves a purpose of trying to find a sense of the concept of identity. To me, it resonated deeply with these concepts as if he was too, making of sense of the identity as it is felt and displayed.
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ReplyDeleteWhen we talk about identity as artist, will tell about me, it’s like I am framing myself within things I highlight to give you a fast answer about me. But the problem here is all other things we leave outside the frame. Identity is not fixed as it’s not physical or a fact it’s a process of learning, knowing, growing and be the person you want to be.
ReplyDeleteMoten says that identity is a ritual practice.
ReplyDeleteThe same can be said about blackness, about transness, queerness, etc.
For Jose Esteban Munoz it is a disidentificatory practice that often goes unnoticed.
When kids at the pool say "I'm from Haiti" and/or "I'm straight" it can be a strategic answer, because the real answer is always more complex and complicated than that.
Identity and survival can blur in artful ways.
I agree, from what I notice, the kids often wish to want to be accepted more than anything else. These questions and answers are indeed important not only for them to address the others identity, but as well to make sure that they will fit in. It becomes ritual to address it for them, one which they repeat every year when the pool opens again, especially when new kids come around. And without fault, the new kids will not only answer this ritualistic question to express a part of his or her identity, but as a mean of survival as well in a sense. They are very interested in each others cultures which more often than not, they do share a lot about amongst themselves. That is also why it is often very interesting to me how much they want to learn, but also somewhat distressing at first, as I did not think of it as a mean of survival, but more as a mean of categorizing every one. I am glad you brought this point forward, for it brings another dimension of the situation for me. Thank you!
DeleteI wonder about seeing identity as a collection. Imagine saying, "I have collected certain Canadian values" rather than, "I am Canadian."
ReplyDeleteI love this idea of identity as a collection. As I said earlier, I feel as if saying only "I am Canadian" is not sufficient, it leaves too much out of the box of what I feel my identity to be. Indeed, I feel that identity can easily be equated to a collection of thoughts, life events, likes and dislikes that have made you you and me me.
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DeleteWhen I think about the idea of collection, I easily associate it with the need of possessing something, to assert an authoritarian power over and object, to classify it or put it on display. By thinking of a certain set of value as a collection, do you consider them as belongings, or do you feel like you are part of something bigger? I would be very interested to hear more about that!
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