I explored the topic of public perception when I published my essay titled 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr, Blvd which is the address of the Blanton Museum of Art where I staged a solo protest in 2018 of their 30ft Ku Klux Klan mural (complete with Nazi salute) by a Mexican artist. So many professionals in the art world tried to derail my multi-stage protest by offering to ‘explain’ the artwork to me. As if I didn’t ‘get it’ already. As if ‘getting it’ would change my mind from loathing to love. I got it. I still didn’t like it. In my essay, I called this loop art intelligence. It’s the expectation that understanding the meaning, intent, or perspective of the artist correctly is inherently tied to liking the artwork.
In my essay, I called this loop ‘art intelligence’. It’s the expectation that understanding the meaning, intent, or perspective of the artist correctly is inherently tied to liking the artwork.
In more detail, liking or enjoying art may also be defined by personal taste or flavor. But unfortunately, a viewer not liking a work of art has been traditionally judged as having low or unrefined taste. ‘Getting’ a work of art includes correctly understanding the artist’s intent, the meaning of the imagery or symbolism, the historical or contemporary references, or the metaphorical meaning of the piece as a whole. As if walking into a gallery or museum is a quiz instead of an educational and cultural experience. The artist as a holy member of society means that Jackson Pollock’s alcohol addiction or Paul Gugain’s pedophilia is accepted as an eccentricity because of their artistic reputation. Separating the artist from the art is as valid as taking their biography into consideration when evaluating their work. In the essay, I acknowledge that these factors (among many others) can exist independently. When such factors are placed on an overlapping spectrum, we get a stronger understanding of the power of perception.
The way an artist and their artwork are perceived by the public can be organized into overlapping factors making public opinion is a spectrum.
The concept of a ‘hater’ or a ‘troll’ is much more complex than popular conversation allows. The way an artist and their artwork are perceived by the public can be organized into a variety of factors and activated in a cycle, a spectrum, or venn diagram. Try it for yourself with categories of your own choosing and charting them in different ways. This concept takes the pressure, bullying, and blame off of the viewer and acknowledges the free will of the individuals that make up the general public. Artists and creators should consider the fact that individuals are entitled to their opinions and feelings, but this exercise can help creators handle their own feelings about criticism. After all, many points on the spectrum can still get you paid!
Aside from discussing Black achievement and independence in Hollywood, among many other important topics, Sway and Tyler Perry discussed this spectrum of public acceptance very clearly on the radio show Sway in the Morning in January.
Sway: That’s interesting ‘cause we had a conversation with Ed Gordon…and your name came up ‘cause I thought you were a great representation of the change we see in Hollywood, but primarily because you made the change yourself. You know what I mean? You decided, I saw a quote where you said that you didn’t want ta sit at the table, you decided to go to Atlanta and build your own table. And then, I asked him what was the consensus of all the people that he interviewed about you and…it was divided between creative and accomplishment. You know, some folks still don’t necessarily favor what you do creatively, but they love what you do as a business man.
Tyler Perry: You know why that is? They don’t get it.
Have a Pleasant Day
-Rae Pleasant
