Thelma Golden: How art gives shape to cultural change

[crudhousefull]

Extremely eloquent speaker. Don't get discouraged by the vote downs if you ever see this comment. This was viewed predominantly by white viewers (90% racist). We need more people like you and MORE FROM YOU!

[crudhousefull]

I LOVE black people. They did most of the work for the world to get out of the grip of white control. So grateful to you guys

[1jimclyne]

she strikes me as unintelligent

[jeroliver]

I love all these liberals, of any race, who tout their love of multiculturalism. Yet they would never live in and avoid areas where they're a minority. So they support it, just as long as they don't have to see or deal with it.

[leparditas]

i hate than nigers creating comunities and trying to say we re taking control and and ignor you

[Undeterminable]

Are there parts missing from this talk? 7:43 and 8:00?

[ludovice10]

why skin color? is this racism!?

[Waranoa]

Woow, wat a load of shite!

[eatingperson]

Why are black people so obsessed with being black? No one cares anymore. We're all people. Forget skin colour. One-hundred generations from now we'll all be light brown (or extinct...).

[Undeterminable]

@eatingperson Is it more a question of why white people are still so obsessed with being white?

[eatingperson]

@Undeterminable

No, it's not. White people aren't typically the ones constantly talking about their skin colour (or lack thereof). Just forget about it already, it's the colour of your skin. Big fucking deal.

[Undeterminable]

@eatingperson Do we do talk about how the differences in other races? Does this not cause the differences? And in not talking about differences does this cause stereotypical views? Or by talking about it do we grow an appreciation of another's perception, background or cultures? Can we grow a understanding of life's diversity by talking about it? Or is it as long as you do it our way then it does not matter? Do others have cause for grievance that we are unwilling to accept?

[fluxfreq]

@eatingperson "Whites" do not have to speak of their color. It is one of the many privileges of White Hegemony. If one is not subjugated by the criteria in question, it is easy to fall into the naive belief that such categories do not exist or touch the lives of others. Only the powerful can speak of themselves as merely human because their categories are an asset and not used against them. The same can be said for gender and class. Guess who are more powerful in those constructs?

[eatingperson]

@fluxfreq Barack Obama biatch. You're speaking of 50 years ago.

[Undeterminable]

@eatingperson

If only every other human shared that point of view as you do on ostracising others :) I suppose you can only lead by example?

[TheMediabob]

I like all her points and examples, but, I don't think she supported the presentation title.

[lkjhgfdsa954]

doesn't really take me anywhere through her presentation.... more like thought bombs and questions, and touching upon interesting concepts, but just not that great a speaker

[PunkAssKriss]

Is it just me.. or is this woman saying nothing in paticular?

[penutwi]

@PunkAssKriss dont most women say that :D ZING lol

[healuv]

@PunkAssKriss I felt the same way.

[chansarick69]

The true purpose is to let people judge without preconceptions

[chansarick69]

Art is how YOU percieve it how it changes how YOU think it doesn't matter if it's black art, white art, lgbt art, marijuana art, it doesn't matter because what labeling does is change how you would percieve it which is not the true purpose of art. The true purpose is to let people judge with pre conceptions.

[kriztufer2001]

people like this are just as bad as regular old fashioned racists. they may not be anti-white, but they are still propagating racism by continuing to differentiate between types of people based on their color. you can't stop racism without ceasing to use terms like "black art" or having things like black history month

[23jeanie]

The more we specify that something is "black" art, the more we perpetuate our racial differences. Can't we just talk about plain, old, wonderful art?

[futureboy00]

this is the most boring video on TED!

why did they let her on stage? they didn't had someone else?

[luckystrke]

Maybe I should do a TED talk on white art.

[BAFKACHANPRODUCTION]

black power.....

[Leopoldo888]

Black art, white art, yellow art, gay art, lesbian art, extraterrestrial art, borderliners art, french art, indian art, native art, christian art, muslim art .............BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOORING divisions. Art is art. Period. If it moves you emotionally is art. If you need a context encyclopaedia, it's not. You don't have to understand art.

[navidlp70]

@Leopoldo888 best comment so far

[emphaticapathy]

I like that she is catalysing dialogue about...erm...catalysing dialogue...

[TheJaredtube]

I have always felt "art" to be a very alien topic and Thelma's presentation didn't help me get over that feeling.

[majinspy]

@TheJaredtube This is exactly how I feel. I rarely get the subtleties of art. Things have to be quite literal for me. To me, photographs have the most impact. I "get" the Tienanmen Square Tank Man photo, I "get" the photo of the sailor kissing the nurse after WWII. I don't get a hand holding a pile of shaving cream in an arctic tundra.

[lehks]

@majinspy Post-modern/performance art isn't really a good representative of all art. I don't think Thelma did the best job in making her message, but still, I think there is some form of art that can be appreciated by anyone. Not all art has to have a deep/profound/obscure meaning. Impressionism is widely popular, and the point of that movement was mainly to capture the subjective "impression" of a scene, a transient feeling of the moment.

[majinspy]

@lehks I appreciate the reply :) I don't like to "fill in" the parts of art with my own projections so what is obscure looks obscure. Impressionism is pretty cool, I like how the single picture is trying to capture the image as well as the context of the image. Classical art moves me because of its elegance and powerful structure. Do you understand post-modern art? (btw I'll admit to distrusting the word "post-modern" in all its applications lol)

[lehks]

@majinspy I also enjoy classical art--it's the type few would doubt is art. Post-modern... I can't say I know definitively what it is, truthfully. There's good and bad. But I try to appreciate art in all its forms. Sometimes it's easier to appreciate the concept of the movement itself rather than specific works. Other times there are pieces that you 'get' and appreciate after someone tells you what its about. This is what happened to me with works by Rothko, an abstract expressionist. (cont'd)

[lehks]

@majinspy IMO, I think what's important is just to, as honestly as possible, try to feel what the art means to you. If it does nothing, then that is partially a failure of the artist to connect with the viewer; but then again the artist cannot please everyone.

[lehks]

@lehks It just occurred to me that a better phrasing might be, try to discover how the art makes you feel, not what it means to you. How it makes you feel is ultimately the meaning you'll get from it.

[artlessartist]

Wow, lots of angry white commenters angry that they aren't the main subject of conversation for once. Get a grip and let someone else talk for once.

[TheJaredtube]

@artlessartist Race has nothing to do with this. Thelma simply didn't connect. That is all. TED is almost always very thought stimulating for me; perhaps I was a victim of my own high expectation. Or perhaps I don't get "art". Oh, wait ... I don't think its me - its the presentation. Sorry Thelma

[artlessartist]

@TheJaredtube I'm obviously referring to the commenters who complained about the racial focus, not the ones who said they just didn't like it. For those commenters, race obviously DID have something to do with it.

[jfloyd123]

I think art helps us interpret cultural change as it is happening. Picasso's Guernica was painted immediately after that village was essentially wiped out by Franco, helping turn world opinion against him during the Spanish Civil War by depicting the horror experienced by its citizens,altho in an abstract way. One power of art is to help us see things differently and therefore help us think about life differently. I liked this talk and find it odd that so many described her as "annoying." Why?

[AutodidacticPhd]

@jfloyd123 As it is happening? Really? How many artists do you think the average American can name who are more recent than Andy Worhol? Heck, your first example is Picasso... how many decades out is that? No. A handful of people make it all the way through the "art scene", and because a bunch of self important idiots have decided their canvases are worth millions, the rest of the world hears about how expensive they are. That is fame in the "art world" today.

[lehks]

@AutodidacticPhd I don't think jfloyd's point was that we need to know the names of artists or that artists are famous for their cultural interpretations in their art. But the art is out there for those who seek it out. I can think of Ron English's "Abraham Obama" that reflects recent cultural changes in America- the election of Obama- though quite simplistically. I think that's touching upon what jfloyd is saying. He's talking about how it looks at things differently, not "art world" fame.

[AutodidacticPhd]

@lehks And my point is, that for the most part, Art with a capital "A" doesn't reach the mainstream... relevance isn't being out there if someone wants to look for it, it is being in forum at large. If you can't bring something up at the water cooler without having to explain your reference, then you aren't talking about something that is relevant to how most people interpret our culture or how it changes. That's now the job of graphic designers, not "Artists".

[lehks]

@AutodidacticPhd What is Art with a capital A, I'm curious? Is graphic design not an art? It seems like people like to limit art to some specific idea they have about paintings or sculptures in a museum, when in fact, art is everywhere. Obama's HOPE poster, the iconic one-that's ART created by an ARTIST. And just b/c people might not have heard of something at the water cooler, doesn't mean it's not influential/relevant. Music changes our culture, but not everyone knows all the artists you do.

[AutodidacticPhd]

@lehks Art with a capital A (aka high art) has less to do with the skills involved and more to do with the attitude (and money). It's hard to put into words, but there is a definite distinction that you pick up in the classical brain grinder (read art education). The line gets fuzzy with the advent of pop art, but people like Thelma Golden are always there to talk like a professor and help you tell the difference. And yes, there are similar problems in music.

[lehks]

@AutodidacticPhd Okay, I think I get what you're referring to, thanks. There is a weird line between that 'high art' and 'pop art', but I don't think high art doesn't have to be art with a capital A, as if it's the only art that matters. Maybe amongst the rich and elite, but not among other societal groups.

[jxguy]

I think is time to put race and colour out of the equation of culture and life. If she would just look not on the superficial, but deeper, each person regardless of their colour or race, existed in order to complete the puzzle of planet earth. Any missing colour or piece, this earth would not be complete and whole.

[gilbert20]

What a totally annoying person. How is she qualified to talk about anything?

[xjustamem0ryx]

artists/musicians will re-calibrate the world from it's imbalances of artifice.

[333irani333]

i would think of it the other way. cultural changes leads to changes in art direction

[strappinggermanlad]

@333irani333

I think it goes back and forth

[liquidminds]

@333irani333 think of it as interconnected. All parts of our society are connected and interact with other parts. One part acts, the other reacts, creating a series of reactions, all influencing eachother simultaniously.

No human is just one aspect of society. We all participate in several groups and tasks. We all influence things at one point.

[RenataVentura]

Skin color is an illusion, guys.

Interestingly enough, I had never noticed color until I moved into the United States for 4 years. Now I'm back in Brazil. I just had never really NOTICED color before. For me, we were all the same.

Until I moved into the USA, where people only talk about color! About whites, african-americans, about different segregated churches (which I could not BELIEVE existed). Only then, I started noticing someone was black or white.

Interesting.

[Thestralsxxx]

@RenataVentura Reminds me of How it Feels To Be Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston. It's a short essay. Says the same thing that color only exists when noticed

[RenataVentura]

@Thestralsxxx Exactly! That's exactly what I was trying to say. You summed it up perfectly. Thanks!

[tictocmm]

@RenataVentura It is true, what you're saying... I am a born-and-bred Mexican who at 11 went to live to Chicago, one of the US's more racially segregated cities, and while I had certainly been aware of skin color before that, I had never given it such importance as I did after I experienced American Life firsthand.

[cannoir]

@RenataVentura you think we are all buying into that colour blind society of brazil.then how come brazil has 47% of blacks and you only 1% on TV ? come on accept it skin colour is a big deal there just like it is in america.geographical segregation, workplaces etc.. are something brazil shaped .

[fluxfreq]

I had an experience some years ago with a little boy I was babysitting. He was telling me a story about his sister's friend and asked me if I had ever met her. I said no, and so he began to describe her. He told me that she was tall, and had dark curly hair and brown eyes. He paused for a moment, as if searching his mind for the the right words. He said, "Her skin, her skin is brown too". It was at that moment that I realized that this boy had no knowledge of what it means to be black or white.

[RenataVentura]

@fluxfreq Exactly what I mean. :-) It's just color. If we didn't discuss it, it wouldn't exist. I always compare it with dogs. No one discusses the difference between beige labrators and black labrators. It doesn't make a difference. It's just their color! They're still labrators. Same race.

[crudhousefull]

@RenataVentura SAME HERE!!

[lehks]

@AaronCee Well there is 'Native American' art or 'Indian' art if that's what you mean by 'light-shade-of-brown-art'. As for "white art", that's just about everything else. It'd be redundant to put 'white' in front of it.

[hyperseauton]

Arts are socialist, thank you very much.

[navidlp70]

i love TED's speeches, however i found this one pretty much racist AND i didnt find it educating and interesting!! and i couldnt watch it till the end ...

some ppl need to get over something...

[hyperseauton]

@navidlp70

I call racism on those who call racism on African Americans. Teabag some more.

[navidlp70]

@hyperseauton wait... u mean it is ok to shuv everything a nation regrets for to their face? and its not racism? no one cares about the skin color anymore

i am no american, and dont get me wrong, all i care bout is unity of the world.

[Cadwallader71]

She is the curator of a philosophy museum, not an art museum. Art is about beauty, not ideas. To learn more search YouTube for "Philosopher Roger Scruton (1/6)"

[Cadwallader71]

watch?v=65YpzZrwKI4&playnext_f­rom=TL&videos=DPPcNrVADRg

[Indrius]

Art is mostly bullshit. I thought TED is about science, technology, social problems. This is big fail. She talked straight out of her microcosmos of understanding. Basically, nothing of substance was said. Fail.

[lehks]

@Indrius TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design so think about where the art fits in.

[Indrius]

@lehks in my opinion art is neither entertainment nor it is design. Art is art. Some forms of art can be labeled as entertainment, some as design, and even less as technology. Art is probably mainly about expression of yourself and the way you do it.

[lehks]

@Indrius Regardless of your opinion, art falls largely under entertainment. What definition of entertainment do you have where art doesn't fall under that? Dance and music are often personal expressions and art forms and are considered entertainment, or do you not consider that entertainment either?

[Indrius]

@lehks well, you think that art equals entertainment because some forms of art like music were largely commercialized in the recent modern times. Actually most forms of art is not entertainment. (for instance, who is partying around the paintings or sculptures or classical music?). And most of the entertainment is not art, it's usually a product, backed by corporations whose sole purpose is profit, not some higher form of expression (see pop music, holywood movies, etc.).

[lehks]

@Indrius So I'm still not getting what you think entertainment is--a party? an exciting movie? Entertainment is made for another's viewing pleasure (in this case, Golden talks about museums where people view art. I have definitely been entertained at exhibits before.) Entertainment can also be that which is created out of amusement--surely a lot of art can fit under that. Anyway I never equated art with entertainment in the first place, but simply said art falls under the category of it.

[Indrius]

@lehks Art as entertainment is a very small subset of art. That's all I'm saying. Art is usually not meant for entertainment. If you find some aspects of art entertaining, that's fine. I did not intend this to turn to full fledged discussion. As David Bowie said "Talking about art is like dancing about architecture." So I will end it here.

[lehks]

@Indrius I can agree that not all art is entertainment. My point was that this talk, about art, still qualifies as suitable for a TED talk as it relates to entertainment.

[Limited317]

@Indrius I am an Artist and I totally fucking agree with you. "Fine artist' have some of the biggest fucking heads in the world.

[atuvelman]

wow look at those ratings! this video is a FAIL

[ORVX]

@dissent104 lol, the "racialized" that TODAY along with white liberals who use race as a way to divide and conquer, that BLACK PEOPLE maintain.

[ORVX]

@dissent104 shure as long as you would be ok with a white women getting up and talking about this and that and WHITE artist, as we both know you would not be ok with this, wich is why you are a hudge sax of shit and a hypocrit

[lehks]

@ORVX holy shit you're an idiot, and judging from your profile, a misogynistic one

[Mrmoc7]

I didn't quite understand the talk, but maybe that's just because I hate art generally, independent of whether it's Black art or not. However, I feel as though she said something important, hopefully someone else got the point of it.

[lehks]

@dissent104 Only sensible comment I've seen so far...

[DiasDesign]

If a white person goes to TED talking about "white art" only (which I believe it won't happen for sure) they would call him/her racist, immediatly. F*cking boring conversation and the worst TED talk I can remember.

[lehks]

@DiasDesign No one needs to talk about "white art" because all art is inherently white... The dominant culture in America is white, there's no need to preface it with 'white', whereas black culture has been undermined throughout history and discriminated against in the past. They have a unique minority culture and it is not a racist thing to talk about it in those terms.

[peterbriers]

@lehks We ignored black culture?! We are loooong past that.

"White people" embraced black culture for the last 100 years: jazz, soul, hiphop,... They all had a big impact visually & musically.

[lehks]

@peterbriers Yea you did ignore black culture, for a good 100 years as much as you 'embraced' it so you say. Though a better term wouldn't be ignore, but suppressed it... It was much worse than ignoring.

[lehks]

I don't see how this is a racist talk. She refers to 'black' artists & 'black' art as a culture. You can't really deny that in America, blacks & whites had distinct cultural histories for the most part. Same with how Native Americans & European immigrants would have different backgrounds. Am I wrong to be concerned that the top voted comment says this is an "offensively racist talk"? It seems like Americans are obsessed w/ decrying racism where it doesn't exist, while ignoring the actual point.

[millamulisha]

People assume everyone is thinking about race 24/7... it's a self fulfilling philosophy... if you think everyone is racist and out to get you then you'll live your life to that narrative... ha.

[310sucks]

God, I'm getting bored with americans constantly obsessing over their race relations and what it means to be black or white. I'm sure its all very interesting to you guys but to the rest of the world, you're boring the hell out of us. Get over yourselves.

[funkalunatic]

@310sucks You know you don't have to watch a video if you don't like it.

[AutodidacticPhd]

Frankly, I found it far more annoying that she sounded like a cliche member of "the art scene". The "black community" thing irks me a bit too, but I can understand how and why it is still distinct and very vocal about being distinct. Capital A "art" has become a sort of insulated form of elitist cultural masturbation and this was a first class example of that problem.

[LokiClock]

@AutodidacticPhd Yeah I pretty much wanted to punch her in the mouth for most of the talk.

[builditwithlegos]

@AutodidacticPhd

Yes, it's all become so pretentious.

[kaosgoblin]

Ok, so I forced myself to sit through this whole video looking for what I could really learn, what could open my mind to science and culture. Theres nothing, she just keeps speaking of empty content over and over. I thought TED was about learning and growing, talks about things that are and will change the world. Shes says nothing, her subject is focused on a non applicable subject for world change. I would be more precise but being limited to 500 characters means I cant say anything positive.

[xilliah]

@kaosgoblin you took the words right out of my mouth..

[lordicemaniac]

i like how black people do like to follow or show other work of blacks but if a white guy tried to start talking about art of specialy white people he would be called nazi, racist or w/e... sometimes i really think that blacks are more racists than white people

[peterbriers]

@lordicemaniac This is in no way racist. Black culture exists, you can't deny that.

[lordicemaniac]

@peterbriers ofc it exists, but i would like to see comments on somebody on ted who would present something like "Art of white people"... where "Art of blacks" is considered ok

[peterbriers]

@lordicemaniac It would be considered okay, except for a few loonies that scream "racist" whenever they hear the color of a skin.

I think 'generation Y' has past that stage. We acknowledge cultural differences, even those based on skin color. But it's not pejoratively used. One is not better than the other, just different. It's about their cultural heritage. A positive message.

[crudhousefull]

@peterbriers That is SO true. Gen X (my gen) is the last predominantly racist generation. But once a racist...always a racist. A little hope for gen xers but much less for older generations

[vanmaren962]

She talked almost the whole time about how art and specifically black artists can "change" the world....However she gave almost no specific examples and just went on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about absolutely nothing

[Ramsez]

it's a pity this talk was so poor, since there are already so little black speakers on ted.

[Ramsez]

this is quite racist...

[lillielime]

i feel bad for her because of all these negative comments. yet i still agree with them...

[JRayChannel]

The people saying she was focused on race over people, did not in any way LISTEN TO 1/4 OF THIS VIDEO!!! I think you must have watched enough to realize a black woman had the nerve to talk about race, and you decided to judge it from there! Listen to the whole thing before you judge this video and don't Let the snap judgments of others influence you!

[MrFrankBullitt]

My biggest problem is that this art sucks.

It's really terrible.

[666RID]

Ugh... curators.

[GundamFreaq]

if the context of this presentation is "white", imagine where the presenter would be next.

[SkepticalDreamer]

What does art have to do with redefining culture just because it involves black artists what a bunch of crap.

She makes no conclusive evidence and mostly of this video is just reinstating what was already said. Preety racist to honor art just because it invloves a black artist.

[rabbitwho]

@SkepticalDreamer No no, their art is good, but she's a curator. Curators are professional smoozers and have the emotional depth of turnips; almost all of them talk like this all the time. I'm not sure if they're actually people or some kind of poorly designed 3D character based interface like the paperclip in Microsoft word. I think hell is being stuck in a lift with a curator, or next to one at an exhibition opening. Don't judge the artists by what curators say or write on the wall.

[xilliah]

@rabbitwho Ah I see. Now it makes more sense. I wasn't really getting what she was going for.

[VD3Z]

@SkepticalDreamer She mentions her statement regarding her topic at the beginning. Beginning at 00:50.

She says that her 'over all project is about art, specifically black artists, very generally the way in which art can change the way art we think about culture and ourselves.'

[flamingchickens]

Basically, my main problem with this is that she just uses meaningless jargon and words to make her seem smarter. A "catalyst" has to be speeding up another process. For example, a catalyst for change. A catalyst for progress. Not just "a catalyst". Also "now" not "in this moment".

[Neueregel]

Wow ted is getting racist on this. Who cares about races on art in the first place?? It's all about the Works themselves, not the artists' skin color.

[theBritzed]

This is BS!

eagleeye1975:"This lady's mind is dominated by seeing RACE above PEOPLE... who is the racist here? "

theBritzed: AMEN!

[PossessMe]

wow.. this was pointless.

[alexander33345]

@PossessMe BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACKBLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACKBLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACKBLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACKBLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK

[jasonlajoie]

She seems bright and very nice but I don't remember being so bored listening to someone talk about a subject I love. Art is not boring but she made it so with this talk.

[theendofconfusion]

Her focus on the skin color of artists does not make sense to me.

[eagleeye1975]

What a bunch of crap... "rewriting history"? I'm sorry, but WHAT?!?

This lady's mind is dominated by seeing RACE above PEOPLE... who is the racist here?

[Unlocktube]

@eagleeye1975

It would seem to me that rather than not liking the video people seem to be basically uniterested in the subject of the video, hence the harsh comments. Calling this woman racist is crazy and would take a very certain type of person to even try. And why wouldn't race be a big issue for a black person brought up in the states? Something that you have not experienced I am sure.

[poweredxbyxhope]

Art has no race.

[deltronz3roo]

Well this was a waste of time..

[buckfushes]

I hate to say it, this was rather boring and uninspiring.

[eenkjet]

offensively racist talk. this is why "black" art is "black art". because of stupid racist curators that think that "black" is a category of art. BLACKNESS. hypercultural bullshit. black cars, black music, black clothes, black dialect, black tv, black politics, black spirituality, black black blackity blackness.

YOU DEGRADE THE QUALITY OF ANY WORK WHEN PREFIXING IT WITH RACE and brings it to it's lowest common denominator.

[painterQjensen]

@eenkjet so, yo uare saying that there is no difference, in how you are treated, how your life is formed?

you define "blackart" different to how you look opon clean energy -vs- coal/oil energy

is the terms starting points similar? or is there more agression towards once that the other, causing a difference.

[MrYoutopia]

@eenkjet THANK you

[turoturothegreat]

@eenkjet

Considering that "black" people were segregated and considered as a different kind of person, it isn't surprising to see that the culture, especially the art, divided.

[funkalunatic]

@eenkjet Disclosing information about an artist doesn't degrade the art - it gives it context. If an artist has experienced being black in America, then you can use that information to increase your understanding of the sentiments that produced the art. If knowing that an artist is black makes you uncomfortable, then instead of lashing out, maybe you should look inward and ask why that is.

[tyrannicoystercult]

@eenkjet why do you think she called the movement post-black? how blind are people in their approach to images? you cant judge it based on what you see, its about what you think. I'm disappointed by the impatience of the comments people are dropping on this video... does she have to explain her angle on the connection between images and racism to the viewers in direct simple english or else not bring it up at all? it's all about RE-definition and FREE-definition of the images we have.

[darkcase123]

@eenkjet i completely agree with you! what has race got to do with art? or with anything? its always culture that forms an artist..

[goog2k]

In the words of Fritz Pearl, this is some very sophisticated, elegant, articulate "elephant shit."

Where's the BEEF???

Sorry, but I only saw about 3 or 4 truly interesting, unique works in 15 minutes of gobbledygook.

[OlderSnake]

You are looking at black culture more internationally, by looking at it specifically in Africa?

[anandaleeke]

Amazing.

[OlderSnake]

What a fun coincidence :3 I also only work with a specific colored people.

[ErikNikolai]

It's pretty horrible that people obsess so much about skin color. TED is only perpetuating the problem of racism by giving open racists a podium to speak on.

[JAYDUBYAH29]

@ErikNikolai

you are more than a little confused about what racism is...

[ErikNikolai]

@JAYDUBYAH29 Imagine it being a white person talking about white artists and white art. Skin color ought to be completely irrelevant.

[JAYDUBYAH29]

@ErikNikolai

she is an academic and obviously specializes in art as an expression of black culture.

it is not racist to explore the very real issues of a particular culture and racial group.

being non-racist doesnt mean we ignore race and the psychological and social implications of being a member of an oppressed minority with a legacy of slavery.

white people who have been oppressed & created art in response are also the subject of this kind of study. u r being knee jerk and narrow minded.

[ORVX]

lol, and is white lady was on here talking about white art she would be a racist, this lady is nothing but a racist piece os shit, deal with it, you and yours made the rules

[aarondkeogh]

I think she touches herself to much

[bolussss]

boring and kinda racist

[defect530]

every other word is ME ME ME ME ME ME ME.

i think she likes herself to much.

[TheDepreso]

The title is misleading. I didn't hear anything about "art shaping cultural change".

[phillydundilly]

WORST... SPELLING....Evar

[biozamadotcom]

this is not bad

it's not real art.

this is true art:  watch?v=dZd3c5e-XB0

[adrenacrumb]

WORST.....SPEAKER.....Evar

[Valstein0]

She didn't say one damn thing about how art changes culture. All she has said is that she's a curator who likes black art and how she likes art and what she thinks about art. She has not once described a situation where a piece of art has changed culture. And of course, there are many examples of this, so she is just doing a bad job. A really horrible, pretentious, and pointless speech. As an artist, I feel like she just did a horrible job of conveying the idea that art changes culture.

[matafixer]

@Valstein0 if you don't get the message, doesn't mean there isn't one.

[Valstein0]

@matafixer

You can't just ambiguously say "If you don't get the message, it doesn't mean there isn't one." You actually have to provide an example of her providing a meaningful message. I'll help you out here. There isn't a message. Not one worth hearing. Her message was this: "I am a curator. Art is art." That's all she said. She described her job, ad then described what art is. Where is the message, if I am too bind to see it?

[matafixer]

@Valstein0 well, okay, arguing would lead to nowhere- as it always does here on youtube. I personally liked the examples of art she gave, and they really spoke for themselves and yes, those are the kind of things that can really shape culture a bit. The very fact that she has been published here tells you that she has a message. I guess she didn't spread it well enough, I will admit that it got quite boring at the end.

[Valstein0]

@matafixer

That's the point I'm making, though. All she did was show art and basically say "this is art." Of course art opens a dialogue! Of course art says something about culture! Of course artists have something to say! That's the point of art! When somebody speaks at TED, they are supposed to educate us and interest us, not just state the obvious. I am a artist, and I love all art, but this lady has made the most useless TED talk I have ever seen.

[showABCshow]

@matafixer

what a cop out... how about you make it explicit for all of us dumb listeners.

[tommyneumann]

artists use lies to tell the truth

[Eequality72521]

@tommyneumann did your father tell you that?

[LeMegasandwich]

99.99999% art mirrors cultural change. Technology/politics change it.

[RarewareLover]

TED has been getting heavy on the art recently. I like it!