[-empyre-] race-net-art

[damali ayo <damali@damaliayo.com>]

i had to change the subject line....

there is a lot to respond to, and, i'm not going to really address it 
all, as i don't think that responding to every point is an artist's 
job. i think generating discussion and dialogue is where it's at, and 
that seems to be going on, there the audience finds answers for 
themselves. and perhaps even more questions. which to me is magical, 
and why i do what i do.

i love all the responses to my art. none of them traumatize me 
(someone suggested such). people have told me i'm selling out, black 
people have called me a "nigger cunt".  white people have threatened 
to lynch me. people have told me i've told the story of their lives, 
others that i've changed their view of the world for the better. it's 
inspired laughter, rage, tears. it's all audience reaction and it's 
all part of the art, every last word. it's BEAUTIFUL.

one of the questions raised by my work is: "but where do we go from 
here?" a fantastic question. one worth talking about. one worth 
creating chats and groups and meetings and revolutions to address. i 
trust my audience to do what they see fit with the work. that is part 
of our relationship. what they do with their reaction is their part 
in the work. i honor them for that.

my work is to hold a mirror up to our world to get us to look at it 
in a way that sparks a "shift" in our thinking. that 
re-conceptualizes what we take for granted and makes us think about 
it again. that's my part in the process. and it is a process, i work 
hard at it, but it doesn't begin or end with me, i'm just lucky to be 
a part of it.

i love that the reaction  i posted is acting as art itself. 
generating dialogue, drawing lines in the sand, causing people to 
state their ground and experiences and perspectives and hopes. it's 
an awesome process and i'm just glad to see that it's engaged.

people don't always like that this is my take on things. they want an 
answer..."what do we do?????"
but we live in a society that is very lazy about finding answers. 
which is why we've made such little progress on some fronts, and 
actually allow some heinous rent-a-negro realities to exist (dont' 
think they don't, just watch tv for half an hour) (god has anyone 
seen "banzai" ?) but we get frustrated. people scream at me "tell me 
what to do!"  "give me a solution" "you raised the question!!!"

but that just isn't the way it works. not for me. i don't want art 
that answers questions. i want art that raises them. i make art that 
raises them. then i work on the answers, in all of my relationships, 
every day.


damali