Kai Barrow presented her artist lecture under the title “Liberating the Imagination: Art and Social Change.” Barrow often works collaboratively and in the public domain. She discussed how she is in direct conflict with societal systems that oppress the human spirit and believes that artists can unleash a collective imagination. Three main, significant elements were presented by Barrow as important to artwork that brings social change; Work should be dialogic (that is inviting participation through interaction and investigation of the viewer), oppositional (having a critical and bold approach that develops underground to contradict ideas), and desirous (being passionate).
Barrow first showed artwork of influential artists including Betty Saar and her work Liberation of Aunt Jemima, a piece of work I was familiar with through multiple art history classes. Another artist she presented was Adrian Piper. Barrow questioned the audience to see if anyone knew about her work, to which I responded “yes.” Barrow talked about the notecards that Piper would pass out to people in everyday social interactions when a racist remark would be said. I am interested in this idea of interaction in social contexts in relation to the current theme of our third project in Digital Studio, that is interaction. While I am not provoking social change with my own work, I am still very interested in the dynamic that develops in artwork, especially when outside of the gallery.
Barrow showed some images of her artwork, but the ones that seemed most relevant were not presented visually. Her main body of work was on the life of Saartjie/Sarah Baartman, who was known as Hottentot Venus, a slave woman who was forced to portray her body as an object for priviledged men. Barrows work sought to abstractly illustrate the life of Baartman, making her a player within her own life instead of just an object. However, I wonder if without the understanding of Baartman’s life that the work would make sense. Viewers needed to read important facts and stories about the woman’s life in order to understand the work, which might not always happen. I was more interested in the purses she talked about making that were left around the city to raise awareness. I think that working outside of the gallery setting could allow for Barrow’s work to have a stronger effect in her community.