Aesthetic Evangelism- Rachael Hinman

Key Ideas-

Wow. I never realized the government’s role in community based art. One thing I’ll probably never forget from reading this is the idea that “state sponsored welfare is wrong because it robs the rich of the opportunity to experience a moral transcendence in the act of self-less giving.” What? Because giving is actually for the moral transcendence of the giver and not to benefit the receiver? How is that even a valid argument?

This really opened my eyes because I’ve never heard of this argument before. This discussion about trying to help others for one’s personal spiritual evolution, and not actually to see someone else benefit. It’s crazy to think, but also obviously true, that people feel entitled to tell someone else when they are wrong and to put themselves in a higher position of right to “fix” them and doing so gives them the gratification and the sense of more power. But the intention is all wrong. Who is to say who is right and who is wrong? Typically it’s those of power and money who feel they are right because they are financial successful; so they must be right, right?

No thank you.

Also, the reality of creating community based art to benefit a community but contributing to conservative viewpoints and standards is something I’ve never realized. This also ties in to the topic of having community art where the artist is automatically “right” and tries to fix or improve the “wrong” and how that is clearly problematic; especially when the artist has absolutely no connection, insight, or identity with that community.

My last key topic is between chosen delegates and appointed delegates to be the artist/director of a community based art piece. Often times a chosen delegate has a predisposition of what, how, and why a community acts, is, and believes and that puts up barriers from the very beginning. There will most likely be a completely different outcome if a community chooses a delegate to be the director of a piece because there is already a baseline trust, open mindedness, and willingness to learn, both for and from the community.

Questions-

Is someone truly able to completely sunder themselves from their subjects and feel someone else’s oppression as mentioned in the text?

If the art does create a positive impact for the community, does that automatically make it community-based art even if it doesn’t touch on the public policies?

How can we accurately create community based art with communities we don't identify with?