Can art amend history? Titus Kaphar Ted Talk
Titus Kaphar is a visual artist whose paintings, sculptures, and installations manipulate traditional artworks to expose assumptions in art history and help the audience think critically about what we do and do not see in the original art. His works use interesting colors, textures, and objects to tell stories of Black Americans and underrepresented communities.
As we wrestle with the struggles of the past and reckon with racial injustices in the United States, visual representations of our history, such as statues, have come to the forefront of the conversation about how we speak to the diversity and advances of our present. In this Ted Talk, Kaphar asks us to shift our gaze to amend, but not erase, our past, and focus on meaningful transformations within our society. Kaphar argues that we must know our history, but that we can shift our focus to allow different, often untold stories to emerge and tell a more complete story of America.
After watching this Ted Talk, consider the following:
- What point is Kaphar making by painting over certain parts of the Frans Hals painting?
- What is the difference between erasure and amendment?
- What is the value of symbols, such as paintings or statues, to a country or a group of people? How can they also be problematic?
- How does art connect with Black History Month, and how can it help us celebrate Black excellence?
