Friday, October 9, 2009

Insider/Outsider...let's talk

Laura Berlage

Greetings all! Hope your finishing touches on packet 3 are going well.

I wanted to ask a question that has been pestering me during this semester of looking at the ethical issues of non-Native artists producing Native inspired art. What do you think the issues behind being and insider and being an outsider are? Why do you think that social structure exists? Do you think it is a phenomenon of cultural hurts, or has it been around as long as there have been people? What does it mean to be an insider? What does it mean to be an outsider? Can you cross that threshold? If so, what do you gain, and what do you lose?

These are all questions I'm interested in discussing. Please respond to the post if any of these spark ideas (or more questions) for you!
Thanks,
Laura

1 comment:

  1. Hey Laura,
    I think you might want to read the book Ju Pong offered us in a seminar 2 semesters ago called Who Owns Culture? It raised quite a few questions for me--what responsibility do I have as an outsider to the culture if I appropriate its symbols and imagery into my work? Is it enough to be conscious of the historical and cultural heritage reflected in the imagery? Appropriation is tough!

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