Art and Privilege
In the recesses of a gallery, two figures stand side by side. One is an artist, and one is not. I have not detailed which side the artist stands on. How can we differentiate between the two? What separates one from the other?
It is privilege. I write this as someone who had been thrown into the rung of poverty in my youth, so my understanding of privilege is rather broad. However, there is no denying that the practices of art is directly produced through privilege, however small.
It is no surprise that the middle class has gentrified the practice of art, or moreso that the wealthy now pretend to be among the working class, taking clothes from thrift stores which the working class depend on, in order to experience the culture of poverty as Marie Antoinette had done on her numerous trips to "village resorts". The working class artist presents an interesting conundrum: One must be able to find the time and resources to create works of art, while also having little access to resources. Such an ability must be inspiring to the bourgeoise, who are eager to place their decrepit hands on such a display of skill and efficiency. The ability to create art in such a circumstance signifies an identity of value that the bourgeois are keen to attain.
Prospects for the working class and those in poverty to create art are slim. They are, by definition, deprived of both time and resources. If one were to completely possess neither, we cannot really imagine the production of any works of art to come to light. The world is messy, however, and slithers of time and resources can slip into the lives of the poor, and it is precisely this that allows for the creation of art in working class environments.
My own practice is constituted of these small slithers of privilege that I have been afforded, mostly through government assistance, and through the timely death of my grandmother, who left just enough to buy a rather small house. The economic conditions in my environment has allowed me time to create and study, and this is simply not possible in my prior circumstance. The children of poverty find time through skipping classes, and resources through stealing spray cans, or markers and such.
Thus, I encourage all working class artisans and those in poverty, to commit material theft. This will allow you the resources nessecary to create art, resources that ought to be rightfully yours, but witheld by the bourgeois (Who admire your resiliance and capability). Do not stop here - present yourself as refined, empty the wallets of the wealthy, of institutions and governments. These are your rightful property. Do not feel sorrow for the greedy, take what is yours or it will be taken from you.
To my final point, those who hail from very privileged positions, the wealthy, the middle class, and even the upper-working, do not own their achievements in art, and they will never be able to produce a true work of art. Every supposed achievement of theirs, they attain through abuse of wealth and power. They are spoonfed, lazy, unthinking automatons. They prey upon the genius of the poor, because they are inherently stupid, and unless they are to renounce their wealth, they will never be anything more than stupid. They do not take, they "use". They do not achieve, they "have". They are the modern era's proof of decartes' unfeeling animal, a complex and unthinking machine, wading through life without conciousness. I urge the reader, any reader, to treat these bourgeouis artists with disdain and disrespect. Reveal to them your value: they wish to be you.