BY STUDENT
New York City has many names – the City That Never Sleeps, the Melting Pot (or for some, a salad bowl), the Big Apple, the Capital of the World, and the Center of the Universe – some of which a bit contrived and grandiose, but all of which speak to New York City’s unique character. The city – most especially Manhattan – is often identified by its ethnically and racially diverse population and the incredibly unique amalgamation of cultures that coexist within its borders. As a native New Yorker, I can personally attest to the wide variety of people and cultures I experience every single day. Diversity is expressed in the ethnic cuisines of the restaurants lining the avenues, in the various communities downtown, in stores and markets selling unique items, and of course in the people themselves – their language, wardrobe, and mannerisms. What is then surprising is where the rich patchwork of nationalities and cultures is absent. How does a lack of representation – whether intentional or not – in different areas of the city, such as museums, affect public perception of minority groups in New York City?
Perhaps one of my favorite places in Manhattan is the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met), an art museum located on the edge of Central Park on the Upper East Side. The museum has several sections in which they categorize their historical or ethnic pieces: the American Wing, famous oil paintings from US History; Ancient Near Eastern Art, works representing several centuries of Arab history up to the 7th century AD; Arms & Armor, collection of armor pieces and tools from various periods in history; Arts of Africa, Oceania & the Americas, brings together sculptures, artifacts, and art from sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America; Asian Art, one of the largest collections of art and works from Asia’s long history; Egyptian Art, over 20 thousand pieces of art and discovered artifacts to represent Egypt from the Paleolithic Era to the Roman invasion; European Paintings, primarily 13th to 19th century paintings by European artists; European Sculpture & Decorative Arts, chronicles the progression of sculpture through 50 thousand pieces across five centuries; Greek & Roman Art (my personal favorite), includes over 15 thousand pieces spanning from the Neolithic period to Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in the early 4th century AD; Islamic Art, represents art from the 7th to 19th centuries to reflect the traditions of Islam; and, Medieval Art & the Cloisters, covering the Mediterranean and Europe from the falloff Rome to the start of the Renaissance (metmuseum.org). What is notable in this list is two-fold. First, there are several, separated sections for various periods or types of European art as well as a heavy focus on ancient periods. Second, there is only one wing – the Arts of Africa, Oceania & the Americas section – devoted to a huge range of history, culture, and people. More importantly, the groups all collected together represent minorities in this country. Separate minority and marginalized populations being represented as one cohesive unit simply does not depict the nuances of their distinct cultures with the same devotion the Met shows European cultures.
As Arlene Davila points out several times in the chapter “From Barrio to Mainstream: On the Politics of Latino/a Art Museums”, representation in museums – and particularly in a museum as renowned as the Met – is a crucial marker in determining whether various ethnic and racial groups are being treated equally in the places where museums are. There is particular emphasis put in the idea that a community’s museum needs to accurately reflect the community’s “constituency” (Davila), which basically means that a museum has an obligation – just as politicians do – to show all aspects of the community as they really are. Davila notes the importance that a group’s representation in museums is in constructing an image and character for specifically ethnic or racial groups in cities. Essentially, however a museum chooses to portray a certain group or period of history has significant influence outside the walls of the museum and can go so far as to effect social relations and political power. If the Met is devoting so little individual attention to such diverse groups coming from sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America, what subtle repercussions does that present? This is an impossible question to answer, but it is absolutely essential that we recognize where inequality of representation is and how it can extend into more serious aspects of life beyond paintings, sculptures, and artifacts.
Bibliography
"Curatorial Departments." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met Museum, n.d. Web. 30 Apr.
2016. <http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments>.
Dávila, Arlene M. "From Barrio to Mainstream: On the Politics of Latino/a Art Museums." Latino
Spin: Public Image and the Whitewashing of Race. New York: New York UP, 2008. N. pag. Print.
This was a very interesting read, I never even thought about how museums like the Met can be indicative of the equality ethnic groups face in that area. Do you think this is a coincidence that this occurs at the Met or it is just by sheer chance? Does this correlate to other museums around the world or mostly in America? How convinced can one be in this argument?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this and how you pointed out that subtle inequality can affect people just as much as blatant inequality. Your focus on the Met makes this especially clear and I would say it is indicative of how people in the US think about history. SO much is dominated by European culture that we forget the contributions of people from other parts of the globe. Do you think decreasing inequality should be fought at a smaller level (i.e more representation in the arts) or if we need to attack it head on?
ReplyDeleteI have only been in the MET once, but it is interesting that you note the way in which minorities are marginalized even through the telling of their history. Could it be that this is the case because of the misconception that mostly white populations visit these types of places? Could the spacial organization of the surrounding area also contribute to the way in which the MET is organized?
ReplyDeleteReally loved your opening sentences. It really grabbed my attention, especially since I, myself, am from New York! You also had brought up very interesting ideas about the Met, in a way I had never thought about. Since you had mentioned the little attention the met gives minorities, I feel this is an important part of our history and future and the met should allow for more artwork of this topic. Do you feel, them giving only little credit to minors, was meant to be symbolic of something? Or was this just an accident?
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