The importance of art in society, both historically and in modern times, cannot be understated. From paintings to novels to film, artworks have been exceptionally influential in raising the collective consciousness of the public by bringing awareness to critical issues, critiquing contemporary values, and creating community. Art itself has extraordinary power. Its versatility in its countless forms, the ability for anyone to participate in its production, and the timelessness of certain mediums have made art an invaluable resource for the powerful and powerless alike. The messages that can be transmitted through emotions that can be evoked by a single image, page, or scene exemplify its utility. Its adaption to a constantly changing technological reality has also birthed new forms and means of its dissemination. As debates arise globally on what constitutes art, with Western traditions given primary attention, it is increasingly important to note how the logic of the current social hierarchy is ever-present in the world of art. This work seeks to paint a picture of white supremacy’s stranglehold on artistic production by first elaborating on the nature of whiteness, then presenting a theory ascribing a suffocating characteristic to whiteness and its implication on art, before finally discussing certain actions
individuals and society at large can take to mitigate this suffocating effect. Part I: The Homogeneity of Whiteness It should come as no surprise that race, alongside its siblings' gender and class, is socially constructed and structurally reinforced. Racial categorisation followed from the West’s colonisation of the Americas and Africa, as a way of justifying the establishment of a system of mass enslavement of Black and Brown people. The creation of a dichotomy between the moral, rational white and the subhuman, savage nonwhite provided a moral pretext for the centuries of atrocities committed at the hands of Western powers. Beyond simple justifications, the invention of whiteness helped establish a distinct ‘European’ identity defined by negation, specifically by negating certain barbaric qualities that only the subjugated could possess. It is important to note that whiteness is not a static concept. Rather whiteness is a ‘constellation of processes and practices [that is] dynamic, relational, and operating at all times and on myriad levels,’ (DiAngelo, 2011). It constantly adapts to meet the changing realities of society and politics. In fact, it is this very dynamism that has maintained the 37 | P a g e
