Letter 11. On Casual Racism

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR1QrwTolxo

 

T: Hi John,

Happy New year! Thank you for your tutorial report.

 

You know White Cube was literally that close to offer me a solo show. And then they said - ‘you lack an interesting name or a background. You are too normal, too familiar.’

 

J: Well basically they were saying you are too white for them?

T: Yeah yeah haha this is exactly what it was. And I was like -  ‘guys I know I’m just a white male painter from Essex, but I can do shit, I can  put one of these big sombrero on and run around the White Cube like a proper Mexican (??!) but what the hell!’

And then later that week, there was more!

 

T: And then she was like - Maybe your paintings are understood in Britain - I don't know! I don't understand your paintings- I’m South American!

T: And I was like, -ok-.

 

And John, have you heard about this term ‘ to paint with an accent?’ I think this is what is happening in here….

 

(stop music)

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J: I'm tired of stories about clever white men and how special they are.

 

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Before country

shitetown!

Saying some thoughts

Hellooo -

Listening!

Space fishing

Naked eye

removing

That irritates the greater compost

Within random manipulated podcasts told

-facing boredom

encapsulated within correspondence

Incomplete gestures

Many

To complete the incomplete gestalt

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