Wangechi Mutu is much, much more than just “a mid-career African artist”
March 15, 2010
Written by kenyanobserver, in AROUND THE US, Featured, Recent News
Wangechi Mutu
Murray Whyte, a Canadian art critic and entertainment writer attached that label on Wangechi Mutu when he reviewed her solo exhibition, “This You Call Civilization?” currently underway at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
He considers the red carpet reception that AGO has given Mutu, a waste of resources for a “mid-career African artist living in New York….”, “….who’s yet to receive blue-chip status on the international circuit” while there are other more deserving up-and-coming Canadian artists.
It’s obvious that Toronto-based Whyte is as far removed from African culture as Tom Delay is from New York yet he comes from a city that prides itself as one of the most multi-cultural in the world.
In fact, Toronto has a thriving black art scene so his insensitivity to a prominent artist of color visiting his neck of the woods is a little puzzling.
I spent a good part of last weekend going back through Whyte’s reviews and I’m yet to come across any review he has done of an African artist.
No, I take that back. I did find his review last year of another African artist, Candice Breitz, a couple of years older than Mutu. He certainly did not seem to think that the resources devoted for her survey exhibition, Same Same, should have been directed to deserving, younger Canadian artists like he does for Mutu. In fact he says that Breitz has not given her best yet and is “capable of more than that” (of what she had produced for that exhibition).
About a decade ago, he thought a bunch of 40 plus year-old Canadian artists were up and comers; well on their way to the world stage.
I honestly think his review of Mutu is insensitive – written without depth or much thought.
Wangechi Mutu is an accomplished, confident artist who has overcome a lot to reach where she is today and might have a thing or two to teach Whyte about appreciating African art if he ever cared to meet her and actually opened his mind a little wider.
photo: Alusainc
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Hi there —
Murray Whyte here. Someone made me aware of your post. I think some clarification needs to be made regarding some of the terms you’ve taken such affront with.
Firstly, mid-career is hardly a pejorative. I’m not sure you understand the term. It would be hard for anyone under 40 — or even 50 — to be anything but — particularly for an artist having her very first major museum survey. I’m sure if you asked Mutu, she would confirm this.
But, in any case, this is a a good lesson in terms that we in the art press take for granted as understood, that maybe they don’t travel well enough to the general readership.
I also don’t think you understand the context here. You seem clearly protective of what you regard to be wounded national pride, and I can certainly appreciate that. I have no issue with Mutu’s work; in fact, I described in very positive terms how deeply affecting it is, and what a sharp reminder it represents, of the very same post-colonial ills we have become inured to in North America.
I took issue, however, with the institution itself, who’s history of supporting local and Canadian art is not as strong as it should be. Please understand: I am critical of the show because I would like to see the museum’s limited resources devoted to promoting as worthwhile Canadian art, NOT because I am somehow against African art!
That’s a facile, reactive, frankly nonsensical reading; and speaking of offensive, your suggestion that my work is “mildly rascist and insensitive” is a ludicrous, slanderous and unconscionable. I request you remove that language from your website immediately. Please advise. With thanks, MW
I’ve corrected the post and removed the offending language.
Why are you ignoring my point in the post about the glaring differences between the reviews you gave Candice Breitz and the one you gave Wangechi Mutu? If Mutu is taking away the limited resources that you feel should be allocated to deserving Canadian artists, how about Breitz? After all, they are both African, right?
I’m not concerned nor do I care about what you think of their work, I’m just concerned about the activism you unleashed on Mutu in support of your local artists but did not see the same when you wrote about Breitz.
I’d also like to add that we’ve had a lot of back and forth emails and all I can say is that the general thrust of your responses is hubris – talking down to me as if I don’t know what I’m talking about rather than engaging in a constructive discussion.
I’m sorry Mr. Whyte, but if you have such a high pedestal, you are subject to being kept honest. Although my pedestal is much smaller than yours, I still get quite a lashing on a regular basis here on my blog and trust me, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing.
Why are you ignoring his point in the post about the glaring differences between the reviews you gave Candice Breitz ?
I found Mr. Whyte’s comments condescending and sadly typical of an audience that has not been exposed to non-traditional (i.e. African) works of art. As the kenyanobserver mentioned Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, however there is still a divide when it comes to who has access and representation in the art world, as Mr. Whyte’s comments demonstrate. Moreover,some of the language that Mr. Whyte employs further work to alienate the general public who are not necessarily art savvy as he himself admits.
Canadians need to get over this obsession that we have with promoting “Canada made” only. I applaud the AGO for beginning to expand its reach and in particular working to represent the diversity of the city of Toronto.