Art is a very personal experience, so it is inevitable that the issue of "identity" will come into play. I am generally interested in this topic, but even more so because my own identity, and my shifting view of my own identity, plays a huge role in the artwork I make.
I recently read Interrogating "Whiteness", (De)Constructing "Race" by AnnLouise Keating. This article really gave me a new perspective, and some of the meaning still has yet to sink in. One thing I got from it, however, is that "whiteness" is a racialized identity that is just as constructed as any other racial identity (for example, "blackness"). However, due to our societal constructions, "whiteness" is generally taken as the norm. I identify as white, but if someone were to look critically at my artwork, they would tend not to delve into how "whiteness" has shaped my work. They might not even consider that the idea of race might shape my work. On the flip side, I am a woman, and as a result, viewers will probably be predisposed to look for feminist or feminine ideas in my work. I think my work is very much shaped by the issues of gender and feminism, but I don't want viewers to just assume this because I am a woman. I will need to be very intentional in what I do and don't want to put forth in my work.
