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OPEDCOLUMNI ST

HowArtistsChangetheWorld
DavidBrooks

AUG.2,2016

Asusual,therewereatonofartistsandmusiciansatthepoliticalconventionsthis
year.Andthatraisessomequestions.Howmuchshouldartistsgetinvolvedin
politics?Howcanartistsbestpromotesocialchange?
Onepersonwhoservesasamodelherewasnotanartistbutunderstoodhowto
useanewartform.FrederickDouglassmadehimselfthemostphotographed
Americanofthe19thcentury,whichiskindofamazing.Hesatfor160separate
photographs(GeorgeCustersatfor155andAbrahamLincolnfor126).Healsowrote
fourlecturesonphotography.
Douglassusedhisportraitstochangethewayviewerssawblackpeople.Henry
LouisGatesJr.ofHarvardpointsoutthatoneofDouglasssfavoriterhetorical
tropeswasthechiasmus:theuseoftwoclausesinasentenceinreversedorderto
createaninverseparallel.
Forexample,Douglasswrote,Youhaveseenhowamanwasmadeaslaveyou
shallseehowaslavewasmadeaman.
AndthatswhatDouglassdidwithhisportraits.Hetookcontemporary
stereotypesofAfricanAmericansthattheyareinferior,unlettered,comicand
dependentandturnedthemupsidedown.
Douglassposedforhisportraitsverycarefullyandinwaysthatevolvedoverthe
years.YoucanseetheprogressionofDouglassportraitsinanewbookcalled

PicturingFrederickDouglass,curatedbyJohnStauffer,ZoeTroddandCeleste
MarieBernier,andyoucanreadaversionofGatessessayinthenewspecialissueof
Aperturemagazine,guesteditedbySarahLewis.
Inalmostallthephotographs,Douglassisformallydressed,inblackcoat,vest,
stiffformalcollarandbowtie.Heisadignifiedandhighlyculturedmemberof
respectablesociety.
Butwithinthatbourgeoisframethereisimmensepersonalforce.Douglassonce
wrote,Amanwithoutforceiswithouttheessentialdignityofhumanity.Douglasss
strongfeaturesprojectrelentlessdeterminationandlionlikepride.Insomeearly
portraits,startingwhenhewasaroundage23,hisfistsareclenched.
InsomeofthepreCivilWarphotoshestaresdirectlyintothecameralens,
unusualforthetime.Andthentherewashismajesticwrath.In1847hetolda
Britishaudiencethatwhenhewasaslavehehadbeenpunishedandbeatenmore
for[my]looksthanforanythingelseforlookingdissatisfiedbecause[I]felt
dissatisfied.
Douglassbroughtthatlookofradicaldissatisfactiontothestudio.Whenhewas
ayoungman,hisstareswereatoncepiercing,suspiciousandsolemn.Ashegot
older,hisfacetookonadeeperwisdomandsadnesswhilelosingnoneofhis
mountainoussolemnity.Hewascombiningmoraldepthandgreatlearning.
Douglasswascombatingasetofgeneralizedstereotypesbyshowingthespecific
humanityofoneblackman.(Theearlycamerasproducedphotographswithgreat
depthoffieldrevealingeachpore,hairandblemish.)
Mostofall,hewasusingarttoreteachpeoplehowtosee.
Weareoftenundertheillusionthatseeingisaverysimplething.Yousee
something,whichistakinginformationin,andthenyouevaluate,whichisthehard
part.
Butinfactperceptionandevaluationarethesamething.Wecarryaround
unconsciousmentalmaps,builtbynatureandexperience,thatorganizehowwe
scantheworldandhowweinstantlyinterpretandorderwhatwesee.

Withtheseportraits,Douglasswasredrawingpeoplesunconsciousmental
maps.Hewaserasingoldassociationsaboutblacknessandreplacingthemwithnew
ones.AsGateswrites,hewastakinganinstitutionlikeslavery,whichhadseemedto
manysoinevitable,andleadingpeopletoperceiveitasarbitrary.Hewascreatinga
newidealofajustsocietyandafullyaliveblackcitizen,andthereforemaking
currentrealitylookdifferentinthelightofthatideal.
Poets,prophetsandreformersareallpicturemakersandthisabilityisthe
secretoftheirpowerandoftheirachievements,Douglasswrote.Thisiswhere
artistsmaketheirmark,byimplantingpicturesintheunderwaterprocessingthatis
upstreamfromconsciouscognition.Thosepicturesassignweightsandvaluesto
whattheeyestakein.
Ineverunderstandwhyartistswanttogetinvolvedinpartisanshipand
legislation.Therealpowerliesintheabilitytorecodethementalmapspeople
projectintotheworld.
Aphotographispowerful,evenintheageofvideo,becauseofitsabilityto
ingrainasingletruth.ThespecialVisionandJusticeissueofApertureshowsthat
theprocessofretrainingtheimaginationisongoing.Therearesomanyimagesthat
startlinglyputAfricanAmericanmodelsinplaceswhereourcultureassumes
whitenessintheGardenofEden,inVermeersGirlWithaPearlEarring.
Theseimagesdontchangeyourmindtheysmashthroughsomeofthewarped
lensesthroughwhichwevebeentaughttosee.

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AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonAugust2,2016,onpageA23oftheNewYorkeditionwiththe
headline:HowArtistsChangetheWorld.

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