For some reason I have been thinking a lot about the following phrase..."I Can't Imagine Ever Wanting To Be White." Those words entered my consciousness in 1994 when I read a review of that year's Whitney Biennial.
Daniel Martinez had created the pins pictured here for patrons of the show to wear upon entering.
Although I did not see that show I was definitely affected by the concept of this artwork. At the time it struck me more in a political context. In our mental shadows we assume that with all the privileges that white skin affords, that naturally people would want a slice of that privilege.
The great thing about this phrase is that you can apply it to any attribute...I can't imagine ever wanting to be (male, thin, straight, rich, female, black, young, gay, beautiful, smart, ad infinitum). For me it is a mental levelling tool. So often do I become a victim of my own perspectives. I get tunnel vision and have none-to-fleeting thoughts that if everyone simply had my view on things then what a glorious world this would be.
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