Over the last few months of lockdown I have been looking inward at myself and trying to learn more about my art and where my art comes from. I kept making artwork with the plan to eventually exhibit the works I had created. The space I envisioned was like any other space I had exhibited in - a clean blank white space where making too loud a noise is strictly prohibited. The idea of the white cube being the go to exhibited space never really seemed like it was usual to me. Every gallery I walked into (unless a historic gallery) had tall white walls, empty spaces and seated guards ready to scold you if you speak above a whisper. I understand the reason of using white. It's great for getting the most amount of light into a space, it makes the work stand out more and have the colours pop, and it actively puts us into a head space of contemplation. It always felt like the norm. Even times when I did exhibit in places where the walls weren't white the main point of conversation was "why aren't the walls white! / I wish we could paint the walls!"
It wasn't until 2014, two years into my four year undergrad Fine Art uni course that I discovered an exhibition not held within the white cube. It was during the Glasgow International and we walked into an exhibition hosted inside someones garage. After that I went out into a gallery held in Govanhill Baths an old swimming pool, the Tramway, and someones home. It started to spark the idea that art doesn't need to be exhibited within the white cube. Online I then saw the artist Agnes Cecile display her paintings hung in the middle garden centre nursery. So where does the idea of the white cube come from?
The white cube rose about during the early 20th in response to the growing abstraction movement. The concept was to make the white walls a frame to the artwork rather than a border. Preferred by artist groups like the Bauhaus and the De Stilj, the white cube was used to minimise distractions from the artwork itself. Ever since the white cube has become the go to norm for creating exhibition spaces, and is often requested by artists when they wish to exhibit, however the concept of the white cube has been highly critiqued.
In 1976 Brian O’Doherty wrote a series of essays for Artforum magazine, later turned into a book called Inside the White Cube, in which he confronted the modernist obsession with the white cube arguing that every object became almost sacred inside it, making the reading of art problematic. - Tate
It was at the beginning of the year that I came across The White Pube Zarina Muhammad and Gabrielle de la Puente, two passionate women, who critique art (but mainly the art world) from such a genuine and accessible place. They open the world up to people who feel historically, racially, culturally, and gender excluded due to the white privilege that dominates the art world. Their battle against the large organisations to be inclusive, address their privilege and historic racism, and bring awareness to the current issues we should all be aware of, is to be commended. These two women are some of the most genuine people I have discovered discussing the art world since I have been on the internet.
While I have read many of their writings, especially their recent game reviews, the reason they got their name was from their article about the white cube. Written by Zarina, she discusses the inaccessibility of The White Cube in its attempt to be a neutral space to exhibit work. She argues White as an abstract just means the privilege of being ‘raceless’: not having a hyphenated identity like black-British or Asian-American, or the baggage of being attached to visible signifiers of Otherness. And this is what makes people feel uncomfortable and out of place in the white cube: a space specifically designed to be neutral and free of context. I encourage you to read the entire article here!
So what can we take from the White Pube and other critics when discussing and experiencing the white cube. The white cube was created as a way to give art the opportunity to stand out and speak without distraction in a space. The white walls create a neutral space for the viewing of the artwork but subsequently cause issues for many viewers who are made to feel uncomfortable within the space. It brings forth the discussion for moving past the concept of the white cube as an exhibition space and finding new ways to showcase artwork. With the lockdown this year many galleries and artists have taken to showcasing their artwork within a VR digital space that allows to the viewing of artwork from the comfort of ones bed. This creates an inviting viewing experience for all and allows us to experience the artwork exactly how the artist wants us to experience the artwork and not within the confines of the white cube. As technology advances and we have to make changes to our lifestyle (not leaving the house unless it's important), it is exciting to see what the exhibition spaces of the future with be.
Comments