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Justice Endelhardt Kühn, Henry Darnell III, on oil canvas, c. 1710.
Approaching Bridget R. Cooks' "What's Wrong With Museums"
In her chapter of the Humanities Core Handbook: "What's Wrong with Museums," Cooks' brilliantly explains the flawed ways in which museums dictate society's standard of beauty in art and misrepresent the true perspective of Blackness in America as a result.
First Read
For the first time reading through most scholarly articles, I try to focus on reading rather than jotting things down. I don't want to get too hasty by making conclusions and quick analyses as I read. Instead, I prefer to read the whole thing, maybe write a few notable points such as the potential claim, and then connect dots from all the across the work into the main idea(s).
Second Read
For my second reading of the work, I can observe her claims and the way presents them with much more depth. This is because I now have baseline understanding of what the claim is, and can therefore focus on enhancing it with more complex parts of the text that I did not observe beforehand. I write down questions I have, search for more historical context behind events, artifacts, etc., and highlight the claims.
Identifying Claims & Key Terminology
Cooks' chapter was not only interesting, but informative. She is very particular with her choice in diction, as the conversation is new and uproots all conventional ideas that most people know to this day. The particular choice in words as well as the assortment of credible evidence help elevate her argument in a graceful and credible manner.
“…they [Black Artists] have broken through interpretive conventions with their imaginative visions that create new worlds of expression” (Cooks).
This is a statement that was made in the opening paragraph of "What's Wrong With Museums" which concludes that Black artists have transformed the meanings of beauty and Blackness with their own art.
In this opening statement, we understand the “breakage” of the “interpreted conventions” shows signs of wrongful stereotypes and norms that are actively being upheld, and the need for clarifications to undo them. The reader that infer that museums are the perpetrators of these harmful norms, due to the title of the chapter itself. The words that Cooks uses intentionally paints the informative rhetorical setting in which the reader must be open to their conventional ideas of what Black art is being challenged. To properly experience the “creation of new worlds” is to learn from the "visions" (which can easily be seen as perspectives) of modern Black Artists that hold more credibility in being the representation of Blackness than museums ever could.
Who is it for? Why is it important?
Of course, this chapter was written for the Humanities Core Students of 2022-2025, that is simply a given. But, it seems that her intended audience is not just a student body, but rather the general public. The boldness of her title is attention grabbing and her diction is infomative and intentional. Cooks is trying to reset the positive, if not neutral feelings that most people feel towards museums and uncover the deep, harmful implicit biases that they affirm. By attempting to do this, she is stirring up a pot of uncomfortable conversation regarding racism, white supremacy, and America's dark past.
Because of the sensitivity and uncertainty of the topic, which involves dismantling and rebuilding the value society places on art, it is paramount for the presentation of her claim to be clear and concise. The problematic presence of museums and the lack of proper acknowledgment of Black art in America is alarming, and so having an eye-catching, undeniably intelligent explanation to the reconstruction of social norms is exactly what Cooks needed to achieve.
Using Primary Sources
Cooks lists many artists in her chapter, such as the artists of Gee's Bend, Sanford Biggers, Titus Kaphar, Carrie Mae Weems, and Noah Purifoy. But before introducing the how for the reinvention of Blackness in art, she introduces the why: the anti-black artworks that encourage racist ideologies in the first place. Her choice of this painting of Henry Darnell III, its powerful counterwork, and the detailed assessment of its implications all display an effective use of primary sources.
Justice Endelhardt Kühn, Henry Darnell III, on oil canvas, c. 1710.
"The distinction between culture and nature is made evident in the depiction of the enslaved who recedes into the forest and the shadows of dark clouds that frame him" (Cooks).
This is Cooks' closing sentence of her analysis of Justice Endelhardt Kühn's Henry Darnell III. In this section of the chapter, she notes how the placement of the enslaved child, the way in which he is dressed, and his action in this painting, all enforce the idea of Black being lesser than the glorified white child being served. This is the very first recorded American oil painting that depicts a Black individual, and as noted, its choices in design paint a long-lasting, negative distinction between black and white people in America.
"Where do I sleep? What do I dream? Who washed my back? Who combs my hair? Who calms me when I'm afraid?" (Corrin).
This quote is from Fred Wilson's exhibition, Mining the Museum. It spotlights the young black boy in this painting, playing the audion in which he asks questions that reaffirm his humanity. This strongly opposes the implications of the painting itself, which suggests that the boy is no more than a leashed hunting dog. By providing a Black perspective that reclaims and redefines the meaning of harmful art, Cooks furthers the need for reform in museums.
Strategic Reading in Action:
Katelyn Edition
Let's take a look at my basic, silly, humble little "method"
Silly Little Example Timelapse:
IMG_6187.MOVAfter my first read through, I usually go in for a second read through with a very minimal annotating process. I like to write a few words above sections or paragrpah to group ideas that I might need to go back to. I also highlight the phrases in said section that furthers that idea, and accompany it with explanations as to how. That's pretty much it!
Citations:
Citations:
Cooks, Bridget R. “What’s Wrong with Museums? African American Artist Review Art History.” Humanities Core Handbook: World Building 2022-2023, pp. 138–149.
Corrrin, Lisa. “Mining the Museum: Artists Look at the Museums, Museums Look at Themselves.” 1994, pp. xiv-xvi.
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