White, the color of whispers: concealing and revealing cloth
Date
2012
Authors
Connellan, K.
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Journal article
Citation
Textile : the Journal of Cloth and Culture, 2012; 10(1):6-27
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Abstract
This article focuses on the color white as a choice for interpreting subtleties in visual art practice. It questions the application of white cloth as an aid towards the disclosure and nondisclosure of cruelty. French philosopher Michel Foucault’s lectures at the Collège de France, as well as some of his earlier work, form the basis for a discussion on the invisibility of power relations. The Australian artists included in this article are only used as examples for a broader discussion on the versatility of white and whiteness as evidenced in materials such as cloth. The article addresses a particular “white” aesthetic used to communicate ugly histories and realities. Specifically this article will look at how the color white is a signifier of ambiguous meanings in race and representation. It will question whether the color white is deliberately chosen for its ability to dim and erase messages of pain and cruelty whilst simultaneously looking “beautiful.” Furthermore, the role of white cloth as providing the ideal prop in the form of a veil will contribute to the argument that the flimsiness of thin white material has the panoptic power to conceal and reveal cruelty.
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Copyright 2012 Berg