Pitts Grad Research Assignment: Discussion Questions on Article or Essay

This is from an interview between Saul Williams and Sanford Biggers. It can be referenced at:
http://www.sanfordbiggers.com/essays-publications-interviews/interview-with-saul-williams.html
In it Saul Williams interviews Sanford Biggers on the concept of Afronomics, the importance of symbolism in autobiographical art and colonialist approach to art and music.

"SW: First of all can you just explain to me what the term Afronomics is?

SB: Afronomics is the currency of African–Americans’ cultural production. Like
economics, there is Afronomics. It describes how we as African-Americans deal with
language, slanguage, jazz, poetry, slavery, hip hop, middle passage… those experiences
that we have had as a people and how they still come into play in our present day lives. It
comes from our lost history and our need to reconstruct parts of it. It is the currency of
understanding a vast cultural progression of black people.

SW: In American society.

SB: Not solely, but that is the perspective I am most experienced with that. But, it can’t
exist without the larger African Diaspora for that is ultimately the genealogy from where
we come."

What is Afronomics?

Afronomics as I understand it with out repeating or plagiarizing, the idea that the ideas, concepts, images and symbols that pop up into my brain currently come from somewhere previous to me as a person of culturally black blood. I am a person living currently within a continuity that includes my experiences and history but extends and encompasses others that came before and will continue after. It is the understanding that by simply existing I am contributing to something that has already begun and will continue, but that I am not apart from it even though sometimes I do not recognize the connections. Images of wooden structures may not reoccur because of wooden boats carrying slaves or stocks where children were separated from their families but my associations may still have roots derived from personal histories and experiences. That even if it is not about race I am still black and that primarily I come from black people.

"SB: I use a much coded language in my work, but at the root, I think all of my pieces are
basically autobiographical.
The Black Madonna project, for example, goes from Atlanta, to Warsaw, to questions
about faith, origin and Afrocentrism. So do I. The Mandala break-dance floor series
refers to my childhood as a dancer and my studies of Buddhism while living in Japan.
It’s just a way of dealing with things in my life through symbols."

What is the relationship between art therapy and autobiographical work? What is the difference or how are they the same?

I have often wondered about so-called art therapy and art as therapy. It seems that art therapy is a way to assist others in surviving life changing traumatic events. It is in what some may call the lower arts. I say this because it is something that can be prescribed for everyone. The sole intent is to help access symbols and events locked in the psyche that may help in the mental recovery of the patient. Art as therapy may be seen as a statement where the physical act of creating is a meditative or self-renewing act in of itself. Additionally interaction with physical materials can be seen to help with relating to or interpreting space and therefore fostering a connection and understanding of the world. The autobiographic element in art can be seen as the situation of the artist with in his or her own artwork. It is the anchor if you will to the piece. The reason, the context, and the formulation of the work. Brancusi’s bird in space doesn’t exist because of what it is and what it represents, but rather because Brancusi was interested in working with the specific material he did, came from the particular background and the specific time in which he created work. I feel that Art therapy becomes demonized because it is accessible to all and can be seen as demystifying the idea of the altruistic visionary artist. Where in fact all artist seem to be haunted by events real and theoretical. Consciously or not they seek to work out and negotiate symbols, space and materials in order to interpret their own historical present.

"SB: We’re Afronauts! We are griots looking for the next frontier. That’s what this is all
about. But, what that means for us is that not only do we need to travel and communicate
what we know, but learn what others know as well. You know how it is when you are
abroad; you see yourself and your homeland through a much less obstructed lens. As if
you are looking in on your own existence and you can know understand and
contextualize it in a much clearer and yet abstract way."

How do you negotiate the compressed time spent in grad school with the ability to pull back and get perspective on your work?

I don't know and haven't really been able to figure this out. School becomes such a compression chamber with ideas and personalities flying just below your eyes and above your mouth. It's hard to keep perspective when your constantly trying to strengthen and challenge it at the same time. I am not quite sure what I am doing in terms of "what I am doing in journeying towards a thesis." I feel like I need to choose something but not at the expense of a result with the most payoff.