Abstract:

An essay in which the author looks for ‘critical distance’ in art in the context of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict by working from Hal Foster’s essay, ‘Artist as Ethnographer?’ (1996).

By analysing the work of 7 artists (Palestinian, Israel and Western) the author attempts to unpick the pitfalls of “ethnographic art” (the kind of art that works from an in-depth knowledge base of what I know (or think I know) as both artist and subject matter expert, and presenting my artwork simultaneously as fine art and “research findings”). The problems or challenges of this kind of art, however, can sometimes be mitigated when the artist finds, in Foster’s words, “critical distance” (being neither too close or too far from the subject matter, which allows for more certain success of the piece as a work of art).

Approximately 6,000 words.

Read the whole essay here:  Art and Politics – Looking for Critical Distance in the Holy Land (Project paper by Kelise Franclemont)