the new authentics

This week I had readings from the catalogue of the show “The New Authentics,” by Staci Boris. Boris discusses how in this particular place in time much of our society is questioning what it means to have a certain identity, specifically in this case- the jewish identity. Boris feels that jews are able to choose what it looks like to be jewish, as opposed to in the past when jewishness was a very concrete category. Boris compares this exhibition to the exhibition titled “Freestyle,” where the term post-black was used in reference to the artists of that show. The artists in “Freestyle,” did not make what could have been called “black” art, although curator Thelma Golden felt that it was possible that race could have been an influence for the artists work. Similarly, Boris put this exhibition together to see how different degrees of jewish affiliation could be visually portrayed. The artists of “New Authentics” have a variety of backgrounds, not many identify themselves as mainly jewish and one is not American.
The work in the show seems to cover many different subjects, Collier Schorr’s work- “shatter[s] taboos on both sides, Schorr, as both insider and outsider, makes ‘work that Germans would make about Germany if they were American.’”

Shoshana Dentz uses imagery made near her home in Brooklyn as well as other pop culture sources to talk about the Israel/Palestine conflict, ideas of home, and the psychology of borders.

In the work of Shoshanna Weinberger, identity is the largest influence. Weinberger considers herself a “Jamaican Jew,” who actually uses a mixed media approach to represent the hybridity of her own affiliations.

Because I have also been reading Hollinger’s “Postethnic America,” I questioned the premise of this show. The closest way I can explain things is that it would be the same to me if there was a show put on about being catholic. I am glad that in the essay Boris speaks about post-jewishness as a way to really consider what it means to be jewish, both in comparison to postmodernism’s hybridity as well as Hollinger’s postethnic voluntary affliation to groups. I am trying to analyze my feelings about this and I think that my lack of understanding for this show comes from the fact that I am REALLY not a religious person. I have never understood institutionalized religions and I think religion is a very individual and personal idea. So I can’t comprehend having a religion (as a category or something) be part of my identity. But I am trying to not be hypocritical, I am sure other people take being jewish (or catholic or whatever) very seriously (and obviously that is what this show is about).