Art is…, Lorraine O’Grady, 1983

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O’Grady manages to redefine the avant-garde into a place where all people can inhabit, despite it traditionally being a white cube in the literal and metaphorical sense. By taking a gold frame through the African American Day parade in the heart of Harlem, New York, this seemingly Duchampian gesture turned into a display against the institution of art as exclusionary. As the float went by, what was behind the frame was in constant flux to challenge the notion that art is never final or stagnant. It has life and is continuously changing long after its initial conception. The concept of this work is rooted in its commitment to just be art even though it can be interpreted as a backlash against the art world. It is art that encapsulates what art should be, fluid but most importantly, dynamic and diverse.

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