DeepSummary
The episode starts by discussing Pablo Picasso's influence from African art, particularly in his famous painting 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' which bears a striking resemblance to African masks and sculptures. The hosts question whether Picasso should give back or credit the African artists he was inspired by through avenues like funding art programs and scholarships.
The conversation then shifts to the cultural significance and history of braids in African tribes, including their use for identification, protection, communication, and status symbols. The hosts lament the cultural appropriation of braids and hairstyles by non-Black people who profit off them while Black people face discrimination for wearing the same styles.
The episode also touches on the discrimination faced by a student in Texas who was not allowed to walk at his graduation because of his locs, highlighting the continued policing of Black hairstyles. The hosts discuss the power dynamics involved in cultural appropriation and the need to properly credit and compensate the origins of these cultural elements.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Pablo Picasso was heavily influenced by African art, particularly in his famous painting 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon', leading to questions about whether he should give back or credit the African artists he appropriated from.
- Braids held significant cultural meaning and purposes in African tribes, including identification, protection, communication, and status symbols, which is often disregarded when non-Black people appropriate these hairstyles.
- There is an ongoing struggle for Black people to wear natural hairstyles without facing discrimination, as exemplified by the case of a student in Texas who was not allowed to walk at his graduation because of his locs.
- The episode highlights the power dynamics involved in cultural appropriation, where Black cultural elements are appropriated and profited from by non-Black people while Black people face systemic discrimination for expressing their culture.
- The hosts suggest ways for Picasso's estate and others who have profited from appropriating Black culture to give back, such as funding art programs, scholarships, and properly crediting the origins of cultural elements.
- While the hosts acknowledge the nuances and complexities of the appropriation vs. appreciation debate, they emphasize the more pressing issue of systemic discrimination faced by Black people for expressing their culture.
- The episode underscores the importance of respecting and crediting the cultural significance and origins of elements appropriated from Black communities, rather than dismissing or erasing their deeper meanings.
- The discussion touches on the erasure of Black history and contributions to society, leading to a lack of understanding and appreciation for the cultural significance of elements like braids and hairstyles.
Top Episodes Quotes
- โTurns out that Mister Picasso was a big beneficiary of spanish colonialism in Africa. And what, you know, the colonizers, they ain't really respect the cultural. You know what I'm saying? Boom, boom, boom. So it was like, there's a standing reserve of all these art ideas. I'm a borrow a couple.โ by Consciously
- โI think that's the uniqueness, though, of the art community talking about Picasso, because the argument goes, okay, did he. Was he inspired by this and then took it to another level, or was it just boring? For me, it's just like. That's a very semantic, like, you know what I'm saying? Distinction.โ by Consciously
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Episode Information
Black History, For Real
Wondery
5/27/24
When it comes to works of art, โPicassoโ is synonymous with brilliance and innovation. Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso is famously known for spearheading the Cubist movement during the 20th century art revolution. What most people donโt know is that Picasso was heavily inspired by Africans and the African diaspora. One of his most famous works, Les Demoiselles dโAvignon, depicts a striking resemblance to African masks and sculptures, which has our hosts asking, โDoes Picasso owe Black people?โ Weโre also chatting about the history of braids.ย
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