Aruna D’Souza’s discussion dissects empathy and art
Writer and scholar Aruna D’Souza, who resists the title of art historian for theoretical reasons, presented new ideas for the James M. Carpenter Lecture, and her visit in particular was rescheduled from 2020. The Olin lecture room was filled with a smattering of art history enthusiasts for the event on Monday, April 11 at 5:00 p.m.
Professor Daniel Harkett introduced the speaker, whose talk was called “Towards a Solidarity Not Dependent on Knowing.” D’Souza’s lecture was about cultivating empathy in a world of division over pandemics and politics, using artistic demonstrations (including popular books and contested art installations) of when “not knowing” leads to a better shared understanding of cultural ideals. Early in the talk, she defined empathy as a sense of understanding another person, or wanting to understand, and framed several examples of contemporary artists who help fill in an “empathy deficit,” which is a collective responsibility.
The foundational concept D’Souza challenged at the beginning of the lecture involves political and institutional solidarity on major human rights topics without a required understanding of the ideas these institutions perpetuate. D’Souza cited religious texts as an example of ideological words to achieve something through speaking the same language. In contrast with The Bible, D’Souza brought up “Sea of Poppies” by Amitav Ghosh, emphasizing the message that people can float on a sea of language and gain a partial understanding that is more effective than meticulously translating every word. Similarly, D’Souza emphasized that Edward Said’s writing on diaspora and humanity agrees that many voices and cross-cultural understandings are the goal.
D’Souza called herself a historian and a sort of expert on impressionist and post-impressionist art, and said her approach to art history engages “looking at things in the world and trying to make sense of it through art.”
Simone Leigh was one of many examples D’Souza employed of art that does not require explanation for those who do not understand it. Art that does not necessarily apply to institutional values has not always been as accepted in museums and academic settings as it is now, according to D’Souza. She reiterated that a complete level of concrete understanding is rarely necessary for solidarity through art.
Art history major Sally Kashala `23 was in attendance and said, “the talk had a critic’s touch and approach.”
D’Souza is an award-winning art journalist and consistent contributor to many arts publications, including The New York Times and Frieze, and currently works as a fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in Visual Arts.
“It was commendable how she strung her thoughts together with evidence and presented them to us,” Kashala said after the lecture. “The connections were really well thought out and well placed, and I am still thinking about the conclusion.”
D’Souza answered questions after her lecture ended with a message of unity across diversity of language, background, and disciplines. While her focus tends to be visual culture in academic settings, her presentation featured references to relatable media and content.
D’Souza’s career led her from a tenured position as a professor at SUNY to a successful career in freelance writing, and art criticism became her area of expertise. She has published books on Cezanne and Degas, and has written essays on topics from “why impressionists never painted a department store” to “what we want from museums these days.”
Her multiple career changes and radical rethinking of the subject of art history, even in choosing not to name it as her area of study, is evidence of her idea that pursuing questions that do not make sense institutionally can lead to the greatest discoveries in art.
~ Molly George `23
