ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Paul Rucker - Visual artist, cellist
Paul Rucker creates art that explores issues related to mass incarceration, racially-motivated violence, police brutality and the continuing impact of slavery in the US.

Why you should listen

Paul Rucker is a visual artist, composer, and musician who often combines media, integrating live performance, sound, original compositions and visual art. His work is the product of a rich interactive process, through which he investigates community impacts, human rights issues, historical research and basic human emotions surrounding particular subject matter. Much of his current work focuses on the Prison Industrial Complex and the many issues accompanying incarceration in its relationship to slavery. He has presented performances and visual art exhibitions across the country and has collaborated with educational institutions to address the issue of mass incarceration. Presentations have taken place in schools, active prisons and also inactive prisons such as Alcatraz.

His largest installation to date, REWIND, garnered praise from Baltimore Magazine awarding Rucker "Best Artist 2015." Additionally, REWIND received "Best Solo Show 2015" and "#1 Art Show of 2015" from Baltimore City Paper, reviews by The Huffington Post, Artnet News, Washington Post, The Root and The Real News Network. Rucker has received numerous grants, awards and residencies for visual art and music. He is a 2012 Creative Capital Grantee in visual art as well as a 2014 and 2018 MAP (Multi-Arts Production) Fund Grantee for performance. In 2015 he received a prestigious Joan Mitchell Painters & Sculptors Grant as well as the Mary Sawyer Baker Award. In 2016 Paul received the Rauschenberg Artist as Activist fellowship and the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, for which he is the first artist in residence at the new National Museum of African American Culture.

Residencies include MacDowell Colony, Blue Mountain Center, Ucross Foundation, Art OMI, Banff Centre, Pilchuck Glass School, Rauschenberg Residency, Joan Mitchell Residency, Hemera Artist Retreat, Air Serembe, Creative Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation Study Center in Bellagio, Italy.  In 2013-2015, he was the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation Artist in Residence and Research Fellow at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He was most recently awarded a 2017 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, a 2018 TED Fellowship and the 2018 Arts Innovator Award from the Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation and Artist Trust. Rucker is an iCubed Visiting Arts Fellow embedded at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Rucker's latest work, Storm in the Time of Shelter, an installation of 52 custom Ku Klux Klan robes and related artifacts, is featured in the exhibition "Declaration," on view at the new Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia through September 9, 2018.

More profile about the speaker
Paul Rucker | Speaker | TED.com
TED2018

Paul Rucker: The symbols of systemic racism -- and how to take away their power

Paul Rucker: Simboli sustavnog rasizma -- i kako im oduzeti moć

Filmed:
1,451,941 views

Multidisciplinski umjetnik i TED Fellow, Paul Rucker, raščlanjuje nasljeđe sustavnog rasizma u Americi. Skupljač artefakata povezanih s poviješću ropstva, od željeza za žigosanje i okova do razglednica koje prikazuju linčeve -- Rucker nije mogao pronaći neoštećenu odoru Ku Klux Klana za kolekciju, stoga je počeo izrađivati svoje. Rezultat: impresivne kombinacije iz netradicionalnih tkanina, kao što je kente, kamuflažna tkanina i svila koje se suočavaju sa sustavnim rasizmom u Americi. "Ako kao ljudi pogledamo ove predmete i shvatimo da su oni dio naše povijesti, možemo naći put do mjesta gdje više nemaju moć nad nama," Rucker kaže.
- Visual artist, cellist
Paul Rucker creates art that explores issues related to mass incarceration, racially-motivated violence, police brutality and the continuing impact of slavery in the US. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
[This talk containssadrži graphicgrafika imagesslika
ViewerPreglednik discretionDiskrecija is advisedsavjetuje]
0
240
3680
[Ovaj govor sadrži grafičke slike.
Preporučuje se gledanje u diskreciji.]
00:17
I collectprikupiti objectsobjekti.
1
5160
1600
Skupljam predmete.
00:19
I collectprikupiti brandingmarke ironsOkovi that were used
to markocjena slavesroblje as propertysvojstvo.
2
7640
4800
Skupljam željezo koje se koristilo
za žigosanje robova kao vlasništva.
00:25
I collectprikupiti shacklesOkovi for adultsodrasli
3
13760
2920
Skupljam okove za odrasle
00:29
and restraintsograničenja for adultsodrasli
4
17520
1480
i sprege za odrasle,
00:31
as well as childrendjeca.
5
19920
2040
kao i za djecu.
00:37
I collectprikupiti lynchingLinč postcardsrazglednice.
6
25400
2736
Skupljam razglednice o linčevanjima.
00:40
Yes, they depictprikazuju lynchingsLinč.
7
28160
1400
Da, prikazuju linčevanje.
00:42
They alsotakođer depictprikazuju the massivemasivan crowdsgužve
that attendedprisustvovali su these lynchingsLinč,
8
30280
4016
Također prikazuju rulju koja
je prisustvovala tim linčevanjima
00:46
and they are postcardsrazglednice
9
34320
1936
i to su razglednice
00:48
that were alsotakođer used for correspondencedopisivanje.
10
36280
2040
koje su korištene za dopisivanje.
00:52
I collectprikupiti proslaveryproslavery booksknjige
that portrayprikazati blackcrno people as criminalskriminalci
11
40560
3760
Skupljam knjige koje su poticale ropstvo
i prikazuju Afroamerikance kao kriminalce
00:58
or as animalsživotinje withoutbez soulsduše.
12
46280
2400
ili životinje bez duše.
01:02
I broughtdonio you something todaydanas.
13
50280
1560
Donio sam vam danas nešto.
01:07
This is a ship'sbrod je brandingmarke ironželjezo.
14
55800
1720
To je željezo za žigosanje s broda.
01:10
It was used to markocjena slavesroblje.
15
58800
4176
Korišteno je za označavanje robova.
01:15
Well, they actuallyzapravo were not slavesroblje
when they were markedobilježen.
16
63000
2736
Zapravo, nisu bili robovi
kada su označeni.
Bili su u Africi.
01:17
They were in AfricaAfrika.
17
65760
1216
01:19
But they were markedobilježen with an "S"
18
67000
2056
Ali označeni su slovom "S"
01:21
to designateodrediti that they
were going to be slavesroblje
19
69080
2216
da bi se odredilo kako će biti robovi
01:23
when they were broughtdonio to the US
20
71320
1696
kada dođu u SAD
01:25
and when they were broughtdonio to EuropeEurope.
21
73040
1762
i kada dođu u Europu.
01:32
AnotherJoš jedan objectobjekt or imageslika that captureduhvaćen
my imaginationmašta when I was youngermlađi
22
80320
3376
Još jedan predmet koji mi je zaokupljao
maštu kada sam bio mlađi
01:35
was a KlanKlan robeogrtač.
23
83720
1456
je odora Klana.
01:37
GrowingUzgoj up in SouthJug CarolinaCarolina, I would see
KuKu KluxKlux KlanKlan ralliesskupove occasionallypovremeno,
24
85200
4216
Odratajući u Južnoj Karolini,
ponekad bih gledao skupove Ku Klux Klana,
01:41
actuallyzapravo more than occasionallypovremeno,
25
89440
2256
zapravo, češće od ponekad,
01:43
and the memoriessjećanja of those eventsdogađaji
never really left my mindum.
26
91720
3136
i sjećanja na te događaje nisu
nikad napustila moj um.
01:46
And I didn't really do anything
with that imagerylik untildo 25 yearsgodina laterkasnije.
27
94880
3600
I nisam ništa napravio s tim slikama
sve do 25 godina kasnije.
01:51
A fewnekoliko yearsgodina agoprije,
I startedpočeo researchingistraživanje the KlanKlan,
28
99440
2376
Prije nekoliko godina
počeo sam istraživati Klan,
01:53
the threetri distinctizrazit wavesvalovi of the KlanKlan,
29
101840
1960
tri vala Klana,
01:56
the seconddrugi one in particularposebno.
30
104880
1456
naročito drugi.
01:58
The seconddrugi waveval of the KlanKlan
had more than fivepet millionmilijuna activeaktivan membersčlanovi,
31
106360
4736
Drugi val Klana imao je
više od pet milijuna aktivnih članova,
02:03
whichkoji was fivepet percentposto
of the populationpopulacija at the time,
32
111120
3536
što je tada bilo pet posto populacije,
02:06
whichkoji was alsotakođer the populationpopulacija
of NewNovi YorkYork CityGrad at the time.
33
114680
2880
a to je, također, tada bila
populacija New Yorka.
02:10
The KlanKlan robeogrtač factorytvornica in the BuckheadBuckhead
neighborhoodsusjedstvo of GeorgiaGruzija was so busyzauzet
34
118720
3816
Tvornica Klanskih odora u Buckheadu,
Georgia, imala je toliko posla,
02:14
it becamepostao a 24-hour-sat factorytvornica
to keep up with ordersnarudžbe.
35
122560
3816
da je postala 24-satna tvornica
kako bi isporučila sve narudžbe.
02:18
They keptčuva 20,000 robeshaljine on handruka at all time
to keep up with the demandzahtijevajte.
36
126400
3960
Imali su 20 000 odora na stanju
kako bi mogli pratiti narudžbe.
02:24
As a collectorkolektor of artifactsartefakata
and as an artistumjetnik,
37
132400
2496
Kao skupljač artefakata i kao umjetnik,
02:26
I really wanted a KlanKlan robeogrtač
to be partdio of my collectionkolekcija,
38
134920
2736
zaista sam htio da odora Klana
bude dio moje kolekcije,
02:29
because artifactsartefakata
and objectsobjekti tell storiespriče,
39
137680
3536
jer artefakti i predmeti pričaju priče,
02:33
but I really couldn'tne mogu find one
that was really good qualitykvaliteta.
40
141240
2840
no nisam mogao pronaći nijednu
koja je bila u dobrom stanju.
02:36
What is a blackcrno man to do in AmericaAmerika
41
144920
1856
Što crni muškarac u Americi treba učiniti
02:38
when he can't find the qualitykvaliteta
KlanKlan robeogrtač that he's looking for?
42
146800
3136
kada ne može pronaći kvalitetnu
odoru Klana koju traži?
02:41
(LaughterSmijeh)
43
149960
1800
(Smijeh)
02:45
So I had no other choiceizbor.
44
153160
2096
Tako da nisam imao izbora.
02:47
I decidedodlučio I was going to make
the bestnajbolje qualitykvaliteta KlanKlan robeshaljine in AmericaAmerika.
45
155280
3440
Odlučio sam da ću napraviti
odoru najbolje kvalitete u Americi.
02:53
These are not your traditionaltradicionalan KlanKlan robeshaljine
you would see at any KKKKKK rallyreli.
46
161200
4096
To nisu tradicionalne odore Klana
koje biste vidjeli na skupu.
02:57
I used kenteSvi clothtkanina,
47
165320
2216
Koristio sam kente platno,
02:59
I used camouflagekamuflaža,
48
167560
2296
koristio sam kamuflažno,
03:01
spandexSpandex, burlapmlatiti, silkssvile,
satinssaten and differentdrugačiji patternsobrasci.
49
169880
4080
spandex, jutu, svilu,
saten i različite uzorke.
03:07
I make them for differentdrugačiji agedob groupsgrupe;
I make them for youngmladi kidsdjeca
50
175160
3096
Radim ih za razne dobne skupine,
radim ih za djecu
03:10
as well as toddlersmala djeca.
51
178280
1600
i za mališane.
03:12
I even madenapravljen one for an infantdječji.
52
180800
2280
Napravio sam jednu i za bebu.
03:19
After makingizrađivanje so manymnogi robeshaljine,
53
187560
2016
Nakon što sam izradio toliko halja,
03:21
I realizedshvatio that the policiespolitika
the KlanKlan had in placemjesto
54
189600
4056
shvatio sam da su politike
koje je Klan imao
03:25
or wanted to have in placemjesto
a hundredstotina yearsgodina agoprije
55
193680
2336
ili želio imati prije stotinu godina,
03:28
are in placemjesto todaydanas.
56
196040
1360
prisutne i danas.
03:30
We have segregatedsegregirani schoolsškola,
neighborhoodsčetvrti, workplacesradna mjesta,
57
198440
4200
Imamo odvojene škole,
naselja, radna mjesta,
03:35
and it's not the people wearingnošenje hoodsnape
that are keepingčuvanje these policiespolitika in placemjesto.
58
203880
3880
i nije to što ljudi nose kapuljače
ono što to omogućuje.
03:41
My work is about
the long-termdugoročno impactudar of slaveryropstvo.
59
209080
2896
Moj rad se bavi dugoročnim
učincima ropstva.
03:44
We're not just dealingbavljenje
with the residuetalog of systemicsistemski racismrasizam.
60
212000
3336
Ne bavimo se samo ostacima
sustavnog rasizma.
03:47
It's the basisosnova
of everysvaki singlesingl thing we do.
61
215360
2896
To je osnova svake stvari koju radimo.
03:50
Again we have intentionallynamjerno
segregatedsegregirani neighborhoodsčetvrti,
62
218280
2856
Ponovno imamo namjerno
razdvojena naselja,
03:53
workplacesradna mjesta and schoolsškola.
63
221160
2320
radna mjesta i škole.
03:56
We have voterbirača suppressionsuzbijanje.
64
224120
1696
Imamo potiskivanje glasača.
03:57
We have disproportionatenesrazmjeran representationprikaz
of minoritiesmanjine incarceratedzatvoren.
65
225840
5456
Imamo previše manjina u zatvorima.
04:03
We have environmentalekološki racismrasizam.
We have policepolicija brutalitybrutalnost.
66
231320
3440
Imamo okolišni rasizam.
Imamo policijsku brutalnost.
04:08
I broughtdonio you a fewnekoliko things todaydanas.
67
236000
1680
Donio sam vam danas par stvari.
04:13
The stealthpotajno aspectaspekt of racismrasizam
68
241400
1680
Skriveni aspekt rasizma
04:16
is partdio of its powervlast.
69
244200
1480
je dio njegove moći.
04:19
When you're discriminateddiskriminirane againstprotiv,
70
247440
1656
Kada vas diskriminiraju,
04:21
you can't always provedokazati
you're beingbiće discriminateddiskriminirane againstprotiv.
71
249120
2720
ne možete to uvijek dokazati.
04:25
RacismRasizam has the powervlast to hidesakriti,
72
253200
2200
Rasizam ima moć da se sakrije
04:28
and when it hidesskriva, it's keptčuva safesef
73
256320
1840
i kada se sakriva, čuva se
04:31
because it blendsmješavine in.
74
259279
1201
jer se uklapa.
04:34
I createdstvorio this robeogrtač to illustrateilustrirati that.
75
262480
2560
Stvorio sam ovu odoru
kako bih to prikazao.
04:38
The basisosnova of capitalismkapitalizam
in AmericaAmerika is slaveryropstvo.
76
266600
3400
Osnova kapitalizma u Americi jest ropstvo.
04:46
SlavesRobovi were the capitalglavni in capitalismkapitalizam.
77
274200
2280
Robovi su bili kapital u kapitalizmu.
04:50
The first GrandVelika WizardČarobnjak za in 1868,
NathanNathan BedfordBedford ForrestForrest,
78
278160
4256
Prvi Veliki čarobnjak 1868.,
Nathan Bedford Forrest,
04:54
was a ConfederateKonfederacije soldiervojnik
and a millionairemilijunaš slaverob tradertrgovac.
79
282440
3120
bio je Konfederacijski vojnik
i trgovac robovima, milijunaš.
05:07
The wealthbogatstvo that was createdstvorio
from chattelpokretnu imovinu slaveryropstvo --
80
295200
3576
Bogatstvo koje je stvoreno
od ropstva kao pokretnine --
05:10
that's slavesroblje as propertysvojstvo --
would boggletrgnuti the mindum.
81
298800
2720
to su robovi kao imovina --
bi zapanjila um.
05:14
CottonPamuk salesprodajni alonesam in 1860
equallediznosio 200 millionmilijuna dollarsdolara.
82
302440
4016
Prodaja pamuka 1860.
bila je 200 milijuna dolara.
05:18
That would equaljednak
fivepet billionmilijardi dollarsdolara todaydanas.
83
306480
3120
To je današnji ekvivalent
pet milijardi dolara.
05:23
A lot of that wealthbogatstvo can be seenvidio todaydanas
throughkroz generationalgeneracijske wealthbogatstvo.
84
311280
4400
Puno tog bogatstva danas možemo
vidjeti kroz generacijsko bogatstvo.
05:28
Oh, I forgotzaboravio the other cropsusjevi as well.
85
316320
1816
Oh, zaboravio sam i ostale usjeve.
05:30
You have indigoIndigo, riceriža and tobaccoduhana.
86
318160
3120
Imate indigo, rižu i duhan.
05:38
In 2015, I madenapravljen one robeogrtač a weektjedan
for the entirečitav yeargodina.
87
326720
4656
2015., izrađivao sam jedan ogrtač
tjedno čitavu godinu.
05:43
After makingizrađivanje 75 robeshaljine, I had an epiphanyBogojavljenje.
88
331400
2536
Nakon izrade 75 ogrtača,
doživio sam prosvjetljenje.
05:45
I have a realizationRealizacija
that whitebijela supremacynadmoć is there,
89
333960
5776
Shvatio sam da je bjelačka nadmoć tu,
05:51
but the biggestnajveći forcesila
of whitebijela supremacynadmoć is not the KKKKKK,
90
339760
3576
ali najveća sila
bjelačke nadmoći nije KKK,
05:55
it's the normalizationnormalizacija of systemicsistemski racismrasizam.
91
343360
2600
to je normalizacija sustavnog rasizma.
05:59
There was something elsedrugo I realizedshvatio.
92
347280
2296
Postoji još nešto što sam shvatio.
06:01
The robeshaljine had no more powervlast
over me at all.
93
349600
4056
Odore više nisu imale moć nada mnom.
06:05
But if we as a people collectivelykolektivno
94
353680
3616
Ali, ako mi kao ljudi zajedno
06:09
look at these objectsobjekti --
95
357320
1816
pogledamo te predmete --
06:11
brandingmarke ironsOkovi, shacklesOkovi, robeshaljine --
96
359160
2336
željezo za žigosanje, okove, odjeću --
06:13
and realizeostvariti that they
are partdio of our historypovijest,
97
361520
2976
i shvatimo da su one dio naše povijesti,
06:16
we can find a way to where they have
no more powervlast over us.
98
364520
4440
možemo pronaći put do mjesta
gdje one više nemaju moć nad nama.
06:21
If we look at systemicsistemski racismrasizam
and acknowledgepriznati
99
369920
4336
Ako pogledamo sustavni rasizam i shvatimo
06:26
that it's sownsije into the very fabrictkanina
of who we are as a countryzemlja,
100
374280
3400
da je utkan u ono što jesmo kao država,
06:31
then we can actuallyzapravo do something
about the intentionalnamjeran segregationsegregacija
101
379840
3816
onda, zapravo, možemo nešto
učiniti u vezi namjerne segregacije
06:35
in our schoolsškola,
neighborhoodsčetvrti and workplacesradna mjesta.
102
383680
4160
u našim školama, naseljima
i na radnim mjestima.
06:40
But then and only then
can we actuallyzapravo addressadresa
103
388520
2536
Ali onda, i samo onda
se možemo uhvatiti u koštac
06:43
and confrontsuočiti this legacynasljedstvo of slaveryropstvo
104
391080
2656
i suočiti se s nasljeđem ropstva
06:45
and dismantlerastaviti this uglyružan legacynasljedstvo of slaveryropstvo.
105
393760
3416
te rastaviti ovo ružno nasljeđe ropstva.
06:49
Thank you very much.
106
397200
1256
Hvala vam puno.
06:50
(ApplausePljesak)
107
398480
3480
(Pljesak)
Translated by Ivan Stamenkovic
Reviewed by Sanda Liker

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Paul Rucker - Visual artist, cellist
Paul Rucker creates art that explores issues related to mass incarceration, racially-motivated violence, police brutality and the continuing impact of slavery in the US.

Why you should listen

Paul Rucker is a visual artist, composer, and musician who often combines media, integrating live performance, sound, original compositions and visual art. His work is the product of a rich interactive process, through which he investigates community impacts, human rights issues, historical research and basic human emotions surrounding particular subject matter. Much of his current work focuses on the Prison Industrial Complex and the many issues accompanying incarceration in its relationship to slavery. He has presented performances and visual art exhibitions across the country and has collaborated with educational institutions to address the issue of mass incarceration. Presentations have taken place in schools, active prisons and also inactive prisons such as Alcatraz.

His largest installation to date, REWIND, garnered praise from Baltimore Magazine awarding Rucker "Best Artist 2015." Additionally, REWIND received "Best Solo Show 2015" and "#1 Art Show of 2015" from Baltimore City Paper, reviews by The Huffington Post, Artnet News, Washington Post, The Root and The Real News Network. Rucker has received numerous grants, awards and residencies for visual art and music. He is a 2012 Creative Capital Grantee in visual art as well as a 2014 and 2018 MAP (Multi-Arts Production) Fund Grantee for performance. In 2015 he received a prestigious Joan Mitchell Painters & Sculptors Grant as well as the Mary Sawyer Baker Award. In 2016 Paul received the Rauschenberg Artist as Activist fellowship and the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, for which he is the first artist in residence at the new National Museum of African American Culture.

Residencies include MacDowell Colony, Blue Mountain Center, Ucross Foundation, Art OMI, Banff Centre, Pilchuck Glass School, Rauschenberg Residency, Joan Mitchell Residency, Hemera Artist Retreat, Air Serembe, Creative Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation Study Center in Bellagio, Italy.  In 2013-2015, he was the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation Artist in Residence and Research Fellow at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He was most recently awarded a 2017 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, a 2018 TED Fellowship and the 2018 Arts Innovator Award from the Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation and Artist Trust. Rucker is an iCubed Visiting Arts Fellow embedded at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Rucker's latest work, Storm in the Time of Shelter, an installation of 52 custom Ku Klux Klan robes and related artifacts, is featured in the exhibition "Declaration," on view at the new Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia through September 9, 2018.

More profile about the speaker
Paul Rucker | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee