Ethos of aesthetics

I realized recently that I’ve been somewhat paralyzed by our ethos of aesthetics in our modern north American society. It seems somewhat shallow of me. What is ethical or moral is not always obvious, and intentions are so readily judged visually through social media. Because painting is so visual, I sometimes feel that mixing ethics and morality in art leaves me vulnerable to assessments of my virtues. There, I said it.

I think it’s a fear of such judgement that has led me to a kind of paralysis. I want to work more on my collaborative project with the youth in northern Uganda but I am unsure if how I do it will be ethical. There is so much to consider – the proceeds from sales and the specific youth whose work I incorporate into the pieces, my need for income and my kids’ needs, yet my relative wealth (compared to the youth), the career-boost such collaborative work engenders (much like how I got my PhD using their stories), and so on… you get the idea. I’m unable to be clear about what action is ethical.

I currently give far more than I bring in from the sales of my art to the youth in Uganda – ie. I’m not yet profiting from sales of my art. But I’m nevertheless caught up in this ethos of aesthetics where I feel paralyzed by the inevitable muddied nature of my art and my relationship with the youth in northern Uganda, whom I’ve been working with since 2011. They have given me so much…