TED2017
Titus Kaphar: Can art amend history?
Titus Kaphar: Pode a arte corrixir a historia?
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O artista Titus Kaphar pinta cadros e crea esculturas que se enfrontan ás loitas do pasado ao tempo que falan da diversidade e os progresos do presente. Nun inesquecible obradoiro en directo, Kaphar aplica un pincel enchoupado en pintura branca a unha réplica dunha obra de Frans Hals do século XVII, velando partes da composición para traer á luz a historia oculta. Hai un relato codificado neste tipo de arte, di Kaphar. Que acontece cando cambiamos de enfoque e nos enfrontamos ás verdades agochadas?
Titus Kaphar - Artist
Titus Kaphar's artworks interact with the history of art by appropriating its styles and mediums. Full bio
Titus Kaphar's artworks interact with the history of art by appropriating its styles and mediums. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I love museums.
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Encántanme os museos.
00:16
Have you guys ever been
to the Natural History Museum?
to the Natural History Museum?
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Estivestes algunha vez
no Museo de Historia Natural?
no Museo de Historia Natural?
00:19
In New York City?
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En Nova York?
00:20
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
00:22
So one of the things that I do
is I take my kids to the museum.
is I take my kids to the museum.
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Eu levo moito os meus fillos ao museo.
00:27
Recently I took them
to the Natural History Museum.
to the Natural History Museum.
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Hai pouco leveinos ao de Historia Natural.
00:30
I had my two sons with me,
Sabian and Dabith.
Sabian and Dabith.
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Levaba comigo os meus dous fillos,
Sabian e Dabith
Sabian e Dabith
00:33
And we go into the front
entrance of the museum,
entrance of the museum,
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Entramos pola porta principal do museo,
00:36
and there's that amazing sculpture
of Teddy Roosevelt out there.
of Teddy Roosevelt out there.
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onde se atopa esa impresionante
escultura de Teddy Roosevelt.
escultura de Teddy Roosevelt.
00:39
You guys know which one I'm talking about.
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Xa sabedes a cal me refiro.
00:41
Teddy Roosevelt is sitting there
with one hand on the horse,
with one hand on the horse,
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Teddy Roosevelt está sentado
cunha man sobre o cabalo,
cunha man sobre o cabalo,
00:45
bold, strong, sleeves rolled up.
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valente, forte, arremangado.
00:47
I don't know if he's bare-chested,
but it kind of feels like it.
but it kind of feels like it.
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Non sei se co peito descuberto,
pero dá esa sensación.
pero dá esa sensación.
00:50
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
00:51
And on the left-hand side of him
is a Native American walking.
is a Native American walking.
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Á súa esquerda vai a pé
un nativo americano.
un nativo americano.
00:56
And on the right-hand side of him
is an African-American walking.
is an African-American walking.
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E á súa dereita, un afroamericano a pé.
01:01
And as we're moving up the stairs,
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Estamos subindo polas escaleiras,
01:05
getting closer to the sculpture,
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achegándonos á escultura,
cando o meu fillo maior,
que ten nove anos, di:
que ten nove anos, di:
01:08
my oldest son, who's nine, says,
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01:10
"Dad, how come he gets to ride,
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"Papá, por que vai el a cabalo
01:15
and they have to walk?"
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e eles teñen que camiñar?"
01:18
It stopped me in my tracks.
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Detívenme en seco.
01:20
It stopped me in my tracks.
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Detívenme en seco.
01:22
There was so much history
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Teríamos tanta historia que contar
01:24
that we would have to go through
to try to explain that,
to try to explain that,
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para tratar de explicar iso,
01:26
and that's something
I try to do with them anyways.
I try to do with them anyways.
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algo que, de tódolos xeitos,
trato de facer con eles.
trato de facer con eles.
01:30
It's a question that I probably
would have never really asked.
would have never really asked.
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É unha pregunta que probablemente
eu nunca tería feito.
eu nunca tería feito.
01:34
But fundamentally what he was saying was,
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Pero, en esencia, o que viña a dicir era:
01:36
"That doesn't look fair.
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"Iso non parece xusto.
01:38
Dad, that doesn't look fair.
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Papá, iso non parece xusto.
01:41
And why is this thing that's so not fair
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E por que poñen iso tan inxusto
01:43
sitting outside
of such an amazing institution."
of such an amazing institution."
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á entrada dunha institución
tan impresionante."
tan impresionante."
01:47
And his question got me wondering,
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E a súa pregunta fíxome pensar:
01:49
is there a way for us
to amend our public sculptures,
to amend our public sculptures,
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non haberá un modo de corrixir
as nosas estatuas públicas,
as nosas estatuas públicas,
01:54
our national monuments?
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os nosos monumentos nacionais?
01:56
Not erase them,
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Non digo eliminalas,
01:58
but is there a way to amend them?
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pero hai algún modo de corrixilas?
02:00
Now, I didn't grow up going to museums.
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Eu non me criei indo a museos.
02:05
That's not my history.
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Esa non é a miña historia.
02:07
My mother was 15 years old
when I was born.
when I was born.
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Miña nai tiña 15 anos cando nacín.
02:09
She is amazing.
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É unha muller incrible.
02:12
My father was struggling
with his own things
with his own things
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Meu pai facía o que podía
cos seus propios asuntos
cos seus propios asuntos
02:14
for most of my life.
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durante case toda a miña vida.
02:17
If you really want to know the truth,
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Se queredes que vos diga a verdade,
02:19
the only reason I got into art
is because of a woman.
is because of a woman.
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a única razón pola que me dediquei á arte
foi unha muller.
foi unha muller.
02:23
There was this amazing, amazing,
fantastic, beautiful, smart woman,
fantastic, beautiful, smart woman,
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Estaba esta muller realmente incrible,
fantástica, fermosa, intelixente,
fantástica, fermosa, intelixente,
02:28
four years older than me,
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catro anos maior ca min,
02:30
and I wanted to go out with her.
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e eu quería saír con ela.
02:32
But she said, "You're too young
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Pero ela díxome: "Es moi novo
02:33
and you're not thinking
about your future."
about your future."
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e non pensas no teu futuro."
02:35
So I ran on down to the junior college,
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Fun a todo correr ao centro de formación,
02:39
registered for some classes,
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matriculeime nunhas cantas clases,
02:41
ran on back,
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e volvín correndo,
02:43
and basically was like,
"I'm thinking about my future now."
"I'm thinking about my future now."
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e, para resumir, dixen:
"Agora xa estou a pensar no meu futuro."
"Agora xa estou a pensar no meu futuro."
02:46
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
02:48
"Can we go out?"
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"Queres saír comigo?"
02:51
For the record, she's even more amazing.
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Para que conste,
ela é aínda máis incrible.
ela é aínda máis incrible.
02:53
I married her.
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Casei con ela.
02:54
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
03:00
So when I randomly ran down
to the junior college
to the junior college
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Así que cando fun correndo ao tolo
ao centro de formación
ao centro de formación
03:05
and registered for classes,
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e me matriculei
03:06
I really wasn't paying attention
to what I was registering to.
to what I was registering to.
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non atendín moito en que clases me anotaba
03:10
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
03:11
So I ended up with an art history class,
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Acabei nun curso de historia da arte,
03:14
and I didn't know a thing
about art history.
about art history.
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e non tiña nin idea de historia da arte.
03:17
But something amazing happened
when I went into that class.
when I went into that class.
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Pero pasou algo incrible
cando entrei naquela clase.
cando entrei naquela clase.
03:21
For the first time in my academic career,
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Por primeira vez na miña vida académica
03:25
my visual intelligence was required of me.
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pedíanme intelixencia visual
03:28
For the first time.
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Por primeira vez.
03:30
The professor would put up an image,
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A profesora mostraba unha imaxe,
03:32
bold strokes of blues and yellows,
and say, "Who's that?"
and say, "Who's that?"
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audaces pinceladas de azuis e amarelos,
e dicía: "Quen é este?"
e dicía: "Quen é este?"
03:36
And I'd go, "That's Van Gogh.
Clearly that is Van Gogh.
Clearly that is Van Gogh.
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E eu saltaba: "É Van Gogh.
Está claro que é Van Gogh.
Está claro que é Van Gogh.
03:39
I got this."
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Estou seguro."
03:41
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
03:43
I got a B in that class.
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Saquei notable nese curso.
03:46
For me, that was amazing.
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Para min, iso foi incrible.
03:50
In high school, let's just say
I wasn't a great student. OK?
I wasn't a great student. OK?
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No instituto, digamos que non era
un alumno moi aplicado, vale?
un alumno moi aplicado, vale?
03:54
In high school, my GPA was .65.
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No instituto, a miña media
nunha escala de 1 a 4 era 0,65
nunha escala de 1 a 4 era 0,65
03:57
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
03:58
Decimal point first, six five.
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Cero coma seis, cinco.
04:02
So me getting a B was huge, huge,
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Así que para min sacar un notable
era algo tremendo,
era algo tremendo,
04:07
absolutely huge.
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absolutamente tremendo.
04:08
And because of the fact that I realized
that I was able to learn things visually
that I was able to learn things visually
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E ao decatarme de que era quen
de aprender visualmente
de aprender visualmente
cousas que non aprendía doutros xeitos,
04:13
that I couldn't learn in other ways,
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04:15
this became my strategy,
this became my tactic
this became my tactic
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iso converteuse na miña estratexia,
na miña táctica
na miña táctica
04:18
for understanding everything else.
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para entender todo o demais.
04:21
I wanted to stay in this relationship.
Things were going well.
Things were going well.
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Quería conservar a relación.
As cousas ían ben.
As cousas ían ben.
Así que decidín seguir
coas clases de historia da arte.
coas clases de historia da arte.
04:24
I decided, let me keep taking
these art history classes.
these art history classes.
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Unha das últimas clases
nunca, nunca a esquecerei.
nunca, nunca a esquecerei.
04:27
One of the last art history classes,
I will not forget, I will never forget.
I will not forget, I will never forget.
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Era un deses cursos panorámicos
de historia da arte.
de historia da arte.
04:31
It was one of those survey
art history classes.
art history classes.
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Algún de vós fixo un deses cursos
04:33
Anybody ever have one of those
survey art history classes,
survey art history classes,
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04:36
where they try to teach you
the entire history of art
the entire history of art
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nos que intentan ensinarche
toda a historia da arte
toda a historia da arte
04:38
in a single semester?
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nun só semestre?
04:40
I'm talking about cave paintings
and Jackson Pollock
and Jackson Pollock
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Falo de meter a pintura rupestre
e Jackson Pollock
e Jackson Pollock
ben apertados todo xunto...
04:45
just crunched together all in the same --
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04:47
It doesn't really work,
but they try anyway.
but they try anyway.
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En realidade non funciona,
pero eles inténtano de todos modos.
pero eles inténtano de todos modos.
Ben, ao comezo do semestre,
04:51
Well, at the beginning of the semester,
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04:54
I looked at the book,
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mirei o libro,
04:55
and in this 400-page book
was about a 14-page section
was about a 14-page section
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e entre esas 400 páxinas
había unha sección dunhas 14
había unha sección dunhas 14
04:59
that was on black people in painting.
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sobre os negros na pintura.
05:01
Now, this was a crammed in section
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Era unha sección ateigada
05:03
that had representations
of black people in painting
of black people in painting
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de representacións de negros en cadros
05:07
and black people who painted.
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e de negros que pintaban.
05:10
It was poorly curated,
let's just put it that way.
let's just put it that way.
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Digamos que non estaba moi ben montada.
05:15
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
05:16
Nonetheless I was really excited about it,
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Con todo, a min entusiasmoume,
05:19
because in all
the other classes that I had,
the other classes that I had,
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porque no resto das miñas clases
05:21
we didn't even have that conversation.
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nin sequera chegamos a ter esa conversa.
05:25
We didn't talk about it at all.
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Non falamos diso para nada.
05:27
So imagine my surprise
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Así que imaxinade a miña sorpresa
05:29
when I get to class
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cando chego á clase
05:31
and on the day that we're supposed
to go over that particular chapter,
to go over that particular chapter,
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o día que se supoñía que iamos
ver ese capítulo concreto,
ver ese capítulo concreto,
05:35
my professor announces,
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e a profesora anuncia:
05:38
"We're going to skip this chapter today
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"Hoxe imos saltar este capítulo
05:40
because we do not have time
to go through it."
to go through it."
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porque non temos tempo de velo."
05:42
"Whoa, I'm sorry,
hold on, professor, professor.
hold on, professor, professor.
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"Alto aí! Desculpe un momento,
profesora, profesora.
profesora, profesora.
05:45
I'm sorry. This is a really
important chapter to me.
important chapter to me.
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Desculpe. Este é un capítulo
moi importante para min.
moi importante para min.
05:49
Are we going to go over it at any point?"
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Ímolo tratar nalgún momento?"
05:51
"Titus, we don't have time for this."
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"Titus, non temos tempo para iso."
"Perdón, perdón, perdón.
05:53
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
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Por favor, teño que entendelo.
05:55
please, I really need to understand.
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Está claro que o autor pensa
que isto é importante.
que isto é importante.
05:57
Clearly the author thinks
that this is significant.
that this is significant.
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05:59
Why are we skipping over this?"
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Por que o saltamos nós?"
06:01
"Titus, I do not have time for this."
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"Titus, non teño tempo para tratar isto."
06:03
"OK, last question, I'm really sorry here.
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"Vale, unha última pregunta, perdoe.
06:05
When can we talk,
because we need to talk."
because we need to talk."
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Cando podemos falar,
porque temos que falar."
porque temos que falar."
06:07
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
06:09
I went to her office hours.
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Fun ás súas titorías.
06:11
I ended up getting kicked
out of her office.
out of her office.
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Acabou botándome do despacho.
06:14
I went to the dean.
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Fun ver ao director,
06:15
The dean finally told me,
"I can't force her to teach anything."
"I can't force her to teach anything."
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que acabou dicindo:
"Non podo obrigala a ensinar nada."
"Non podo obrigala a ensinar nada."
06:18
And I knew in that moment
if I wanted to understand this history,
if I wanted to understand this history,
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Nese intre souben
que se quería entender esta historia,
que se quería entender esta historia,
06:23
if I wanted to understand the roles
of those folks who had to walk,
of those folks who had to walk,
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se quería entender o papel dos tipos
que eran obrigados a camiñar,
que eran obrigados a camiñar,
06:27
I was probably going
to have to figure that out myself.
to have to figure that out myself.
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probablemente tería
que descubrilo por min mesmo.
que descubrilo por min mesmo.
06:33
So ...
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Así que...
06:39
above you right here on the slide
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Nesa diapositiva de aí arriba
06:43
is a painting by Frans Hals.
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tedes un cadro de Frans Hals.
06:47
This is one of the kinds of images
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É unha das imaxes
06:51
that was in that chapter.
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que había naquel capítulo.
06:55
I taught myself how to paint
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Aprendín eu só a pintar
06:57
by going to museums
and looking at images like this.
and looking at images like this.
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indo a museos
e contemplando imaxes coma esta.
e contemplando imaxes coma esta.
07:03
I want to show you something.
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Quero ensinarvos unha cousa.
07:18
I made this.
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Eu pintei isto.
07:20
I --
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Eu...
07:21
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
07:23
I made some alterations.
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fixen algúns cambios.
07:24
You'll see there are
some slight differences in the painting.
some slight differences in the painting.
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Veredes lixeiras diferenzas no cadro.
07:28
All this art history
that I had been absorbing
that I had been absorbing
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Toda esa historia da arte que absorbera
07:33
helped me to realize
that painting is a language.
that painting is a language.
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axudoume a decatarme
de que a pintura é unha linguaxe.
de que a pintura é unha linguaxe.
07:41
There is a reason
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Hai unha razón
07:47
why he is the highest
in the composition here.
in the composition here.
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de que el sexa o máis alto
nesta composición.
nesta composición.
07:57
There is a reason
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Hai unha razón
08:01
why the painter is showing us
this gold necklace here.
this gold necklace here.
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de que o pintor nos mostre
este colar de ouro de aquí.
este colar de ouro de aquí.
08:08
He's trying to tell us something
about the economic status
about the economic status
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Trata de contarnos algo
sobre o nivel económico
sobre o nivel económico
08:11
of these people in these paintings.
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das persoas do cadro.
08:16
Painting is a visual language
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A pintura é unha linguaxe visual
08:20
where everything in the painting
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na que todo o que hai no cadro
08:23
is meaningful, is important.
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ten un significado, é importante.
08:26
It's coded.
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Está codificado.
08:32
But sometimes, because
of the compositional structure,
of the compositional structure,
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Pero ás veces, a causa
da estrutura compositiva,
da estrutura compositiva,
08:35
because of compositional hierarchy,
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a causa da xerarquía compositiva,
08:38
it's hard to see other things.
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resulta difícil ver outras cousas.
08:56
This silk is supposed to tell us also
that they have quite a bit of money.
that they have quite a bit of money.
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Supostamente esta seda tamén nos di
que teñen bastantes cartos.
que teñen bastantes cartos.
09:02
There's more written
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Na historia da arte
09:04
about dogs in art history
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lévase escrito máis sobre cans
09:08
than there are about
this other character here.
this other character here.
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ca sobre estoutro personaxe de aquí.
Desde unha perspectiva histórica,
na investigación sobre estes cadros,
na investigación sobre estes cadros,
09:13
Historically speaking,
in research on these kinds of paintings,
in research on these kinds of paintings,
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09:16
I can find out more about the lace
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podo saber máis sobre o encaixe
09:20
that the woman is wearing
in this painting --
in this painting --
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que leva a muller deste cadro,
sobre o fabricante do encaixe,
ca sobre este personaxe de aquí,
ca sobre este personaxe de aquí,
09:23
the manufacturer of the lace --
than I can about this character here,
than I can about this character here,
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09:28
about his dreams, about his hopes,
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sobre os seus soños, as súas esperanzas,
09:30
about what he wanted out of life.
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sobre o que esperaba da vida.
09:35
I want to show you something.
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Quero mostrarvos algo.
09:39
I don't want you to think
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Non quero que pensedes
09:41
that this is about eradication.
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que isto ten que ver coa erradicación.
09:45
It's not.
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Non vai diso.
09:46
The oil that you saw me
just put inside of this paint
just put inside of this paint
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O aceite que acabades de verme
engadirlle á pintura
engadirlle á pintura
09:50
is linseed oil.
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é aceite de liñaza.
09:51
It becomes transparent over time,
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Co tempo vólvese transparente,
09:54
so eventually what's going to happen
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así que o que finalmente vai pasar
09:57
is these faces
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é que estes rostros
10:00
will emerge a little bit.
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volverán a verse un pouco.
10:04
What I'm trying to do,
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O que trato de facer,
10:06
what I'm trying to show you,
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de amosarvos,
10:08
is how to shift your gaze just slightly,
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é como desviar a vosa mirada lixeiramente,
10:11
just momentarily,
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momentaneamente,
10:13
just momentarily,
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só momentaneamente,
10:15
to ask yourself the question,
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para que vos fagades a pregunta:
10:18
why do some have to walk?
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por que algúns teñen que camiñar?
10:20
What is the impact of these kinds
of sculptures at museums?
of sculptures at museums?
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Cal é o impacto desas estatuas dos museos?
10:24
What is the impact
of these kinds of paintings
of these kinds of paintings
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Cal é o impacto destes cadros
10:28
on some of our most vulnerable in society,
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sobre os máis vulnerables
da nosa sociedade,
da nosa sociedade,
10:31
seeing these kinds of depictions
of themselves all the time?
of themselves all the time?
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ao verse así representados todo o tempo?
10:35
I'm not saying erase it.
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Non digo que haxa que borralo.
10:37
We can't erase this history.
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Non podemos borrar esta historia.
10:39
It's real. We have to know it.
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É real. Temos que coñecela.
10:41
I think of it in the same way
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Eu enténdoa do mesmo xeito
10:43
we think of --
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que entendemos...
10:47
Let me step back a second.
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Volvamos atrás un momento.
10:49
You remember old-school cameras,
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Lembrades esas cámaras antigas
10:52
where when you took a picture,
you actually had to focus. Right?
you actually had to focus. Right?
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coas que para sacar unha foto
tiñades que enfocar, non?
tiñades que enfocar, non?
10:55
You'd put the camera up,
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Preparabas a cámara,
10:56
and if I wanted you in focus,
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e se quería enfocarte a ti,
10:58
I would move the lens a little to the left
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xiraba a lente un pouco á esquerda
11:00
and you would come forward.
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e ti acercábaste.
11:02
I could move the lens
a little to the right,
a little to the right,
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Podía mover a lente un pouco á dereita,
11:04
and you would go back and the folks
in the background would come out.
in the background would come out.
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e ti retrocedías e os do fondo
distinguíanse mellor.
distinguíanse mellor.
11:07
I'm just trying to do that here.
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Iso é o que trato de facer aquí.
11:09
I'm trying to give you that opportunity.
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Intento darvos esa oportunidade.
11:13
I'm trying to answer that question
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Trato de responder a pregunta
11:15
that my son had.
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que se facía o meu fillo.
11:20
I want to make paintings,
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Quero pintar cadros,
11:22
I want to make sculptures
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quero facer esculturas
11:24
that are honest,
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que sexan honestas,
11:26
that wrestle with
the struggles of our past
the struggles of our past
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que se enfronten ás loitas do noso pasado
11:31
but speak to the diversity
and the advances of our present.
and the advances of our present.
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pero falen da diversidade
e os progresos do noso presente.
e os progresos do noso presente.
11:36
And we can't do that by taking an eraser
and getting rid of stuff.
and getting rid of stuff.
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E non podemos facer iso borrando
e librándonos de cousas.
e librándonos de cousas.
11:40
That's just not going to work.
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Iso simplemente non funcionaría.
Penso que deberiamos facelo da maneira
11:41
I think that we should
do it in the same way
do it in the same way
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en que funciona a Constitución
dos Estados Unidos.
dos Estados Unidos.
11:43
the American Constitution works.
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11:45
When we have a situation
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Cando estamos ante unha situación
11:46
where we want to change
a law in the American Constitution,
a law in the American Constitution,
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na que queremos cambiar
unha lei da Constitución,
unha lei da Constitución,
11:50
we don't erase the other one.
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non borramos a anterior.
11:53
Alongside that is an amendment,
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Ponse unha enmenda ao pé da outra,
11:55
something that says,
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algo que di:
11:57
"This is where we were,
but this is where we are right now."
but this is where we are right now."
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"Aquí era onde estabamos,
pero isto é onde nos atopamos agora."
pero isto é onde nos atopamos agora."
12:01
I figure if we can do that,
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Imaxino que se somos quen de facer iso,
12:03
then that will help us
understand a little bit
understand a little bit
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vainos axudar a entender un pouco
12:06
about where we're going.
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cara a onde imos.
12:38
Thank you.
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Grazas.
12:39
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Titus Kaphar - ArtistTitus Kaphar's artworks interact with the history of art by appropriating its styles and mediums.
Why you should listen
As Titus Kaphar says of his work: "I’ve always been fascinated by history: art history, American history, world history, individual history -- how history is written, recorded, distorted, exploited, reimagined and understood. In my work I explore the materiality of reconstructive history. I paint and I sculpt, often borrowing from the historical canon, and then alter the work in some way. I cut, crumple, shroud, shred, stitch, tar, twist, bind, erase, break, tear and turn the paintings and sculptures I create, reconfiguring them into works that nod to hidden narratives and begin to reveal unspoken truths about the nature of history."
Kaphar is founder/CEO of the NXTHVN, a multidisciplinary arts incubator that's being built to train professional artists and to further establish New Haven's growing creative community. His latest works are an investigation into the highest and lowest forms of recording history. From monuments to mug shots, this body of work exhibited at Jack Shainman gallery December-January 2017 seeks to collapse the line of American history to inhabit a fixed point in the present. Historical portraiture, mug shots, and YouTube stills challenge viewers to consider how we document the past, and what we have erased. Rather than explore guilt or innocence, Kaphar engages the narratives of individuals and how we as a society manage and define them over time. As a whole, this exhibition explores the power of rewritten histories to question the presumption of innocence and the mythology of the heroic.
Titus Kaphar | Speaker | TED.com