Daniel J Martinez, “I Can’t Ever Imagine Wanting To Be White”, Metal Button, Whitney Biennial, 1993. Most of the buttons distributed at the Whitney Museum included only fragments of Martinez’s message. This is one of the rare examples that included the complete phrase. The writing on the back is by the person who saved this tag. It is not Martinez’s signature.
Tag Size: 1 x 1.5 inches
That the 1993 Whitney Biennial was different from previous Biennials was evident to museum-goers right away after paying the entrance fee. Instead of receiving the usual metal admission tag, visitors were required to wear a button that stated “I can’t imagine ever wanting to be white.” Then, conspicuously located near the front of the exhibition, they were faced with the notorious video of policemen beating a helpless Rodney King.
With its emphasis on issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, AIDS, and imperialism, the 1993 Biennial was criticized as being “less about the art of our time than about the times themselves.” In retrospect it is clear that the exhibition heralded a major shift in the art-world that is still playing out today.
Featured on the cover of Artforum, Daniel J. Martinez’s admission buttons became a symbol of the Biennial. They are just one example in a full career that has consistently addressed issues of “personal and collective identity.” At CalArts one of Martinez’s teachers was John Baldessari who emphasized working outside the studio. Later, Martinez was inspired by Joseph Beuys’ concept of “social sculpture.” To quote Martinez, “I must have heard a million times people saying how they didn’t want to be minorities. Well, why do you think we want to be you? Why do you think that whiteness is the pinnacle of success?”
Today Martinez’s tiny Whitney tags are coveted items. Gallery 98 is fortunate to have recently acquired one that not only includes the full phrase (most only included a few words from the sentence), but one signed by Martinez. There cannot be too many of these. UPDATE: This pin is not signed by Martinez. The writing on the back is by the person who saved this tag.
Martinez created various buttons, most of which only included fragments of his message. The “Ever Wanting” button appeared on the May 1993 issue of Artforum.
