(piano music)
(piano music)

- [Lauren] We're in the galleries
- [Lauren] We're in the galleries

at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

looking at a painting by Titus Kaphar called
looking at a painting by Titus Kaphar called

"The Cost of Removal."
"The Cost of Removal."

We're seeing a copy that the artist made
We're seeing a copy that the artist made

of a painting of the American president, Andrew Jackson,
of a painting of the American president, Andrew Jackson,

but one that the artist has manipulated.
but one that the artist has manipulated.

Part of Titus Kaphar's practice is looking to
Part of Titus Kaphar's practice is looking to

art works that have existed through time,
art works that have existed through time,

but then what he does is put his own ideas into the work.
but then what he does is put his own ideas into the work.

- [Beth] One gets the sense that he's interested in exposing
- [Beth] One gets the sense that he's interested in exposing

the kinds of assumptions that are in art history.
the kinds of assumptions that are in art history.

- [Lauren] Like so many artists, he loves art history
- [Lauren] Like so many artists, he loves art history

but is interested in making us
but is interested in making us

think more critically and to think about
think more critically and to think about

what are the things that we're not seeing,
what are the things that we're not seeing,

and what he thinks about
and what he thinks about

is how he can use his work to expose those ideas.
is how he can use his work to expose those ideas.

- [Beth] So here we have this heroic image
- [Beth] So here we have this heroic image

of Andrew Jackson, it's way over life-size,
of Andrew Jackson, it's way over life-size,

it comes from this tradition
it comes from this tradition

of showing leaders on horseback in a landscape.
of showing leaders on horseback in a landscape.

- [Lauren] The president is sitting calmly,
- [Lauren] The president is sitting calmly,

very authoritatively.
very authoritatively.

- [Beth] So you have this idea of being calm
- [Beth] So you have this idea of being calm

on this passionate animal that is
on this passionate animal that is

in a very long tradition of art history.
in a very long tradition of art history.

Titus has rendered, beautifully,
Titus has rendered, beautifully,

this old master style of painting
this old master style of painting

of this beautifully foreshortened horse,
of this beautifully foreshortened horse,

this landscape, and then covered much of the figure
this landscape, and then covered much of the figure

in a way that seems violent.
in a way that seems violent.

There's a real dissonance here between the paint
There's a real dissonance here between the paint

and then the nails and these strips of cloth.
and then the nails and these strips of cloth.

It feels shocking when we first look at it.
It feels shocking when we first look at it.

- [Lauren] Titus often rips into the canvas,
- [Lauren] Titus often rips into the canvas,

cuts into the canvas, paints over parts of it,
cuts into the canvas, paints over parts of it,

and in this particular painting,
and in this particular painting,

he has nailed strips of torn canvas
he has nailed strips of torn canvas

that have text on them into Jackson's figure.
that have text on them into Jackson's figure.

- [Beth] It's covering his mouth.
- [Beth] It's covering his mouth.

It's made him voiceless, and when I look at the Ralph Earl,
It's made him voiceless, and when I look at the Ralph Earl,

I get a real sense of a figure who has a heroic nobility,
I get a real sense of a figure who has a heroic nobility,

and by covering up part of that face,
and by covering up part of that face,

he's robbed him of that noble profile.
he's robbed him of that noble profile.

- [Lauren] He's asking us to think beyond that
- [Lauren] He's asking us to think beyond that

and to look more at Jackson's own words or his own actions.
and to look more at Jackson's own words or his own actions.

Are these writings on the torn pieces
Are these writings on the torn pieces

of canvas speaking for him?
of canvas speaking for him?

- [Beth] It's difficult to read the text
- [Beth] It's difficult to read the text

that's on this canvas, but we know that the title
that's on this canvas, but we know that the title

of the painting is "The Cost of Removal,"
of the painting is "The Cost of Removal,"

so this is about the removal of Native Americans
so this is about the removal of Native Americans

from their land in the South, east of the Mississippi,
from their land in the South, east of the Mississippi,

to Indian Territory, and this is forcible,
to Indian Territory, and this is forcible,

coerced, violent removal of
coerced, violent removal of

native people to Indian territory.
native people to Indian territory.

- [Lauren] And this was an act that Jackson signed,
- [Lauren] And this was an act that Jackson signed,

so he was the president that put this into play,
so he was the president that put this into play,

what we call now The Trail of Tears.
what we call now The Trail of Tears.

So he was responsible, ultimately, for this happening.
So he was responsible, ultimately, for this happening.

- [Beth] And we're talking about a policy
- [Beth] And we're talking about a policy

that is blatantly racist,
that is blatantly racist,

that understood Native Americans as savages
that understood Native Americans as savages

that needed to be removed from the land
that needed to be removed from the land

so that white settlers could farm,
so that white settlers could farm,

and by the 1840s, tens of thousands
and by the 1840s, tens of thousands

of Native Americans had been removed,
of Native Americans had been removed,

so the scale of this is enormous.
so the scale of this is enormous.

What are we to make of the nails?
What are we to make of the nails?

Of the strips of canvas with Jackson's
Of the strips of canvas with Jackson's

handwriting on them that are kind of legible.
handwriting on them that are kind of legible.

In one place, I saw a number that seemed to refer to
In one place, I saw a number that seemed to refer to

a cost of removing people from the land.
a cost of removing people from the land.

But the nails into Jackson,
But the nails into Jackson,

it almost feels as though Kaphar is punishing
it almost feels as though Kaphar is punishing

Jackson for these acts.
Jackson for these acts.

- [Lauren] And the nails also reference
- [Lauren] And the nails also reference

African fetish objects, so this idea that
African fetish objects, so this idea that

people would put nails into particular objects,
people would put nails into particular objects,

and the amount of nails reference how important
and the amount of nails reference how important

the object was or how many people put
the object was or how many people put

their trust and faith in that.
their trust and faith in that.

And I think a lot about this idea
And I think a lot about this idea

of how much faith and trust the American people
of how much faith and trust the American people

put into their president.
put into their president.

- [Beth] The power of the presidency
- [Beth] The power of the presidency

and the impact that he can have
and the impact that he can have

on individual lives and families.
on individual lives and families.

So the artist is immediately asking us
So the artist is immediately asking us

to consider Jackson in a different way.
to consider Jackson in a different way.

And not only Jackson in this painting,
And not only Jackson in this painting,

but I think all images that we see of
but I think all images that we see of

American heroes, of American presidents.
American heroes, of American presidents.

What are the other stories that we're not being told?
What are the other stories that we're not being told?

The artist said, "I feel very strongly that most of
The artist said, "I feel very strongly that most of

"the history we have been taught is at best incomplete,
"the history we have been taught is at best incomplete,

"and at worst fiction.
"and at worst fiction.

"The more I read history, I realize that all depictions are,
"The more I read history, I realize that all depictions are,

"to some degree, fiction.
"to some degree, fiction.

"We lose something in the interpretation,
"We lose something in the interpretation,

"and as I realized that painters throughout history
"and as I realized that painters throughout history

"have embraced this idea of fiction,
"have embraced this idea of fiction,

"I have felt complete freedom to address
"I have felt complete freedom to address

"these paintings in a way that made sense to me."
"these paintings in a way that made sense to me."

That reminds me that we have a tendency
That reminds me that we have a tendency

to believe what we see, especially when we're in a museum,
to believe what we see, especially when we're in a museum,

which has a sense of authority,
which has a sense of authority,

but in fact, we know that not only paintings,
but in fact, we know that not only paintings,

but museums, too, have had a role
but museums, too, have had a role

in the kind of terrible oppression
in the kind of terrible oppression

that Jackson, himself, was part of.
that Jackson, himself, was part of.

- [Lauren] Everyone is making a choice
- [Lauren] Everyone is making a choice

to tell a particular story, and so often,
to tell a particular story, and so often,

there are whole groups of people, events,
there are whole groups of people, events,

that get left out.
that get left out.

Who gets to have their portrait painted?
Who gets to have their portrait painted?

Who gets to have their portrait painted that then
Who gets to have their portrait painted that then

goes into a museum collection that then
goes into a museum collection that then

lasts for hundreds of years?
lasts for hundreds of years?

So it's asking us to think about who we see,
So it's asking us to think about who we see,

but to never forget who we don't see.
but to never forget who we don't see.

(piano music)
(piano music)