This blog-post is dedicated to Prince.
I want to discuss and look at the community that has been drawn together by the passing of this star musician. In addition, I want to look specifically at how museums, specifically LACMA are creating a space for this community.
Sadly, on April 21st 2016, we lost one of the great musicians, Prince. There is an ongoing investigation to how he passed away and already rumours of pill-addiction and suicide is coming out in the media. Now, Prince fans around the world have united together, like they did when David Bowie died in January. ‘Pop up memorials’ are being erected all over the world, for instance, in Sydney’s South-West a mural has been painted of the artist, similarly in Melbourne. These memorials are used as ways for fans and community members to gather and unify over the passing. People post photographs of the artist on their Instagram or Facebook. They write status updates and use hashtags to group these individual postings together.
What makes someone a Prince fan? What makes you part of this community? Do you have to love purple? Do you have to love funk? Whilst, the being part of this community itself is quite broad, it still has some key features. One specifically is that you like Prince’s music. Similarly to David Bowie, Prince represented the outsider, the artist, someone who has artistic integrity. He is suave and represents the marginalised within society. He challenged ideas of sexuality, race and gender. His music, his charisma and his beauty drew his fans; his ability to be sure of himself drew people together. As one fan has stated “ he did things that others were afraid to do, be it clothes he wore or things he sung about, he was a prolific, self taught one of a kind, true artist…” This ability to be a true artist, and speak for the voiceless made him a leader, his death echoed similarities to David Bowie’s death. Fan groups unified by the death of their idol.
It be interesting to see what happens over the cause of the investigation into his death, how the community reacts and connects, but that is for a latter discussion.
Personally though, I have been drawn to LACMA’s remembrance to the artist. Not only, does it unify and give a voice to Prince fans but it also draws and engages with the museum audience. LACMA’s Rain Room, was lit purple after the announcement of Prince’s death. It not only provided a specific space for fans, but a way to inform and create a larger museum community. It addresses both, LACMA’s art community and Prince’s fan group. It brings to groups together (whilst, they may not be so different from one another), it allows them to intersect together within the artworks space.
Images are below:
further readings:
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/in_lacmas_rain_room_theres_purple_rain_falling_for_prince
http://www.lacma.org/
wearethemuseumcollective 