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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 21 July 2018
Smithsonian gallery explores diversity in US lynchings

By LUIS ALONSO LUGO ern U.S. border as an ex-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The ample. He hopes his audi-
Smithsonian's National Por- ence thinks of current issues
trait Gallery acknowledges when looking at his work.
that people of color have "The question is empathy.
long been missing in the Can you empathize with
works it exhibits. another person who is not
Now the museum is tack- like yourself, with a differ-
ling the issue in an unusual ent cultural background,
way. with a different language?"
The Portrait Gallery is cur- he asked. "This challenge
rently showing about 20 of empathy is our nation's
works by Los Angeles- challenge." "UnSeen: Our
based artist Ken Gonzales- Past in a New Light" also
Day that examine lynch- includes 17 paintings and
ings, mostly in the Ameri- one sculpture by artist Ti-
can West, and probe the tus Kaphar, who recreates
history of racial violence in well-known paintings to in-
the United States. clude those traditionally left
"Latinos were a very small out by smearing tar, erasing
number" of those lynched A visitor looks at prints by artist Ken Gonzales-Day, who is currently exhibiting his 2006 series with white paint and shred-
in the U.S, Gonzales-Day "Erased Lynchings" at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington. ding canvas into strips. "This
told The Associated Press Associated Press exhibition talks about those
during a recent interview at absent histories, and about
the Portrait Gallery. "Native it, documented more than of the total. they say, 'Yes, there were the many ways in which
Americans, Chinese, even 4,400 lynchings of black To avoid re-victimizing some instances of Latinos systems have been set in
smaller numbers." people in the United States those who were killed or being lynched, but they society to say the white
"But when you think of it between 1877 and 1950. causing pain to their fami- were all bad guys.' My proj- Anglo person is worth more
as a spectrum of racial- Gonzales-Day published a lies, Gonzales-Day's works ect was (to) prove that than the African-American,
ized violence, then we can book in 2006 in which he remove the body and the race was a factor," he said. or the Native American or
see it is part of a continu- verified 354 cases of lynch- rope from each image. His Gonzales-Day sees a con- the Latino," the museum's
ing (history) in the United ings in California between ultimate goal is to spotlight tinuation of racially moti- Curator of Latino Art and
States that dates back to 1850 and 1935. Of those, racial violence in the U.S. in vated violence today, cit- History, Taína Caragol, told
its founding," he said. 140 were Latinos — the a broad sense. ing the recent separations the AP.
Equal Justice Initiative, an largest group — while mi- "Traditionally, when people of migrant children from The exhibition runs through
Alabama-based non-prof- norities made up two-thirds talk about the Wild West, their parents at the south- January.q

Widower wins court battle for estate of 'Thorn Birds' author

Associated Press tended to bequeath her had been sad to hear Mc-
SYDNEY (AP) — An Austra- entire estate to Robinson. Cullough had reconciled
lian judge ruled on Friday He found the foundation with her husband after their
that best-selling author Col- will was later revoked fol- brief separation, because
leen McCullough's widower lowing the couple's recon- "that wasn't what she really
was the sole beneficiary of ciliation, when McCullough wanted to do."
her estate following a bitter signed or initialed docu- The author had explained
court wrangle. ments leaving everything that she could not afford a
The author of the novel "The to her husband. night carer and Robinson
Thorn Birds," which sold 33 "The plaintiff has not es- needed her money, Antho-
million copies worldwide, tablished that Mr. Robin- ny told the court.
died on Norfolk Island in son had coerced Dr. Mc- Neither Robinson nor An-
2015 aged 77. Cullough into signing those thony attended the Sydney
Her husband of 32 years, documents," Rein said in a court on Friday to hear the
Ric Robinson, had been written judgment. verdict. Robison's lawyer
battling the executor of the Robinson had testified in John Brown told reporters:
author's estate and close court in May that he had "He is pleased that his and
friend, Selwa Anthony, in not bullied his wife into Colleen's reputations have
the New South Wales state leaving him her fortune, been restored and he is
Supreme Court over who threatened or hurt her. He grateful to all those who
was entitled to her 2.1 mil- In this March 1, 1977, file photo, Australian author Colleen said his wife had suggested have supported him."
lion Australian dollar ($1.5 McCullough laughs during a news conference in New York. he take a mistress, and he McCullough had contin-
million) estate. Associated Press had told her of his affair in ued producing books de-
McCullough wrote a will in 2010. spite a string of health and
2014 leaving everything to change her will in Octo- to the earlier will signed in "The island is too small to eyesight problems by using
The University of Oklaho- ber 2014, leaving him ev- Sydney, around the time keep any secrets," Robin- dictation. She wrote 25 nov-
ma Foundation, of which erything, before her death McCullough said she had son said in his evidence. els throughout her career.
she was a founding board four months later. "kicked Ric out for good" The court had heard the Her final book "Bittersweet"
member. Anthony alleged Anthony maintained the because he had a mistress. couple had financial as was released in 2013.
Robinson took advantage foundation was the right- Justice Nigel Rein on Friday well as marital problems. Her first novel "Tim" was
of his wife's ill health to ful beneficiary according found McCullough had in- Anthony told the court she published in 1974. q