It's omnipresent, but largely unexamined from a racial perspective — most people who identify themselves as white assume the psychological and sociopolitical weight of their own color isn't a real issue, and don't think skin color equals entitlement and privilege.
Now the concept of "whiteness" is the subject of an exhibit at the International Center of Photography in New York City. "White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art" features works by 11 artists who confront head-on what it means to be "white" — Max Becher, Andrea Robbins, Nayland Blake, Nancy Burson, Wendy Ewald, Mike Kelley, William Kentridge, Barbara Kruger, Nikki S. Lee, Cindy Sherman and Gary Simmons.
Correspondent Cheryl Devall talks with Maurice Berger, the curator of the exhibit, about why he chose to explore whiteness in the context of art.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.