Author Archives: Asia Young

Identity Negotiation Within the Hip Hop Community

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Pinder: Contemporary artists, such as Lorraine O’Grady, explore the issue of biraciality and its “good” and “bad” dichotomy within our society.

Waegner: Through the negotiation of ethnicity and identity, artists in “Performing Postmodernist Passing” depict the trope of yellowface/blackface in their work.

Hip-Hop Project (1), 2001
Hip-Hop Project (1), Nikki S. Lee, (2001)

I am intrigued by Nikki S. Lee’s yellowface/black face impersonation in the Hip-Hop Project (1) (2001), in which she immerses herself into the predominately African-American hip-hop community in the Bronx. Despite her negotiation of identity, and “playful postmodernist passing” (Waegner, 223), Lee is suggesting that in order to be accepted you have to become an insider which can play into the reality of social and cultural isolation if one is an outsider. I would argue that in this image Lee still appears to be of Asian identity, which questions the success of her passing. However, since hip-hop is a “cross-cultural portability” (Waegner, 225), having Lee pose as her true South Korean self would change the reception of this photo. I would then interpret this image as hip-hop crossing social and cultural barriers, as it does today, regardless of race and ethnicity. One does not have to identify with a certain type to appreciate a specific genre of music, which is not what I interpret this image to portray. What about the Latino/a community within in the Bronx that is a part of the hip-hop community? Lee’s impersonation of a woman of African descent rejects the diversity of such community, making it race-specific and stereotypical.

The Portrayal of Various Forms of Masculinity

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Golden: This reading explores the over interpreted representations and codifiable images of the Black male and Black masculinity in various forms of media that denies the truth of the black male identity.

Mercer: Kobena Mercer illustrates Rotimi Fani-Kayode’s use of erotic fantasy, ancestral spiritual values, and European elements to create cultural mixing and explains the influence that migration and separation from his Nigerian homeland had on his artistic production of photography.  

Looking for Langston: This black and white film portrays the collision of race and sexuality in the queer community.

This week’s film and readings explored the role that sexuality, gender, and race plays in reinforcing and reinventing the various types of Black masculinity, an identity that Ralph Ellison deems as “invisible and overinterpreted” in media. Considered as invisible in society, the Black male is fetishized and given visibility in art, films, and music.

Thelma Golden’s article was of particular interest to me because her exhibition serves as an umbrella to the Mercer article and the Langston film by portraying different stereotypes, cultural-defense mechanisms, and (mis)representations of the Black male as “ultra-violent [and] ultra-romanticized” (22). Golden’s project draws together artists that display the five signposts: 1) the transition from Civil Rights to the Black Power era; 2) blaxpoitation films; 3) the endangered Black male; 4) the death of rhythm and blues; and 5) real life drama. With the exception of the first signpost, the other categories signify the negative perceptions of the Black male and how they are used to create and circulate ill images of Black masculinity. Despite the artists’ attempt to negotiate identity and educate the audience of common racist assumptions, I am skeptical about the reception of outsiders, or non-Black audiences because instead of negating the negative generalizations, these images can reinforce and confirm them. With that being said, I would have liked to see positive images of Black men without the presence of stereotypes.

On a positive note, I do appreciate the diversity in the “Black Male” exhibit because it brings to light how Black culture is commodified through the portrayal of the Black experience both with and without the use of the body. For example, Mel Chin and David Hammons use objects, such as guns, sneakers, and the construction of basketball hoops to critique the commonly portrayed stereotypes of crime and sports within the Black community. Given the absence of the body in these pieces, the audience is still able to interpret the relationship between society’s ills and generalizations about Black masculinity. I wonder if the absence of the body in art offers a more critical critique of the pieces because the presence of the body can draw attention away from status detail, which is significant in identifying characteristics that are not as obvious.

The Rejection of Nude Seduction and the Exploration of Sexuality in Malian Photography

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Pariah: This film explores the rocky relationships that Alike has with her family, best friend, and love interest as she struggles with coming out to her family and embracing her sexual identity as a lesbian.

Taylor: Documenta 11, an exhibition that included work from artists all over the globe, creates global awareness while questioning the meaning of globalization in an economic and political context.

Thompson: Artists from Africa and the Diaspora challenge Western representations of Black women as “beasts, nymphs, slaves, servants, and sexual commodities” by negotiating, reconstructing, and decolonizing these stereotypes.

In Decolonizing Black Bodies: Personal Journeys in the Contemporary Voice by Barbara Thompson, I was particularly intrigued by Malick Sidibe’s attempt to negotiate Black women’s sexuality and reject Western notions of nude seduction through photography. In Mali, where female nudity is not accepted, pagnes (wrappers) are worn by women to accentuate their figure and evoke male curiosity. While reading this section, I thought about Olympia, a painting by Edouard Manet that illustrates a Black female servant who is robbed of her sexuality by her worn drapery of fabric. Unlike the woman in Olympia, women in Sidibe’s photos are desirable and able to express their sexuality while being fully clothed. I view Sidibe’s photos as a compromise between being too modest and too sexual, while providing Black women agency and giving them the space to portray their desirability without feeding into the stereotype as “sexual commodities” or promiscuous nymphs.

In addition, I appreciated the freedom of expression and the reinvention of identity that Sidibe’s photography enabled, because it allowed Malian women to explore their desired modern image without risking their reputation and marriageability. His photo studio served as private, safe space of identity negotiation as opposed to the public space of traditional identity outside of the studio.

Lastly, I noticed that Sidibe’s photography focused on evoking male curiosity, instead of curiosity in general, which makes me question the recognition of homosexuality in Malian culture. How do lesbian and queer Malian artists express their sexuality through photography and other forms of media?

Visibility through Cyberspace

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Summary: In “From Homoerotics of Exile to Homopolitics of Diaspora,” Sima Shakhsari adequately argues that while cyberspace creates hypervisibility through mobilizations induced by Internet communication, it also provides political and entrepreneurial opportunities for Iranian diasporic queers.

Cyberspace provides visibility to the queer Iranian community, both within Iran and in the Iranian diaspora, while constructing a “perverted” identity of the West and an innocent identity of Iran within the Iranian exilic discourse. This reference to the West as being perverted is interesting because it places blame on the West for exposing Iranian queers to homosexuality, instead of accepting homosexuality as a natural identity. I was pleased at the fact that attitudes towards queer Iranians in exile shifted away from this discourse due to the introduction and expansion of cyberspace, which offers Iranian queers a safe, legitimate space to participate in dialogue and reach support from members abroad. However, I wonder how Iranian immigrants who do not have access to the internet are able to engage in conversation and receive information related to their identifiable community?

Also, similar to the ability of photographs to negotiate identity and produce images to promote acceptance, the internet possesses the power to do the same as a medium that has the capacity to reach a broad audience. I would assume that Internet blogs, videos, and articles are not as easy of targets to censorship as print media and publications. Is this true? If not, how are queer Iranians that are living in Iran able to interact with the queer diasporic Iranians? What are the censorship penalties (in Iran) of participating in internet conversation about queer identity?

Exclusive Museums

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Taylor: “Performance Art” explores the work of visual artists, such as Carolee Schneemann and Chris Burden.

Fraser: Andrea Fraser critiques the exclusionary practices of museum institutions by revealing their bias towards the white, middle class audience.

I was fascinated by Andrea Fraser’s construction of self as an “insider” while serving as docent, Jane Castleton. As an insider, a person who represents the values of the museum and is a “figure of identification for the primarily white, middle-class audience,” the docent’s identity excludes members who may identify with another race or class. Fraser’s mention of “culture-speak,” jargon used by docents, also alienates “outsiders” and those that are unfamiliar with the language. This theme of self and other is present in Fraser’s performance with the separation of the outsider from the insider. Similar to our past readings of how art excludes spectators that do not identify with the narrative of the artist or the subject of portrayal, the museum tour performance does the same by outcasting “others” who are not members of the white, middle class community.

An interesting aspect of the reading was Fraser’s reference to the Museum Shop and the opportunity to change the name of the shop for $750,000. This mention of opportunity and the docent’s suggestion to the audience to purchase a museum membership may give visitors a sense of unwelcome and create guilt because of their inability to afford such luxuries. From the jargon of the docent to the European exhibits of the museum, it is obvious that it is an institution that forces the public to “raise their standards of taste” if it wants to appreciate the values of the museum. Overall, Fraser does an excellent job of using her artistic production via museum tours and fictional character to challenge the historical practices of museums that do not represent the identity of the local community.

Silenced No More!

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Lopez: This essay expresses Alma Lopez’s attempt to give voice and visibility to Latinas through her portrayal of the Virgen de Guadalupe as a “contemporary Latina.”

Latorre: By placing women at the center of visual discourses and exploring sexuality in art, Chicana artists unveiled sexual and gender diversity within the Chicana/o community.

Similar to our past readings of how the Black Panthers and African-American artists used visual imagery to empower the African-American/Black community, Lopez and other Chicana artists used this medium to represent the gender and sexual diversity within their communities as well. In “Silencing Our Lady,” Alma Lopez uses digital art to fight gender and cultural oppression through her contemporized version of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Despite Lopez’s brilliant attempt, Our Lady received criticism from a predominately male audience (with the exception of older women) because of the Virgen’s “exposed legs, belly, and [….] breasts” which, according to New Mexico’s Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan, classified it as “sacrilegious” (251). I, too, disagree with Archbishop Sheehan’s and other critics’ criticisms of Our Lady because I find it to be an image of women empowerment due to the confidence portrayed by the woman through her hands-on-hip posture, chin-up facial expression, and stern gaze. Even the Virgen’s cape-like attire screams strength and power to the audience. Additionally, the fact that the Virgen is being upheld by another woman also signifies strength in the absence of a male figure. Ultimately, the reason that protestors view the image of the Virgen as a “threat to masculinity” is because it disrupts the cycle of oppression that continues to manifest through the ignorance created by the censorship of the patriarchy.

Another interesting fact to note is the protest of the older women against Our Lady because it exposes the generational differences of values among women, which can be a symbol of the new generation breaking away from the restraint of male dominance. I also find the protestors’ demand to remove the image unsettling because it undermines the ability that viewers have to think for themselves.

Overall, such negative views of Our Lady call into question how we view women’s bodies. So often in art and media, women’s bodies are perceived as objects used to satisfy the male gaze and cater to the desires of men. This recurring representation of women is a problem. Why can’t a woman’s body be seen as admiration of a God-given gift, natural beauty, a nurturer of life, or a call for women to develop self-love and love the skin that they are in?

Modifying Conceptual Art

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An overarching theme in this week’s readings is the dislocation of dominant narratives by challenging the limitations and norms that are present in art. I particularly favored Jayne Wark’s “Conceptual Art and Feminism” article because each of the mentioned artists (Martha Rosler, Adrian Piper, Eleanor Antin, and Martha Wilson)modified Conceptual art to express their concerns with the social climate of the 60‘s and 70’s, as opposed to conforming to the traditional abstract focus of Conceptualism. A common technique that stood out to me was the use of self as both the subject and object, which enabled direct engagement with the audience, induced reception, and commodification of the body as art. I also found it rather creative that Wilson disguised herself into different characters to emphasize that identity is not biologically determined, “singular or fixed,” but can vary depending upon one’s preference.

Thus far in the course we have examined how identity is portrayed as a fixed concept that is generalized and broadly applied to the racialized or sexualized subject, so this article offered a different, true perspective of identity as being flexible. Another positive observation of the article was the portrayal of women as empowered, autonomous artists who possessed the confidence to disclaim the traditional course of Conceptualism and integrate their own ideas of what art should embody. As opposed to previous art that we have observed, these female artists did not portray themselves as sexualized objects which offered a refreshing twist to art’s portrayal of women.

Nochlin: Nochlin argues that we must correct and challenge what is perceived as normal or “natural” and that femininity and masculinity is not a “style” and cannot be determined by the artist’s explored subject.

Wark: Wark gives examples of four feminist artists that reject the norm of abstract conceptualism through concrete, “subject-centered” art that is influenced by social events.

Taylor: Taylor explores examples of female artists whose artwork is independent of male influence.

The Power of Visual Technology: Weapons and Witness

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I find it fascinating how the camera can be used both as a weapon of self-defense and as a supporting witness. The camera serves as weapon by negating the hypergendered, hypersexualized, and other unfavorable representations that the “other” may force onto the body through its stereotypical lens and as a witness by providing support through a firsthand account of the subject’s true, real identity. In “Imprisoned in a Luminous Glare” by Leigh Raiford, the camera also serves as an ally and as an enemy to the Black Panther Party (BPP) by enabling the Party to negotiate dominant gender roles and debunk the stereotypes of the black body as a violent being on one hand and by feeding into this racial assumption through the “black male gaze” to invoke fear in the police and portray fearlessness to the black community on the other. The power of gaze also stood out to me when looking at the still images of the Black Panther Party because I was able to perceive fear, a feeling that proves the success of the BPP’s efforts.The photographs produced by the camera also enables commodification of both the black male and the relationship between the black community and the state by allowing the FBI to use the medium to counter the efforts of the BPP by tainting their image of good intention through mass media representation. Additionally, commodification is also introduced in the visual imagery published in the Black Panther, which provides a consistent image of the BPP as a whole in the midst of various BPP chapters being created nationally. With the recirculation of images of the BPP, I wonder how various audiences (racially, and nationally and internationally) now perceive the history of African-Americans in the United States compared to how they viewed the images during their first circulation in midst of political turmoil.

This week’s reading truly exposed me to the power of a photograph in determining identity. Prior to this course I solely viewed the camera for the purpose of capturing moments in history, totally ignoring the impact an image can have on one’s representation to the audience.

Johnson: Through assemblage, African-American artists used art to portray freedom and struggle and to promote solidarity; however, people who did not identify with the Black cultural narrative referred to symbols in Black art as “social realist cliches.”

Jones: African-American artists used black historical experiences, such as the Civil Rights Movement, and artifacts from protest demonstrations to inspire and enhance their assemblages, which represented the transformation within black art and the black community.

Raiford: The Black Panther Party used the visual technologies of their physical presence and photography to educate the people about their mission and programs and to negate their militant image that was portrayed by the state through the dominant mass media arena.

Relocation of Citizenship, Identity, and the Body

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Kozol, Howard, and Creef each explore the trope of relocation in relation to citizenship, identity, and the body through the photographic representation of Japanese-Americans during and after World War II. Kozol describes the relocation of citizenship and identity through the War Relocation Authority’s (WRA) photos, which represent Japanese-American’s “Americanness” through family portraits, domestic arrangements, sports, and commercial objects. This relocation of American identity onto the bodies of the internees, or “enemy aliens,” portrays loyalty to the white Western audience while robbing the internees of their bicultural identity, thus constructing the ideology of colorblindness. These images also fail to capture the suffering and trauma that resulted from physical and identity displacement, rendering the internees’ hardships as invisible. Howard argues that incarceration enabled the relocation of identity in terms of sexuality and gender norms in internment camps by providing flat salaries to both women and men, decreasing domestic roles, and permitting sexual freedom. Creef expounds upon the relocation of the physical body to the internment camps and the Western, “non-other” identity of the internees that is portrayed in the photos of Adam, Lange, and Miyatake. She also argues that self negation and alienation of the Nisei (second generation) enables internal struggles of identity and makes their American identity visible through “signs of American citizenship, loyalty, and heroism” (Creef 18). Furthermore, the phenotypic characteristics of Japanese-Americans places them at odds with their American identity. Overall, the images discussed in the readings present contradictory and competing notions of identity by forcing American characteristics onto the bodies of the Japanese internees, while robbing them of their Japanese realities. The Japanese-Americans presented in the photos appear visible as subjects, but their identity as both Japanese and American is invisible to the audience.