For class on Thursday, you will need to have finished reading the Schechner textbook and two of the three articles that I passed out in class on Nov. 8. You will also need to have added 4 new del.icio.us posts (if you have been keeping up with these you should have 52 links by this week). Please post at least two thoughtful comments regarding the readings by class on Thurs. You may want to consider some of the following:
•Present the conceptual strengths and weaknesses of one of the articles that you read. How has the author persuaded you or failed to persuade you? How does this article inform or build on issues from the textbook?
•What artist do you think has successfully managed issues of globalization, hybridity, intercultural fluidity? In what way?
•How might some of the various investigatory perspectives discussed apply differently to intentionally artistic performances, political actions, residual objects, global events, etc?
•Evaluate your reading in the light of the conclusion to an inquiry into performance studies.
•How might the use or inclusion of a culturally laden object influence the message or perception of actions otherwise free of such connotations? Name examples.
Don't Forget that we will be having the Just Jump! demonstration and workshop during class this Thursday. Your last 4-page paper will be due in class on Dec. 6, and if you have not talked to me about your final paper/project, you need to do so ASAP.
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The painting by Picasso, Guernica, I think is a prime example of a work by an artist that successfully managed issues of globalization, hybridity, and intercultural fluidity. For one, the story of the painting in its protest of the bombing deals with globalization. The painting incorporates different cultural element seeing as how one element is from the culture that Picasso is from and has his style and the other element is where and how the painting is portrayed. There were big issues of where the painting should be placed, where Picasso lived or where the bombing was. The fact that this painting caused such an issue is a great example of how it flows from one culture to the next.
If I am understanding this question of how might the use or inclusion of a culturally laden object influence the message or perception of actions otherwise free of such connotations, then there are so many examples. In the time of Shakespeare the skull represented always knowing death was around and that with everything that you have, eventually you will end up looking like a pile of bones, evidence within works of art is of course Hamlet. However in that culture paintings also incorporated the use of skulls on tables usually in the background. If a painting today in America incorporated the use of a skull in that fashion then that would tell a lot about the character in the painting and his outlook on life. An example that is very prominent in our culture today is the use of masks. Originally masks were used for ritual and then dance and then theater and now for all sorts of things from music to Halloween. Masks have transcended the boundaries from ancient Greeks to modern Americans. Another example would be in music, when instruments that are known to a specific culture are placed in a music genre that is not known specifically then that gives a great impact. For example in KoRn, Jon Davis is of Scottish descent and plays the bagpipes in homage to his roots and that greatly gives a different message then without the bagpipes.
I found the Homi Bhabha article to be less than convincing. Supposedly mimicry functions to support the strategies of colonial power and knowledge. I can easily see how this is possible. However, the article did a poor job of convincing me. The text was hardly readable with sentences upwards of fifty words long and liberal, if not excessive use of creative punctuation. Also, his use of italics was incredibly distracting. In addition, myself not having been a scholar in Colonial rhetoric, I found the plentiful references to be rather distracting. This article seemed incredibly pretentious and indecipherable. The only saving grace was his repeated use of the statement that, “mimicry is like camouflage.” However, my understanding of this statement stemmed not from this article, but from Schechner. Schechner’s example of Gandhi as an example of an attempt at mimicry and his subsequent abandon of such a charade was far more useful.
Guillermo Gomez-Pena has successfully managed issues of globalization, hybridity, and intercultural fluidity. He does this by continually referring to and analyzing popular culture. We can all relate to popular culture, it is an inescapable culture we are all a part of. He deconstructs global issues one by one. In this article he separates the topics into themed “tracks.” Each track successfully examines one aspect of globalization. The language he uses is at once humorous and revealing. He delivers an uncomfortable reality in a way that stimulates reflection and discourse without guilt or judgment. The way he uses language rife with metaphors, is direct and powerful. His word combos like, “Mexterminator,” reference pop culture icons as well as his cultural influences. Through his thoughtful interpretation of current events one is able to see from a point of view that is not necessarily one’s own, but he does a really good job of justifying the validity of his view.
•What artist do you think has successfully managed issues of globalization, hybridity, intercultural fluidity? In what way?
The first essay I read was Guillermo Gomez Pena's Mainstream Bizarre. He addressed all facets of the modern world today and the cultural integration that affects us all. He also addressed people at a personal level regarding religion, sex, the voice of the individual, and the astounding pressure of performance artist to make a difference amidst the "mainstream bizarre." His word choice maximized fluidity and the depth one could analyze the problems being presented. He touched base on globalization by providing in depth and relevant examples around the world in every culture. Dealing with hybridity and intercultural fluidity Pena was relevant in both manners with numerous examples through the text. Although regarding globalization and hybridity he sometimes noted the negative occurences, which is no doubt true in the world.
•How might the use or inclusion of a culturally laden object influence the message or perception of actions otherwise free of such connotations? Name examples.
As innocent as food can be, some forms of food still contain sterotypes in certain situations. Take for exapmle the french fry. When eating a french fry any ordinary day of the week, the harmless food article is just that, harmless. A simple piece of potato skin with a catchy clever name. But when the American Government declared war on Afghanistan, and the French gov. decided not to back the decision, the french fry became the enemy. Not only french fries were attacked, but french bread and french toast were immediately beckoned to be called freedom toast...(insert fork in eye here). Once the political betrayal positioned itself into such a minute aspect of our culture, suddenly the objects had motives of hate and dislike behind them. How foolish of the government to declare something like french fries be the catalyst of national detest.
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