Please Wait By the Please Wait By the CoatroomCoatroom

John YauJohn YauPresented by: Presented by:

Furvio, Jane, and RisaFurvio, Jane, and Risa

Brief Summary of the ArticleBrief Summary of the Article

• Wilfredo Lam has a mixed background.Wilfredo Lam has a mixed background.• He grew up with hybrid cultural experienceHe grew up with hybrid cultural experience

s. s. • He was influenced in many ways by the weHe was influenced in many ways by the we

stern artists such as Picasso and Breton, stern artists such as Picasso and Breton, as well as artists like Aime Cesaire, one of as well as artists like Aime Cesaire, one of the founders of the Negritude movement.the founders of the Negritude movement.

•He did not want to be another artist whHe did not want to be another artist who just assimilate himself into the maino just assimilate himself into the mainstream art of the “aesthetic tradition”. stream art of the “aesthetic tradition”.

•His aim was to become a “Trojan HorsHis aim was to become a “Trojan Horse” .e” .

•William Rubin overlooks his hybrid anceWilliam Rubin overlooks his hybrid ancestry and tries to define him and his artstry and tries to define him and his artwork as if Lam was a Caucasian artist.work as if Lam was a Caucasian artist.

•Rubin could not see outside of the Rubin could not see outside of the western art world. western art world.

•By referring to Picasso when By referring to Picasso when defining Lam’s painting, Rubin is defining Lam’s painting, Rubin is suggesting that the latter’s suggesting that the latter’s paintings are just diluted versions paintings are just diluted versions of the first.of the first.

•Lam was a “one-eyed man in the Lam was a “one-eyed man in the kingdom of the blind”.kingdom of the blind”.

•This is the struggle most American This is the struggle most American artists are facing nowadays.artists are facing nowadays.

AnalysisAnalysis• This is an impressive criticism about This is an impressive criticism about

everything that is wrong with culture today. everything that is wrong with culture today. At least in North America, culture has been At least in North America, culture has been reduced to the latest paparazzi pictures reduced to the latest paparazzi pictures taken of a very pregnant Britney Spears taken of a very pregnant Britney Spears and her trip to the dry-cleaners or the lives and her trip to the dry-cleaners or the lives of Nick and Jessica in the of Nick and Jessica in the Newlyweds.Newlyweds.

• Artists that make up the narrow definition Artists that make up the narrow definition of mainstream are increasingly branching of mainstream are increasingly branching off into roles we would never have off into roles we would never have imagined them doing. Someone can no imagined them doing. Someone can no longer be only a singer or an actor, they longer be only a singer or an actor, they have to be both. have to be both.

• Setting aside these criticisms on the Setting aside these criticisms on the conditions of our culture, the article conditions of our culture, the article speaks to a lot of frustrated artists out speaks to a lot of frustrated artists out there and deals with real issues of there and deals with real issues of forced assimilation.forced assimilation.

• I found interesting that Lam, in order I found interesting that Lam, in order to become a unique individual, had to to become a unique individual, had to actually give up his uniqueness and actually give up his uniqueness and adopt a form of it prescribed by whom adopt a form of it prescribed by whom the article refers to as “the the article refers to as “the exploiters”. Uniqueness comes at a exploiters”. Uniqueness comes at a great cost in the world.great cost in the world.

• Assimilation is a description of what is happening Assimilation is a description of what is happening to the painting by the coatroom and to the artist to the painting by the coatroom and to the artist that inscribed his name to it, as it passes through that inscribed his name to it, as it passes through filters and presumptions that are ethnically filters and presumptions that are ethnically centered. The article points out that this type of centered. The article points out that this type of assimilation is imprisonment. In addition, assimilation is imprisonment. In addition, imprisonment is being forced to accept aesthetic imprisonment is being forced to accept aesthetic standards of a fixed tradition. Assimilation is standards of a fixed tradition. Assimilation is described as “suppressing cultural differences and described as “suppressing cultural differences and becoming a colorless ghost”. All of a sudden becoming a colorless ghost”. All of a sudden assimilation turns into exploitation and it becomes assimilation turns into exploitation and it becomes the only ticket in town to fame.the only ticket in town to fame.

• Thus we are forced to ask the question: Is there Thus we are forced to ask the question: Is there any way around this?any way around this?

• The article points out that Lam chooses to become The article points out that Lam chooses to become a a Trojan HorseTrojan Horse, a vehicle designed to infiltrate the , a vehicle designed to infiltrate the syntactical rules of mainstream media. In order syntactical rules of mainstream media. In order words, the beauty of his diverse fusion of words, the beauty of his diverse fusion of ethnicities has to be camouflaged. This type of art ethnicities has to be camouflaged. This type of art form becomes a concealed form of culture. form becomes a concealed form of culture.

This can be attributed to a This can be attributed to a couple of reasons:couple of reasons:

• The prison in the article takes the form of The prison in the article takes the form of museums, art history books, galleries, television museums, art history books, galleries, television and magazines. If this is the prison, then what and magazines. If this is the prison, then what chance do new artist with alternative chance do new artist with alternative perspectives have in developing recognition? perspectives have in developing recognition? The question of who controls the media is The question of who controls the media is important.important.

• His race. There is agreement that history is His race. There is agreement that history is written by the conquerors and not the written by the conquerors and not the conquered; which means that by being an Afro-conquered; which means that by being an Afro-Cuban man with a Chinese father, places him at Cuban man with a Chinese father, places him at a disadvantaged to artists that are white. a disadvantaged to artists that are white.

ExamplesExamples

• Yasumasa Morimura: Portrait (1988-90)Yasumasa Morimura: Portrait (1988-90)

• Daughter of Art Daughter of Art History (Theatre A), History (Theatre A),

• Self-Portrait Self-Portrait

DiscussionDiscussion• There was a question of Lam’s uniquenesThere was a question of Lam’s uniquenes

s.s. What has to be answered before discussinWhat has to be answered before discussin

g this is, g this is, ““What is unique?” “What is not unique?”What is unique?” “What is not unique?”

Taking the example of Yasumasa Morimura, Taking the example of Yasumasa Morimura, what was it that made his art work unique? what was it that made his art work unique? What is not unique about his art work? What is not unique about his art work?

• Unique: Unique: He had put his own face into the historical He had put his own face into the historical

painting or photo shot of famous actresspainting or photo shot of famous actress

• Not Unique:Not Unique: The entire form except for his face was The entire form except for his face was

created by someone else before him.created by someone else before him.

However… aren’t all the art individuals make However… aren’t all the art individuals make unique? After all, their art works reflect unique? After all, their art works reflect something from their own experience. So, something from their own experience. So, why is Lam being rated by his uniqueness? why is Lam being rated by his uniqueness?

Now, what is mainstream and who Now, what is mainstream and who gets to decide?gets to decide?

QuestionsQuestions

• Was Rubin really being insensitive by not Was Rubin really being insensitive by not considering Lam’s race? He did not believe that considering Lam’s race? He did not believe that an artist’s culture should determine the value of an artist’s culture should determine the value of the artwork. Doesn’t this mean that he did the artwork. Doesn’t this mean that he did consider culture, and still decided that it has no consider culture, and still decided that it has no effect on the artwork?effect on the artwork?

• Why does it really matter if Lam’s artwork is not Why does it really matter if Lam’s artwork is not being interpreted in the way that he intended? being interpreted in the way that he intended? Can you force anyone to understand and interpret Can you force anyone to understand and interpret the artwork in a certain way as its artist?the artwork in a certain way as its artist?

• If People do not understand the true intention If People do not understand the true intention behind the artist’s work, who are they to say that behind the artist’s work, who are they to say that it is not a groundbreaking and valuable?it is not a groundbreaking and valuable?

Example 2Example 2• Klimt: Las tres edades de la mujer. Klimt: Las tres edades de la mujer.

• If I, Risa Kusumoto, a Japanese artist, copiIf I, Risa Kusumoto, a Japanese artist, copied this form of painting and put my face, a ed this form of painting and put my face, a Japanese face, with an African baby, would Japanese face, with an African baby, would it make any difference to the painting if I wit make any difference to the painting if I was a European artist? as a European artist?

• Invited artist: Invited artist: • Drew Gonsalves. He white native of Trinidad. He iDrew Gonsalves. He white native of Trinidad. He i

s a musician that does not fit the typical perceptis a musician that does not fit the typical perception of someone from the island either by his lookon of someone from the island either by his looks or by his music. He has often been criticized fos or by his music. He has often been criticized for playing traditional sounds that are now considerr playing traditional sounds that are now considered classical, rather than what will launch his careed classical, rather than what will launch his career into mainstream. However, he has not comproer into mainstream. However, he has not compromised his artistic objectives and even when his mised his artistic objectives and even when his music is grouped together in the ambiguous catemusic is grouped together in the ambiguous category of world music, he still continues on the cougory of world music, he still continues on the course he first set for himself and has been, so far, rse he first set for himself and has been, so far, successful at falling into what is marketable. successful at falling into what is marketable.