3. Kehinde Wiley Count Potocki, 2008 oil on canvas, 274.3 x 274.3cm
1. Find a clear definition of Intertextuality and quote it accurately on your blog using the APA referencing system. Use your own words to explain the definition more thoroughly.
‘Intertextuality,as a term,has not been restricted to discussion of the literary arts.It is found in discussions of cinema,painting,music,architecture,photography and in virtually all cultural and artistic productions.’(Allen,2000,p.175)
Intertextuality,like modern literary and cultural theory itself,can be said to have its origins in 20th century linguistics.It is seems such a useful term because it foregrounds notions of relationality,interconnectedness and interdependence in modern cultural life.
2. Research Wiley's work and write a paragraph that analyzes how we might make sense of his work. Identify intertextuality in Wiley's work.
Wiley’s paintings often vague the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of images. Wiley's work is based on the sign and visual rhetoric of the heroic, powerful, majestic and the sublime in his representation of urban, black and brown men found throughout the world.His paintings are also based on photographs that taken around the streets of Harlem of young men wearing everday clothes, representing the portrayal of masculinity and physicality from the views of black and brown men.
Wiley expressed his styles and ideas from a range of time periods such as the Renaissance, French rococo, West African textile designs, Islamic architecture and to urban hip-hop. He embraces the style of hip-hop culture which he shows in his paintings, and appear to be based around the style and concepts of the Renaissance paintings. "His painting style has been compared to that of such traditional portraitists as Reynolds, Gainsborough, Titian and Ingres." (Kehinde Wiley, n.d.)
3. Wiley's work relates to next weeks Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Read page 46 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.
Pluralism in art refers to the nature of artforms and artists as diverse. The cultural context of art is all encompassing in its respect for the art of the world's cultures. Inclusion of individuals of differing ethnicities, genders, ideologies, abilities, ages, religions, economic status and educational levels is valued. Pluralism honours differences within and between equitable groups while seeing their commonalities.
Wiley's paintings takes away the boundaries that is created within our societies about the different hierachies that we have in our world today, he features black/ brown men in his paintings with a renaissance and british like style in the background to contrast both concepts, while still mainting to keep the idea of the street-like, hip hop culture. Wiley's work also relates to Pluralism because it gives the viewers an idea that there are different cultures but everyone 'is equal'.
Wiley's paintings takes away the boundaries that is created within our societies about the different hierachies that we have in our world today, he features black/ brown men in his paintings with a renaissance and british like style in the background to contrast both concepts, while still mainting to keep the idea of the street-like, hip hop culture. Wiley's work also relates to Pluralism because it gives the viewers an idea that there are different cultures but everyone 'is equal'.
4. Comment on how Wiley's work raises questions around social/cultural hierarchies , colonisation, globalisation, stereotypes and the politics which govern a western worldview.
Wiley’s work not only makes plain the intertextual nature of the photograph image but serves also to make points about the physical world,social western worldwide.The images of his work portrayed the realistic representation of the world. He has drawn from historic portraiture and has applied similar aspects to the people of today; placing value on his culture.Wiley's paintings takes away the boundaries that is created within our societies about the different hierarchies,social society and different culture that we have in our world today. I think we are still influenced by this hierarchy idea that is still remained inside of our minds eventhough it does not show up in surface like them in the way lords and wealthy men of the past had been painted.
5. Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that
you have read during your research.
At the present time,any discussion of the place of intertextuality within the arts leads us towards the issue of Postmodernism.The idea of intertextuality can produce a similar rethinking of photographer,often seen as pure representation of reality.Wiley’s is not merely referring to the manner in which,in postmodernism,earlier division between ‘serious’and ‘popular’ or high and ‘low’ cultural society are merged. I find it interesting that there is so much deep thinking and technical skill behind Wiley's works, yet he speaks about them very simply. This makes me think he is more concerned about world-wide society than anything else, which I find is a good thing.These images show how he used an old renaissance painting, but changed it to a new, unique, and contemporary way. Wiley’s work is different from otheres and it’s a fresh change. The colors he uses work really well together,and the background looked just like a wallpaper to me. Also I like his use of bright colours and how he has encorporated some of the patterns and floral wallpapers that were once popular amoung the rich of the 17th -18th centuries.I like the way how he deliberately mixes images of power and spirituality,using them as a filter in the portrayal of masculinity.
References
Cadwell, B. (1999) Cultural contexts. Retrieved August 25th, 2010, from
Kehinde Wiley (n.d.). Retrieved August 25th, 2010, from
Allen, G. (2000) Intertextuality : The New Critical Idiom.New York,NY:Great Britain
Kehinde Wiley is a fantastic artist who I believe is very passionate about his opinions and ideas. I think that he is a brave artist to send out his message in such a bold way. It's interesting to see how you see the idea of intertextuality in his work and how his work reminds you of earlier on references such as renaissance paintings. Because we know that the work in the Renaissance depicted 'white men and women' who are high class and wealthy we are able to get a deeper understanding towards Wiley's works, therefore having a greater understanding about what his works is about.
ReplyDeleteHe references history in his work's such as the racial segregation that happened throughout the 1950's therefore uses 'black men' in his subject matter to show importance and empowerment.
You are right in saying that a lot of the poses Wiley gets his models to do are quiet “powerful” and “majestic.” He clearly expresses through this the post-modern belief that we are all equal. He questions the ways of modernity and how people were classed according to their skin colour. He emphasises on the fact that in today’s day and age we all can be just as powerful whether we are black or white.
ReplyDeleteHis works are very much in sync with the concept of pluralism. Like you said his works give “the viewers an idea that there are different cultures but everyone is equal.” I find it clever how he can express this idea in such a beautiful and artistic way.
I agree with you when you say that wiley expresses his art through ideas of different range of time preiods such as Renaissance, French rococo and many more. Just by looking at his piece of Kehinde Wiley Count Potocki, 2008 oil on canvas, 274.3 x 274.3cm i can surely tell that rennaissance is a well liked time of art for him as he has used this time to change the HUGE idea of Pluralism and how stereotypes bagan. Being a black man himself i think his artwork has surely made him and many others proud of how he has put his culture out there for us to view not knowing how his work will be judged. Wiley does try to make points about hte society we live in and also worldwide just to show how not only the worlds changed but also how we as human beings have changed along as well.
ReplyDeleteWiley is one brave artist in my opinion, being able to spread his opinions by using such ways with his paintings. Just like what you said, using the Renaissance period painting, turning it into contemporary art, and adding the element of intertextuality, replacing/modifying the painting by adding social concerns.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do have the same feeling just like how you said about he uses bright colours, and also with the detailed wallpaper painting, it looks just like a real wallpaper, which i find it really amusing.
I agree that Wiley expresses his opinions through art by using historic intertextual references, from paintings by replacing the "white person" with a "black person". I think he would get a lot of support from people who are against racism as his work is a lot about referencing the time when "black people" were mistreated and looked down upon. His work plays upon the post modern paradigm in terms of artwork - that no one artwork is better than another simply because, but that they are all just as good as one another just in different ways, which he uses but applies it to racism, that all human beings all equal.
ReplyDeleteHe is a New York based painter from Los Angeles who has situated himself firmly within art history’s tradition of portrait painting and he normally drew the young men who wiley sees on the street and most of his work based on photographs. Moreover, I agree u mention like “He embraces the style of hip-hop culture which he shows in his paintings, and appear to be based around the style and concepts of the Renaissance paintings”. And I really like his drawing style as a one of viewer because his drawing is so realistic and detail when he describes everything and using the primary colour for background.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that you said Wiley’s work not only makes plain the intertextual nature of the photograph image but serves also to make points about the physical world,social western worldwide. Wiley's work raises questions around social/cultural hierarchies, colonization, globalization, stereotypes and the politics which govern a western worldview. His paintings refer to these issues by showing the idea that the coloured man also has a lot of power and demands his respect back.
ReplyDelete