Phile Mavundla
05 June 2015
Visual Communication
Cultural Appropriation Essay
In This essay the artist of focus will be Kendell Geers, the areas that will be studied will be his art work including the different types, images with different forms of his work will be discussed through the body of the essay and how cultural appropriation and the uses are conducted in his work.
Cultural appropriation involves a dominant group which resorts to exploiting other groups that have less power if any at all, in most cases the group being exploited has very little knowledge on sustaining themselves or each other in relation to certain skill they may have. Cultural appropriation can include the acts of taking or borrowing someone else’s intellectual
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There are different layers within the paint, the painting is an appropriation from the Sienese painters from the 13th century onwards, the barbed wire is infused with the crucifix and other icon figures such as Bhudda and there are are elements of abstract form. This art work is an example of Geers ability to cross boundaries with his artwork, ‘crossing the line’ encompasses a strong and poetic sense of direction, you can also pick up that geers does not shy away from challenging his audience to think twice about what they already know or think they know. (Geers …show more content…
Bibliography
Image1: http// artthrob.co.za/02jun/artbio.html
Image2: www.kendellgeers.com/library/works/87
Image3: http://www.goodman-gallery.com/artist/bow_thumbs/3856
Image4: https://www.artrabbit.com/events/Kendell-geers-crossing-the-line
Nittle,N. (2015) What Is Cultural Appropriation and Why Is it Wrong?. available from [19 June 2015] www.kendellgeers.com/library/works/87 [19 June 2015]
McIntosh,T. (2007) Lift off Part 1 at Goodman Gallery Cape. available from [19 June 2015]
Geers,K. (2014) Kendell Geers Crossing the Line. available from
The social issues of the time are highlighted in the artist’s work. This was done to show that the working class is standing united in the face of oppression or opposition.
In the 21st century, Native American culture is largely represented by mascots. Issues of isolation, education, and alcoholism continue to plague Native American reservations, but these issues are largely ignored by the general public. Instead, much of the battleground relating to Native American rights has centered on where they are most visible--sports. In “Racism American Style…,” Elizabeth Delacruz presents the problems with the mainstream portrayal of Native Americans. She uses four examples of problematic mascots to support her claim that racist imagery depicting Native Americans continues to be prevalent in American society.
Cultural Appropriation is a problem because we do not choose to accept other people livelihoods. “ cultural appropriation typically involves members of a dominant group exploiting the culture of less privileged groups.” (Little, Cultural). That is the society we live in today, we do not want to understand other cultures, race, and ideas. It is like when our mothers say don’t judge a book by its cover, it is the most important lesson we can all learn in this lifetime.
The guard is wearing helmet and he stands behind the crucifixion. There are two executioners in the scene, an older man and an assumedly young boy. Into the near distance stands three unidentified males. It looks like two men are conversing with a man wearing a white cloak. The focus point of the painting is St Andrew and he is staring in to the light shining from the sky.
In the article, Three Cheers for Cultural Appropriation, published August 30, 2017, author Bari Weiss defends the "charges" of cultural appropriation as simple syncretism, the root of his argument being the accusation of "cultural appropriation" is overwhelmingly being used to define the most natural process in our melting-pot country - the mixing of different ethnicities, cultures, and religions. Weiss claims that America's culture is at risk of being extinct introducing a new existence where we are all forced to remain in the "ethnic and racial lanes" assigned to us at birth. Weiss' argument is clearly structured but does not provide a clear definition of "cultural appropriation" therefore it makes Weiss' argument invalid because he did not
Regardless of the passage of time, typically speaking, people’s vision of Native Americans remains wrapped up in powerful stereotypes. This is why some images we see of Indians can be surprising and perhaps confusing. What would Geronimo be doing sitting in a Cadillac? Why is an Indian woman in traditional native wear, in a salon, getting her hair done? Images such as this cause us to think and challenge our outdated visions, even as the latter continues to dominate relations between non-Native Americans and Native Americans.
One angle is also bearing the symbols of the crucifixion like the lance Christ was stabbed with and the crown of thorns. The top part of the painting as a very calming and gentle tone to it. Both panels show Jesus but they look like two different people. On the left he 's lifeless, has no clothes on and seems weak. The middle ground between heave and hell is small.
Being black in America has become a curse and a blessing for those who identify within the black community. Most mainstream artists that are successful are black, there is biracial president who identifies himself black, and black culture has become the popular culture. Ironically, there in lies the problem with black culture becoming the dominating culture. Everyone wants to be black until police brutality, racism, and a historical prejudice are brought into the mix. In my group our topic was the title of my paper, “Shades of Grey”: Narratives of Black Experience.
Throughout American history, the population of the country has become more and more diverse, and with this growth in diversity comes the growth of the diversity of cultures in this society. However, cultural appropriation has become a problem as the American society became more and more diverse throughout the course of the years. Cultural appropriation is the theft of one culture’s intellectual property or key beliefs, generally by a larger culture, and then this larger culture using what is taken from a minority culture incorrectly or inappropriately. Cultural appropriation perpetuates many of the stereotypes found within American society, and it also is a main contributor to the misinterpretations of minority cultures within the country.
In a recent article by CNN, pop artist Bruno Mars was found accused of “cultural appropriation,” by critics of his new album, “24k Magic.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines “cultural appropriation” as “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture. " Writer and activist, Seren Sensei posits that Mars’ “takes pre-existing work and he just completely, word-for-word recreates it, extrapolates it," she added. "He does not create it, he does not improve upon it, he does not make it better.”
When I analyze this painting, my eyes are drawn to the building in the bottom left which seems to resemble a church. It has a white steeple and roof line along with light red brick for the walls. The color, style, size, and position of this particular building sets it apart from the rest of the buildings which all seem to blend together along the composition. The building’s edge meets right with the fence line along the field in the bottom left corner of the piece. It prompts viewers to begin their focus on the left of the painting instead of drawing our eyes directly to the center.
The 1808 painting The Valpincon Bather by Ingres, is said to be “controversial”(oil painting techniques). At first glance, one may only see the back of a nude woman. If one looked closer there is a lot of different types of elements of composition. From the curtains, to the tassels it all plays a role.
Stretten uses this method, not only to convince her audience of her position, but additionally to change their stance on the subject from a basis of principles to personal. The way Stretten accomplishes this is by sharing her personal experiences regarding the use of caricatured Native Americans as mascots. She engages herself with her audience in an effort to, if they are not already convinced on principle, convince them that this is an issue that personally affects her. Once Stretten establishes herself as a person, rather than just a writer, she moves on to citing research of the mental health of those who have been victim to appropriation and stereotyping. This exhibits the actual emotional consequences of caricatures and cultural appropriation, thus effectively using pathos as a form of
Cultural appropriation has been used throughout history to imply messages in both art and design. Often used in political art, satire and contempary art, this type of insinuation uses popular symbols of a culture or sub-culture (these symbols often stem from stereotypes so that they can be understood by the masses) to further layer an artwork or imply a deeper meaning by hinting towards a characteristic of said culture. The key to identifying appropriation is whether these symbols and signs are being used out of their original context. It is therefore important to understand the meaning of cultural appropriation and how it is used, to completely comprehend these works of art. This essay considers three works and how cultural appropriation was
Cultural appropriation and the ideologies around them has lasting effects on all people of color. But in our society where we all we have stories to tell and bare, we need to realize that instead of hurting cultures through our actions we need honor them through our acknowledgement. Because this world we live in should not be one where a boy and his sister feel alienated from their own culture, nor a mother feel like her culture is being stripped away, on a