Constructing an Identity

     In response to the question ,What does it mean to construct an Identity?"I believe constructing an Identity relies on many things, where you come from, your town, your neighborhood, who you hang out with, your social networks, your family, and culture. Also, are you from a prominent family, poor? In your social group are you positively valued or negatively valued? Ethnic group situations such as racial identification suggests the in and out group of races as well. Although I would prefer to believe all races are created equal, due to discrimination, or prejudice this may not always be the case. All of this was mainly cover in the article I read by Judith Howard.

     African Americans fear, according to  Information gathered by Judith A. Howard, losing their social, racial identity if they become more high achieving. This meaning they fear developing a race less identity resulting in negative psychological consequences for the African American, or so they believe. People, according to Judith, tend to value highly those social groups to which they belong. Identifying with a certain group is a powerful motivator to one's sense of belonging, perhaps.

How do these things connect to our class discussion on race gender and power that was the topic of discussion? I'm not sure because I was not there for class discussion on that day, but, if I had been I would have wondered out loud in the class discussion how one race or the other could be held back from prospering for fear of losing their Identity. I would have question whether this report about Blacks in particular, truly feel the way Ms. Howard said they did if they become more socially  prominent. I think change is good for the better of man kind in general and one's personality stays the same no matter the social status.

Image 1-Faharru Pecou 1979

     This artist was in the Constructing Identity art display at the Mont Clair Art Museum. His art work on display there is  entitled "Rockwell: Radiant ,Pop Champ 2010 ,acrylic on canvas, dimensions not found, large wall sized. He is described as a Interdisciplinary artist.
 He best identifies in our readings on blackboard as having a symbolic interaction to people, objects. I conclude this since he has a symbolic attachment, it appears, to celebrity people such as Muhammad Alli, and prized fighters who have won a tittle or titlist belt which is an object in his painting as well. I believe the people's faces and objects in his painting represent a type of hierarchical social status to the artist. He as well, by putting himself in this painting, believes he has achieved somewhat of a higher social status as well and is perhaps identifying with the social status and Identity of the famous figures in the painting.

Nick Cave-(b. 1959) Sound suit, 2015

mixed media performance artist

     A suit made out of many found objects, Dimensions- size of a taller man
This suit is is made out of very bright sequenced materials, old globes from the 50's old noise makers and many nostalgic toy like objects. It attaches at the top with a metal framing at the sides of the shoulders. There sits, in the middle of of the top piece , an angelic angel figure. This is rather large ,like a yard ornament at Christmas. The artist's has a mask he wears that covers his face when he performed a dance in the bright rainbow colored suit. Supposedly he preferred to remain Anonymous by not showing his face but it's likely everyone knew  what this artists looked like anyway.
     I would call this symbolic interaction, as reported in Judith Howard's article about social identification.The suit ,despite no person is identifiable, has symbolic forms of objects that represent times in the past, fun toys, and the seriousness of a rather religious looking angel. But the  dance performance, the dancing ,is done with an anonymous mask on. The,"who am I", of cognitive schema's images could be at play here as well, in this wearable performance art display.

Mark Dion, Tittle of piece,"  On Tropical Nature," A table installation with an old fashioned trunk sitting beside it

Picture unavailable due to camera glitch and unavailable picture on museum site!

   Mark Dion is described as an American conceptual artist who uses scientific presentations in his art work. In this case, as stated above it is a table with a glass casing filled with object he acquired on a beach reportedly in  the Venezuelan rain forest. He calls upon what he considers the scientific objects he finds there. He wants to question what one distinguishes as objective , rational, and the other, subjective, irrational, influences of art found on the beach. Some of the things inside the table are "naturally", found on a beach. These things would include, sand, shells, bark,soil, insects and all things one might expect to find in a Natural environment.  Some of the other things not found naturally in his art table would be expected but aside from the trunk at the side one has to wonder what other objects might appear on a beach. Since this beach appears to be of a more natural state , untouched by  the waste of commercial consumerism the artist's states that pretty much everything else found on our  own American beaches is put there by man, and that we shape for good or for worse our own environment. I guess this is the scientific part of the display and the point the artists is trying to make.   Good point I say. Again I say this would relate to symbolic interaction as Judith Howard describes when people identify with objects and their meanings. There is a language being spoken here and I think it's one of protesting. A save the planet message of sorts. This is how this art presentation , in my opinion relates to our readings.

 Conceptual Artist ,Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is another conceptual artist who uses herself as art either photographing herself or getting someone else to photograph her whilst she dresses up in outfits she designs.  She concentrates on the way women are viewed in society. In her untitled "402, year- 2000, she dresses up in a patriotic outfit with large gold stars in a pattern of red ,white and blue. Her ensemble, resembling the colors of the flag. She wears a straw hat on her head with full blown makeup that id rather pale and makes her eyes look almost beadie. In the displays she hangs next to a somber portrait of George Washington our first president of the united states.
I believe Cindy is creating a positive identity of herself by relating to the patriotism of our country.  The curator that placed this photograph next to George Washington is showing support for women and equality and the correlation of the  importance of George Washington, women, and their equal importance in our country. This demonstrates how over time identities shift.

Katherine Opie, American Photographer

The Photos by Katharine Opie is of what appears to be two men.One is knelling down on  his knee holding on to another man 's arm while the other sits in a chair is not what it appears. The kneeling man is a woman and a relative. A sister I believe. Tattoos appear on the flesh of the girl sitting. Katherine investigates gay culture and personal histories of people that might be considered pushing  the  so called normal boundaries of society or those that are relaying a different personal dialog of themselves to others. By photographing these individuals she hopes to improve attitudes and relationships to themselves and others. At the core of her artwork she helps raise questions about the relationships in their communities which she can explore across her many bodies of work.
 This relates to the question one asks in the Identity construction articles by Judith Howard ,"Who am I?"This concept of one's identity leads to change in surrounding social context.