Constructing Identity

What I believe about constructing identity is that it is subconsciously created but consciously realized. The construction of identity is an established summary of childhood and you’re past life, as well as basis on what you live by as an adult. This relates to readings because it relates to the cultural identity of different people. The Grievance Quilt (2018) by Shannon Lindor relates to cultural identity in a first world country. I chose this piece because as you study the quilt, the culture read from it is of modern day society. Some grievances are very low-key such as “exploding yogurts”, “meninists”, “pulp”, and “people who don’t RSVP”.  The artist says her self that creating the quilt was therapeutic and allowed her to literally air out her grievances at the end of the day by putting it on a blanket.  The artist also mentions that she prefers instant gratification, probably accomplishing something using technology or services. In order to teach herself patience she reverted to classical ways of quilting with modern day pom-pom ornaments. The quilt is purely a metaphor for the modern and mild annoyances and evidently, shows that the identify is relative to todays modern society and young people.

 

 Barnabe Mendez (Spiderman) 2007, by Dulce Pinzon is a piece that spoke to me directly. It reminds me of my own culture and identity. This photograph shows window cleaner dressed in a Spiderman costume harnessed to the side of the building. Both the photographer and the subject had to go to brave lengths to get this shot. This shoes the daily efforts that immigrants go through in this country to make a decent income. These jobs often go unnoticed and are very dangerous to achieve. Personally, I appreciate the representational effort to take these professionals look like super heroes because my father is a retired window cleaner in New York City. It is a dangerous job that requires balance practice, and skill to achieve in a smooth manner and there is always a very real possibility that you could end your day at the hospital, which often happened. In Social Psychology of Identities by Judith Howard, she states, “Recent years have seen increasing attention to struggles over national and ethnic identities, mirroring the real world identity-based ethnic conflicts that have had resurgence in the 1990s.” Unfortunately, this is still as real as ever decades later. The cultural identity of people like the window cleaner and the photographer differs greatly from other young Americans For a large percentage of this country; much of the culture is heavily traced to Mexico and other Hispanic countries. It is important to depict these people who live daily to support their families in a long-distance manner as something positive as opposed to being targeted as a general group as dangerous or parasitic but as hard working and even with super-human qualities.

 Untitled (Seeing Through You) 2004-5 by Barbara Kruger touches more on identity than it does culture. To me, the text “Seeing through you” is confrontational, it speaks directly to the viewer and makes me think to myself, if someone can see through my perceived identity. It is mesmerizing to see, the composition is taken entirely by a face looking through. This composition of a woman looking with texturized format and thoughtful expression can be interpreted in several different ways. It provokes the viewer to reflect on how they want to be seen or on what to see.

 Vanity Eye (Bathroom Surveillance) 1966-72 by Martha Rosler is another thought provoking photomontage that I saw. She stresses that she wants people to feel the irony of being watched in a private area. Somewhere your identity is the most vulnerable is being juxtaposed next to a watchful eye that can be interpreted as society and the conformed culture that it imposes on you even in your most “sacred place”. This piece challenges the way you look at identity. To me, it represents the pressure to be seen as a preferred and idealized version of who they are to fit the societal male gaze. Women are targeted constantly to be consumers of domestic products, which is why it is important to call attention to these subtle actions.
                                               

Something that I thoroughly enjoyed viewing at the Montclair Museum was the diversity in cultures and identities that they showcased. Not only did we view pieces representing the way identity relates with culture, but also we got to explore subjects with individuals who are seen as nonconformists. Lenny, Minneapolis, 2002 by Alec Soth is an enveloping photograph. It shows a construction worker named Lenny from Minneapolis who works as an erotic masseur by night. He is a part of a series that sought out “loners and dreamers” around modern America. It is so warm to represent nonconformists and abstract thinkers who live by their own accords to be showcased in such an endearing way