Constructing an Identity

Constructing an identity can come in many forms, and also has its connotations in several different aspects. According to Judith Howard, identity comes from social psychology, including how we identify through our social groups and in contrast, how we identify through our individual selves. Judith Howard also delves further into interactionism when constructing our identities, and how it pertains to the things we attach ourselves to, as well as how we associate with them. In previous readings, writers such as Kerry Manders, Jelani Cobb, and Ru Paul have talked about how race, power and gender affects how we construct our identities. This is especially true for races or genders that may not be defined as the “status quo” or “the norm”, which in our society usually means white and male.

In context with the museum exhibit, several pieces spoke to the construction of identity. Many of the elements included within each piece involved visual language, self-portraiture, historical reference or reflection, and words with various meaning. These elements convey how we as individuals and as a society as a whole construct an identity in various ways For example, a visual language could be seen in several of the pieces within the exhibit. This may have included certain patterns that were used in clothing or fabric, certain color palettes, or certain usage of objects that were repurposed in some other way. This visual language establishes identity because of the way someone outside of these groups would themselves “identify” these fabrics or colors or objects. Upon seeing them, an outsider would recognize the origination immediately, and establish those visual cues with a certain culture, for example like with Native Americans, and their use of patterns from those they traded with.

There were also artists that utilized historical references, like the “Rock Well” artist. An identity was established through pieces like this one through reflecting on one’s self through referencing another, from another time. As Judith Howard explains through interactionism, “The basic premise of symbolic interaction is that people attach symbolic meaning to objects, behaviors, themselves, and other people, and they develop and transmit these meanings through interaction”. The “Rock Well” artist specifically attached himself to Norman Rockwell’s style of painting, but also infuses other artist’s styles as well to establish his own identity. A similar reflection takes place with the photo of “Smokey”, who’s identity is established through others that are viewing his photo, as well as himself once he decided to put on his best shirt before being photographed.

A few pieces particularly stood out to me in terms of construction of an identity aside from the pieces mentioned above. This includes Willie Cole’s “Silex Male, Ritual, 2004”; Fahamu Pecou’s “Rock.Well: Radient, Pop, Champ, 2010 ”; Dulce Pinzon’s “Bernabe Mendez (Spiderman), 2007”; Barbara Kruger’s “Untitled (Seeing through you), 2004-5”, and Sandy Skoglund’s “A Breeze at Work, 1987”.

In Willie Cole’s “Silex Male”, there is what appears to be a man in tribal garb or makeup, positioned in such a way that this man is some sort of tribal leader serving as a specimen to be studied and further analyzed. However, as the wall text explains, the image is actually a mixed media composition, with a photo of the artist himself and iron plate marks digitally added on top of his skin to resemble tribal markings. There are also iron plates atop his head, resembling some sort of head garb or crown, making him look like either a warrior or chief of his tribe. As previously mentioned, Cole has attached himself to his favorite brand of irons, named Silex, in order to establish an identity. He also manages to do so in a way where he presents his identity as the “Silex Male”, a tribal specimen that is literally and figuratively branded by the type of iron that he likes to use.

To delve further into Fahamu Pecou’s “Rock.Well”, the viewer can immediately see a man sitting in front of a mirror, looking at his reflection as paints whatever he sees on a nearby canvas. There are a collection of images above the canvas, almost as if a reference point for what he is painting, and a tag at the bottom that reads “Rock Well”. Upon reading the wall text, the viewer learns that the artist was inspired by a similar piece by Norman Rockwell, and features people that have influenced him in his life, including Muhammad Ali, Basquiat, and Andy Warhol. As aforementioned, he places these three influences as small photos above the canvas as a reference for what he is painting, which ironically is a reflection of himself.

Dulce Pinzon’s piece features a photo of what appears to be Spiderman, however, the way he establishes identity is through a more personal way. According to the wall text, this photo is actually of a Mexican immigrant named Bernabe Mendez, who is in costume as the famous superhero in order to represent the immigrants in America who are doing thankless jobs everyday, similar to superheroes. He brings attention to the identity of immigrants in America, and the fact that their identities are often unnoticed or completely invisible.

Barbara Kruger’s piece “Seeing through you” also speaks on the idea of an identity being constructed through sight, and being seen figuratively and literally. With her prominent text layered on top of a half-toned image of a woman’s face, the question is posed to the viewer whether the woman is seeing through them, or a representation of the viewer’s perspective is being portrayed. This idea of power is introduced in the essay by Kerry Manders, who discusses male and white privilege, and the conflict of identities between those who are male or white, and those who are not. Through this combination of text and imagery however, the power is indirectly, if not intentionally given to either the woman or the spectator as explained in the wall text, which states that sight and being able to see imbues the person who can “see” with power.

Finally, Sandy Skoglund’s piece features a man and a woman in what appears to be some sort of office like setting that has been completely browned out, with a layer of blue foliage placed on top of it. According to the wall text, Skoglund’s intentions also included using what one sees to construct identity. In the case of her piece “Breeze at Work”, she captures the setting of an office environment through photography, and remarks the stillness of the setting. However, the viewer understands that the identity one would associate with a professional setting is quiet and stillness, however Skoglund remarks that there is still movement that the one would not immediately associate with an office setting, such as the air flowing through it. To accomplish this and add to the identity of the work place, she adds the layer of foliage to construct a sense of air moving through the leaves, and establish that there is in fact movement involved within this constructed identity.