Constructing an Identity

Taysir Keys
Imagery, Identity, and Culture
February 22, 2019
Professor Cherow-O'Leary

Constructing an Identity

        Identity is constructed through one's experiences, abilities, knowledge, relationships, occupation, and personality. For those reasons, it cannot ever even be truly 'completed'-- Judith A. Howard makes a point to quote Bhabha early on in her essay entitled Social Psychology of Identities, saying, "[I]dentity is never a priori, nor a finished product; it is only ever the problematic process of access to an image of totality." The process of identity construction is essentially lifelong, and those components I listed earlier continue to shift and change your identity forever, subconsciously or otherwise. There's also the fact that others have their own views of (typically based on stereotypes, assuming these people are stranger), which can and typically does affect the identity as well. We visited the Montclair Art Museum to see their exhibit entitled Constructing Identity in America, and I took photos of a number of pieces to discuss.
        The first work I'll talk about is Barbara Kruger's 2004 piece, Untitled (Seeing through you). It portrays a woman staring sternly into an unseen camera, with a green filter covering the entire image. There are white circles scattered about, seemingly at random. The words "Seeing through you" are in large print, scaling the whole photo. The question regarding the artwork is whether the woman is being seen through, or if she's the one seeing through someone else. We all have our identities and the one that we allow the public to see, the one we show those closest to us, and the one when we're alone are usually all different in some way if not many ways. Being completely and utterly honest about yourself is generally looked down upon, and I think it's fair to say none of us want to really be seen through, and that would completely do away with the shell we all work hard to keep up. Although it can be nice to be yourself with a select few, it leaves you vulnerable.

Barbara Kruger - Untitled (Seeing through you), 2004-05

        The second work is a homage to Norman Rockwell's Triple-Self-Portrait, painted by Fahamu Pecou in 2010, entitled Rock.Well: Radiant, Pop, Champ. The painting depicts Pecou himself painting a self-portrait while looking into a mirror for reference. He artist shapes his own identity with the help of his three heroes, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Muhammad Ali, who all have their photos taped to the top-right of the canvas. In Pecou's own words, "this holy trinity of influences on my own practice continue to help inform and shape my view of art, innovation, and courage." Artists especially can find their identities influenced a lot by the things they see and experience, whether it be their own lives or the work of others that inspires them. The self-portrait shows that he's been able to construct his own identity via his experiences, abilities, and relationships, falling in line with what I'd initially suggested would make up an identity.

Fahamu Pecou - Rock.Well: Radiant, Pop, Champ, 2010

        The third piece is Nick Cave's Sound Suit, created in 2015. I believe it's a representation of the "shell" we put up to protect ourselves from otherwise total vulnerability. We block people from seeing us with whatever we can-- in this case, a lot of noisy objects and toys. It gives off the idea that this person is exuberant, full of life, playful, and generally just has a fun-loving personality. The fact remains, though, that we can't truly be sure what's going on underneath it all. This is, to a degree, what I think everyone does. We may not all be trying to convince everyone that we're easygoing and just loving life, but we're not being completely honest, and that's fair. I don't think we should be, because frankly, shots toward your true character can hurt and permanently damage you. 

Nick Cave - Sound Suit, 2015

        The fourth piece is Shannon Linder's Grievance Quilt, a three-year project she'd finished in 2018. The quilt is a representation of all of her grievances, ranging from bad coffee to people who chew with their mouths open and global warming deniers. It's something I hadn't really thought about; our identity includes the things we enjoy and what we despise. I actually think this is my favorite work from the entire exhibit because of how much I relate to it. It's also, in the artist's own words, "lumpy and imperfect, but absolutely endearing" which only makes me appreciate it even more. Being able to see all of the artist's dislikes in one quilt probably tells me more about her than most of these works do, offering more of her identity than most are willing to, as it's so honest.
     

        

Shannon Linder - Grievance Quilt, 2018

        The fifth and final piece I chose is Wardell Milan's One could still dream to devise an optimistic antidote against the defeatist and cynical claims of the Return to Order, finished in 2008 (the title reminds me of a Sufjan Stevens song). Artistically, the work is interesting as well because they are actually tabletop dioramas that are hand-assembled in an art studio. He uses cardboard and cuts out figures from family photos, magazines, and other things to create a world that otherwise seems easier to create in a computer program. I think this is another of the more honest pieces, as it visualizes the dysfunction and disaster of this home I assume represents his own. The piece offers us Milan's identity through a personal space of his, presumably a space he had grown up in-- a space that guides the identities of many, at least throughout their youth. 

Wardell Milan - One could still dream.. the Return to Order, 2018