When we observe something we automatically conjure up memories and ideas that could be related to or look like what we are seeing. An obvious example would be Wiley’s work, when we look at it we quickly start comparing his work to renaissance painters with the realistic rendering and portraiture style.
Wiley’s work is all about creating an atmosphere of power through portraiture. He takes urban black and brown men and positions them in poses that suggest supremacy and glorification.
The theatrical poses, patterns and objects found in the images with the men are drawn from well- known images of the 17th through to the 19th century. The intertextuality within Wiley’s work is identified through the way he combines an old traditional style with new subject matter and techniques.
Wiley’s work contradicts the social/ cultural hierarchy’s of the western world. He almost makes a mockery of the classic European portraiture when he colourfully renders African American men in a bold and controversial manner. Wiley puts a very postmodern spin into his work, as classic portrait painters would focus on portraying their subject in a particular gentlemanly way using subtle toning’s, not wanting to distract the viewer from the main part (the person), Wiley’s work is just as much about the subject as it is the aesthetic. His use of vivid and detailed patterns is what engages the viewer then he keeps your attention as you begin to understand what his work is all about.
"Dee and Ricky"
Wiley’s work confronts us with general stereotypes concerned with the European and male hierarchy. In the western world we are not use to seeing African American men portrayed in this way as it is usually white- European dominant. His work is very forward and challenge’s us to think of how we have formed such degrading stereotypes of different ethnicities.
Chandler, D (2003) Intertextuality. Retrieved 16th Aug, 2011
http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/kehinde-wiley/
the techniques that wiley uses are truly captivating and highly engage the viewers by raising these cultural hierarchy's amongst society. I think the use of these 17th to 19th century heroic poses and putting these urban black men into the portraiture really does raise this idea of equality in society.
ReplyDeletei like how you say at the end that we place these steriotypes and degrade them for what we see thorugh media and so fourth. I think this is very true in society and that stereo types really creates issues around trust and getting along with someone. Wiley's work creates a statement to me through the use of presenting these "gangsta" looking men in a heroic fashion that society needs to place a higher regard for each other.
I like how you state Wiley's work is almost like a mockery of classic European portraiture. Wiley uses quite a humourous approach to make a strong statement of how Europeans used to be seen as the "higher classed" people compared to the non Europeans. Its also interesting in the way Wiley uses bold colours to emphasize the strong statement he is trying to make. The details of the patterns and the backgrounds really do capture your attention long enough for you to get what the artwork is really about.
ReplyDeleteyea I think Wiley's paintings are pretty cool, and kinda really interesting because there's a whole bunch of different ironies going on at the same time. Like you said, he uses subtle toning and stuff to portray his subjects in an old fashioned gentlemanly manner, and that's ironic because his subjects are the sort of types usually burdened with unflattering stereotypes. But then again, these days hip hop people are kinda heroes of the modern media, so the irony is reversed again, or whatever. At the end of the day the paintings are nice to look at, whatever the subtext may be.
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