Presentation

Originally, my topic was "post-colonialism: the west and her insatiable appetite" which bothered me for some reason. Most likely because the one and only book they had for it in the library just didn't seem to be there. I didn't really know much about post-colonialism at all but Lena opened my eyes a bit and my topic was changed to Post-colonialism in art. So my research is mainly focusing on the aspect of post-colonialism where the territories that are colonized by bigger, more powerful territories, and the struggle to acheive their own national identity. The first move i made was reading an article out of art journal that mentioned a few things about post-colonialism, but was full of the post-colonial artists that I, in turn began to research.I wrote down all the names i found in the article and then started off by browsing through the computerapps del.icio.us site. I searched for all of the names i wrote down from the article and posted them on my delicious site. The sites i found on delicious didn't help me as much as i had hoped so I turned to the good old google. The first artist on my list to research was Gordon Bennett. He is an australian, aboriginal artist who in his work, portrays some of the issues facing his country and where they stand under colonial rule.

This is one of his paintings called "culture bag". He uses a certain style in this painting to pay tribute to African-American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat with a self portrait, a skeleton superimposed on an aboriginal ancestral creature, and columns of bitter words such as annihilation, abolition, abrogation, genocide, obliteration, removal, nonentity, nullity, and nothingness on each side of the painting. In an interview Bennet refered to this painting as "confronting", and "driven by a sense of injustice"(Gabriella Coslovich, "Bennett puts On A Brave Face", April 28 2004).Bennett's work, I've found really interests me. I like the "in your face" factor of his art and the fact that he is constantly sending out a message.

The next artist I began to research is a photographer from Northern Ireland named Paul Seawright. I am a photographer myself, so i also enjoyed looking at his work. He is Professor of Photography and Dean of Newport School of Art Media & Design at the University of Wales, Newport, United Kingdom and is best known for his series of photographs called "The Sectarian Murder Series" taken to document places where political murders have taken place over the past thirty years. He left out any evidence of violence in order to emphasize the effects that terrorism can have on innocent people and civilians. The meaning of his photos, compiled with the overall way they look ( arrangement, scenery, color etc.) makes his work interesting and worth while.

Lastly, I began to research William Kentridge, who also turns out to be rather interesting due to the fact that his work is mainly animation and films. Kentridge is a South African artist who is interested in political art and contradiction, however makes sure there is a slight optimism present to "keep the nihilism at bay"( Philipe Moins,"William Kentridge: Quite the opposite of cartoons", October 1998). He has never left his hometown of Johannesburg but claims that the attitudes and messages portrayed in his work derive from the brutalized society undergoing colonial wake.
After all this, I feel as though I have an adequate knowledge of Post-colonialism and it's place in the art world, and the struggle that so many different countries are going through and it's effects on everyone there, or nearby.

Citations
Bennett Puts On a Brave Face
Not Quite Cartoons
Paul Seawright
Post-colonialism

My Zine

My zine is going to be called The Post.

1. (Subjective Explanation): When i found out that the research of post-colonialism was going to be my new best friend for some odd weeks, an immediate response of dissappointment had cast a dark shadow over any dreams I may have had about researching something that could have sparked the slightest bit of interest in me. The words post and colonialism have never joined hands to take a deep walk into the hills and valleys of my mind, so I immediately just thought of sitting in an elementary or middle school social studies class, sleeping. However, I have neglected to mention that my topic of Post-Colonialism is focused on how it is used in art, and the issues that can be noted in the work of some artists who are currently undergoing, or have undergone the subjection of colonial rule. Thank God, after getting more research done and learning more and more about my topic I have found myself being more and more interested in the art work. I'm thinking it's because most of the subject matter in this type of work is direct and gives the viewer a pretty clear understanding of the issues that are being adressed. Of course, the fact that all of this work is mainly looked at as being "controversial" helps spark an interest as well; who doesn't love controversy?

2. Here it comes, my lesson plan to teach everyone a little bit about WHAT EXACTLY IS POST COLONIALISM? Think of the big guys; mainly Europe. Think of all those little...territories and nations, that Europe controls; almost as though they were chess peices. Europe has taken (or colonized) plenty a chess peice, and these countries fight what seems to be an everlasting battle, trying to establish their own national identity. Many issues such as, race, gender, ethnicity, social class and history come into play while this is all taking place. Put all this in a large bowl of people, and it should result in some sort of cultural explosion.

Fatty Fashions

1.) From reading the fatty fashions zine, i've gathered that the main idea being advocated is to love the body you're in, even if it's a rather large one. Fatty fashions is not advocating the every-day anorexic look we see, and maybe even admire in every aspect of pop-culture today. Today, the " Too Thin" look is drilled into our lives from every different type of media, forcing us to beleive that that is the best way to be.
2.) The sections of this zine are well thought out and work interestingly. They consist of
1. An explanatory introduction to the zine and what it is about, and the feelings and opinions of its author.
2. A very clever list of what is (or should be) in and out for the fatties that season.
3. Next section is a very helpful guide to plus-size shopping. First, a small description, then several places in the mall that cater to the larger needs. Then, to narrow it down, there is a list of name brands that to the same. The same idea is carried over to the next page, but with online shopping. Lastly, the last page of this section is dedicated to the chubsters that don't want to spend too much money.
4. An article on being fat in fashion entitled "LIVIN LARGE" featuring beth ditto.
5. The next, and last section consists of three pages that serve as a guide to making the not-so-attractive standard plus-size clothes into something more fun and cute.
3.) Two personal and subjective sections are the introduction and the "we've all been there" introduction to the shopping guide. They are personal in how this girl is talking directly to the reader about her opinions, experiences and feelings. They each target a direct subject and subject the reader to what it is like to be in a larger persons shoes.
4.) Two sections that clearly show research consist of one: her extravagantly knowledgable shopping guide where she cites her findings by directly telling the reader where to go, and what sizes and other information she found when she was there. Another section where research is evident is her article with Beth Ditto where she gets a fellow fatty to discuss the same issues,
5.) She has appropriated images into her own work seeing as how she is using them in her own way to describe her own topics and issues, and making them work well with the subject matter that it stands for.

Post-colonial art and artists

"Wound" is an acrylic painting on linen by Gordon Bennet, who is know for having very provacative, and sometimes controversial works of art. From a post-colonial perspective, George Bennet's work reflects his thoughts and curiosity of Australia's history. Culture permeates through his works, historically as well as contemporarily. In this particular image he directly adresses the issues facing his society today-subject matter, controversy, text, tirade and articles and also in the past.


This is a photograph by Paul Seawright. This particular peice is from his series, sectarian murder series. Sectarian Murder series photographically documents places where there have been political murders in Northern Ireland over the past thirty years. In this work, he makes no refrences to political organizations so that the viewer can focus on the effects that terrorism has on other individuals.



This is a print entitled"Casspirs full of love" by William Kentridge who is another political artist from South Africa. Another artists who reflects his country's contradictions, history and living situations. William Kentridge's work surfaces from the "brutalized society left in it's wake" ( Philipe Moins, William Kentridge: Quite the opposite of cartoons, October 1998). His work consists of realism as well as satire.

postcolonialism

Overall, post-colonialism deals with territories that are, or once were colonized by another territories. Another aspect is that it is a field of studies developed and studied from third world spaces in first world locations. Post-colonialism describes all of the social, political, and cultural events that formed from the rise and fall of European colonialism that has been going on since the 19th century. One emphasis of post-colonialism is the ongoing colonial forms of power in present-day politics. This also includes issues involving relationships between classes, gender and race and their differences and relations. Besides post-colonialism itself, all of these ideas are incorporated into the post-colonial theory. It adresses the same issues as well as identity, and ethnicity and the struggles that these colonized territories go through in the midst of colonial rule.