Week 4 - Kehinde Wiley and inter-textuality
Kehinde Wiley
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| 1. Untitled (2009) |
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| 2. Untitled(2009) |
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| 3. Kehinde Wiley Count Potocki, 2008 oil on canvas, 274.3 x 274.3cm |
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| 4. Kehinde Wiley Support Army and Look after People, 2007 oil on canvas, 258.4 x 227.3cm |
Kehinde Wiley is a Gay American based painter born in Los Angeles, who has an international reputation. Wiley lives and practices between Beijing and Brooklyn.
This weeks ALVC class focuses on the Postmodern theme "INTERTEXTUALITY", re-read Extract 1 The death of the author on page 44 of your ALVC books and respond to the oil paintings of Kehinde Wiley.
1. Find a clear definition of Intertextuality and quote it accurately on your blog using the APA referencing system. Use your own words to explain the definition more thoroughly.
Kilbride (2011) explained, “at its most basic level intertextuality acknowledges the fact that no text is an island. All texts are intertexts in so far as they refer to, recycle and draw from other pre-existing texts”.
Which basically mean's that every idea we see, everyday, whether it be in a Film, or it be in advertising, there are always those ideas that are seen as "Cliche" or have been done before. Intertextuality is the independent text/scene that represents or backs an idea up. So the viewer will see something and say "Hey, that must actually be true because that same idea was produced in another movie" not in those exact words, but if something is seen enough we become familiar with it so our only way to really be able to see intertextuality is simply by watching as many movies as possible, because everything these days are generally copies/re-do's of something that has been already made/ though of.
If you build something up,an idea or design for instance. If it is done in different types of ways throughout years, it becomes more known and therefore stands in relation to these previous ways of showng these ideas. For instance holding eyes open is known as something generally quite scary but this is only because a Movie called "A Clockward Orange" (1971) featured somewhat dangerous therapy for inmates, involving their eyes being held open. It has now been seen in family shows for entertainment like The Simpsons, and Thriller Movies such as Final Destination 5 (2011)
2. Research Wiley's work and write a paragraph that analyzes how we might make sense of his work. Identify intertextuality in Wiley's work.
Kehinde Wiley's portraits are based on photographs of Men who Kehinde has seen on the street. He has painted people from places such as Harlems 125th Street, and also from the South Central neighbourhood in which he was born. Kehinde takes these African-Americans, and has them pose as one would from the Renaissance. The reason for this is because in the Renaissance, Portrait's were generally only for very wealthy, classy people. so Wiley is giving this sense of wealth and importance, and giving it to ordinary, African-Americans (which I mean in no form of Racism). But as sad as it is, it's very unexpected to see African-Americans being painted in this way so when you see the painting it can be a mixture of humour, shock and confusion.
We can make the connection between Wiley's ideas and Renaissance painters and say that this is Intertextuality, because he has taken ideas from something very famous, that made an impact on the world, and that also occured many years ago, and used this ideas of Importance in Portrait Painting to produce his own works, that feature people that do not seem to be seen as relevant or wealthy. But then we can only say that this is Intertextuality, if we all know the connections. If one were to come along and not have a clue about the Renaissance, then to the person it would not be Intertextuality until the connections are seen. Once the ideas can be seen, the connections can be made.
Another Intertextuality, is that these Men in the paintings have not only been painted in a way that gives an essence of Importance and Wealth, but also in a way that says that these Men are actually Heroes. As if these men, should be looked up to because they are going to help us if something bad happens. There is a movie called Black Knight (2001), that has Martin Lawrence, a black American who was originally born in Germany, playing as the Knight. As cliche as it sounds, i'm sure you can picture what the movie would involve. But even though it is a comedy movie, the connection of a Heroic black American can be seen once it is addressed.
3. Wiley's work relates to next weeks Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Read page 51 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.
Wiley has taken something that we have all seen at one point, in this case it is Portrait Painting's of wealthy, important white people, and replaced them with ordinary African Americans in the Painting. In my opinion this increases the Post Modernist ideas of Pluralism. This is because in a way the work is questioning the social issues which are around the White upper class. If this white man is important, why can't this African-American be important?
4. Comment on how Wiley's work raises questions around social/cultural hierarchies , colonisation, globalisation, stereotypes and the politics which govern a western worldview.
The way Wiley has positioned the Men over the Floral background gives a sense of confusion to the viewer. This is because we have never seen Portraits done in such a way; a floral background generally represents a higher class, classiness and importance because of the floral background being used in Renaissance Paintings. Now when we look at these works, we instantly see something different because of the colour contrast and the stance of the person, it confuses us because nobody has ever tried to show African Americans in such a professional manner,while in baggy clothing.
It seems to be that Wiley has almost literally just swapped the President or something out of the Painting, and put in an African American because when we look at this, it doesn't seem right and that is what his purpose was, to show that our society is used to seeing people like this in the streets, not in a gallery. Which is sad, because that's racist beyond any possibility. But its true because of steriotyping, etc. These paintings generally look amazing. But because of Steriotypes, this Painting looks out of place, like there is something wrong with it.
5. Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that
you have read during your research.
The way Wiley has positioned the Men over the Floral background gives a sense of confusion to the viewer. This is because we have never seen Portraits done in such a way; a floral background generally represents a higher class, classiness and importance because of the floral background being used in Renaissance Paintings. Now when we look at these works, we instantly see something different because of the colour contrast and the stance of the person, it confuses us because nobody has ever tried to show African Americans in such a professional manner,while in baggy clothing.
It seems to be that Wiley has almost literally just swapped the President or something out of the Painting, and put in an African American because when we look at this, it doesn't seem right and that is what his purpose was, to show that our society is used to seeing people like this in the streets, not in a gallery. Which is sad, because that's racist beyond any possibility. But its true because of steriotyping, etc. These paintings generally look amazing. But because of Steriotypes, this Painting looks out of place, like there is something wrong with it.
5. Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that
you have read during your research.
I think the way Wiley is producing these paintings is amazing. I think that him trying to raise questions about the world, and racism and stereotypes is great because one steriotype, is that all African Americans are gangsters, which is clearly wrong because Wiley is a Gay, African American Artist. I personally wouldn't put him into that catagory of being a Gangster.
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