Binh Danh

Typically, I find "political art" or art addressing topical issues to comes across as fairly boring. Binh Danh, a Vietnamese-American artist definitely operates in the realm of political art, but I did enjoy his images when I first saw them at a photography exhibit in San Diego several months ago. Mainly, I find the aesthetic of his works pleasing and fairly unique. Danh uses a process called chlorophyll printing (essentially harnessing photosynthesis) that involves taking a green leaf and placing a negative over it between two sheets of glass and letting the leaf bake in the sun for weeks at a time. A successful printing is then coated in resin. The result is often an eerie image imprinted on the leaf and bares a similar likeness to early photography processes such as daguerrotypes. The images usually depict scenes from the Vietnam War, but also just portray simple Vietnamese people. Danh uses leaves to emphasize an interconnectedness with the natural world and to stress fragility and vulnerability of life.

Bloodbath (of joy)

I have been reading a book entitled, Why We Watch: the Attractions of Violent Entertainment. I picked this book up because it's one of the few comprehensive collections dealing with media violence that doesn't take the stance of automatically condemning it. For a long time, I have had difficulties accepting the argument that the existence of violent films or video games has led to increased violence in society, especially among the youth. I think plenty of people subject themselves to violent entertainment and never experience feelings of needing to commit violence personally. Speaking for myself, I find that I often enjoy extremely violent films, but I would never want to harm someone or something else in such a manner...and I don't think I'm a creep for finding enjoyment in such forms of entertainment.

I'm about halfway through the book right now, and so far have read chapters dealing with sports, how increased life spans has changed our perceptions of death historically, video games, children's literature, children's television programming, and increased violence in film starting with Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie and Clyde was viewed in a very interesting context because its release in August of 1967, had directly preceded a tumultous time in American history. Race riots in Newark and Detroit, an increasingly militarized Black Panther Party, and Stokely Carmichael's remarks about "we're going to shoot the cops who are shooting our black brothers in the back in this country," all occurred in June or July of that year. The late 1960s also brought the notorious generation gap in ideologies; one that was easily identified in the reaction and response to Bonnie and Clyde.

Old-school critics at the Times and the New York Times, lambasted the film and deemed it "disgusting and irresponsible." Simultaneously, Pauline Kael, a freelance writer, wrote a manifesto that included, "the innocuousness of most of our movies is accepted with such complacence that when an American movie reaches people, when it makes them react, some of them think there must be something the matter with it - perhaps a law should be passed against it." Kael smartly correlates movies like this with ideas concerning justification for political violence as examined in such books as Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth. In many ways, the films of old Hollywood just weren't violent, though-provoking, or smart enough. Stories were tidy and safe, but therefore trite.

Bonnie and Clyde are fashionable, and despite their unlawful deeds, are characters that many young people of the time (and today) can easily sympathize with. The film inspired songs, clothing fashion, and an aesthetic in later films for over the top stylish violence. The film is often linked to the left for its anti-authority stance and for identification with youth. However, despite being able to relate to Bonnie and Clyde and finding them "cool," the vast majority of audience members would never personally feel the need to live out such a romantic but deadly existence.

Sam Peckinpah, whose film The Wild Bunch, shares the same genre as Bonnie and Clyde, provides one quote that I find particularly interesting. "Perhaps we have become so conditioned to violence that we delight in the audacity of a film that piles it on with such gusto." Basically, the audience of the late 1960s was already seeing images from Vietnam on their nightly news. Today's generation has been living through multiple wars in the middle east and the reminder of 9-11. I don't think any of us particularly want to witness actual murders or dead bodies, but when violence is handled in a way that is so outrageous or stylish that it ceases to really be believable, it's possible that this entertainment serves as a weird way to cope with real life and dually provide a strange form of escapism.

Holy Mickey

So, it was requested of me to write on the topic of modern spirituality, and possibly its intersection with hip hop.

Actually, we could just start with the hip hop. A friend of a friend recently bought a hip hop album (I'm not remembering the specific title at the moment) and was reading through the liner notes noticing that each member of the crew had "God" listed right at the beginning of their thank you's. She found that observation to be a bit surprising and possibly contradictory considering the topics and subject matter addressed on the album itself. While this particular group would not be considered "gangsta" by any means, they still had plenty of songs talking about ladies, or drinking 40s, or making references to smoking weed, etc. Basically, behaviors that we don't typically associate with being a Christian.

First and foremost, I think it's important for all of us to realize that we are socialized in our thoughts and reactions to religion. Probably for anyone reading this, we all share the commonality of being socialized in a western civilization. Western civilization has its roots in Judeo-Christian thinking and to this day, whether we consider ourselves to be Christian or Jewish, atheist, or even a believer of eastern religious traditions, it's all initially informed by our socialization. Those that accept the label of Christian or Jew are simply tapping into a tradition that they are already a part of; atheists are directly reacting against that tradition; and those that take on eastern religions are also reacting against western tradition, but are choosing to hold on to spirituality, unlike atheists.

To come back to hip hop, most African-Americans in this country also share the experience of being socialized into Judeo-Christian based society. Furthermore, many African-americans also directly participate in Christianity by attending church. I would also argue that "church" fulfills a different role in many black communities than it does in white (and surburban) ones. In the black community, I think church provides a safe haven as well as a place of socializing and community. It may be the center of many neighborhoods and helps to unite people. For a black person, such as those on the hip hop album, not admitting to being a Christian, is like denying a part of where you came from.

I also, personally, don't see an automatic contradiction in proclaiming a belief in God, and participating in drinking 40s and smoking blunts with your crew. While I don't believe the Bible is an infalliable document anyway, at least we can acknowledge that we are supposedly living in the era where the values of the New Testament are elevated above those of the Old. The Old Testament is full of all of the laws, and dietary restrictions, and many ways to contextualize ritual practices. The New Testament, on the other hand, is a reprieve from the Old Testament, freeing us from the strictestness and narrow provisions of the laws, and instead letting us live by the "spirit." What does that mean? Well, my interpretation is that we are free to "interpret" how those laws may be adapted for contemporary society. In my mind, "breaking bread and sharing wine" is essentially the same thing as hanging out and eating and maybe even cracking that malt liquor. Both situations serve to bring people together and maintain community. It's a time to enjoy each other.

Anyway, that's what I've got for now...I know I'll be accused of being a huge "relativist."

Woman in the Dunes

Last night I had the pleasure of watching the 1964 Japanese film, Woman in the Dunes. The basic premise is that a schoolteacher from Tokyo comes to the coastal sand dunes to collect strange bugs in hopes of finding a new species and getting his name in a field guide. He stays at the dunes too long in the day and misses his bus back towards town. Local villagers offer him a place to stay and he accepts. The home they offer for him to stay in is inhabited by a widow and is in the bottom of a large sand pit. He is lowered down by a rope ladder and when he attempts to leave the next day the ladder is gone and he is essentially imprisoned.

Throughout the film we see sand all over the place; it leaks through the roof, covers their bodies, erodes from the pit walls, and windstorms bring large cascades of it. Near the beginning of the film, we see the woman shoveling sand into buckets to be lifted out of the pit for an entire night. We learn that she has to shovel sand every night in order to protect her home as well as the homes of neighboring villagers (the logic being that if her home is buried, it will be easier for other homes to follow). The nameless schoolteacher is captured so that he can prevent the destruction of her home through help with shoveling.

The most telling scene of this seemingly existential allegorical movie is during one of these scenes where they are both shoveling sand. The schoolteacher is venting frustration at the futility of trying to get rid of the sand...how they would have to do this endlessly and it seems so meaningless. However, if the pit is symbolic of society/life etc. the woman's task is no more futile than the man's activities of collecting bugs. Her task is based on survival while his is based in academia, but both could be seen as ultimately meaningless. Any individual life is full of routine and detail to seemingly meaningless tasks...whatever we do for a living, chores, hobbies...all of them are series of routines. The video essay included as a special feature makes the interesting comparison of shoveling sand to the Myth of Sisyphus, but makes the distinction that Sisyphus must roll his boulder to appease the gods, while those in the sand pit have more primitive and basic survival reasons.

While the film may not contain a particularly hopeful theme, it does provide many beautiful visual images and some memorable love scenes. Overall the images, story, and even the soundtrack all add up to one striking adjective: haunting...in the best way possible.

A little story about Oakland

So I haven't written in a while, and for once I think I have a decent excuse: I'm moving. to Oakland. In tribute to what will become my new home, here are some facts and some history about the home of hyphy:

Oakland (and Long Beach) are the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States, speaking 150 different languages. Of approximately 415,000 people, 31% African American, 26% white, 25% Latino, 16.4% Asian American, 1% Pacific Islander, .6% Native American, 14% Other

It's the 8th largest city in California and the 44th largest city in the U.S.

Rand McNally claims that Oakland has the best weather in the country (coming from Southern California, I find that hard to believe...)

As far as Oakland's notorious reputation, it's somewhere between the 4th and the 8th most dangerous city in the country mainly due to homicides (hopefully my mom never reads this) of which there were 127 last year.

Home to the As, the Raiders, and the Golden State Warriors

As far as history goes, Oakland was granted to a dude named Peralta in the early 19th century from the Spanish Royal government and named "encinal" meaning "oak grove" which eventually turned into "Oakland." The Gold Rush of 1848 affected Oakland as well as a lot of California, bringing railroad lines, boats, and streetcars. When the 1906 earthquake hit San Francisco, Oakland's population doubled due to the amount of refugees escaping earthquake damage and fires. 1920s were a good time economically for Oakland, leading to the building of many houses and a lot of the downtown buildings still standing today. Oakland was home to many industries including shipbuilding, canneries, bakeries, metals, and automobiles. These industries, especially during WW2, attracted many African American laborers.

After WW2 the automobile and shipbuilding industries significantly dissolved and eliminated many jobs. However, many who had originally come for work had decided to settle in Oakland. Simultaneously, more affluent sectors of the population moved into easterly suburbs as an example of "white flight." After the war, Oakland had become increasingly poor.

The most significant aspect of Oakland's history during the 1960s and 70s was the creation of the Black Panthers by two students of Merritt College, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. The Black Panthers were originally formed as a response to rampant police brutality at a time when only 16 of 661 police officers were black in a largely poor black community. Funk and the Hell's Angels were both visible forces and the 1970s were apparently a good time for all three professional sports teams.

Oakland was at the center of the ebonics controversy, when in 1997, Oakland's school board decided to formally recognize ebonics or AAVE (African American Vernacular English) as an official language.

Anyway, in less than two weeks, this is where I'll be..

Marc Quinn

I am typically really interested in the interesection between art and science. Recently I was listening to a BBC Front Row podcast that featured an interview with YBA (Young British Artist) Marc Quinn. Quinn's work almost always seems to deal with some aspect of the body and often with DNA. He has said that he finds genetics interesting because essentially they are instructions for creating the human machine, and basically we now have instructions in how to make ourselves.

Quinn originally came on the art scene in 1991 with a sculpture of his bust/head created entirely out of 9 pints of his own blood that he had extracted over a five month period. In a different kind of portrait, Quinn paid tribute to John Sulston by constructing a "portrait" made by the standard methods of DNA cloning. John Sulston won a Nobel Prize for being a leading contributor to the Human Genome Project. Funnily enough, this piece is actually on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London even though it is a bit of joke since it looks delicate jewelry rather than a person.

Quinn's other famous works include the huge marble statue of Alison Lapper in Trafalgar Square. Lapper was born with shortened limbs and the sculpture was done when she was eight months pregnant. The Lapper sculpture is a part of a series of sculptures of amputees and the disabled. Quinn uses white Italian marble because the material is normally associated with ideal Western forms. Quinn has also stated that he thinks the "disabled" are the most underrepresented group of people in art.

His newer work includes a garden of plants kept in cryogenic suspension and a series of fetal sculptures on display now in London.

She looks like a model/Except she's got a little more ass

Mainstream definitions of beauty and even the concept of "beauty" are highly subjective and malleable constructs. Historically many different body types have all held the title "most preferred" at some point. If we think back to the Medieval era, plump, pink, long-armed ladies epitomized the feminine beauty ideal. Partially "plumpness" was attractive because it signaled a person who had enough wealth to feed themselves luxuriously. Fast forward to this century, starting circa 1967, and "thin" is definitely "in." Models tended (and still tend) to have "stick" body types, and even boyish figures. Sexuality was in the process of being redefined and androgyny had a certain appeal. During most of the 1980s and 1990s, thinness was still the main beauty trait of concern, but androgyny had mostly faded away in exchange for a more "sexy" and feminine body type. This combination led to skinny ladies with large breasts, not to mention an obsession with plastic surgery (and a regression back to pre-1960s antifeminist sentiments.) Currently, for a lot of the general population, the thin/large breasted woman may still embody "beauty," however, in the last decade I have noticed an interesting trend in a lot of youth mainstream culture, and that is the glorification of the "booty." For many men and women, breasts are of little concern...appeal is all in the round "applebottom."

If one were to listen to any given hour of their local Top 40 (or pop hip hop, r&b) station, they might hear lyrics such as these:

"Shorty drop em to the ground like she ain't got manners/ too much booty for one man to handle..damn lil mama you know you fit my standards" - Akon "Buck in Here"

"She turned around and gave that big booty a smack" - Flo Rida "Low ft. T-Pain"

"You got me so hypnotized/ the way your body rollin round and round/ that booty keep bumping" - Plies "Hypnotized ft. Akon"

"I don't care 'bout your breast/ you can be an A cup/ I know what I like/ and baby that's below the waist" - Mims "Like This"

Now before everyone gets hung up on the "objectification of women issue," I would just like to acknowledge that, yes, these lyrics definitely treat women as objects, but part of the nature of Top 40 is to appeal to the lowest common denominator of listener, and an examination of these lyrics is very telling as to what traits comprise the current feminine beauty ideal. We live in a society where MTV, fashion ads, television, etc. influence what men find attractive, and what women seek to emulate.

The "new" ample-bottomed figure seemed to work its way into the mainstream initially through some key African-American and Latina actresses (J.Lo immediately comes to mind). Almost a year ago, Latoya Peterson contributed a post to the blog Racialicious entitled, "Real women (of color) have curves." http://www.racialicious.com/2007/02/21/real-women-of-color-have-curves/ Peterson criticized other media publications for lumping together J.Lo, Queen Latifah, and America Ferrera. These women may possess larger behinds, but they do not in any way share the same body types (one would benefit knowing the difference between ectomorphs, endomorphs, hourglass figures, etc)...instead they are lumped together because of their "otherness." Peterson explains, "One could argue that these women, each one quite pretty, are not considered part of the mainstream - their ethnicity is still a regularly used modifier in their professional lives. They stand just a little apart, so they are exempt from adhering to mainstream definitions of beauty."

While, I can see that argument holding true in certain circles, I would personally argue that this "alternate beauty model" is redefining the current mainstream preferences. Partially this may be due to the fact that America is becoming a ever more diverse country, or maybe even partially because of the "exotic factor" or ethnic fetishes (although it is pretty silly to think all Latinas/African-Americans have this body type, or that white girls all have flat asses). However, I think the biggest factor is the current inseparable connection of youth mainstream culture with hip hop culture. In the book, "Why White Kids Love Hip Hop," Bakari Kitwana explains how the younger black community serves as "gatekeepers" of what will become cool. Hip hop artists, slang, and I would argue fashion and therefore one aspect of "beauty" have to first be approved and legitimated by the black community before being latched onto by broader white audiences. First, the big booty, stereotypically aligned with black women and their latina counterparts (since Latinos also share a piece of hip hop culture) is seen as attractive to a lot of the black community. Hip hop lyrics, music videos, and other media depicting blacks reflect this preference. Then some time passes, and unsurprisingly many young white men begin citing the "booty" as the main physical feature in a woman that they find attractive...even if these men personally do not listen to or participate in hip hop culture, they do not escape the influence of the new beauty ideal. Since much of this segment of white America has adopted these preferences, I think it's safe to say that the "booty" is mainstream.