POST 11: SPACES & EXCHANGES: ¿Qué? A cartoon by Nate Beeler (2007)

1) DESCRIPTION
We can divide this cartoon in two different parts. First, on the left, we can observe a cameraman from "TV News" next to a reporter talking through a microphone of the same TV channel. This reporter is wearing an elegant black suit and according to his facial expression, he looks very glad to talk to the "300 millionth American". His goal is to interview the man on the right. We can clearly notice the strong contrast between the American reporter and the man in rags. According to what's written in the speech bubble, we can deduce that he's not an American citizen, but a Mexican man. He only has a few belongings and because of the piece of barbed wire attached to his feet, we could say that he just crossed the border between the United States and Mexico. He looks completely lost and he doesn't understand what the reporter is asking him.

2) INTERPRETATION
First of all, it looks quite obvious to me that this cartoon aims to show that the majority of emigrants to the United States are Mexican people. But it is a well known fact that the American factories are located in the border area between the United States and Mexico. In fact, it's a strategic choice for the United States because the workforce is cheaper in Mexico. These factories are called "Maquiladoras", and the products coming out of them are exported to the United States. But this creates a paradox because the only things that can circulate are these products, not people. Even though, Mexican people manage to emigrate to  the United States illegally. In the cartoon, the man in rags could stand for all of those Mexican people who take risks to cross the border with only a few things to survive. Nate Beeler wants to criticize the miserable conditions of the immigrants when they come to cross borders. It shouldn't be illegal to immigrate to another country when you have to work without social security, in bad working conditons and very low wages.
The words of the American reporter shows how a huge part of American people are immigrants, and how they don't know anything about the English language. This could also mean that immigrants are not well integrated in their new country, and this creates social inequalities between native American people and South American immigrants. This imbalance is shown in the cartoon because of the difference between the TV channel equipment and the few items of the Mexican man.

3) How far does it illustrate the 'Spaces & Exchanges' notion?
This cartoon illustrates the 'Spaces and Exchanges' notion because it shows how moving from one place to another can be arduous and painful. Mexican immigrants have to deal with the space between Mexico and the United States they have to go accross, which is a dangerous thing to do. But then, they arrive in the United States hoping to have a better lifestyle and they're often marginalized. They don't have any type of exchange with American people. In fact, Mexican people represent a huge proportion of American inhabitants so they create a kind of Mexican comunity in the United States. They have the same culture as before, but in the United States. Therefore, they don't comunicate with American people and they don't exchange anything from their culture with them, because they may feel rejected by bornedAmerican people. To conclude, we could say that changing our spaces don't always allow us to exchange with new people.

POST 10 : TATTOOS & GANGS

Why do you think more and more people wear tattoos (regardless of whether they belong to gangs or not)?

At first sight, it appears that nowadays, wearing tattoos has become something fashionable. But we should not forget that for example, prisoners had tattoos to remain connected with the outside world, meaning that they'll write things like " For mum" or "To dad" for instance. And this kind of "ritual" has been preserved nowadays, mostly by men who call themselves "bad boys". They want to prove that they're tough guys and that you should not mess with them. Some tattoos can even become scary.  But according to many studies made in England, most tattooed people are suffering from personality disorder. In fact, they showed that women who don't qualify themselves as pretty, had the need of being tattoed. It could be a way to change their physical appearance, like to modify their body so as to fit better into it. Instead of modifying the entire body using plastic surgery for instance, being tattoed is an embellishment which aims to increase women's self-esteem. 

Thus, we should not forget that a tattoo can be considered as a work of art, like for example Tim Steiner's tattoo, situated on his back, displayed in many museums. His tattoo was sold for 150 000 euros. All in all, it would seem that a tattoo has a real meaning but it is, overall, an ornament for the body. 



Why do young people join gangs? 

Many times, children feel forced to become a gang member, because they live in fear on a daily basis and they may feel powerless against that fear. However, being part of a gang can give an impression of safety. Indeed, they learn how to use a gun, which gives them a feeling of power over everybody else. Furthermore, it is true that gang activities appear exciting to children and especially teenagers. Taking risks, feeling the rush of adrenaline, that's what they are looking for. It's a radically different lifestyle that can make them feel special and superior to  other "normal" children. Moreover, it appears that many of the children incorporating gangs come from single parent  families or broken homes , and the gang may act as a surrogate family because of the unbreakable link between all the gang members. On top of that, it is quite clear that a gang is a very easy and quick way to obtain money (thanks to drug trafficking for example) and this could be overwhelming for children. They may be offered more money for delivering a package or being a lookout, than their parents can earn in a week. In my opinion, it is undeniable that these children and teenagers don't realize that they will spend their entire life running from justice. For the time being, they're still young and they enjoy this feeling of being a kind of "thug", but when they'll become adults, the eagerness of building a family will be stronger than the gang's attraction and only at that moment, they'll regret the choice they made a few years ago. 

 
Gakirah Barnes, 17 years old. She was accused to have killed at least twice avenging murdered friends, the first time when she was just 14.

What link can you see between both topics and the notion of power?

According to my personal opinion, both a gang and a tattoo can have a power over somebody. Like I said previously, a tattoo gave a meaning to the prisoner's life because it was a way to stay related to the outside world and to keep hope. It also helps people to increase their self-esteem. Yet, it seems to me that joining a gang does the same thing. Actually, joining a gang may be a way to give a meaning to somebody's life, having a sense of purpose in life.
Secondly, it seems relevant to say that in some tribes like the Maori, the more tattoos you get, the higher social status you have. The leader of the tribe was the most tattoed. We can deduce that a tattoo is a mark of power. In fact, gang and prison tattoos have more in common with traditional tribal tattoos than they do with modern decorative body art. Each gang has their own symbol, generally tattoed on each gang member, so that the other gangs can recognize them. They also indicate your status in the gang, because the "black teardrop" tattoo for example, stands for a person killed or a stint in prison. Through this teardrop tattooed just below the eye, the gangster wants to scared the member of rival gangs and shows his power. Every gang member has a street name, tattooed on their body as well, because their nickname is more used than their real name. But this brings out the question, is power indelible just like a tattoo?  

POST 9: The Draw of 'Dead Town' - A Newsweek article (February 16, 2009) + GANGLAND Video

Go there for a full version of the Newsweek article given out in class.

Questions :

1. Gabriel Hinojos is an ancient member of the street gang in L.A. "Florencia 13". He wants to turn a new leaf, so he starts removing his gang tattoos : "There is the name of his gang, Florencia 13 or F13 (one of the largest in Los Angeles), written accross his neck in huge block letters and a large black spider ("Spider" is his street name) inked onto the side of his head"(l.12). It seems very hard for him to get out of F13 : "But escaping the pull of a gang life is extremely difficult"(l.22). But Gabriel Hinojos looks like a brave man, he can handle any pain to leave his gang behind and start a new life, because when he has to remove his tattoos, "he grimaced in pain"(l.8). He even describes how it feels like so the reader can feel his pain too : "You know when you're cooking and the oil hits you? It feels like that, over and over."(l.9).

2. 'Ya'Stuvo' is a tatto removal center, who aims to help gang bangers to remove their tattoos so they can get out of their gang. This spanish name means "that's enough, I'm done with that" (l.2). The name of the center has a symbolical meaning, because if the gang members go to that center is only to erase their tattoos as they erase they life as a gang banger.

3. According to the text, the "black teardrops" stand for "a stint in prison or a person killed" (l.5). This tattoo  simbolizes the number of people that the gang banger killed or it can represent a period of time in prison. These tattoed teardrops can maybe have a meaning : a gang banger doesn't suffer and doesn't cry even if he goes through terrible events. This tattoo could be a way to prove their strenght and courage.

4. This short sentence prove us that Gabriel Hinojos really wants to get rid of his tattoos to quit his gang once and for all. We can see in the article that Hinojos is going through a lot of pain to erase his tattoos but in spite of this, it's still his 45th to "Ya' stuvo". This shows his determination and his bravery.

5. Getting out of a gang is not easy : "Getting out of a street gang in L.A. is about like getting a tattoo removed ; slow, painful, scarring" (l.17).  Even if Hinojos tries really hard to leave his gang, the latter will always leave scars on his body and in his mind. But it should be noticed that Hinojos has been rewarded for his efforts : "He celebrated his achievement by sipping white wine with former first lady Laura Bush at the White House"(l.26)

6. It is not always possible because the article shows us how deep the scars left can be : "In street lore, a gang banger can never leave a really brutal gang"(l.18). "But escaping the pull of a gang life is extremely difficult"(l.22). Hinojos is making loads of efforts to move on but it is clear that F13 will always leave marks on him : "Some tattoos have faded into a faint collection of light gray lines, but they haven't gone away entirely". (l.14). Moreover, even if Hinojos was considered as the "poster child for leaving his gang life behind"(l.25), the end of the article says that "a few months later, he was back in jail"(l.27).

7. It can be feasible if the gang member has achieved a few conditions : first, he has to go through a stint in prison and then he has to show that he can seel drugs and use a gun.

8. It is very difficult to leave a gang accroding to Hinojos, because he misses the adrenaline that he felt and he's going through a lot of pain now to get all of his tattoos removed. Hinojos felt really good feelings when he was a gang member and now he's mostly feeling pain. Even if he knows that it's for the best, he misses the "old times".

9. The last three lines explains us that Hinojos was the perfect example of leaving the gang behind, so he met the former first lady Laura Bush at the White House. But in spite of this, Hinojos went back to jail. The temptation of feeling the adrenaline again was to strong that even after all his efforts, the attraction for the gang was to strong.

10. The photograph is showing us Hinojos who's getting his tatto removed. The laser looks really painful because of Hinojos'face. He's going through pain but he's handling it. Just like the article, the photograph shows the bravery of Gabriel and how the pain is not an obstacle for him. that he's going to leave his gang behind.

POST 4 : Pop Art myths and the "Myths and Heroes" notion

  

The myth of woman through painting

                                Roy Lichtenstein, Woman in in bath, 1963, exhibited at the
                                Thyssen-Bornemisza museum in Madrid


      It is generally believed that a myth is a popular belief or story that has become associated with a person, institution, or ocurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal. Thus, we can consider that women have become a myth through paintings, because they were, and they still are, a source of inspiration for many artists. Thereby, women could be seen as heroes for artists, a hero being the protagonist of a novel or a poem and, in this particular case, a work of art. Pop Art aims to integrate erotic metaphores into paintings. This movement emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s. On the one hand,it was a groundbreaking movement derived from television advertising or comics. On the other hand it was clearly oriented towards the past in its eagerness to connect with tradition, many artists are reinterpreting . According to this, they've chosen to represent women just like ancient artistic movements did. Woman is turned into an object of desire. 

     Woman in bath was realised by Roy Lichtenstein in 1963. The artist used primary colours (blue, red and yellow) to represent a daily scene in a comic-strip style. The feminity of the woman is emphasized thanks to her red and pulpy lips, her blue eyes and her curly hair. Contrary to older paintings like The bath of Venus by Boucher, her nudity is only suggested, which increases her sensuality. This work of art could illustrate the Myths and Heroes notion because it shows how woman is a myth in a painting context, being that artists use them as the core of their paintings. We can associate this lady to the figure of Venus, the incarnation of the ideal woman. Indeed, Venus was often represented with water around her, which can be considered as a metaphore of woman because of its fluidity and purity, hence the choice of Lichtenstein to represent a woman in a bathtub. However, Lichtenstein wanted to bring novelty to this myth by not giving any name to this particular woman so that every woman could identify herself with this incarnation of beauty. Thereby, the artist's goal may be to criticize the banality of appearances, being that the myth of beauty has to be necessarily embodied by a pulpy woman, with long hair and  be half naked. Everybody has the same vision of the perfect woman, whereas every single woman has her own beauty. 

    Pop Art has been an important movement because of its ideas : it wanted to break with the past but also to reflect on art and on reality, on art and tradition, and on art and museums. A source of inspiration for Pop artists were the myths provided by Hollywood studios, also known as the "myth-making machine". They've chosen to reinterpret these myths in their own way, just as Lichtenstein does with the myth of woman. I personnally believe that Pop Art made art evolve, but above all, it helped us  change our point of view on very famous myths. Pop Art contribued to "modern mythology", bringing novelty to very-known myths by using different forms and painting techniques like collages, comic-strips or stencils. 

POST 3 : Pop Art Myths

Collage advertising comics
Collage has been inherited from Cubism and Dadaism but Pop adds subversive and allegorical elements. Hamilton's Just what is it that made yesterday's homes so different, so appealing ? (1992) may be the first truly pop image. Andy Warhol also gave birth to Pop Art thanks to his first collages. The insertion of comics in art was first done by  Blake and Hamilton but Warhol and Lischenstein were the first to print comics-strips into large format paintings. They used comics so as to represent a myth for example.

Just what is it that made yesterday's homes so different, so appealing ?
Richard Hamilton, 1992

Emblems
Thanks to the massive development of medias in the mid-20th century, people were flooded with advertising, which gave a torrent of ideas to Pop artists such as Jasper Johns and Peter Blake. Later on, Warhol started to represent everyday objets like Campbell's soup cans or Heinz ketchup boxes, and he stencilled various words such as "hug" or "eat" to turn them into emblems.

Heinz Tomato Ketchup Box

Andy Warhol, 1964

Myths
Hollywood became a "myth-making machine". Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor... turned into idols for people and became a source of inspiration for Pop artists. British artists were able to combine American cinematographic figures with elements from their own culture to create their own myths.

Marilyn Monroe
Andy Warhol, 1962


The Beatles
Peter Blake, 1962

Portraits
Pop art brought a new perspective to the genre of portrait painting. The aim isn't to reproduce reality, but to precede it, so the portrait becomes a simulacrum. "The portrait fades away and becomes a virtual image". Artists use diferent methods like the reflected image (Allen Jones) or the immediacy of Polaroids (David Hockney)

Composite polaroid Stephen Spender
David Hockney, 1982

Landscapes Interiors Still Lifes
Because of our consumer culture, Pop artists reinterpretated traditional genres of paintings (landscapes, interiors, still-lifes) through objects bearing arbitrary meanings. "The genres are adapted to the contemporary urban milieu". Still-lifes turned into a public commercial space. Some relevant artists may be Patrick Caulfield, Wayne Thiebaud, Ed Ruscha or Allen Jones.

Café interior : Afternoon
Patrick Caulfied, 1973


Three Strawberry Shakes
Wayne Thiebaud, 1964

Urban Eroticism
In the mid-20th century, eroticism was spread in every sphere of society. Thus, Pop Art immediately integrated erotic metaphores. Ladies and automobiles are turned into objects of desire and women become a sexual symbol. Some artists such as Lichtenstein, Polke or Richter aim to convey a meditation on the banality of appearances.


M-Maybe
Roy Lichtenstein, 1965


Nude woman
Tom Wesselmann, 1979

History Painting
Pop Artists looked forward to reinterpret and rethink recent and past history because of the profusion and dissemination of events through medias. Some figures such as Mao Zedong, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon for example, are the protagonists of the works of Rauschenberg, Warhol, Rotella and Richter. In Spain, artists such as Equipo Realidad o Eduardo Arroyo, used history painting to show the irony of the historical amnesia that afflicted the country during the Franco-era.


Mao
Andy Warhol, 1973


Los cuatro dictadores : The four dictators
Eduardo Arroyo, 1963

Art about Art
In pop art, the topic of art about art consists in asking questions about the evolution of art directed at older painters. For example, Warhol creates new versions of Boticelli's Venus using diferent techniques. But art about art can be used as a strategy of political denunciation : Equipo Cronica realized a new version of Las Meninas by Velazquez.


El Intruso
Equipo Cronica, 1969


The Living Room
Equipo Cronica, 1970

POST 2 : Myths and Heroes

Here's the Myths and Heroes worksheet

Google Glasses advertisement, first Google glasses in may 2014

Graph by the Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society (SIQSS)

The first document is an advertisement that promotes the brand new Google Glasses. A POV shot is used, thus the viewer is in the google glasses wearer’s shoes. We can understand that the Google Glasses, project in front of the user all the applications he can have access to. The background music is joyful and pleasant so that the viewer keeps watching the ad. Step by step we discover the ever growing functionalities of these glasses : chat, news, GPS, agenda…I mean, you can even talk to them ! The glasses wearer looks happy, his voice is cheerful and he seems to be in a very good mood.The goal of this commercial is to make the viewer wish he was the owner of these glasses, that look so cool and so fashionable.

The second document is a graph that shows how  social isolation increases, principally because of the new technologies. We can notice three curves : the first one corresponds to the percentage of internet users who use their phone more than talking to their family or friends. The second one is about the percentage of internet users who reported that they spend less time with their family and friends. The last curve shows the percentage of internet users who is attending less events outside their home. The graph also indicates the time spent on the internet ( hours/week ). We can notice that people who use the internet during more than 10 hours per week are the more isolated ones. We can also see one of the principal obstacle to interact with people for internet users : their phone : 27% of people prefer using their phones over interacting directly with friends or family.

The idea of progress can be examplified through these two documents because on the one hand, the first document shows how technology can make our life easier, because everything that you could possibly need is in these “magic glasses”. But can’t they become addictive ? Of course. People wearing these glasses will forget about everything else, this fake screen full of applications will flood their minds. One day, not wearing these glasses will be abnormal and people will not even look around them anymore. The second document shows us that because of these kinds of new gadgets (glasses, phones, tablets….) people will focus only on their screens and will get more and more lonely, they will cut ties with their friends and / or family to be locked up in the modern technology world.