Boxed up by consumerism

Just recently, several times in the same week, I came across businesses and TV shows that were using a Native American Chief's head dress in ways that deeply offended the original owner's cultural beliefs.  All of the instances displayed incredible arrogance and insensitivity to the Native American community.  In one of the cases a very successful Australian photography business that offer the customer a complete package of hair, make up, costume and a final portrait were using the head dress as a ill considered prop.  In the sample portrait on their website the head dress was being worn by a young, white female.  Our consumer culture is so very often guilty of insensitivities such as this.  The piece of art work above was created shortly after seeing the portrait of the young woman and reflects on the way that consumerism strips away original meaning and packages it up in a way that suits its own market driven needs.

Unless otherwise stated all images have been sourced from Wikimedia Commons and have been assigned a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License or are from the Public Domain
All of my artworks unless otherwise stated are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license (Version 4.0 (international licence)

appropriation

 

Borrowing From Others

My topic this study period in art is how our western consumerism affects other cultures.  This term I have been looking at how producers of consumable objects often borrow cultural artefacts from other cultures changing their meaning to suit their own needs.  

I've chosen to use the classical myth of Cupid/Eros as vehicle or metaphor through which to explore what happens when we distort the original meaning and intention.  This is one of the early pieces that I have developed trying to find strategies to convey to the viewer that disconnection from the original context of Cupid/Eros.  It also brings together traditional art making media, paint and charcoal, with the potential that software like Photoshop offers us.    

The hi-jacking and re-appropriation of Cupid/Eros began centuries ago when classically trained artists took the figure from being an adolescent male and turned him into a chubby cherub.  Our consumer culture has taken it even further and the figure is now stamped on every thing from Valentines Day to toilet paper.

Unless otherwise stated all images have been sourced from Wikimedia Commons and have been assigned a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License or are from the Public Domain
All of my artworks unless otherwise stated are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license (Version 4.0 (international licence)