Shane Cotton (2011) Forked Tounge
Shane Cotton (2004) Welcome
Tony Albert (2008) Sorry
1. Define the term 'pluralism' using APA referencing.
"Pluralism is used, often in different ways, across a wide range of topics to denote a diversity of views, and stands in opposition to one single approach or method of interpretation.." Connolly (2005)
Pluralism has many different meanings, we cannot simply pin it to one idea or one translation of this word. As Connolly says, there are so many. Although for the most part they tend to have similar kinds of connotations of the word, it just depends on what context they are being placed under. Some of the different contexts could include; cosmic pluralism, cultural pluralism, economic pluralism, legal pluralism, and so forth. There is also pluralism as a philosophy for life and life's meanings and also there have been schools relating to the idea of pluralism, mainly for in ancient Greek times.
2. How would you describe New Zealand's current dominant culture?
I would describe New Zealand's culture as being supremely New Zealand European dominated. When people think of New Zealand they do think of the Maori culture, but this is mostly being used as a marketting ploy by the tourism industry to give New Zealand something that the rest of the world does not have or cannot relate to because Maori is ours and ours alone. The dominant culture, to put it plainly, is white Caucasian, with all of us having some relation to overseas European cultures.
3. Before 1840, what was New Zealand's dominant culture?
In this time New Zealand's dominant culture was Maori. It was around this time that the first travellers came from the United Kingdom and took over, killing out a lot of the Maori and reproducing with them, so that the Maori culture became greatly watered down.
4. How does the Treaty of Waitangi relate to us all as artists and designers working
in New Zealand?
It relates to us because it meant the turning of an era. As New Zealanders the Treaty of Waitangi made it possible for all New Zealanders - white and Maori, to be able to relate to it's fore-running heritage. We can become unique as artists and designers around the world because we have a stake in this claim, just from being born here and perhaps not being of Maori descent whatsoever.
5. How can globalization be seen as having a negative effect on regional diversity in New Zealand in particular?
Because globalization has begun to mean to us as New Zealanders that in order to truly OWN our culture and call it OURS for us and us alone to use, we have to place a copyright on it. New Zealand is no longer unique to itself in the greater scheme of things, because overseas people are looking for anything new to be able to put their name on. Humble New Zealand in completely unable to put a stop to this.
6. Shane Cotton's paintings are said to examine the cultural landscape. Research Cotton's work 'Welcome'(2004) and 'Forked Tongue' (2011) to analyze what he is saying about colonialization and the Treaty of Waitangi.
The symbols that are in-cased in these two works stand for something great when it comes to identifying links between between globalization and the treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand, as well as how it was when the British first came here from England to take over (so to speak) from the Maori. In Cotton's work 'Forked Tongue' we see a cliff face as a background with red lines tracing some kind of pattern as well as a fan tail and some traditional Maori designs; merely simple patterns and so forth. The subject matter combined means a lot of different things relating all to the way we can link New Zealand as being a traditionally Maori inhabited land to growing as it has done from the arrival of the British, to the Treaty of Waitangi to make an agreement for these two races to live harmoniously and then to how we interact with our native culture in this day and age. 'Forked Tongue' is a painting which relates all of this in spiritual ways, physical ways, and historical ways. (Daly - Peoples, 2011)
The other work by Cotton - 'Welcome' shares some similar views on to the insight of colonization in New Zealand, it depicts what appears to be Jesus Christ as the representation of Christianity and also British European face over that of a Maori shrunken head one over the other, with 2 fan tails on either side. Cotton seems to like using these fan tails of way of representation of the collaboration of races in New Zealand as this frequents his work. In 'Welcome' we see the Jesus Christ to be in the slight background in comparison to the Maori head, as if to say that the British came later; and then the Maori head slightly in the foreground however he is below the British face, as if to then say that the British and with them bringing ideas of Christianity favour themselves as being above the Maori race. I think this picture is a great depiction of the way New Zealanders can view colonization and the treaty of Waitangi.
Some other works by Cotton I think relate to the previous two include;
The Hanging Sky (2007) Shane Cotton
7. Tony Albert's installation 'Sorry' (2008) reflect the effects of colonization on the aboriginal people of Australia. Research the work and comment on what Albert is communicating through his work, and what he is referring to. Describe the materials that Albert uses on this installation and say what he hopes his work can achieve. Define the term 'kitsch'.
Albert is communicating something similar to what Cotton has done, except using the arrival of European Australian's to Australia disrupting the native Aboriginal. In his featured work 'Sorry' we see a large letters made up of Albert refers to as 'Aboringinalia' meaning paraphenalia of the Aboriginal. Include in this are portraits of the Aboriginal which have been labelled 'kitsch' and also these portraits were very stereotypically Aboriginal. Through this work he is trying to express how 'sorry' the European Australians were for how they treated the Aboriginals. The reason for why this means something to Albert is because he is half Aboriginal. The term 'kitsch' is commonly known as something cute and quaint but the actual meaning of it is something that is inferior to other types of work. It is not particularly aesthetically pleasing nor is it worth much in value.
8. Explain how the work of both artists relates to pluralism.
We can relate both these artists work back to Pluralism because they are relating juxtaposing views of different races in the same country in order to help each race understand one another.
References
One Foot In The Art World (2010) http://best-of-3.blogspot.com/2010/09/surrender-experiment-in-looking.html
Daly - Peoples, J. Shane Cotton, New Work (2010) http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/shane-cotton-paintings-examine-cultural-landscape-126412
Cotton, S. (2010) Shane Cotton, to and fro. Rossi and Rossi, LTD.
The James Wallace Art Trust (unknown) http://www.wallaceartstrust.org.nz/
Sorensen, R., Tony Albert (2009) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/curios-of-the-contemporary/story-e6frg8n6-1111119151528
I agree with what you have said in question five about copyrights to our own unique culture. I think the fact that anyone from anywhere in the world can take something from different cultures and claim it as 'there's' is quite shameful especially if its in an offensive way towards the culture itself. It would be nice to know that people around the world want to use and be inspired by the culture not necessarily claim it as they say.
ReplyDeleteYes, as a historical base of Treaty of Waitangi is an influence to all New Zealander – White, Maori and new immigration too. It leads to a new unique culture globally. We should recognize that we are facing new challenges. I absolutely agree that we can become unique as artist and designers around the world but I think there are prerequisite. It is the awareness of our identity. This may be confusing, because we need to challenge something as an artist even though the treaty relates to all New Zealand. There is not just more and more Maori culture, a new unique globally culture accepting pluralism, our cultural context of art should be to respect each other. It means we no more confine in our ability anywhere for the view of future-oriented. I think if New Zealand has only Maori culture, Maori culture could be the most global one as the representative of New Zealand
ReplyDeleteI agree with your conclusion of how New Zealand is no longer unique to itself. Perhaps this is because our world has become smaller because of globalization due to the internet and ease of transport. Because of this people struggle for originality therefore look through the unknown for influence. New Zealand culture is considered exotic and that has an appeal to western society therefore i think it is inevitable that our culture will not remain in New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteI found your comments about the relation of the Treaty of Waitangi to us as New Zealanders interesting and agree with the point you made about the Treaty offering us the opportunity to be a part of a unique cultural heritage ,no matter what our ethnic background is.I thought your comment in the final question regarding juxtaposition being used as a tool to encourage cultural and racial awareness was particularly insightful.
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