Digital Media 343: February 2017

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

This piece is about resisting gender stereotypes. American society puts a great deal of emphasis on gender roles, especially on young children’s trivial toys. To me, this is extremely unhealthy and has a negative impact on a child’s psyche. Each gel transfer is an example of gender expectation or gender divided toy. The genderless babies are a symbol of the unnecessary gender burden American society places on each child. This piece is my way of fighting stereotypes, with the hope that future parent, partially my generation will allow their children to grow and play with whatever the hell they want.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

“DOC/UNDOC” by Felicia Rice with collaboration by Guillermo Gomez Pena, Jennifer Gonzalez, Gustavo Vazquez, and Zachary Watkins.

As an avid reading, I understand the potential of a book. It has the potential to change a view point or create a safe space to grow. The Shepard Contemporary Gallery in Church Fine Arts building has an exhibit feature the concept of the book called Expanded Reading: The Book to Come curated by Professor Inge Bruggeman of the art department. The purpose of this exhibit according to the introduction is to “explore the book as art and the book as a site for artistic exploration. In particular, for it to offer an expanded reading experience”. Using a mixture of digital media, the gallery exhibit goes beyond the “mundane chore of storing and conveying everyday utilitarian information” to draw the audience into the “book”. There were books stitched into cloth, or a book turned into a scroll the reader could see as they turned the attached crane. However, the most striking concept of a book was the “DOC/UNDOC” by Felicia Rice with collaboration by Guillermo Gomez Pena, Jennifer Gonzalez, Gustavo Vazquez, and Zachary Watkins.

This piece was created in 2013. It has been placed on a long table, with the pages of the booking laid flat. It appears to be able to folded up with the becoming the cover and back parts of the book. What is most striking about each page is the colorful picture that draws the audience in, which allows them to discover that each page also has a passage hidden on the bottom right hand corner. The significant of this piece that each paragraph tells a small insight into being a Mexican American. For example, one page talks about the reoccurring trend of national security since 9/11, saying at one point “I truly wonder who is scarier? The Tijuana Cartel or the Minutemen? A Chicago gang banger or a Blackwater mercenary?”. This is the beauty of “DOC/UNDOC”. Upon first glance, you think it’s just pages with pretty and creative drawings, but in reality it is a political commentary piece about racism against Hispanics in the U.S. I am drawn to stuff like this because it’s a subtle, yet passionate attempt to express reason and encourage empathy. And I also really like the creative ways these artists interpreted the concept of a book.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Lecture Paper #1: Becoming a Missing Comfort Women Jessica Nakamura

Becoming a Missing Comfort Women

Yoshiko Shimada’s Performances of History in Contemporary Japan

By Jessica Nakamura

Jessica Nakamura’s lecture was about exploring the image of the comfort women during World War two. Comfort women were essentially forced prostitutes from Asian countries concurred by the Japanese army. It is estimated that one hundred to two hundred thousand women from the countries of Korea, China, Vietnam, and even Japan were forced to sexually serve an average of 20 to 60 men a day. The army saw these women as supplies for the men, but conditions were often horrible. Many women were as young as 15 years old when taking and were often left behind or killed when the army retreated. Today, Japan sees this history as a stain on their image, even going to great lengths to destroy evidence and documentation. According to Ms. Nakamura, there is a taboo that follows women who identify or say they were used as comfort women. However, in 1991 former comfort women took their fight to the court systems in Japan. As of 2015, there was some recognition on the Japanese government but they can with stipulations many people were hesitated to agree too.

Ms. Nakamura focuses are Yoshiko Shimada’s “Becoming a Statue of a Japanese Comfort Woman” 2012. Shimada started her work during the early 1990s, when the comfort women went to court, because many Japanese people were unaware of this dark history. This piece, performed in London outside the Japanese Embassy as a reaction the government denial to recognize them. Nakamure argues that Shimada’s piece demands the audience (people walking by) engage with her physical form, creating a relationship. Because youth of Japan isn’t aware of the role of comfort women in WW2, Shimada intents to stop the brainwashing and force them to recognize and interact with the symbolism of Japanese violence and aggression towards women.

Nakamura also discussed the Bronze statue in Seoul Korea (also outside the Japanese Embassy). The piece is an image of a woman sitting with her feet and hand placed flat. Nakamure argues that the statue explores the idea of female sexuality, meaning the audience calls the statue “grandmother” essentially erasing her sexuality, which in turn, diminishes the horrible conditions these women went through.

Overall, the lecture was a reminder to the younger generations about the horrors of war and the violence it inflicts on people. Sadly, many comfort women have not come forward and those who have, many not live long enough to see any compensation from the Japanese government. However, Jessica Nakamura does end on a positive note: Yoshiko Shimada’s piece and other comfort women statues around the world will continue to stand and serve as a reminder of injustices and violence towards women.