Montclair Art Museum Paper

Who am I? Who you are? Are there any paths to justify your own identity? We could construct ourselves through the race, gender, religious, family, experiences, and connection, for me, it is more like a sense of belonging, and what you passionate about. However, the ways of constructing one’s identity are always various. One common way could be physical appearance. Accordance with what Joanne Finkelstein claimed, “Much of popular culture reinforces the importance we place on physical appearance as indicative of identity. (Pg13)” Physical appearance is one of the most common ways to explore themselves, so there are people who dress up and make up for the sake of discovering their own character in this society. However, there are also people who intend to discover their identity by imitating orders or following the trend of the public. For instance, dressing in leather jackets with all black symbolizes a bad boy or a negative character, whereas dressing in a formal suit and with a tie could refer to an identity of a gentlemen or positive character, and this applied to what John Berger stated “The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe. ( Pg8)” People forming those stereotype thinking either intentionally or unintentionally because sometimes people take advantage of this concept and leave each other a good impression by physical appearance. In addition, based on what Guy Debord’s declared, “ The spectacle reduces reality to an endless supply of commodifiable fragments while encouraging us to focus on appearances.”  The spectacle could refer to mass media, which makes sense when Debord affirmed focusing on appearances, and this is how people discover one’s identity or at least the identity they wish to expose to the public. Furthermore, Debord emphasized that “The Spectacle is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images.” While Joanne Finkelstein revealed, “Modern social relations emphasize the importance of appearances.” Thus, the importance of appearances is actually directly related to the spectacle, and this is not only about bring out one’s unique identity, but could also be eager for a sense of belonging, a place to rest, a place to accommodate. Which brings out a fact that people are changing themselves constantly to perform the best self which influenced by each other, or the entire community, but is this the real self of everyone? Is that really the way how people form their identity? Or it is only a wave that people are blindly following. Just like how people copying the way that how celebrities dress up themselves. Nevertheless, another example could be the cellphone or advertisement that people are seeing in nowadays, Debord expressed “The more his life is now his product, the more he is separated from his life. – Thesis 33.” those “technology” is altering your life, and you are adapting life in the way which most people does, therefore this is what isolated you from your true self. In a word, the spectacle can go two ways, just like a coin has its two sides, you can either lose yourself in the maze or standing from different angles and reach to the real self.

   One example could be the artwork done by Kehinde Wiley “Matar Mbaye (study 1), 2007”. In this portrait, it reveals Wiley’s personal exploration of his own identity from his roots. Different from those people who intend to find similarities and sympathize with others for the sake of discovering their identity, Kehinde found out his special way to come upon his identity and his meaning of life. Though physical appearance is a significant way to identify who you are but is it not necessary to be the same or intentionally imitate someone just to fake out the “best” you.

   The second portrait is Herbert Gentry’s “Around the Circle, 1987. There are so many details that reveal what Gentry really passionate about, the intense color and the utilization of faces based on African masks refer to “the family of man”, and the rhythmic line illustrates his love for jazz music. Those elements not only Implied what he loved and what kind of person Gentry is but also depict the braveness to pursue your own exclusive character. Thus in a way inspire audiences to just be themselves.
















   The third artwork refers to Frank Paulin’s “Our Dream, Queens, New York City, 1979 .” This is a photograph represent Paulin’s street photography. This is a simple capture of a short-lived moment, and it points out the dream or standard of the family’s achievement of American. In addition, this image delineates the goal or the identity that people attempt to pursue, by exhibiting a nice car and modest home with a neat door, and these factors can contribute to the level of life that people are having, just like how people want it to achieve that standard by getting a particular identity.


















   The fourth masterpiece is conducted by Barbara Kruger’s “Untitled (seeing through you), 2004-05. Seeing through you is what exhibits in the center of this portrait. Those eyes can bring out a question of whether you looking at her or being looked by her. According to Kruger, the one who is doing the act of seeing is the one who has power, whereas the other does not. However, the struggle for powers has been one of Barbara Kruger's themes of his artwork throughout her entire career, which makes people thinking am I the one imbued with power. In other words, am I pursuing the identity I desire or not? It is really who am I, or it is just a wave. Furthermore, it can also imply what people seeing is affecting what we are seeing, therefore altering our mind or way of forming the identity.














 

   The final artwork is done by Alice Neil, named “Isabel Bishop, 1974”. Neil is known for painting people around her. In this portrait, the way that the old lady sitter and the powerful hand and lively eyes are all the elements or the strongest tool that exposes her identity, which is also an artist. One’s identity can also be constructed by one’s behavior and emotion, and such a dignified face that the elderly women have just showed how she constructs her own identity on her own distinctive path. This is how people ought to be, your real identity exposed everywhere, and every detail from you, so no one can really hide it, and those things could be a double-edged sword because it can represent you, and also exposes you.