Chris Ofili exhibition at the Tate Britain

Afrodizzia

The titles and descriptions of Chris Ofili work was a first seen for me, his exhibition was bright and catchy, unique. It was more than beautiful colours and innovative use of materials, I quickly realized that Chris Ofili was playing with identity, female identity, Afro-Caribbean and Caucasian identity, the difference and the stereotypes.

Space Hit

1995

Acrylic oil, polyester resin,

map pins and elephant dung on linen - I love it!

Some aspect of Cris Ofili's work:

• Collage of faces, black people
• Faces made of elephant dung
• Collage of women faces with sexual expressions
• Faces with added afro hair style
• Nudity
• Picture of women asses and vaginas
• adoration, men-women The adoration of captain shit and the legend of the black stars
• White woman,blond hair blue eyes, showing her breast Foxy Roxy
• Famous black faces Afrodizzia
• Pornographic images Prince amongst thieves
• Red black and green Afro love and unity
• Black woman with a banana in her mouth
• Stephen Laurence tribute

3 Questions:

1. When does expressing identity represent racism?
2. Is Chris Ofili stereotyping his own culture?
3. Do these work represent a black man identity in the 20th century

I come from Switzerland and the integration of other cultures has never been as smooth as in England. In Switzerland it is not cool to be Swiss, the new generation is not at all patriotic and if we dare to be, we will be called racist. why? The same happens in France, when a Moroccan say go Morocco he is cool when a Frenchman says go France he is racist. I think that expressing your identity is never a racist thing, it only depends on the self esteem of the people that listen to you.

I think that Chris Ofili is not only stereotyping his own culture but the other cultures, it is obvious that in many of his paintings he uses Afro-Caribbean stereotypes, such as physical features, but his painting Foxy Roxy where it is a white woman pictured with blond hair and blue eyes, which his also a Caucasian stereotype.

I think his work is definitely representing 20th century art, and it is fresh and appealing. It does represent a black man identity as his work is based on it. Then could this work represent a black woman identity? I think that except some pieces, it could. so I would say that this work represent a black person identity in the 20th century.

I really liked this exhibition and the conversation it provoked. in terms of the aesthetics of his pieces I found them beautiful i loved the dots technique and the shine of many pieces, in the last room the paintings were a feast for the eyes, the colours were amazing.

Identity in Art- Women Only!!!

Lecture by Wendy Meakins

"One was not born a woman, one becomes a woman." Simone DeBeauvoir

On that day we talked about art and women, following the theme of identity.

Identity in art is very present, and a lot of artist use their identity or their story in their work( is it sometimes a bit therapeutic?).

Can we say that the environment you are brought up in , determines your identity?

I think that it does, recently in the news it was the horrid story of those two boys who tortured two other boys , apparently, there had a toxic home life and watched many horror and pornographic movies and their parents were violent, would have they done what they have done if they had live a different life style? I think so. I do not believe in the murderer, psychopath gene.

Now in terms of female and male identity, is it an environmental thing or a genetic thing that girls like to play with dolls and wear jewellery and little boys like cars and Bob the builder?

I think that society has given us a model and that if a girl doesn't wear pretty pink dresses she will be called a tomboy, and boys playing with dolls might be criticised...

Maybe there is a little percentage of genetics but most of the identity is created by the society and environment we live in.

the following artists are women who used or played with identity in their art.

ORLAN 1947 France

She used her own body and self-performed plastic surgery on her face and body and recorded it.

Self-hybridization

Even though her way of playing with identity is strange and probably pretty dangerous it make me think that she pushes the boundaries of plastic surgery, does what she do is really different than what Michael Jackson or Silvester Stallone do? does she look worst?

MADONNA 1958 USA

Madonna during all her career played with sexuality, female and male issues very controversially.

her SEX book is a way she used.

what space does she really inhabits?

she seems to be more of an object that anything else.

CLAUDE CAHUN 1894-1954 France

Born Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob she intentionally choose a sexually ambigous name.

Claude Cahun in a series of photographs plays very much with male and female identity, teh viewer can really be confused if it is a man or a women.

her work was really political and personal.

The other artist that is very controversial and plays with her identity is TRACEY EMIN, she is touching women issues in a very interesting and powerful way e.g. the bed and Everyone I have ever slept with 1963- 1995.

it is very interesting to notice that women seem to always have self referential work, is it because we need to prove something? or are we more able and more sensitive to play a with ourself and our histories?

Some other artists and writers that are interesting to look at:

SUSAN SONNTAG 1933- 2004 USA

BARBARA KRUGER 1944 USA

VIRGINIA WOLF 188201941 England

LISA LYONS 1953 USA ( body-builder)