On the topic of Orientalism

We had a class discussion about the pressure on visual "others" to make art that addresses their otherness. Last year I had the privilege of listening to guest lecturer David Garneau in Edmonton and then seeing his show afterwards. He is Metis by birth, but he didn't find that out until later in life and told us that he was literally raised to be "white" and his art deals with this discovery of an identity that was alien to him.
Does being Metis by birth give Garneau permission to explore Metis-ness in his art although he has no connection to it? Would it be different from a caucasion person using Metis subject matter in their art?
He uses imagery from popular culture - advertisements and comic books to examine Metis-ness from the viewpoint of an outsider, as one who is not part of that culture (which makes sense for him). He does not pretend that he understands his culture, rather the work shows his discovery of what it means. His show entitled "Cowboys and Indians (and Metis?)" addresses how Metis-ness is always seen as being incomplete - 2 halfs, cowboy and indian, but never seen as a whole by itself. I guess he is looking for a way to situate Metis in relation to the other 2 identities.

http://uregina.ca/~garneaud/galleryP1.html


(caption)
"Our people wish to learn your religion. Send us teachers to teach us about your book of heaven."

Louis Riel was institutionalized at one point for being insane. Here he is represented Van Gogh style, making a connection between both of their mental instability. The white man, in his creative genius can be insane, just as Riel with his vision and mission for the Metis people was insane.

Keith mentioned if we were all blind, would we still be racist? This is the metis flag (sideways 8). If you are colour blind, you will not be able to see it the image. If we were colour blind, would we still be racist? Would there be "others"?

Jennifer Konanz

david lynch on product placement

nobody could say it better

library shelver

situated in calgary our acess to visual culture is often limited to that of the library; books, resources and knowledge that makes our understanding of the "real thing" more accuate. but what? gasp! i hear whispers that the library bookshelves are cluttered, disorganized. that the general acess to this knowledge is often frustrating and aggrivating. i hope to give some understanding to this situation by letting all of those whispereres out there know that shelving books is a thankless job, it doesn't help when you have students who hide books in different sections and then ask if you have reorganized their stashed away books, storing them like bears prepairing for hibernation. their voices often hostile and arogent as if the shelver has done something wrong in keeping the library in order. the duey decimal system takes charge in the library and with the influx of new books ariving weekly there just isn't the same amount of space. so be kind place books in a pile, have patience and remember i am only one person.

ali christensen

Video glasses simulate big-screen experience

An example of new visual technology designed for the average consumer.
Companies that make projectors & big screen TV's can't be too crazy about it.

http://technology.sympatico.msn.ca/Video+glasses+simulate+bigscreen+experience/How-To/ContentPosting_MS.aspx?isfa=1&newsitemid=ec68feec-a1bb-4426-8458-77b0828ab8d7&feedname=MARC-SALTZMAN&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=False

Ryan Z.

French American Apparel Ad Finally Gets To The F*cking Point

American Apparel ads have been discussed in Keith's classes numerous times, both this year and in last year's class. I found this pretty amusing, especially in the way the headline was worded, so I had to post it. I apologize for the nudity as well. Taken from COPYRANTER

FRENCH AMERICAN APPAREL AD FINALLY GETS TO THE F*CKING POINT



Sorry for the nudity, readers. But this is a monumental point in my now two-year anthropological study (funded with a $100,000 grant from Herb Vest) of American Apparel's quixotic, groundbreaking advertising.

Whereas previously, we've witnessed near nip slips, chesty Lohan look-a-likes, and heady rack metaphors in AA's continuously fascinating campaign, this particular canvas, via vastly artistically-superior France, presents to us the undeniably classic "tit flash."

- Marc R.

Truth In Advertising

Here is a really great short that talks about the marketing/advertising process. It's pretty great, especially if you are in advertising or have worked with it at one point in time. For those of you that haven't, well, this is pretty close to what it can actually be like sometimes. It may be one of those things that only the VC/Photo folks can really relate to, but hopefully others can get a laugh out of it anyways.



Also, here is another great little website I came across a couple of weeks ago but forgot to post then. It is an advertising blog (surprise surprise) with a really jaded advertising cynic writing on a variety of ads and commercial creative outlets. Some great reading if you're into that kind of stuff.

COPYRANTER

Hope everyone enjoys their break.

- Marc R.

Photoshopped Models

I think there are a lot of examples of the un/natural body... here is one I found on Youtube that I thought I'd share... maybe some of you have seen it before.



-Dona