Wangechi Mutu

Brought up in Kenya, Wangechi Mutu moved to New York during the 1990s to concentrate on art and human sciences at the Cooper Union and model at Yale. She is most popular for collections in view of pictures cut from magazines. Wangechi Mutu is a contemporary artist noted for her work expressing sex, race, workmanship history, and individual personality. Making complex arrangements, recordings, models, and exhibitions, Mutu's work highlights repeating puzzling themes.

Joanne Finkelstein 

The Art of Self Invention

Quote 1: "Knowing how to behave towards others has been an articulated concern for hundreds of years and a great deal rests on possessing the correct manners" 

Great manners are tied in with exceptional communication and behavioral skills you have towards other people. People will make life enjoyable for you and for those you come into contact with if you treat them with respect. In the event that you are polite others will be inclined to reciprocate your kindness. Individuals with great manners will generally establish a positive connection with everyone around them. 

Quote 2: “Manners and style continue to be used to estimate class and status: a person with bad manners is said to be without class”

Manners are unofficial rules that have been placed by society. Some people have great manners and some people have poor manners. Standard of good habits contrasts from different cultures, yet one thing that is known to everyone is to treat each other the way you want to be treated. Good etiquette and manners alludes to amiable, unassuming, considerate, deferential and all around refined social way of behaving, which is unequivocally relied upon the practice and foundation of families.

The Feminist Challenge of Wangechi Mutu

Quote 1: “Wangechi Mutu’s allegorical collages fuse references to beauty, consumerism, colonialism, and race.”

First perceived for compositions and montages about the numerous types of violence and deception of women of color, Mutu's work has frequently highlighted squirming female structures.

Wangechi Mutu: Brooklyn Museum

Quote 1: Her capacity to pursue implications that are political, tasteful and mental, while never proclaiming what the pictures are truly about is unique.

"Sense of Self"- (Image inspired by Wangechi Mutu) Dominique Ciaffone

 

"Sense of Self"- Image inspired by Wangechi Mutu

My collage represents some of the things that make me who I am. I have always loved flowers because they remind me of growth, beauty and femininity. I feel strongly about equal rights for women, and the way women should be able to express themselves. I added the Italian flag because I am fully Italian, and my culture is important to me. I also have that microphone up top because I love to sing and write songs, it is a big part of who I am. I love how Wangechi Mutu uses her morals and culture in her collages to express her identity and stand up for what's right.

 The Feminist Challenge of Wangechi Mutu”

 “Although trained as a sculptor and multimedia artist, Mutu is best known for her large-scale collages, wildly colorful works including printed and painted papers as well as synthetic materials such as glitter or plastic pearls, and punctuated by armatures drawn in ink.”

—It is amazing to read what each specific artist does in their artwork to make it their own. Through the artists we've read about, each has their own style and what makes them unique.  

Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey

“Mutu is best known for spectacular and provocative collages depicting female figures—part human, animal, plant, and machine—in fantastical landscapes that are simultaneously unnerving and alluring, defying easy categorization and identification.”

—Mutu uses captivating and unique images to get her message across, which is what I think makes such an amazing artist. When trying to portray such important messages about race, gender and the world around us , it's important to try and stand out to get everyone to listen.

Wangechi Mutu: A New Face for the Met

“Crowned, blinded and gagged by

highly polished discs, and born of traditions

both European and African, these graceful,

commanding figures will change the face of

the museum, literally and figuratively.” 

—Mutu used her background and her struggles from her culture in her art. Her figures give insight into her pain, which is something other people have felt as well. The places she’s been and her heritage is a big reason why her art is so impactful. 

“But African examples abound, Ms. Mutu explains, found in "staffs and in beautiful royal stools that are representative of where a king would sit. Essentially they're holding the

weight of the king. Or the royalty of that culture." 

—This is an example of Mutu explaining her culture and using it in her art. Her culture is something important to her, and when she puts it in her art she is able to express that part of herself. 

Chapter two: Manners (Finkelstien)

“In both circumstances, the messages being delivered were that wealth and power alone were

not sufficient attributes; being socially acceptable requires a capacity to imagine oneself to be someone else, to engage in the social contract of exchanging places in order to understand how human sociality works.” 

—Sometimes it is hard to be yourself when you don’t feel socially acceptable. Sometimes people want you to act or look different, which is why it can be hard on so many people to accept who they actually are. 

“Being in public and learning how to behave toward an audience of

strangers is part of the narrative that produces a sense of self.”

—Sometimes The pressure we feel from society can make you know yourself a little better. You learn what makes you anxious and what makes you who you are. Sometimes the pressure can be a good thing, but it should never change who you are. 

 

 

Personal Collage Inspired by Wangechi Mutu

"A Personal Collage of Interests" - Amy Castellon
 Inspired by Wangechi Mutu. (My fingers on my left arm got cut off for some reason lol.) 

Manners

Quote 1: “Manners announce other qualities such as whether an individual is sensitive, whether they play by the rules and should be taken seriously, and whether they are ethically minded or insincere and use manners as affectations.” (Finkelstein, 80).

- This is a statement that I don't agree with. I don't think having manners classifies a person as sensitive, nor taken seriously. I feel like a person with any personality can have manners. A person can have manners yet also be someone who isn't the nicest of people. 

-        Quote 2: “The role of manners as an overarching structure was to displace personal expressions – be they of ineptitude, aggression, enthusiasm, indifference, anxiety and so on – in order to stabilize the social moment and make it as formulaic and predictable as possible.” (Finkelstein, 82). 

       - I think this was an interesting quote. It's saying that the role that manners plays in the lives of many can be a way to rid of a persons expressions and personality. An example could be that a person can hold a utensil a certain way because it's a way that they are comfortable with but many could see it as having no manners because it isn't considered to be "normal". 

Wagenchi Mutu: A New Face for the Met

Quote 1: “The work of these women is immense. The regard for them is not.” (Paragraph 9)

- I think that this quote is one that pretty much every woman or person around the world can relate to. Working hard to reach your goals and getting little to no credit or acknowledgement for it is something so common in the world of women unfortunately. 

Quote 2: “Ms. Mutu (like many of her urban peers) learned about her cultural background by visiting her grandparents upcountry.” (Paragraph 13)

- This was a quote I related to a lot because I also learned a lot about my cultural background from my grandparents and parents. They taught me about our foods, clothing, history, etc. I even got to visit the countries where they're from, as well as where they used to live and enjoyed every second of it.

MoMA Article

Quote 1: “The figure exists in an imaginary outer space, clutching a mangled serpent, the phallic and mythological creature that instigated the downfall of Eve… The image and title are infested with the inherent contradictions that were the experience of a radical like Funmilayo.” (Paragraph 2).

Brooklyn Museum Article

Quote 1: “Mutu is best known for spectacular and provocative collages depicting female figures- part human, animal, plant, and machine – in fantastical landscapes that are simultaneously unnerving and alluring, defying easy categorization and identification.” (Paragraph 2).

Wangechi Mutu Inspired Collage - Nicolette Capua

 

Nicolette Capua, Symbols, 2022

      This collage was inspired by Wangechi Mutu's art. Mutu's art is always centered around nature and human beings. These photos were taken at a park in Staten Island, New York. The trees this day looked really beautiful and dark green. I had to take a picture in front of them once I saw them. Not only am I showing off the beauty of nature, I am showing the beauty of women. Just like nature, women are beautiful in their own unique ways. In the collage I added the American flag, Italian flag, a microphone, the word "Fashion", and the phrase "Be Brave".  I added the Italian flag because I am fully Italian. I added the American flag because I am also American. I added the microphone because I love to sing and I have been singing my whole life. I also added the word "Fashion" because I love clothes and picking out different outfits to express myself. I added the phrase "Be Brave" because I always feel I am telling myself that in different situations and I like to take risks and be bold. All of these symbols represent my life and have a big impact on who I am as a person. I like how Mutu expresses her identity through her art work by showing her culture and her morals and values. 

The Art of Self Invention (Chapter 2 Manners)

By Joanne Finkelstein

1- “How we behave reflects our skills in acting, dissemblance, calculation, role-playing, sycophancy and conformity, as well as our capacity to insert ourselves into the strictures of precedents and be the obliging members of the ‘wedding party,’ to use Erving Goffman’s metonym of social life.” (Finkelstein 77).

     Our behavior reflects who we are as people and shows our true colors. Although this is the case, we sometimes behave in ways that don't reflect our values and morals due to emotions we experience such as  anger or sadness. These behaviors and emotions can make us seem different towards people.


2- “ Manners announce other qualities such as whether an individual is sensitive, whether they play by the rules and should be taken seriously, and whether they are ethically minded or insincere and use manners as affectations (Martin, 1991).” (Finkelstein 80).

     Our manners show our personalities. They tell us if someone is a rude person or if someone is kind and warm-hearted. Having good manners is very important when wanting to impress someone to show that you are caring and thoughtful. Showing respect towards feelings and sentiments of others is the type of manners we should all have.



Wangechi Mutu at Met ( NYT)

By Nancy Princenthal

1- “Her caryatids clearly radiate power of their own. Titled” The NewOnes, will free US,” they represent, for Ms.Mutu,”words that we haven't heard, people we haven't noticed. They will be our redemption.” (Princenthal 7).

    Mutus wanted her work to not only represent women but also people who are silenced and ignored. She wanted her work to show support for those people that were shut out.


2- “Always aware of the “where art history has positioned the female body,” generally as the passive subject of painting, she notes that “in classical African art, the female body in some instances is the museum- she is where the art is placed.” (Princenthal 20).

    Mutu's work was essentially on female representation. The female body she describes is its own art piece. Mutu illustrates that nothing is more incredible than the female body. The female body is a masterpiece.


The Feminists Challenge of Wangechi Mutu

By Heidi Orley

1- “These layered references and remixed body politics contribute to an interrogation of otherness, race, alienation, and female representation” (Orley 2).

   Mutu made sure to address many things she was passionate about in her work. Race and female representation was her main target in many of her pieces. Addressing concerns on these topics brings awareness to society as a whole and engages others to support her work.

Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey (Brooklyn Museum)

1- “Sampling such diverse sources as African traditions, international politics, the fashion industry, pornography, and science fiction, her work explores gender, race, war, colonialism, global consumption, and the exoticization of the black female body.”

    Mutus' work explained so many different topics that addressed several issues and concerns in the world that still exist today. Exploring diverse sources and putting it into her works makes her art stand out and have a bigger impact on society.

Andy Warhol inspired post

Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe 1967

Andy Warhol inspired, 2022

My selfie for this week was inspired by, what I believe, might be one of Andy Warhol's most famous portraits. 

John Berger Ways of Seeing Ch 5 

"Here the painted poor smile as they offer what they have for sale. (They smile showing their teeth, which the rich in pictures never do.) They smile at the better-off- to ingratiate themselves...Such pictures asset two things: that the poor are happy, and that the better-off are a source of hope for the world" (p 104). 

-It was interesting seeing the different portraits between the rich and poor. Although the rich have money, none of their photos really depict happiness but rather their portraits were used to show off their wealth and what they had. The poor on the other hand, you can see that although they do not have much to show off, their photos look full of life and they look happy despite their circumstances. 

"The way in which each sees the other confirms his own view of himself" (p 96)

-Going back to my previous quote, this quote also applies to how two people unequal in power see themselves. The European colonizers did not smile in their photos because they wanted to be painted as confident, well-dressed, and in charge. This form of painting would allow others to know or even feel like they were superior and the rest were inferior to them. This also shows how powerful images are. 

Weekly Selfie Inspired by Andy Warhol - Riya

 

Quote 1:

"Art History has totally failed to come to terms with the problem of the relationship between the outstanding work and the average work of the European tradition. The notion of Genuis is not in itself an adequate answer. Consequently, the confusion remains on the walls of the galleries." (Berger 88)

This quote reminded me of Basquiat and how he will sign his graffiti work with SAMO(c) meaning Same Old Crap. Basquiat signed his work with SAMO(c) as a way of calling out the art world and its lack of diversity. Basquiat wanted his art to make an unauthorized entry into the predominantly white corporate art world. Berger stated that galleries had lack a relationship between outstanding art and the "average work of the European traditions." Relating to the quote, Jean Micheal Basquiat hated the idea of being so beholden to the gallery system and the stuffy gallerists than ran them. “I wanted to be a star, not a gallery mascot,” said the artist in a major 1985 profile by New York Times Magazine. (Medium)

Source: https://medium.com/thenewstand/samo-its-pronounced-same-oh-26b01061c844 

Quote 2:

"A painting could speak to the soul - by way of it referred to, but never by the way it envisaged" (Berger 87)

I found this quote interesting because it represents the way an artist envisions the meaning of their work could only be interpreted in a manner that only they could explicate. There are many different perspectives of what someone sees when they are admiring an artwork, It speaks and relates to them as an individual in their own way. The true story behind an image can only be explained by
the artist that created it.

Jean-Michel Basquiat Inspiration

 

Jean-Michel Basquiat has turned into the most mythologized and romanticized figure in Contemporary Art. With a troublesome childhood and forced to leave his house for good, he turned to selling postcards, paraphernalia and T-shirts for money. His first artistic acknowledgment, however, was during The Times Square Show in 1980 and acquired more and more recognition after that. His graffiti tag dispersed as he began to sustain a worldwide standing and was the subject of an article named “The Radiant Child”. 

The reason behind graffiti tags is something only the artist will understand. Some tags convey a special meaning about something, a place or an idea. Other graffiti artists spray paint tags just for fun and usually a representation for a gang. I picked this tag because it was a mystery to me and Jean-Michel Basquiat has paintings that are mysteries to his audience that only he knows the representation for what it really is. 

Quote 1: “The art of any culture will show a wide differential of talent” 

Graffiti is viewed as defacing on private or public property leaving behind tags or pictures without consent. If graffiti is done in a non abusive or vandalized way, then it can have an impactful representation. This effect might be inspirational and make a voice for the craftsman as well as for other people, who feel the same way. While many might guarantee words don't influence them, I don't trust this to be conceivable. Words, images and expressions are our fundamental type of correspondence, and each lastingly affects us.

Quote 2: “A patron cannot be surrounded by music or poems in the same way as he is surrounded by his pictures”

Disregarding the societal impression of graffiti, these pictures and words have an extraordinary worldwide presence. Today, you don't need to enter an art museum to see art. Artists use these tags just like dancers dance to express themselves.