Week 5 - Kehinde Wiley

Week 5 - Kehinde Wiley

Kahinde Wiley is a Gay American based painter born in Los Angeles, who has an international reputation living between Pe King and Brooklyn.

Last weeks ALVC class focused on the Post Modern them "INTERTEXTUALITY", re-read Extract 1 The death of the author on page 44 of your ALVC books and respond to the oil paintings of Kehinde Wiley. How do we make sense of his Kehinde's work? Identify intertextuality in Kehinde's work?

Kehinde's work relates to this weeks Post Modern theme "PLURALISM" re-read page 50 and discuss how the work relates to this theme?

Kehinde's work raises questions around social/cultural hierarchies , colonisation, globalisation, stereotypes and the politics which govern a western worldview.

Information on specific paintings was difficult to obtain however Matt has the info for the last 2 paintings.

3. Kehinde Wiley Count Potocki, 2008 oil on canvas, 274.3 x 274.3cm

4. Kehinde Wiley Support Army and Look after People, 2007 oil on canvas, 258.4 x 227.3cm

thursday, august 5, 2010

Kehinde Wiley's work is really interesting, on one side they look like something you wouldn't see out of place on a rap album cover or in 50 cents new music video, but on the otherhand the floral like patterns give them a very old antique feel (also, I'm pretty sure my Nana's curtains are in that exact pattern :P)

The paintings speak heavily of pluralism, what with the depiction of black african male stereotypes, sporting gang colours and bandanas, however that in itself is a good example of the death of the author. When I look at the first work I see some 'thug gangsta' pulling gangsigns and sporting gang colours, but i've never actually met someone quite that 'gangsta' so they only reason I must be perceiving it as this is the stereotype i've learnt from media and tv.

It is said that during modernity, middle class white culure was more high or civilised, so depicting black males as the main counterparts of these pictures could be considered very post-modern. Although that said, im sitting here worrying that if I say that I dont like these paintings, would that be interpreted as racism? God I hate political correctness.

The pictures depicting strong male figures riding valiant horses could be seen as quite phallic in origin, what with the whole stereotypical rumour of black males been qutie 'well hung' and horses beings the stereotypical large penis animal most people think of (even though a barnacles is WAY longer in terms of body length for those of you playing at home). It's also like something you'd see out of a war painting, especially painting number 2 which reminded me of the famous painting of George Washington next to a regal looking white horse, which I suppose is another example of intertextuality. These pictures seem to be riddled with intertextuality, especially the references to my nanas curtains, the patterns are seriously uncanny, focussing on the background patterns alone is bringing back a rush of childhood memories, which is rather unnerving.