Week One: Adrian Piper
Adrian Piper is a conceptual artist and analytic philosopher. Piper earned a PHD in Philosophy, and later in her career, taught Philosophy at Georgetown, Harvard, Michigan, Stanford and UCSD. Piper works primarily with the concepts of Metaphysics and Politics in a philosophical standpoint, which translates very clearly into her art practice. Piper uses a multitude of mediums, including photo-text collage, performance, site specific sculpture, sound works, and video installations. Pipers work explore the limits and understanding of self, as well as individual identity. Piper also utilized her formal identity as an ‘African American’ woman into the politics of her works, exploring the concepts of racism and xenophobia being present in different aspects of life. Piper then ‘retired from being black’ in 2012, and states on her website “you may wish to refer to her as the artist formerly known as African America”.
This is not a Documentation of a Performance – 1976, Silkscreen news paper article with altered photo and text.
Piper’s work “This is not a Documentation of a Performance” explores her recurring theme of racism and xenophobia, by utilizing a photo of a protest happening in Manhattan regarding numerous Hispanic families being evicted from their homes. Piper has replaced the words on the sign with “This is not a performance”. Piper directly draws a line between gentrification, and the idea that it is fundamentally, directly linked to racism in urban areas. Although this piece is not technically a multiple, I do believe it is an important text-based work of Piper’s because of how clearly it communicates her frustrations and the concepts of her practice.
Context #7 – 1970, 7 black notebooks with pages, ink, graphite, crayon, postage stamps, photographs, sugar packages on paper.
Piper’s work Context #7, was created by asking visitors in the MoMA how to respond to ‘this situation’. The situation in question was finding a notebook in the MoMA which asked you how to respond to it. The notebooks were a collection of the responses, which turned into a series of 7 complete black notebooks.
Mokshamurda Progression – 2021, series of nine photo-text collage lithographs.
Piper’s work Mokshamurda Progression, refers to the Hindu terms, moksha and murda, describes to mean something similar to ‘ties to freedom or release’. It displays a symbolic hand gesture, to move through to unity and then into dissolution. It explores the concepts of racial ambiguity and sense of self. When displaying the piece, Piper requested that the art be displayed directly at eye level, and spaced exactly 6 inches apart from each other.
Each of Piper’s works displayed above share similar characteristics in regards to theme, concept, and delivery. Piper’s use of text in her art communicates powerful statements which can be difficult to derive and determine by one self. In terms of forcing the viewer to establish a deeper understanding with their sense of self, while simultaneously deconstructing her sense of self and identity and putting it on display. The viewer is forced to not only see Piper’s dissolution of self, but is also forced to reflect inwardly on their own sense of self, creating a distinct space between the viewer and the artwork. Each of these text based multiples communicate complex subject matter through simplistic visuals, and each does so effectively in a different manner, which is arguably the purpose of text based multiples.
Week Two: Text Based Multiples Notes and Brainstorming
My initial thoughts for the Text Based Multiples was to work with the theme of body and sexualization of women. My general idea was to work with pasties as the base for the multiple.
My first idea was to make a varied edition of multiples with pasties, stating various phrases alluding to the unfair sexualization of women’s nipples. When I began to design these, I thought that the amount of words that could fit comfortably on a pastie looks too graphic. They began to look tacky, and not communicate exactly what statement I wanted to get across to the viewer.
My next idea was to print pasties with nipples that belong to a women on them, and pasties with nipples that belong to a man. The execution of the piece would be to have a man wear the woman’s nipple, and a woman wear the man’s nipples. Creating a mockery of the idea that women’s nipples are sexual, because one would not be able to tell which nipple are which without previously knowing. By having pasties that are ambiguous to whether or not they look like they belong to a man or a woman would create a dialogue on whether or not the nipples actually belong to a man and a woman, or if they could be both a man’s or woman’s. This would create an argument to the opposition that if you cannot tell them apart, there cannot be a reason to be offended by one or the other.
Although I really like the idea and direction that this is going, I have hit a road block on how to incorporate text the way I want to, without it them becoming tacky, rather than a political statement. My initial aversion to the original text based design was that they began to look like something that would become performative or outdated in the execution of wearing them. I have also considered writing instructions on where, or how to wear them. Or possibly have an additional piece included with text on it.
I like the idea of ambiguity between the two sets of nipples because the viewer, if they are offended by the sight of female nipples, would then not be able to decide whether to be offended or not, without then rendering their argument as invalid.
Text Multiples: NOT MY NIPPLES.
The portrayal of the ‘female’ body is something that is constantly sexualized in our patriarchal society. The sexualization of the female body, is often paired with a sense of shame. The idea that woman need to hide their bodies to be safe, and respected, and humanized. However, this concept is not limited to just women. While cisgender women are victims to this phenomenon, it extends to trans men, trans women, non-binary people, and so on. The idea that bodies that represent what is labelled as ‘feminine attributes’ are shamed, and forced to hide, and unfairly sexualized.
The ‘NOT MY NIPPLES.’ multiple was designed to challenge these concepts. Something as simple as a nipple, is deemed as offensive, inappropriate, and vulgar, but only when it is seen on a body that portrays characteristics which can be perceived as feminine. The idea that a body part which belongs to all sexes is only scrutinized for some, is absurd.
When collecting the images, I made a call for participation, to anyone who was comfortable. The exact call was ‘anyone comfortable displaying very mild nudity’. I got many responses from people wanting to know more. What exactly ‘mild nudity’ entailed. What shocked me, was how many cis-gender men responded, wanting to know more. When I revealed the concept and that I needed ‘up close photos of their nipples’, many of them said they were not comfortable with that. Which raised my question, what mild nudity were they thinking I wanted? What ‘mild nudity’ were they comfortable displaying to me? When I inquired deeper, I realized that the feeling of discomfort was not with the issue of showing me their nipples, but with the idea of ambiguity between their nipples, and nipples they would unintentionally sexualize.
By creating a design for nipple pasties, also referred too as nipple covers, that displayed a photo of a nipple on it, eliminates the concept of censoring the nipples they were covering. The idea of using photos of all different kinds of nipples from all genders, created a shield of ambiguity. The viewer does not know to be offended by the site, being unsure of the origin, unsure if the image is inappropriate or not.
The phrase ‘NOT MY NIPPLES.’ was chosen to be used as almost a protective shield. Being uncensored, but comfortably covered at the same time. ‘NOT MY NIPPLES.’ are intended to be worn or be used in whichever way the wearer feels most comfortable. Whether it is directly over someone’s nipples, or on their shirt or sweater, used as a sticker on a water bottle or a computer, or even on other body parts to create the illusion of a chest.
During the installation of ‘NOT MY NIPPLES.’, I asked my friends, who were modelling them for me, to wear them however they feel comfortable. I asked them how it felt to be wearing someone else’s nipples, if they felt exposed, if they felt vulnerable, if they felt ‘too naked’. They all said no. Instead, the overwhelming response was how freeing it felt, how their bodies were protected by the image of someone else’s nipples placed over their own. How they felt naked, but not uncomfortable. They said the feeling was empowering, even though the image of their bodies so closely resembled how they look without the pasties on, yet felt so different to be in. The overwhelming response was that these people, with unfairly scrutinized bodies, did not realize how good it felt to not have to wear a shirt, until they were given the opportunity to safely do so.
Video Art: In the Embrace of my Mother
In the Embrace of my Mother, is a video about intergenerational trauma and narcissistic abuse. It is meant to resemble the cliche of your life flashing before your eyes in a reflection as you die. I would like to preface the viewing of the video with the statement that I do love my mom, and I believe that everything I have gone through in my life in regards to our relationship is directly rooted in the treatment she has received from her own mother as a child. While I do not want this video to seem as though I am putting any blame on her, I cannot deny myself to reflect on my own experiences and emotions. And mom, if you ever come across this, try to heal with me, we both deserve it.
Mukbang/ASMR
Temporary Tattoo Assignment
For this assignment I chose to recreate every tattoo I already have into temporary tattoo form, and place them in the same place on someone else’s body. My expensive, professionaly done ones, the ones my friends have tried to do, and the ones I gave myself when I was 16 years old, all placed on the skin of someone else.
Insead of recreating the images on my skin, I photographed them, and erased my body from the image. Leaving a weathered, aged, worn-in tattoo in my skin, placed on someone else’s. This created an indescribable form of intimacy between myself, and the other person, visible through me, as well as other viewers. When looking at someone with all of my tattoos on their body, it was strange to have some sort of peak into how people might see me, and my skin, from their perspective.
After this, I began asking other people if they wanted a copy of my tattoos, but instead of placing them in the same spot as mine, I asked them where they thought they belonged. There were many phrases such as ‘this one belongs on my arm’ and ‘this one needs to be on the back of my neck’, and none were chosen to be in the same place as mine were. They eached claimed a different part of others bodies as they did with mine originally, picking and choosing where they belonged as if to bring someone the experience of their presence in a curarated way idividually.
