Arjun Appadurai's concept of the social life of objects addresses the relationship between people (culture) and the objects within their culture. It is easy to understand how people affect objects: we interact with and manipulate existing objects, we create new objects, and destroy old ones. In this sense we create a material culture imbued with value. But we also exist within it. Think about the house you live in or the clothes you wear. These things shape your identity and your experience as a human being. You might choose your clothing but your experience is defined by the way you interact with others based on their perceptions of you.
The same thing can be said about art objects as well. For example, we see an example of ethno-aesthetics in Fast Runner being represented through the social life of film. We see traditional methods of hunting, transportation, ceremonies, dress, gender interaction, etc. in the film. The film attempts to convey social messages and the identity of this tribe to viewers per the tribe. We could say that the objects in the film themselves have a social life since they define the way these people live. Using dogs and sleds allows for certain hunting practices and it makes carrying burdens far distances easier. Using igloos as shelter grants protection against the climate, a place to stay warm, or prepare food. Larger igloos can be used for ceremonial feasting, etc. Without these igloos the daily life of these people would look quite different. They serve a utilitarian as well as a social use. The film as an object itself also has a social life on a more global scale since it is widely distributed around the world as an example of this tribe. The film determines the way we see these people and our understanding of their culture. It is a medium through which a global conversation is taking place.
The concept of the social life of things is very important in the modern era of globalization and hybridization since cultures must be able to converse with other cultures. It also applies to cultural elements and events. This relates back to the article we read about Amalia Mesa-Bains who said that in designing her museum exhibit their goal was to maintain the integrity of Mexican culture but to look at spiritual traditions across cultures. Like we talked about with HIV/AIDS art, in order to understand the AIDS issue in South Africa you have to look at the issue on a global scale.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Dance Dance Dance!
The article, An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance, was particularly interesting to me because I am a ballerina. I have to admit that I'm not sure I have ever thought of ballet as ethnic dance, but after reading the article I would wholeheartedly agree with Joann Kealiinohomoku.
The first thing she wisely does it to clarify that ethnic dances do not imply primitive dances. In fact, there are no such thing as primitive dances but rather dances performed by primitives and these dances she says "are too varied to fit any stereotype" (34). Nevertheless there is a primitive dance stereotype (disorganized, frenzied, no technique, resembling apes and birds!, lots of stomping) which is one of the reasons that Westerners rarely think of ballet as ethnic dance. She spends a good portion of her argument advocating the idea that there "is no such thing as a 'primitive dance' form" (37).
She then goes on to define key terms in order to help dispel the false idea. She begins at the beginning by defining the term dance itself: "a transient mode of expression, performed in a given form and style by the human body moving in space. Dance occurs through purposefully selected and controlled rhythmic movements; the resulting phenomenon is recognized as a dance by both the performer and the observing members of a given group" (38). One distinguishing factor of her definition is the aspect of intent. Other key terms are folk dance and primitive dance. Primitive culture and hence primitive dance tends to be self-contained and autonomous where peasant cultures are not autonomous and folk dances tend to reflect the smaller peasant culture within a larger culture. Finally Joanna defines ethnic dance and concludes that "every dance form must be an ethnic form" (39).
Ballet is a perfect reflection of ethno-aesthetics of the Western and particularly European worlds for all the reasons Joann writes about in the section the Ethnicity of Ballet. I recently went to see both Pilobolus and the Trey McIntyre Project at Van Duzer. While both groups performed contemporary works the movement reflects the current dance aesthetic in the west. Pilobolus opened with three pieces two of which were choreographed in the 70s and were very sensual reflective of American culture in the early 70s. They reflected a focus on the human body and the earth. We see incredible lines, extended legs, stretched arms, and pointed toes per the classical aesthetic. The latter half of the show contained pieces choreographed in 2011 which were much more spastic and jerky (I'm not sure what this is reflective of...a feeling of disconnection maybe?..., but this seems to be the way dance is moving these days). Trey McIntyre was a perfect example of the spastic jerky style of movement as well. The dancers also wore red, white, and blue costumes in their first piece and we frequently saw female-male partnering sequences which is typical of classical ballet. Of course there was an intermission, a curtain call, applause, etc. I will be performing in a classical ballet in March where you will see village scenes and traditional wedding scenes using sets that invoke scenic familiarity to ballet-goers, mannerisms, pink tights, pointe shoes, etc. that define the ethno-aesthetics of classical ballet.
The first thing she wisely does it to clarify that ethnic dances do not imply primitive dances. In fact, there are no such thing as primitive dances but rather dances performed by primitives and these dances she says "are too varied to fit any stereotype" (34). Nevertheless there is a primitive dance stereotype (disorganized, frenzied, no technique, resembling apes and birds!, lots of stomping) which is one of the reasons that Westerners rarely think of ballet as ethnic dance. She spends a good portion of her argument advocating the idea that there "is no such thing as a 'primitive dance' form" (37).
She then goes on to define key terms in order to help dispel the false idea. She begins at the beginning by defining the term dance itself: "a transient mode of expression, performed in a given form and style by the human body moving in space. Dance occurs through purposefully selected and controlled rhythmic movements; the resulting phenomenon is recognized as a dance by both the performer and the observing members of a given group" (38). One distinguishing factor of her definition is the aspect of intent. Other key terms are folk dance and primitive dance. Primitive culture and hence primitive dance tends to be self-contained and autonomous where peasant cultures are not autonomous and folk dances tend to reflect the smaller peasant culture within a larger culture. Finally Joanna defines ethnic dance and concludes that "every dance form must be an ethnic form" (39).
Ballet is a perfect reflection of ethno-aesthetics of the Western and particularly European worlds for all the reasons Joann writes about in the section the Ethnicity of Ballet. I recently went to see both Pilobolus and the Trey McIntyre Project at Van Duzer. While both groups performed contemporary works the movement reflects the current dance aesthetic in the west. Pilobolus opened with three pieces two of which were choreographed in the 70s and were very sensual reflective of American culture in the early 70s. They reflected a focus on the human body and the earth. We see incredible lines, extended legs, stretched arms, and pointed toes per the classical aesthetic. The latter half of the show contained pieces choreographed in 2011 which were much more spastic and jerky (I'm not sure what this is reflective of...a feeling of disconnection maybe?..., but this seems to be the way dance is moving these days). Trey McIntyre was a perfect example of the spastic jerky style of movement as well. The dancers also wore red, white, and blue costumes in their first piece and we frequently saw female-male partnering sequences which is typical of classical ballet. Of course there was an intermission, a curtain call, applause, etc. I will be performing in a classical ballet in March where you will see village scenes and traditional wedding scenes using sets that invoke scenic familiarity to ballet-goers, mannerisms, pink tights, pointe shoes, etc. that define the ethno-aesthetics of classical ballet.
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| Trey McIntyre Project |
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| Pilobolus |
Friday, November 4, 2011
Local vs. Global: An Epic Battle
Ethnoaesthetics defines the anthropology of art. It essentially refers to the study of beauty through the eyes of a particular culture. It demands a cultural context. In turn ethnoaesthetic analysis demands (the anthropologist's two favorite words) cultural relativism. It demands that we understand something about a people before we can understand their art. This is certainly true of the Australian tribe in Waiting for Harry as well as for Mexican artist Jose Posada. If I didn't understand the funerary ritual being performed in Waiting for Harry or the political and social turmoil during the time of Posada, the art would carry little to no meaning. Looking at Posada's work within its context, it is easy to understand.
This piece is titled Happy Street Sweepers. The skeletons make perfect sense once we find out that this representation of death-- the calavera-- coincides with the Day of the Dead celebrations. Images such as this are a common way to celebrate the lives of ancestors, to celebrate tradition and the past. Posada's work frequently portrays common people doing everyday work, as he might have seen on the streets of Mexico in the early 1900s. His art "critiqued injustices of the time," such as the poverty we see in this picture. This is an example of ethnoaesthetic analysis: a sense of aesthetics through the eyes of a culture.
It seems to me that it is fairly obvious to see the strengths of ethnoaesthetics, but its weaknesses have only become apparent in the modern age of hybridization and globalization. Traditionally, anthropologists studied small scale societies on a local scale, but very rarely anymore do events take place on such a small and isolated scale. Ethnoaesthetics doesn't take into account the extent to which cultures today are hybridized, that is, mixed together. Even indigenous art has radically been altered in many cases by tourism or relocation. Tomas Ybarra-Frausto explains that hybridization, the ability to adapt to the modern world, is what saved many indigenous cultures from extinction. Yet now we are threatened by the idea of a global hybrid mono-culture where ethnoaesthetics don't really exist. Artist Amalia Mesa-Bains addresses the question of how to celebrate (and on an even more basic note, maintain) a cultural aesthetic while still appealing to/surviving in a global community. In other words, what is the role of ethnoaesthetics in the modern world? Her answer is that you will find "the same elements in all groups." We absolutely must celebrate diversity to avoid a "monolithic sense of culture and community" and yet there is the possibility of connection among groups, of establishing a common ground, of ethnoaesthetic appreciation. While globalism is the reality, underneath it all, there is still the seed of local tradition and it must be cultivated.
This piece is titled Happy Street Sweepers. The skeletons make perfect sense once we find out that this representation of death-- the calavera-- coincides with the Day of the Dead celebrations. Images such as this are a common way to celebrate the lives of ancestors, to celebrate tradition and the past. Posada's work frequently portrays common people doing everyday work, as he might have seen on the streets of Mexico in the early 1900s. His art "critiqued injustices of the time," such as the poverty we see in this picture. This is an example of ethnoaesthetic analysis: a sense of aesthetics through the eyes of a culture.
It seems to me that it is fairly obvious to see the strengths of ethnoaesthetics, but its weaknesses have only become apparent in the modern age of hybridization and globalization. Traditionally, anthropologists studied small scale societies on a local scale, but very rarely anymore do events take place on such a small and isolated scale. Ethnoaesthetics doesn't take into account the extent to which cultures today are hybridized, that is, mixed together. Even indigenous art has radically been altered in many cases by tourism or relocation. Tomas Ybarra-Frausto explains that hybridization, the ability to adapt to the modern world, is what saved many indigenous cultures from extinction. Yet now we are threatened by the idea of a global hybrid mono-culture where ethnoaesthetics don't really exist. Artist Amalia Mesa-Bains addresses the question of how to celebrate (and on an even more basic note, maintain) a cultural aesthetic while still appealing to/surviving in a global community. In other words, what is the role of ethnoaesthetics in the modern world? Her answer is that you will find "the same elements in all groups." We absolutely must celebrate diversity to avoid a "monolithic sense of culture and community" and yet there is the possibility of connection among groups, of establishing a common ground, of ethnoaesthetic appreciation. While globalism is the reality, underneath it all, there is still the seed of local tradition and it must be cultivated.
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