Contemporary Art & Critical Pedagogy Week 8 – Nov. 7 What are the politics of representation? Who can represent who and why?

Fred Wilson, Mining the Museum, Installation at the Baltimore Historical Society, 1992-93

Catherine Opie, Mike and Sky, 1993 Catherine Opie, Mike and Sky, 1993. From the series "Portraits”; C-print; 20 x 16 inches. Edition of 8, 2 AP. Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles © Catherine Opie http://www.art21.org/videos/segment-catherine-opie-in-change (view from beginning to 2:41) Catherine Opie Mike and Sky, 1993 http://www.art21.org/videos/segment-catherine-opie-in-change

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMychWgKedA (watch 4:40-6:30) In Nikki S. Lee's The Yuppie Series (1998), the Korean-born artist infiltrates and documents the world of mostly white, economically privileged Wall Street professionals, meticulously adopting her colleagues' code of dress, behavior, and living habits. The series represents both a meticulous documentation of white privilege, clannishness, and exclusivity as well as Lee's own alienation in the face of white racism and indifference. This photograph is part of a series of projects in which Lee has immersed herself in American subcultures—punks, tourists, yuppies, lesbians, club kids, drag queens, senior citizens—observing and adopting the dress, behavior, and body language of each for weeks or months at a time. After transforming her own appearance, Lee approaches members of the group, explains her project, and has a friend or passerby photograph her with a small automatic-focus camera. Part Zelig, part Cindy Sherman, Lee cleverly explores the mutability of social identity as well as the immigrant's desire to blend into a new culture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMychWgKedA (watch 4:40-6:30) Nikki Lee, The Yuppie Project, 1998

Interview with Nikki Lee: https://www. youtube. com/watch Interview with Nikki Lee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMychWgKedA (view from 4:40-6:35) Initially she was excited by the different types of cultures she encountered, which came as a dramatic contrast to South Korea’s more homogeneous society, she said. But while her “Projects” pieces have sometimes been interpreted as a commentary on racism and social minorities, Ms. Lee said that was never her intention. “I’m not Korean-American, which means I don’t have issues about race,” she said. “But I’m really happy that people talk a lot about different things from my work.” She says she always introduced herself to them as an artist working on a piece. And she allowed that the adopted persona that came most naturally to her was the yuppie, because “a lot of my friends was like that.” “I don’t want to explore my personal life in my work too much,” she said opaquely (referring to including her boyfriend in her work). When asked if she had learned anything from inhabiting her many roles, Ms. Lee seemed momentarily bemused. Finally, she said, “One thing I really learned is, ‘Yes, I’m right, I’m able to do that.’ So I have confidence in my confidence.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMychWgKedA

http://hyperallergic.com/246851/cindy-sherman-in-blackface/ http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/cindygate-and-the-lasting-stain-of-cindy-shermans-blackface-photos Cindy Sherman, Untitled images from Bus Rider series, 1976

http://hyperallergic.com/95936/the-many-faces-of-eleanor-antin/ http://hyperallergic.com/247053/in-martha-wilsons-new-photo-works-feminism-meets-the-absurd/ Screenshot of twitter posting about Cindy Sherman and her early bus rider photographic series in black face, 2015 Eleanor Antin, film still of “From the Archives of Modern Art” 1987 Martha Wilson, Martha Meets Michelle Halfway, 2014