Piece 1 Progress and Completion

Rita Kim, “Taken”, 2016

Though I didn’t make a draft for this, I had an image of adult hands reaching out for a child prostitute whilst reading Lydia Cacho’s, Slavery Inc. With that idea in mind, I drew on 250gsm watercolor paper. I penciled the initial drawing, then inked it, coloured the now lined drawing with watercolours and then redefined the ink lines. I wanted really dark colours to symbolize the grimness of the child prostitute’s reality but at the same time, I made her “client’s” hands red. Why I had done so was for 1.to make them stand out against the bleak colours and 2.red represents blood; these clients are contributing to a multi-million dollar industry that traffics children for sexual gratification. The girl is branded with a bar code, to show that to these clients and pimps, that she is a product, an object to be used.
The colours for this first piece will set the tone for the rest of the series as it goes.

 

Publishable Blog 2 (25/05/2016)

During the week I have researching about sex trafficking of women and children, the child sex tourism industry and its surrounding criminal underbelly. In the videos on youtube, documentaries and books, such as Slavery Inc by Lydia Cacho, I had found out some disturbing trends:

• The law enforcement and Government are hands in hand with traffickers and their industry, often looking the other way from their activities (whether that country had legalized prostitution or not) and some politicians, government officials, and police officers are clients in these brothels.
• Governments such as Turkey, cover up the issue of sex trafficking (along with drugs, arms, etc), and make such activities partially illegal to quiet western nations like the US. Cacho states that “despite an increasing number of trafficking cases involving women worldwide, the Turkish police have reported a decrease in the number of women trafficked to Turkey from Russia…How is it possible that in a few years the Turkish police force has been able to lower the incidence of women trafficked from these countries by 50 percent? Why are there no statistics on domestic trafficking?” (Cacho, 14 – 15).

If the case of government and law enforcement being involved in such illicit activities are true, that would make the roles of NGO’s and social workers jobs to eradicate sex trafficking much harder. What can we do as 21st century citizens to raise awareness for this problem? Social media is a huge thing and there are so many social media posts on facebook, twitter, and youtube that raise awareness on these women’s and children’s plight. But why is no one taking notice? Is it because they think it is not their problem, a problem they cannot see? Are governments that are big on censorship making sure these crimes are buried? In my mind map above, I have listed possible solutions to alleviate the problem of sex trafficking; it may not eradicate the problem overnight but a little bit of help counts to someone out there.

Resources:
Cacho, Lydia, and Elizabeth Boburg. Slavery Inc.: The Untold Story of International Sex Trafficking. London: Portobello, 2012. Print.

The Virgin Trade in Colombia

A reporter investigates the “Virgin Trade”; local gangs in Colombia seek out young girls under the age of 14 to sell as virgins, sometimes to hundreds to thousands of dollars. This video shows interviews with victims, girls still in the trade, a mother who was told her girls, aged 11 and 6, would be taken away to be sold as virgins, local gang members who procure these girls and a British national, imprisoned in Colombian prison for grooming two girls, aged 12 and 14, for the purposes of sexual satisfaction.
What I find alarming personally, as I research further into sex trafficking of women and children, is that:

• The government and law enforcement cover up with false statistics, or too slow to react to these crimes, leaving NGO’s and journalists to help victims of trafficking themselves. Most of the time, government and law enforcement are interlocked with the trade, making eradication of trafficking so much harder.
• The trafficking of humans is closely interlocked with other criminal industries such as drugs, arms and organs. There is no wonder that human trafficking is the 2nd largest growing criminal industry in the world.

Resources:
Channel4News. “Virgins for Sale in Colombia in ‘world’s Biggest Brothel'”YouTube. Channel 4 News, 2014. Web. 25 May 2016.

Inspiration: Gomen ne Gomen ne

Warning: NSFW content, child abuse, sexual abuse, graphic lyrics, and flashing lights.

Found this music video and since I am focusing on child prostitution and the Child sex tourism industry, this music video about such subjects are very relevant and definitely shocks you.
Plot of the music video is about an abusive father who sexually abuses and prostitutes his young daughter. Cannibalism is mentioned and whether it is literal or metaphorical is up to the viewer.
This music video is an amazing form of visual activism, combining amazing visuals and music to create a shocking visual text in the eyes of an abused young girl. It is shocking because you are experiencing her life rather than being a bystander.

Kikuo is the artist who had created the song; he is famous in vocaloid circles and fan base (vocaloids being a program you can create songs with voice banks, often they are voices of celebrities). His work contains dark subjects such as child abuse, death, abortion, mental illness, and so forth with upbeat, cheery music.

Publishable Blog 1 (18/05/2016)

Mirzoeff’s idea of being a citizen in the era of globalization means immersing ourselves into our visual culture, think about the world going on around us through social media, graffiti, film, art, etc. To be a citizen of today’s society is to be exposed to visual activism and think visually. We as individuals are visual thinkers and activists. Mirzoeff states that allows us to create “a new self image, new ways to see and be seen, and new ways to see the world”. (Mirzoeff, 279).
I feel like, though the world has globalized and advanced at such an unprecedented level, we still have problems like Sex Trafficking of women and prepubescent children. As of 2013, this is the third largest criminal industry. I will be exploring this particular issue in depth over the next few weeks; whether I break it down to one issue (such as Child Sex Tourism, JK Business, etc) or to the entirety of the issue will be more obvious as time goes by. Really if you had to breakdown Sex Trafficking, there are many factors involved such as:

• Different types of trafficking such as Pimp controlled trafficking, family controlled trafficking, etc
• Sex Trafficking and prevalence in nations such as India, Thailand, the Netherlands, and if cultural norms/economic, socio-political climates allow this industry to thrive or go underground. For example, Bangladesh is the only Muslim country that has legalized prostitution.
• Profile of victims – why, what, when do they become victims of sex trafficking? What are the numbers, statistics?
• How does governments and NGO combat these issues? Why is it still happening despite such organizations combating (or not combating).

My Aim: I want to create a series of visual images that demonstrate visual activism; to provoke a reaction and to create a discussion. Whether it pushes the audience to do something about this issue or make them think about it, who knows. The media I want to use is watercolour and ink and create a painting series; at the moment I do not know the number of paintings within the series but I do want to portray the grim realities of sex trafficking and its consequences.

This image provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows a poster part of the Blue Campaign to raise public awareness of human trafficking. Awareness campaigns are underway at airports from New York to Los Angeles, as DHS has posted messages on video monitors and airport shopping bags. Other industries, including hotels and trucking, also are increasing efforts to detect trafficking. (Department of Homeland Security via AP)

Above are ads raising awareness against sex trafficking and uses iconography associated with sex trafficking mixed with thoughtful compositions and slogans.

Next week I will create mind maps on the issue in depth, visual activism/thinking, gather more information and book readings.

Wk 6 Reflection on Learning

Reflection:
Consider the previous 6 weeks; what your learning been

From a personal perspective, what has been the most interesting to you so far in this paper?
Definitely thinking about visual text contextually; what is the story behind it, what is the socio-political situation like at the time? For me, it adds more story and layers to the visual text.
Think about the content, readings, resources, tasks and approach, so far. Comment on what has worked for you? Why?
Referring back and using the readings, resources as a guide to some texts and visual texts had worked for me and given me more understanding. The tasks I cannot say the same for; some of them had very vague instructions. Or maybe I need more coffee.
What has not worked so well for you? Why?
Whilst I like the blog work and can see the purpose behind them but it can get tedious after a very long time and it feels bleh and have no motivation to do it after awhile.
How have your ideas, assumptions, knowledge’s and ways of working been challenged?
I feel like more ideas and knowledge have been expanded because of this paper; it made me search for more information, context until I feel satisfied that I have enough to go on. Assumptions are a hit or miss; it is either correct or completely wrong for me but that is why you research more!
What creative approaches have you taken when doing this paper?
None really but I have been preparing for a Matchbox exhibition while doing university work; mentally and physically challenging!
Explain how the approaches, strategies, skills and/or processes encouraged in this paper be useful to you in your other BDes/BFA projects/modules/papers.
Some papers will ask you for contextualization; be it an existing visual text or your own. Writing techniques and MLA citation learnt in this paper can be carried on to other papers – this can be blog posts, workbooks, etc.
Do you think you have a different or a new appreciation for a paper like this and its relevance to your desired art or design practice?
If it was more reading, research and less blog work, I think I would enjoy it more.

Week 7: Task 2 – Seeing the World

Indigenous World Views vs Western World Views

1. What is your own world view? And where might those world view ideas come from?

I think really had time to think about such matters; I feel like I am a cog in a bigger machine but at the same time, if I were to stop working, would the machine stop too? No it wouldn’t. I suppose this view comes from life experience and western philosophy.

2. How do you think your world view shapes the way you see yourself, others and the world?

I see myself as an individual and everyone else as a individual; we have our own actions to be responsible for, our own wants and needs, etc. The world is a huge place full of interesting and a variety of people with infinite number of possibilities – we only need to take those for ourselves, to better ourselves.

3. How might you connect with world view, ideology, identity and a personal perspective and/or differentiate between them?

This is turning my brain to mush, may I skip this?

4. You get your sense of belonging in relation to others who share the same set of values, beliefs and ways of being in the world, can you indentify some aspects of that collective world view that marginalize or subordinate other world views.

This is similar to indigenous world views where people stick together for resources and social interaction however, if one learns in high school or in life in general, people form cliques. People in cliques tend to be tight knitted and quick to condemn anyone who does not fit in.

5. If your world view is dominant and/or the most widely accepted and unchallenged world view, what might it be like if your world view became the marginalized, un-noticed, or a disregarded world view?

To be honest, I don’t think anyone would care. I just like to be myself and everyone else to be themselves, not be too crazy, etc

6. How might the dominant view see you and expect you to live your life?

N/A

6. Return to the Sheilagh Walker text as she offers a world view and perspective in academia. Now what would you say about the world view or her argument.

Task Two: Contextual Understanding

Sturken and Cartwright doing Visual Analysis.
Task: Write a short response explaining what stood out to you in their discussion of the two photographic images by US photographer, Weegee.

What had drawn me to the analysis was the way the writers had described the photograph – it was as if they had said to me “Look at this photograph, this is what it is”. It was straight forward but at the same time, drew me in as they had put in context to the photograph. The context was Weegee’s methods of getting these horrific but fascinating photographs, the story behind the “First Murder” photograph, and the social and political unrest at the time. It made me want to know more and I read more into the analysis and photographs, hoping to get more understanding and interpretations.

 

Resources:
Struken, Marita and Lisa Cartwright. “Images, Power and Politics.” Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 9 – 48. Print.
Fellig, Arthur. First Murder. 1941 – 1950. Getty Museum, Los Angles, California, USA.

Task One: Visual Literacy

Task: Crtically consider ideas discussed from the above texts and the lecture presentations.

Zoffany, Johann. Portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay and Her Cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray. 1778. Oil on Canvas. Kenwood House, Scotland.

Video: Smarthistory Art historical analysis (painting), using Édouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, 1882.
Idea: Approaching an artwork critically, dissecting its elements, and having an in depth analysis. Looking at its subject matter, considering its narrative, possible meanings, socio-political norms of the times, etc.
Artwork: Portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle and her cousin, Elizabeth Murray.

Beth Harris and Steven Zucker talk about in their video, critically analyzing a painting and dissecting its possible meanings, narrative, symbolisms, viewpoints and artistic technicalities with “A Bar at the Folies-Bergere” by Edouard Manet. This allows the viewer to critically think about other visual texts similarly, such as the portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle with her cousin, Elizabeth Murray.
The portrait, unusual for its time, portrays a black woman and a white woman as equals, or near equals. Paintings of the time had their white subjects (the English nobility) dominant whilst the black subject (a servant or slave) looking up at the white “protagonist”. Murray is portrayed as a scholarly, demure English lady with her rigid pose and a book in hand, a huge contrast to her black cousin. Dido is portrayed in the exact opposite; she is painted with great vivacity and holding a bowl of fruit as if she was going to serve others. Both women wear outfits reflecting their social status but their positioning and actions within the painting allude to a hint of their racial differences.

Resources:
Art: Smarthistory. art, history, conversation. Édouard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, 1882 

4C Visual Analysis of Selected Image

Gillian Rose: Visual Methodologies Questions

Zoffany, Johann. Portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay and Her Cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray. 1778. Oil on Canvas. Kenwood House, Scotland.

 

Some questions about the production of an image:
When was it made?
The painting was completed in 1779.
Who made it?
The painter attributed to the painting is Johann Zoffany but it is possible he is not the painter. Any other possible painters are unknown.
Was it made for someone else?
The Earl and Countess of Mansfield had commissioned the painting from Zoffany, portraying their nieces. Noble/aristocratic families had commissioned paintings of family members, which was the norm at the time.
What were the social identities of the maker, the owner, and the subject of the image?
Zoffany was a German Neoclassical painter, born of Bohemian origin. The owner(s), the Murray family, are from the aristocratic class. Elizabeth Dido Belle and her cousin, Elizabeth Murray, are also from the aristocratic class.

 Some questions about the image:
What is being shown? What are the components of the image? How are they arranged?
What is shown is the ladies Elizabeth Dido Belle and Elizabeth Murray. They are composed side by side together (showing them as near equals), with Elizabeth on the right, reaching out to her cousin. They are placed in an outdoor background, possibly a garden on the estate.
Is it one of a series?
No
Where is the viewers eye drawn to in the image and why?
My eyes are drawn towards Dido; she is a stark contrast to her cousin on the right and her expression/gaze is very direct. Paintings of the time had black people as “accessories”, gazing up onto the white protagonist. This was a symbol of power; however Dido is on equal footing with her cousin in the painting and her gaze is directed towards the viewer.
What are the genre(s) of the image? Is it a documentary, soap opera, or melodrama for example?
It is a documentary, portrait and family painting.

 Some questions about audiencing:
Who are the original audiences for this image?
The family of the subjects and guests.
How is it circulated?
In print media, and the internet.
How is it re-displayed?
The painting was previously housed in Scone Palace, Scotlan. It is now housed in Kenwood House, with information about the paintings subjects, as of 2007.
Who are the more recent audiences for this text?
Anyone interested in British history, abolition of Slavery in Britain or those who visit Kenwood House.
Is more than one interpretation of this image possible?
Yes, I believe so.