Kahinde Wiley-Week 4

Kahinde Wiley is a Gay American based painter born in Los Angeles, who has an international reputation. Wiley lives and practices between Beijing and Brooklyn.


This week’s ALVC class focuses on the postmodern theme "INTERTEXTUALITY", re-read Extract 1 The death of the author on page 39 of your ALVC books and respond to the oil paintings of Kehinde Wiley.

1. Find a clear definition of Intertextuality and quote it accurately on your blog using the APA referencing system. Use your own words to explain the definition more thoroughly.

Intertextuality is the concept of texts' borrowing of each others' words and concepts.The discussion of  based off  an ideological concept and as little as a word or phrase that  transmits directly from writer to reader. (Robinson. K. Slideshare.net). I understand that intertextuality is the imput of an idea that we base something off another idea.  The academics of intertextuality define that we live off someone elses idea and use it to create another.  Music for instance correlates to every human on the planet, it surrounds us and it cannot be escaped. So, I'm saying a music artist is to create a song based on their interpretation of a situation and produce that song. The idea, and thought to the lyrics may be completely sentimental to that artist but the idea to create a song based on whatever subject of sentimentality, is derived from the idea of Sentimentality (from another person). That might be a poor example per say, but the intertextuality lies within any subject, idea given.

'intertextuality refers; text (literary material), the formulaic (fixed elements in language or myth), human folly (human behaviour or history) and grand narratives,' Aalborg University (2006)

The purpose of intertextuality as academic thought is obvious, it carries on documented information about authors,publishers etc.. and makes an appropriate referencing system, that is fair.

REFERENCES:

Anderson.D, 2006. An Analysis of Intertextual Resonance in the Witch-sequence of Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Submitted to Aalborg University, Denmark.

http://narrative.georgetown.edu/wiki/index.php/Intertextuali


http://www.slideshare.net/kathleenrobinsonmalone/literature-and-inter
textuality
2. Research Wiley's work and write a paragraph that analyzes how we might make sense of his work. Identify intertextuality in Wiley's work.

Kehinde Wiley's work is somewhat extravagant. His works display at the size of a kitchen Table and are presented with oils on canvas.

'My goal is to make paintings that have a physical weight in the world and to contend with human scale. Generally these paintings are 8 to 12 feet in height,' Kehinde Wiley Digital Interview (2007)

. They are classy and intertwined with today’s rendering of reality, with references to medieval and queenly subject backgrounds. Wiley, described as a 'Renaissance Technician with Hip-Hop subject matter' that defines intertextuality with visual dialogue and mixed ideas. Part of Wiley's process is lifting his subjects straight from the street and rendering them-complete with sneakers, track pants, tank tops, and team caps-in the visual language of classic European portraiture. As Wiley’s paintings regularly blur the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation. He displays realistic portraits with the addition of highly decorative and ornamentative qualities  –– while making references to specific old master paintings.
To discover his suggestion of intertextuality within his art,  it lies within his ideas that associate with the renaissance style

3. Wiley's work relates to next week’s Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Read page 46 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.

Wiley makes reference to African American neighbourhood life style. He does this by physically finding a range of black American males from the street, and obstructs them with renaissance significant poses. The fact these people are derived off the street as average joes challenges the perplexity of Pluralism. Pluralism is based on many things, yet Culture is the most signifying representation of its concept. Wiley leaves the boundaries of culture and presents a rather offending representation of what African American males are like.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Kehinde Wiley, 2005
Oil on canvas
182.9 x 243.8 cm (72 x 96 in)
Glenn Fuhrman

During the time of the Renaissance, portraits of an individual reflected much about a person. The purpose of the portrait was to retain someone's wealth and placement in society. Muchly involved with Hierachy and politics a painting would document that persons power in society at the time. Wileys art shows similar value in subject matter, but represents in particular, African American males in today's society. “The absence of young black urban men in paintings says something about our society” (Jackson, 2003)

Napoleon on his Imperial throne, By jean Auguste, 1806

Ice T Kehinde Wiley, 2005
Oil on canvas
243.8 x 182.9 cm (96 x 72 in)
Private collection, courtesy Rhona Hoffman Gallery

5. Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that
you have read during your research.

I like Wiley’s challenge that he proposes in his work. It signifies strength, value and reason. I believe his work should be accounted as an appropriated style of intertextual value. As I appreciate his work, because it is not based on improving or disproving subject matter. It's real, and values the placement of African Americans in todays society. It's not about who the person is individually in his paintings but what that person represents to society. I believe that the subject matter that is surrounded by a stunning style of painting is impressive. Wiley is mixing modernity and the context of the Renaissance in a very beautiful manner. Researching his working process I found that he projects photographs onto a disk firsthand, and are then drawn onto the canvas and a sepia underpainting is applied. tones, colours etc. As a whole new approach to painting he works away from traditional in a way. Even though he projects the images first on to the canvas, it would take great skill to create a full image out of what is made.

REFERENCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ingres,_Napoleon_on_his_Imperial_throne.jpg

http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/paintings.html

http://narrative.georgetown.edu/wiki/index.php/Intertextuali

http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/kehinde-wiley/

http://www.art-interview.com/Issue_009/interview_Wiley_Kehinde.html

 New Museum. (2011). Rethinking Contemporary Art and Multicultural Education. New York, USA: Routledge.

Galt, R. (2011). Pretty: Film and the Decorative Image. New York, USA : Columbia University.