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From the Archives: Wangechi Mutu Dresses Cultural Critique in Freakishly Beautiful Disguises
“She attracts us with her exacting skill and beautiful effects, from the marbled ink that often serves as the subjects’ skin to the touches of glitter, shiny paper and baubles she attaches to the surfaces. Many viewers simply admire her fantastical compositions and never deduce the subtle critique at play. It’s hard to deny the work’s sheer visual delight.”
Collages are, in my opinion, the type of artwork which most captivates a viewer. Because collages are made out of multiple things, it intrigues the viewer. Wangechi Mutu, with her colorful and surrealist-like collages, easily catches the viewer's eye. However, some viewers may not immediately discern the underlying critique within her art. It encourages viewers to engage with her work on multiple levels, from appreciating its sheer visual delight to uncovering the deeper social and cultural commentary that she weaves into her pieces. Wangechi Mutu's art invites contemplation, reflection, and dialogue, making her a thought-provoking artist in the contemporary art world.
“Aside from her interest in the conjoined twins Abigail and Brittany Hensel, two girls who share and cooperatively control one body, she suspects that the new figures might have something to do with the status of immigrants, who lead hybrid existences and have to be many things at once. For a multifaceted artist whose work can also be many things at once, that makes perfect sense.”
This quote made me appreciate even more Wangechi Mutu’s work because the idea of twins, mainly conjoined twins shows the symbolic duality lived by an immigrant. As an immigrant myself I would love to see this piece of work from her whenever it comes out. In addition, I love how all her work has plenty of meanings that can be seen differently by each observer.
How to See the World- Chapter 1
“Photographic self-portraits can also be a diary and a record of what has happened. In a counterexample to Sherman's role-playing, the New York photographer Nan Goldin kept such a diary over many years."
I found it interesting that Goldin used photography as a daily diary. This practice made me remember how I used to do "one second a day" videos to serve as a picture diary. Daily pictures might be so much more than just daily pictures. They show the unique struggles of the individual and that is exactly what Goldin did in part of her work.
“Goldin warns that we can depict ourselves but it does not always mean we can protect ourselves”
The harsh depiction of Goldin photographing herself after a battery in her work titled "Nan One Month After Being Battered", accompanied by this quote which came directly from the artist shows that yes, we can bring awareness to issues, but we might put ourselves out there as a target. Another interpretation is that being vocal about an issue does not mean the issue will be addressed, making you still vulnerable to falling victim to the problem.
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