Montclair Museum

 What interested me most about this exhibition was the different artists present and how each piece related to "Constructing Identity in America".  Many people spend a big part of their lives, trying to understand who they really are. From this process come questions such as: Who am I? What do I want to do? Who do I want to become? Therefore, addressing certain characteristics that cannot be changed(ex: nationality) and others that could be altered (ex: behavior). In this exhibition, I was impressed by how, many of the artist could take a simple fact, and use it as a way to identify themselves in front of thousands. How they chose for others to know their name, based on how they see things and understand the world. Making their art an expression of their point of view. A way to show others how they identify themselves and others.Helping us see what they regard as their identity. 

Martha Rosler
(b.1943)
Vanity Eye(Bathroom Surveillance) from Beauty Knows No Pain,or Body Beautiful,1966-72 

In this piece Martha Rosler, candidly addresses how consumerism affects both genders in America. She makes the comparison of females buying beauty products, so that the males can enjoy how they look. " ...women are consumers of domestic products while being consumed by the male gaze". This reminds me of Berger's quote: "Presence for a woman is so intrinsic to her person that men tend to think of it as almost a physical emanation, a kind o heat or smell or aura."Here we can see how Martha uses products such as perfume, mirrors and make up as a way to address what females base their consumerism on and the big eye as how the males respond to it. The size of the eye makes it feel invasive, also the fact that its looking through a bathroom window. Which Martha also mentions :" the internalized eye of CULTURE looking at every woman, even in the privacy of her own sacred space"She mentions culture, to point out how it has become normal and even taught to some women, that it's normal when men stare. Especially when females used such products to look more appealing.



 Dulce Pinzon(b.1974)
Bernabe Mendez(Spiderman),2007

What called my attention from this piece was how a highly recognized piece of American culture(Marvel Comics) was integrated to portray the heroic actions of immigrants.In this piece, the artist chose a Mexican living in New York. The model is seen wearing a Spider-man costume in a heroic stance, yet doing an ordinary task, cleaning windows. The artist portrays how simple acts contribute to the development of a greater cause. What many consider as ordinary jobs, Dulce mentions as " visible and extraordinary."This can be correlated to Berger's idea:"If the promise is large and credible, his presence is striking."From which we can also attribute the fact that the subject of the picture used the money he made to support his family, back in his home country.

 Benjamin West(1738-1820)
Diana , Wife of Thomas Wyld of Sheen,1766

 This portrait represents a different view of the subjects discussed in class. Benjamin West painted Diana Moore Wyld. The main theme of the portrait is social status and power:"The book that Diana holds suggests her cultural literacy and intellectual prowess."It reminded me of Hook's quote on patriarchy: "We need to highlight the role women play in perpetuating and sustaining patriarchal culture so that we will recognize patriarchy as a system women and men support equally..." Just by looking at the piece a backstory can be imagined, during the time in which men had a higher status in all aspects,yet there were a few women trying to break from this norm. While still subjected to the patriarchal system.

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith(b.1940)
Salish,Cree and Shoshone
What is an American?,2003


In this piece the artist mentions the process that produced the image. In the description it mentions, the battle between who's American and who isn't. It also talks about how: "In a way, this was a bit of a prediction about where this country was headed with its crusade."On this quotation a hint of violence can be identified on an image that at first glance doesn't seem aggressive. Yet as you look at what the small pictures in the background say, there's a whole different story. The most noticeable piece is the: "What is an American?" quote. Then there are small quotes such as : "Americans have big ideas" and "An American is an optimist". This can be connected to Finkelstein's idea:"Being in public and learning how to behave toward an audience of
strangers is part of the narrative that produces a sense of self."In it we can consider how society tends to feel like they know themselves, even when they behave in a way, which makes them pretty much ordinary,like every one else. Yet somehow, these forms of identity can lead to violent acts. For example, if a group of people decides to act based on the fact that they feel attacked for the same reason, they decide to team up as victims of an act committed against their identity and take to violent actions.

Alec Soth (b.1969)
Lenny,Minneapolis,2002

This picture is one of Soth's series of what could be considered America's outcasts. He tends to photograph those who are set aside by society. The model of this picture is an erotic masseur. "So pervasive is this sense of being self-conscious that even when we
are alone, we are haunted by the social." This quote by Finkelstein reminds me of the picture, because he seems to be in a safe space. With his dog wearing just his underwear. Yet his facial expression tell a different story. He seems scared at the thought of someone seeing him this way, as if the camera caught him off-guard.