alecmissallblog

[alecmissallblog]

Multimedia Blog #3

For my third and final media blog selection, I decided to analyze the work of the artist Kehinde Wiley. Kehinde is a gay African American artist who was born in Los Angeles California and mainly celebrated for his contemporary take on, “Old Master paintings.” These paintings are characterized by their many vibrant colors and depict the people in the paintings in a natural setting. His artworks are characterized by these vibrant colors, patterns, and showing the power of the subjects in his paintings. One of his most famous pieces would be the artwork that he had painted for the former president of the United States, President Barack Obama. This artwork was later chosen to be Obama’s personal presidential portrait in 2017. While browsing through the large collection of paintings that Kehinde had illustrated, we can see that he has a very defined style. Specifically he is amazing at capturing powerful people and putting them in a background that really accentuates their presence. Like in his artwork “A Maze of Power”, we can see how Kehinde is able to take Nana Akufo-Addo, and gives him a sense of power in the way that he poses in the painting. Whiley captures the textures and details of his clothing and also integrates a beautiful coastline in the backdrop of the art piece. Kehinde’s studio was based right in the epicenter of the Harlem renaissance so we can see how that influenced all of his artwork, especially living in the time where so many other prominent African American artists had drawn inspiration from. I think that his artwork is the perfect mix of old and new. His art style is very reminiscent of those artworks of old and then he will take inspiration from people who have lived now and does a great job linking the two together. His artwork on Instagram also shows many examples of individuals who are part of the lgbtq+ community which ties back to himself in how he is a gay man. In conclusion, Kehinde Wiley’s art shows a perfect fusion of both historical influence as well as modern representations. He does an amazing job honoring the legacy that not only he owns, but also the legacy of those he captures in his artwork. Wiley paintings are a beautiful representation of power and individuality and he is able to do this by being able to portray these individuals in their best light using influences both past and current.

[alecmissallblog]

Multimedia Project #2

For my movie selection I decided to watch the film “I am not your Negro” by James Baldwin and Raoul Peck. This film, which is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson recalls how James remembers his life living through the civil rights movement. The manuscript focuses on the lives and assassinations of many prominent civil rights leaders, focusing on Medgar Evers, Malcom X, and Martin Luther King Jr. James also uses movies of the time as well as real life examples of the disproportionality that black Americans as well as Asian and Native American people had to endure. The choice of having Samuel L. Jackson as the narrator helped provide a raw and poetic depiction of the racism that was and is happening in the United States during that time. James would talk about how there were many instances of white and black actors in films that did a good job showing these injustices, but he also talks about other actors that took things to the opposite side of the spectrum that would label the past as being tolerable or misremembered. The movie does not stray from showing many gut wrenching images of men, women, and children that were lynched in horrible ways. One man specifically spoke out about those lynchings and attacks and was quoted saying, “You did not need to look at me, while I had to look at you. I know more about you than you could ever know about me” I am not your negro”. In this powerful quote it is being told how the white person will judge a person of color just by knowing the color of their skin whereas the speaker says that you should not be judged by the color of their skin but by your actions and intentions. James would recall how he was very involved in the civil rights movement and how he was very close to prominent leaders who were killed for trying to end these injustices. He goes into detail on how he was there during MLK’s funeral and how he promised himself that he would not cry for him because it would not change anything yet he still could not hold in the tears. Hearing these heart wrenching words from him and seeing the films of the funeral really had an impact on me while watching this film. So many people have put their lives at risk for the greater good for not only themselves but for the greater future of the United States. The film ends by telling the viewer the fact that the future life of the United States is dependent on how we need to unite as equals. We can not survive with such a divide in a single country. We should instead let go of labels and judgements and instead focus on a future that involves all people. 

[alecmissallblog]

Multimedia Project #1

My first multimedia blog was on the television show, Luke Cage (Marvel Comics)  2016. The show is about a Marvel superhero named Luke Cage who is a black man living in Harlem, New York who has superhuman strength. The show is action-packed with storytelling while also bringing up the topics of police brutality, racism, and cultural identity, specifically in the historically black neighborhood of Harlem, New York. One thing this show does very well is showing representation for cultural diversity in pop culture. In terms of racial and ethnic identities shown in Netflix's Luke Cage, we have a deep dive into Harlem's vibrant culture.  The show does not shy away from tough topics like poverty, racism, police brutality, and more. The show also introduces other characters with issues of their own that they must overcome. A good example of this would be a character named Misty Knight, who is a black female Detective in the Harlem police department. The show has the viewer observe the struggles that a black woman must overcome in a field with predominantly white males. Throughout the show I can make many connections  to real life events, specifically police brutality. I could especially see how they used Harlem as a perfect spot to show the viewer the real life struggles that black individuals unfortunately had to put up with on a daily basis. Luke Cage's City of Harlem was also a topic that was discussed earlier in the semester, specifically how it became what it was through poor management and racial agendas. Finally the black female empowerment that we can see in characters like Misty Knight are a great example of individuals who are pushing against gender norms and rewriting the portrayal that individuals have of black women in the workforce as well as in media. In the end, Luke Cage contributes to the bigger conversation about racial and ethnic representation of superheroes in our media. In a genre that traditionally consists of mainly White male superheroes, it provides all new generations with someone to look up to. On top of that the show's ability to address systemic issues such as police corruption and economic disparity of African Americans, also provide a window for its viewers to see what is actually happening in the real world through the eyes of someone who is forced to experience it.  

“Harlem and New York City.” Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 8 Nov. 2023, www.vagelos.columbia.edu/education/residencies-fellowships-and-training/harlem-hospital-center/about-harlem-hospital-center/our-history/harlem-and-new-york-city#:~:text=Harlem%20is%20known%20internationally%20as,territory%20for%20approximately%20200%20years.

“How the Battle for Diversity Is Being Won on the Small Screen.” Little White Lies, 7 Oct. 2016, lwlies.com/articles/marvel-luke-cage-netflix-diversity/.

“Luke Cage.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 30 Sept. 2016, www.imdb.com/title/tt3322314/.