Emma Davidson / Design / Massey / Wellington @emmadavidsondesign-blog - Tumblr Blog

Week 11- Mana Wahine

The best studio work I’ve produced all year was corresponding to the concept of Mihimihi. Mihimihi surrounds the concept of introducing one’s self and focuses around whakapapa and geographical stance.

My spatial design project surrounded the concept of Mihimihi and I decided that I wanted to focus on my geographical stance and my upbringing on the Southern Coast of Wellington. I focused on the geography and natural elements of the coast and developed my idea to show the relationship between natural elements such as land and sea. I wanted to embody movement and energy into my structure and my finished product was a light installation of a wave. I wanted to involve also my cultural identity into this project so I use the land and sea to represent two cultures coming as one- representing my Pakeha father and Filipina mother.

My work so far into my art and design degree did not consider gender and nor did it discriminate against gender as a gender-neutral consideration. Simmons points out that I cannot approach this intersectionality from an “explicitly mana wahine standpoint”. However, I can incorporate approaches from being a mixed-raced feminist in New Zealand and can adopt standpoints from mana wahine and alter them to fit my true indigeneity and reconstructing and reclaiming mana wahine knowledges. (Simmonds 11)

Works Cited-

Davidson, Emma. “Waves of Culture”. 2016. Digital Image.

Simmonds, Naomi. Mana Wahine: Decolonising Politics. Women’s Studies Journal, Volume 25 Number 2, December 2011: 11-25. Web.

#ass2

Week 10- Creative Non-Fiction

What do I identify as? Who do I identify as?

Identity has always been a complicated and confusing terminology for a mixed race child growing up in New Zealand. From not knowing which ethnicity box to tick and to the weird reactions from me ticking the NZ/ European box when doing tests throughout primary school, I feel like I always knew my identity, but society’s representations, reactions and responses to identity and race ingrained a forever reminder that two cannot be one- I can’t be two races, I have to choose one to identify with. I never wanted to be placed into a category that I didn’t fit into either of, I was too white for the one and too brown and Asian for the other so how can I simply feel at one with my cultural identity.

There is a prominent social hierarchy within racial identities in New Zealand and this crosses borders and more so have originated across borders.

Originally before my mother settled in New Zealand in the 80s, my father always wanted to settle in South Africa but unfortunately this was during the apartheid, a system of racial segregation. My father always said that he was proud walking around the rural towns of the South Island with two brown children.

Identifying my cultural stance as half-kiwi half-filipina- My race does not define me.

Mohini Chandra- Paradise Now?

Mohini Chandra is an Indian-Fijian artist focuses on the commercial photographic portrait studio where people stage themselves as they would like others to see them.

#ass2

Week 9- Stereotypes

1.Maori as primitive, natural athlete. From the beginning of civilised history in New Zealand, the idea of colonial Maori has been imagined as “cave-like”, half -clothed savages that were to be feared by outsiders. This is a stark contrast to the imaginings of European people who were imagined as civilised, cultured, and educated people. However, decades later, this stereotype is still present and ingrained in New Zealand society today. For example, in New Zealand’s rugby culture they use this Maori stereotype to strengthen their advantage. This violent, savage, beast-like almost stereotype of Maori Males is enhanced through the New Zealand Rugby team’s tradition of a haka- a traditional Maori war dance that is use to intimidate the opponent. Rugby culture in NZ has adopted this attitude of stoic, masculine men but has also adopted the mannerism of savage, barbaric stereotypes of Maori men with it as it is appropriated through New Zealand Society. (This paragraph was constructed in a tutorial with 4 people each contributing ideas into the paragraph)

#ass2

Week 8- Economic Inequality

An example of a representation of poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand is communicated through Ans Westra’s acclaimed photographic series “Washday At The Pa”. Westra’s series documents rural Maori life during the large scale of the migration that drifted towards the urban areas. Westra’s images soon became controversial due to the perceived stereotyping of Maori or Pakeha, especially since Westra originated from the Netherlands. Westra never intended to create a social and racial implications through her investigation, but yet her series was still interpreted by a various number of groups in a negative light. The Maori Women’s Welfare League was one of the groups to respond to Westra’s series and stating that it depicted Maori as “poor, rural and happily primitive” (Tai Awatea 1)

Works cited-

Unknown. Tai Awatea. Te Papa. 1998 Web.

#ass2

Week 7

A significant event for the Pacific and Pasifika people was the arrival in 1918 of Vessel SS Talune, that docked in Samoa carrying crew members infected by the Spanish influenza. One fifth of the Samoan population died from the influenza due to improper decontamination of the Talune. This event is one of the examples of how the Pacific has been significantly affected by European colonisation and involvement. Graham Fletcher’s series “Quarantine” reflects and discusses the “exposure to violent European diseases” (Fletcher, Vercoes 5) and socio-political events“Dawn Raids” records the controversial police raids that occurred mainly in the provinces of Auckland, New Zealand in the 1970s.

The Dawn Raids occurred following the retraction of the New Zealand government’s immigration policies that were used to attract more migrants from the Pacific Islands. The controversial acts were heavily denied by both police and police and the raids branched from widespread racial discrimination against Pasifika culture and individuals. This can be defined as one of New Zealand’s most significant events that explored discrimination from race and class in New Zealand. This injustice was the result of social and political tensions in response to the NZ recession in 1973.

Thaman, Konai Helu. “Decolonizing Pacific Studies: Indigenous Perspectives, Knowledge, and Wisdom in Higher Education.” The Contemporary Pacific15.1 (2003): 1-17. ScholarSpace. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.

Vercoe, Caroline. “The Many Faces of Paradise.” Paradise Now?: Contemporary Art from the Pacific. New York: Asia Society, 2004. 35-47. Print.

#ass2

Week 6 Te Pākehā and Te Māori

Maori visual and material culture is an important aspect of New Zealand history and New Zealand treasure. Western accounts and interpretations of Maori culture “hardly constitute a balanced picture of tangata whenua” (Anderson, 132) because our view of specific indigenous visual and materials cultures are becoming extremely limited. This limitation is due to the concealment of language, territory, and interior customs of Maori (Anderson, 132). Early contact between European and Tangata Whenua was recorded “almost exclusively in foreign gaze” (Anderson, 133), and therefore excludes Maori world-view towards the topic of their own history and cultures, which has risen issues that can be seen through New Zealand art history.

Week 5 Blog Task- Nationalism

Chapter Nine: Wars and Survival focuses and covers the civil war that started in New Zealand after the Treaty of Waitangi had been signed, which mainly occurred between 1870 and 1980. This chapter also discusses on the conflict between the Pai Marire and The Crown and how the “Goodness and Peace” movement, that rejected both European beliefs and settlement, encouraging the Maori people to “perverse their autonomy and their lands” (Anderson, 256).

The conflict that sparked the civil war within New Zealand was mainly the issue of the ownership of land, with both sides trying to protect what they believed was their claim of land. Maori also had to weigh “the value of alliance with or resistance against the government” (Anderson, 256)

I believe that these events that occurred post Treaty of Waitangi are significant in terms of the context of visual and material culture both now and then in Aotearoa as this internal conflict and civil war in New Zealand was the country’s first and this can influence how we today, represent how we see our own union. In Dick Whyte’s lecture, he discusses the political imaginings and how these conceptual unions are regarded today.

Week 4: Te Tiriti O Waitangi

2 .One reason why intellectual property and copyright laws are insufficient to address the misuse of Taonga works is because there are different ethics involved and the protection of Taonga works are harder to protect under intellectual property and copyright laws because they tend to fall at different ends of the spectrum in terms of what is “morally” and “ethically” right to reproduce.

In the reading ‘Toanga Works and Intellectual Property’, the text define Toanga works to be a “creation of the pre-existing and distinctive body of knowledge, values, and insights… It is a result of the effort and creativity of actual people whether in modern times or the distant past” (31). What makes this relationship complicated between the misuse of Taonga works and intellectual property is cultural appropriation. Shehab Khan, from the Independent UK defines cultural appropriation as the “adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture as a largely negative phenomenon” (Khan, Independent). So what Khan is trying to say is that if you want to adopt a visual aspect of a culture, you must 1. Have permission and 2. Use this adopted aspect positively. But what people fail to recognise when borrowing components from another culture is that they fail to acknowledge it’s cultural history and significance to what has been borrowed and most importantly not to objectify the borrowed, to use as a marketing strategy. The problem with cultural appropriation in today’s society is that it also objectifies and exploits a specific culture, and strips away the importance of what is culturally sacred to them.

Works cited:Khan, Shehab. "The Scariest Thing About Halloween? These Examples Of Cultural Appropriation". The Independent. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Aug. 2016.

Rarangi Kapu- List of Words

Tikanga- correct procedure/ custom/ method

Kaupapa- topic/ policy/ plan / agenda

Matauranga- Knowledge/ wisdom/ understanding

Kerero- speech/ narrative/ story

Panui- announcement

Maunga- mountain

Moana- ocean/ sea

Awa- river

Kawa- customs of a marae and/or wharenui

Mana- power, status, prestige, influence

Atua- ancestor, god, deity

Whenua- Land, placenta

Tangata- peoples, persons

Te Tiriti O Waitangi- The Treating of Waitangi

Hapu- Kinship of group

Iwi- Tribe, nation

Taonga- Treasure, property

Tino Rangatiratanga- Sef determination

Tapu- sacred, prohibited, restricted

Whakapapa- genealogy, lineage , descent

manaakitanga- uplift mana

#glossay #glossay2

Week 3 Blog Task- Coversations in Creative Cultures

An art and design example I chose is a Hei Tiki, or pendant in human form, which was established and related to the period Te Puawaitanga, The Flowering (1500-1800AD) which accompanied the European Traditional period (1500-1800AD) (Anderson, 73)

Before He Tiki became an official representation of Maori cultural identity, they were symbols of wealth and status due to the cultural and historic value of Pounamu and other similar materials (Elson, 244) Anderson states that “Tiki are typical artefact types” which have been forged due to “growing demand during the traditional phase for new items representative of wealth and status”

Te Puawaitanga was also a time of social unrest- this was specifically due to land ownership and territorialism that came with it. Pounamu sculptures such as Hei Tiki became significant in this era due to it’s symbolism that “speaks of these islands, an historical Taonga” (Anderson, 40) and increase of mana

Anderson, Atholl, Judith Binney, and Aroha Harris. “Pieces of the Past.”Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History. New Zealand: Bridget Williams Books, 2012. 70-101. Print.

Week 2 Blog Task Conversations in Creative Cultures

An example from Chapter 1, “Origins”, Tangata Whenua, that I thought held importance is the pencil drawing by Robyn Kahukiwa called Te Po and Papatuanuku. Anderson stated that “the drawing references night and the earth mother, conveying a timeless impression of mother and unborn child” (Anderson, 39)

Branching from Anderson’s statement, I believe that this artistic reference in the text is significant as it symbolizes the cultivating growth of a new culture. This symbol is conveyed through the unborn baby that is protected in the uterus of the earth mother, Papatuanuku.

This art piece can also relate significantly to the mythological origins of Maori society and specifically the mythological term of ‘creation’. The origins of creation and the growth of a new culture is an important aspect of the migration of Maori people as it was the beginning of this new time for these settlers and I believe this justifies the significance of this art piece as it represents the birth, growth, and development of the new culture and society.

Works Cited-

Anderson, Atholl, Judith Binney, and Aroha Harris. “Pieces of the Past.” Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History. New Zealand: Bridget Williams Books, 2012. 70-101. Print.

Final Blog Post

Hegemonic masculinity is defined as a “gender studies concept that makes up of the proposed practices that promote the dominant social position of men, and the subordinate social position of women” (Campbell, the Guardian). This form of masculinity within the gender hierarchy and the modern male stereotype is one that harms men more than we think. Since the mid twentieth century, social scientists, historians and philosophers have theorized “that gender- the roles, characteristics and activities that distinguish men from women- are not innate, but socially constructed” (Moma, Constructing Gender)

A popular and powerful form of expression in today’s society is addressing issues through the concept of visual activism. In How to See the World, Mirzoeff believes that “Visual thinking is something we do not simply study; we have to engage with it ourselves” (Mirzoeff, 289). The tool of art, creation and visual protest is a form of communicating opinions, worldviews, information and to ultimately seek change. There is a saying that from the day we were born, we were instantly placed in gender stereotypes. From a young age, society and the media wires and constructs our brains to follow a specific stereotype for our gender- boys and men are told to “be a man”, “to grow some balls” and to show no emotion or empathy. Women and girls are told to always look presentable, to be polite- this social construction from a young age has developed a society full of gender stereotypes that apply to our everyday lives. Tricia Szirom explores this social construction of gender mentalities and stereotypes in ‘Teaching Gender’ and states that “The process is successful when the ‘double standards’ is internalized; what is acceptable behaviours for one sex is then known to be unacceptable for the other, and both females and males will conform to their rigid sex role stereotypes”. These ideals create the idea that men have to repress their emotions and conform to emotionless, detached mentalities. The harm that this stereotype and social construct is inflicting is however not often seen on the surface as men are yes, not supposed to show any emotion or “care” in that matter. In R.W Connell’s academic text, ‘Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the concept, the concept of masculinity in terms of a social construction is present as well. “Hegemonic masculinity was understood as the pattern of practice (i.e. Things done, not just a set of role expectations or an identity)” (Connell, 842) and “The concept of hegemonic masculinity originally was formulated with a strong awareness of psychoanalytic arguments about the layered and contradictory character of personality, the everyday contestation in social life, and the mixture of strategies necessary in any attempt to sustain hegemony (Carrigan, Connell, and Lee 1985; Connell 1987).

Works Cited

Campbell, Denis. "Body Image Concerns More Men Than Women, Research Finds". the Guardian. N.p., 2012.

Connell, R. W. "Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking The Concept". Gender & Society 19.6 (2005): 829-859. Web.

Mirzeoff, Nicholas. How to See the World. 2015. Pelican Books. Print

"Moma | Constructing Gender". Moma.org. N.p., 2016.

Szirom, Tricia. Teaching Gender. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1988. Print.

#publishable

This is my final creative piece.

My final creative work is a series of photographs called ‘A Prescription for Emotion’. This series represents my topic of hegemonic/male masculinity and in particular, represents the idea that men have to repress their emotions and conform to emotionless, detached mentalities. My series takes a gradual transition, showing the first few shots in the day- the subject is surrounded by people, showing muted emotions and statue like positions. As the series transitions into the night, the subject is raw and messy- makeup is smudged across his face and emotion is communicated through his wild movement and expression- he is alone in the night and this seems to be the only time where he can feel. I wanted to address this topic as solely, predominant male issues are usually underrepresented in society and have been undermined by a wide range of female and other gender issues, which are in fact important to address as well.

I used a disposable film camera to take these photographs as I like the finish grain of the images taken on film. I also wanted to use this camera as it doesn't require any artificial lighting or adjustments and I wanted to try my best to capture a raw image. ‘A Prescription for Emotion’ Davidson, Emma. 2016. Digital Photographs.Show less

#publishable #creativework

Creative Work Inspiration

Pink Cigarette by Mr.Bungle’s music video was a large inspiration for my creative work. Not in terms of subject matter but for what I wanted to capture in my series of photographs- the raw, messy appearance of feminity. Emotion.

Kahlo, Frida.Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair 1940.Oil on canvas

Week 10- Discussion Focus

My discussion and topic focuses on the idea of male and hegemonic masculinity and how gender binaries have affected and created disconnected forms of masculine and feminine physical and mental attributes. I wanted to specifically focus on the stereotype and idea that men have to repress their emotions and conform to emotionless, detached mentalities.

In my research process, I found an academic thesis by R.W Connell called “Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept”. In this text I found that hegemonic masculinity came to be associated solely “with negative characteristics that depict men as unemotional, independent, nonnuturing, aggressive and dispassionate beings”. (Connell, 840). Like women’s social ideals in society, men too have a large weight of social mentalities that society and media place on the stereotype- so men have to reconstruct their mental mannerism to fit within this standard of the “ideal man” who in today’s society should be emotionless, an excellent lover, hard-working and physical traits like tall, rugged, handsome and muscular.

I wanted to take on this topic for my assessment 3 as I wanted to have an issue that fitted within the topic of feminist activism and I thought that male social and gender issues are often underrepresented and overlooked in today’s society. Body image and physical standards are reoccurring matters in society as both men and women are subjected to feel that their appearance does not fit with society’s chivalrous, and patriarchal standards of what each of the genders should possess. The influence that traditional male stereotypes have on the perpetuation of gender inequality, at a transnational scale, also is an issue that needs to be addressed. From a female perspective, I thought that this issue would be a significant matter to discuss as to see change, an issue must be supported from all ends of the spectrum- all different races, gender, ideologies etc.

#publishable

Work Book

Academic research

http://mediasmarts.ca/gender-representation/men-and-masculinity/common-stereotypes-men-media

Connell, R. W. "Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking The Concept". Gender & Society 19.6 (2005): 829-859. Web.

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Emma Davidson / Design / Massey / Wellington