Integrative Studio: Bridge 4– Final “The Golden Standard”

For my final bridge project, I set out to make a conceptual performance piece– something I have not done in a while. The piece is based off of my Seminar research topic/thesis, which regards the model minority stereotype and misrepresentation/erasure in media of Asian Americans.

The piece is titled “The Golden Standard” to allude to the standard that U.S. systems and society set in place, usually the paths and achievements White Americans possess (e.g. obtaining a college degree, stable family patterns, etc.), and how this standard is seen as the penultimate achievement for minorities/marginalized groups to attain. This standard sets minorities up for failure, as it is extremely difficult to achieve with systemic racism in place. However, the model minority is a commonly held stereotype, and promotes this standard as East Asian Americans are praised for reaching it despite overwhelming difficulties– effectively subjugating other minority groups as lazy and not as capable to beat hardships.

To challenge this opinion and stereotype that puts Asian Americans into a monolithic bubble, I created a sculptural interactive performance piece that illustrates the position and bubble quite literally. The piece is about 9 feet tall, and consists of balloons, photographs, ribbon, and plaster.

The balloons hold photographs of some of my peers that are Asian American, but not individuals that are the ‘stereotypical’ Asian American. The images of people that represent Asian in the West are often lighter skinned subjects and are often from East Asia, resembling their white counterparts. To challenge this image that modern Orientalism promotes, I chose peers that are darker skinned and not necessarily from East Asia. These photographs were rolled and tied to imitate diplomas, and represent the standard of higher education in place. The balloons were inflated to tower over the average viewer, to illustrate the high and lofty expectations for the model minority.

These photographs are in large clear balloons, each the same size to signify the monolithic stereotype that is used to generalize Asian Americans. There are three balloons, significant as three is a lucky Chinese number (a part of my heritage), also meant to symbolize the luck an Asian American might receive if they subscribe to the golden standard.

The eye follows the long ribbon down to what it is held by, a white plaster hand. The hand is gripping the balloons tightly, to communicate a strained, yet strong hold. The hand is meant to symbolize the creators and perpetuators of systemic racism, often white people, which is why I chose to keep the hand unpainted, and almost inhuman– to communicate a menacing and unbothered group. The hand I chose to cast belongs to a white male.

For the performance, I asked three volunteers to pop the balloons with golden scissors. The golden scissors represent the golden standard, and once the balloons are popped, the Asian Americans are freed from their troubles, as they subscribe to the standard. Then, I asked the volunteers to unroll the photographs, that resemble ID photos – a systemized way of identifying individuals -, and on the back see the signatures of the individuals, another way of systemizing individuals. The signatures also comment on the only slight way that Asian Americans can distinguish themselves– through signing documents for corrupted systems/structures in the U.S. Both the photograph and signature are very personal and individual things, but still read as monolithic, as they presented in the same fashion.

 

Overall, the piece is meant to leave a distinct taste in one’s mouth, as it begs to ask questions about which stereotypes we perpetuate in daily life.

Sustainable Systems: Regenerative Cultures Final

Learning that usage of materials must be closely considered and intentional in my Sustainable Systems class has been a really valuable lesson, which translated to my final project for the Earth Celebrations parade.

My partner Linnea and I made an outfit/costume out of recycled materials to contribute to the parade for our final project. We intended to make a piece that was a commentary on the toy industry, and the overwhelming waste it produces. Plastic toys comprise around 90% of the toy market, and are often made with other materials, making most products difficult to recycle as they cannot be separated easily. In addition, most plastics that are used to make toys are made of harmful materials and chemicals, such as phthalates, and are destined to hit the landfill. Obviously, a wasteful industry, as most toys are often used for short periods of time.

We made a paper mache head out of newsprint that we found outside of our apartment building, and used paints to make the head resemble a popular Japanese Sanrio character, My Melody, a frequent subject on toys. Linnea made a dress out of plastic bags to match the head, and to complete the costume.