Look and Look again on: Transitions Inc and Unnamed piece
Transitions Inc.
My initial reaction to this piece is based heavily on the reactions people had to the work.instead of being offended by the statement it makes on American culture, they welcome a chance to be “assimilated”. I had hoped this piece would make people realize how terrible it was to feel like assimilation was *necessary,* but instead it had the exact opposite effect.
Upon further thought, I realize that the fault lies not in the minorities who are so desperate to fit in, but in the majority who are so reluctant to accept minorities.the products on display in this piece are designed specifically to help people assimilate into a more “acceptable” society, and are both produced and marketed primarily by white businesspeople, the real cause behind the racial crisis that this piece is mocking.
Golden egg amidst grid of white eggs
My initial reaction to this was to draw comparisons between it and the works of Andy Warhol. My understanding of Warhol’s pop-art pieces I’d that he aimed to point out how modern society has become somewhat “copy-paste.” There are too many followers and not enough leaders.the Iranian piece seems to have a similar message, glorifying individuality and nonconformity as a bright gold egg that stands out from the rest.the Iranian identity sets this artist apart, and (s)he is happy to embrace it.
My second reaction is shaped by a similar, adjacent, piece in which the Iranian “hand” icon appears black amongst a grid of white hands. It sends to me to say that while standing out as an Iranian artist is a blessing, it is a black curse, as well.the Iranian artists in this exhibit all have to struggle to overcome some of the the stereotypes and expectations attached to their identity, which is the curse that this adjacent piece seems to bring up.
