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| "What Will People Think?", Annu Palakunnathu Matthew 1999 |
Annu Palakunnathu Matthew's photography-based art focuses on race and gender relations and is largely influenced by her own personal background. She was born in Britain and lives in the United States. Her Indian background has influenced much of her work, as shown in her Bollywood satire posters which depict dramatic scenes of star-crossed lovers and imminent nuclear doom:
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| "Bomb", Annu Palakunnathu Matthew 1999 |
These works are a type of "critical commentary on the societal expectations" (source) that Matthew faced as an Indian woman. Bollywood, which is known for its blatant depictions of sexism and classicism, is stripped down to its raw core, as seen in "What Will People Think?" and "Bomb". I feel that it is highly successful because it draws attention to the main problems that Matthew feels are at hand with the Bollywood movie industry.
In other works, Matthew attempts to go back to her time growing up in India and depict how it has changed since then. Her series, "Memories of India" are a series of photos taken from Matthew's own family and friends, and shows small but memorable scenes:
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| "Tree" Annu Palakunnathu Matthew |
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| "Rickshaw" Annu Palakunnathu Matthew |
Overall, I feel that the use of black and white adds a sense of nostalgia to these scenes. Her work gives a valuable personal insight to her time in India, and the way that many of these photos are taken gives an intimate, individual point of view.
I think Matthew's social commentary in Bollywood images is very successful, but I'm curious as to how her work is received in India. As Westerners and therefore outsiders to Indian culture, it is easy for us to critique the Bollywood film industry, but do Indians agree with these critiques, or do they find them offensive? I'd be really interested to know Matthew's work is received in that particular community.
ReplyDeleteI find the message behind Matthew's work to be powerful and enticing, but the images are incredibly unappealing to me. I assume that the images are originally from Bollywood and the words are superimposed. I think the fonts she has chosen appear cheesy and while they have to imitate Bollywood posters, it lessens the seriousness when conveying the meaning behind the work.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah that the Bollywood posters appear cheesy and reduce the message trying to be portrayed. They kind of remind me of those romance novels with Fabio on the cover. However, I do applaud Matthew for conveying the societal problems in India through art because it helps people visualize them. Also, I like the "Memories of India" pictures because they give the viewer a sense of the "real" India, allowing for personal connections.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah on her point of the Bollywood images being unappealing. I was even confused about the digital aspect behind the images outside of the font that was placed on top of the pictures. I feel like her "Bomb" piece, although portraying a very serious point, seems more like a a collage and a commercial of some sort, rather than what it actually is. I do, however enjoy her series "Memories of India" with simplistic titles that put her images into perspective of what she wants her viewers to see out of her images.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely say that I like the "Memories of India" photographs a lot more than the Bollywood posters. The black and white of the photographs shows the area in a beautiful way and I really like the sun rays showing through the pictures. I would agree that the Bollywood images are unappealing and very cheesy.
ReplyDeleteOverall Matthew's presence as a digital artist is different from the other artists that have been blogged about. Minimalist probably isn't the right word but it appears that Matthew does not actually alter much of the images we have seen which is pretty strange considering how some artists take original works and then give them a complete facelift while others start from scratch. Matthew simply changes some of the contextual cues in the wording to change your perception of the piece like Warren Neidich except that he deprives you of context (to a degree).
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