Kehinde Wiley and Intertextuality

1. Find a clear definition of Intertextuality and quote it accurately on your blog using the APA referencing system. Use your own words to explain the definition more thoroughly.

Kristeva defining 'intertextuality' in literacy: the interdependence of all literary texts. Her argument is that no text comes into being solely on its own. Any text is “the absorption and transformation of another”

Kristeva. (1969). Word, Dialogue, Novel. Chapter 4: Semeiotike. Paris: France.
Sourced from: Chandler, Daniel (1994): Semiotics for Beginners [http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem09.html] URL http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/

Intertextuality is the idea of everything being referenced to something beforehand which has been now suggested that it is impossible to come up with an original source. Intially being stated by Roland Barthes who wrote a book of the matter titled: The Death Of The Author.

http://smile.solent.ac.uk/digidocs/live/Furby/Text/Barthes.pdf

2. Research Wiley's work and write a paragraph that analyzes how we might make sense of his work. Identify intertextuality in Wiley's work.

Essentially Kehinde Wiley creates elaborate rococo themed portraits with homeboys replacing the pose and stance of powerful european conquerers. He has mixed two distinctively different styles which is almost comical, having a fancy european setting with a straight thug being the focal point.
Intertextuality is aesthetically evident by having these european patterns being referenced with african-american hip hop style. Therefore there is nothing actually conceptually conceived but just a merge of two styles.
These references however highlight the similarities in the different cultures where both the european conquerer share the same characteristics of his gangster counterparts.

3. Wiley's work relates to next weeks Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Read page 46 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.

Wiley's work discusses the two distinct cultures co-existing in one society. Pluralism has been fought for in America and has come to a point where racism is not a major issue. Where as beforehand african-americans were looked upon as lower class from the Americans. However they both now co-exist in society and both understand and accept each others differences.
This is referenced in Wiley's work by having modern African-American youth surrounded in eurpopean styling. They look harmonious and look as if we didn't know they reference to two distinct backgrounds they could relate.


http://pluralism.org/pages/pluralism/what_is_pluralism

4. Comment on how Wiley's work raises questions around social/cultural hierarchies , colonisation, globalisation, stereotypes and the politics which govern a western worldview.

As i was writing the answer above all these things crossed my mind. Looking at the history of the African-American suppression by the Americans (initially european) the idea of hierarchies was crossed with the references made by the imagery. Then what i thought after that was how the European colonized numerous foreign cultures. For example Maori, Red Indians and Aborigines which can be suggested by the references made to powerful conquerers and how normally these type of portraits were to show power in the conquerer. Then developing from colonization was globalization which has happened in our recent society. Stereotyping is displayed how every in the subject which is represented in clothing which is very popular and common in African-American youth.

5. Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that you have read during your research.

I like Wiley's approach to his work. He docent make his statement blatent but makes the audience have to think of the refereces that he's making and the story behind each representation to a in depth look at his work. While researching his work I started to question icons and in thought in Wileys use of stereotypes and intertextuality. I admired the ability for the work to say more then what is initially visible. Each icon has its own meaning and purpose in the painting.