28 planet of the arts / october 1997 IDENTITIES - any! ‘i! | J yy A\\ Aye Savas SSN SS See — _— Movie Review Worth 1 ,000 Words Tourist Art -.continued from page 26 The ‘power structure’ or ‘power imbalance’ being what it is (a patriarchally driven political-economic model based on structural inequalities), it never flows equally in both directions. There have always been dominant cultures. And despite my socialist ideals and ideological tilts, I expect there always will be. The Goths, the Romans and later the Germans dominated Europe; the Ming Dynasty, the Japanese and now the Chinese dominate much of Asia; the Egyptians, the Zulus and the Europeans dominated various parts of Africa; and the Mayans, the Aztecs and the Spanish dominated large expanses of South America. One only has to spend a moment going around the globe and identifying contemporary dominant cultures, both within and without the geo-political borders of a nation, to realize the extent to which divisiveness and intolerance is based on asserting socially constructed cultural differences. On this issue of identity politics, Irshad Manji in Risking Utopia submits that “much of the world wades in blood sucked by those who decree that individuals can have only one defining identity, a single space to which they must remain loyal or be cast out as traitors when lucky, corpses when not”"' Popular culture, by default, begins to look appealing. Are we to view popular culture as an insipid monster which con- sumes everything in its path? Or are we simply witnessing the rapid evolution of a new “hybrid” culture still in process? Time will tell. For now we are left to either participate in, or live in fear of this change. After all, a society that resists change will often suffocate its culture. Evidence of this hermetic disability can be found in the tragedies many eastern European countries are experiencing today. Popular culture, in comparison, is in many ways constantly being re-invented and turned inside-out — transforming, morphing, mutat- ing and manifesting itself into something “new”. It is an ever-evolving organic beast, not evolving enough for some, evolving too much for others. But isn’t that the “nature” of culture? Look twenty or thirty years into the cultural rearview mirror, and you can see the history of evolution as clearly as the changing road in front of you. There is now a plenitude of “sub-cultures” and “alternative communities” where before were few if any at all. To squeeze the most benefit from these attributes of pluralism, the Utopia of Complexity pushes democracy to be one giant bazaar where we all may bargain for belonging.” Just who is “pop culture” anyway? Is pop culture the dominant culture, or is this now too simplistic given the diversity of cultures within it? Of course, these ideas and values began with the founding of the “new world” in what became known as the United States of America. But now even Americans cannot claim to be these ideas’ exclusive proprietors. For this post-modern global village, with its borderless economies and far-ranging political alliances, seems to have loosely taken on an identity of its own. Nevertheless, there has always been effective opposition to dominant forces of all kinds, which has eddied at the edges of the river with alternative ideas, no matter how much of the mainstream flows in a single direction at any one time. We have only to look at Cuba, Yugoslavia, India, Russia, South Africa and the rest of the formerly colonized African nations for proof of this. TOURIST ART AS TRANSFORMATIVE Is it our greatest fear that tourism will hasten the arrival of Disney Land in Africa? Imagine Mickey Mouse at home in Cairo or Nairobi or Capetown! I believe there will always be little mouse-eared people who want to drink Coke on Magic Mountain wherever they go. So maybe it is better that we quarantine these tourists in the smoke and mirror illusions of the Club Meds, the Las Vegases, the Love Boats and the Disney Lands of the world. In these enclosures maybe tourists will pose no direct harm to the local populations. Or will they? Maybe even these vacation prisons are not enough. Instead of warehousing them, maybe we need to help rehabilitate them. Because if Coca-Cola is already in Africa, Disney cannot be too far behind. After all, Coke is a sort of corporate scout for the capitalist army assessing fertile ground before it sends in the pin-striped troops. Whether we are buying tourist art or Coke, the influence of these signs is only as potent as the significance we bestow on them, both as individuals and as cultures. We need to develop a balance between who we were as a culture and who we want to become as a culture. In the province of Chiapas in Mexico, for example, Mayans, who were supposedly converted to Catholicism by the Spanish in the 1500’s, still maintain many parts of their pre-colonial belief system and have created a new hybrid religion out of the two. (Incidentally, part of this hybridized belief includes making offerings to their Saints, to whom Coca-Cola is often given). Tourist art will forever be re-located, re-contextualized and re- interpreted throughout time and place. And in the end, a little glass vessel containing sweet brown liquid will undoubtedly mean some- thing almost entirely different to a Turkana tribesman in Kenya than it does to a Canadian of mixed European ancestry. In both cases it definitely will mean something. In short, it is impossible to conclu- sively determine a singular meaning for tourist art, for, like the iden- tity of a culture, it changes with circumstance and time. What will never change, however, is the endurance of meaning itself. All things considered, tourist art will always be the real thing! Ol Notes 1. World Book Encyclopedia, 1986 2. Alexander Wilson, The Culture of Nature, 1991 3. H. Honour and J. Fleming, The Visual Arts: A History, 4th Ed,1995. 4. Christopher Stiener, African Art In Transit, 1994. 5. Bennetta Jules-Rosette, The Message In Tourist Art: An African Semiotic System in Comparative Perspective, 1984. 6. Art of Collecting Art, 1988. 7. Bennetta Jules-Rosette, ibid. 8. Christopher Stiener, African Art In Transit, 1994. 9. John Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, 1992. 10. H. Honour and J. Fleming, The Visual Arts: A History, 4th Ed, 1995. 11. Irshad Manji, Risking Utopia, 1997. 12. ibid. 28 plonet of the arts / october 1997, IDENTITIES = Movie Review Worth 1, 000 Word Tourist Art ‘The ‘power structure’ o ‘power imbalance’ being what iti (2 patrarchally driven politisl-economie model based on structural inequalities), it never fws equally in both directions. There have always been dominant cultures. And despite my soils ideals and ‘eolgical tits, expect there alway wl be The Gaths, the Romans and later the Germans dominated Europe; the Ming Dynasty, the Japanese and now the Chinese dominate mich of Asi the Egyptians, the Zalus andthe Europeans dominated various pars of Afric; and the Mayans the Aztecs and the Spanish dominated lage expanses of South Ameria. One only has to spend a moment going around the ‘lobe and identifying contemporary dominant cultures, both within and without the geo-political borders fa nation, to realize the extent to which divisiveness and intolerance is based on asserting scaly ‘constructed cultural difeences. On this isue of identity pois, Inshad Manji in Risking Utopia submits that “much of the world ‘wades in blood sucked by those who decree that individuals can have ‘only one defining identity, a singe space to which they must remain loyal or be ast out as traitors when k Popular culture, by default, begins to oo ‘Are we to view popular culture san insipid monster which con sumes everything in its path? Or are we simply witnessing the rapid cvoution ofa new hybrid” culture sillin proces? Time wil tl For now we ae left cither participate in, olive in far ofthis change Afterall, a society that resists change wl often suffocate its culture. Evidence ofthis hermetic disability can be found in the tragedies ‘many eastern European counties ar experiencing toy. Popular culture, in comparison, isin many ways constantly being re-invented and turned inside-out ~ transforming, morphing, mutat {ng and manifesting itself ino something"new” It san ever-evolving ‘organic beast, not evlsing enough for some, evolving too much for others. But isnt thatthe “nature” of culture? Look twenty or thitty yearsinto the cultural rearview mieror and you can se the history of ‘evolution as clearly asthe changing road in front of you. There is now a plenitude of “sub-cultres” and “alternative communities” where before were few if anya all. To squeeze the most benefit from these auributes of plralism the Utopia of Complexity pushes democracy to be one giant bazaar where we all may bargain for belonging.” Just who “pop culture” anyway? Is pop culture the dominant culture, oF i this now too simplistic given the diversity of cultures within ‘OF cours, thes ideas and values began with the founding ofthe "new workin what became known as the United Stats of America But now even Americans cannot claim tobe these ideas’ exlisive proprietors For this post-modern global village, with ts borderless economies and fr-anging politcal alliances, seems to have losely taken on an identity of its own. Nevertheless, there has always been «ffctive opposition to dominant forces of ll kinds, which has edied at the edges of the river with alteative ides, no matter how much ‘ofthe mainstream flows in a single direction at any onetime, Weave ‘only to look at Cuba, Yugostava, India, Rusia, South Aria and the res ofthe formerly colonized Ascan nations for proof ofthis ‘TOURIST ART AS TRANSFORMATIVE [sit ou greatest fear tha tourism willhaten the arial of Disney Land in Afi? Imagine Mickey Mouse at home in Cairo or Nairobi ‘or Capetown! I belive there wil always be litle mouse-cared people who want to drink Cake on Magic Mountain wherever they go. So ‘maybe iis bettr that we quarantine thes tourists in the smoke and mirror illusions of the Club Meds, the Las Vegass, the Love Boats and the Disney Lands of the world, In these enclosures. maybe tourists will pose no direct harm to the local populations. Or will they? Maybe even these vacation prisons are not enough. Instead of ‘warehousing them, maybe we need to help rehabilitate them, Because if Coca-Cola is alteady in Aca, Disney cannot be to far behind, AMfer all, Coke isa sort of corporate scout for the capitals army asssing fertile ground before it sends in the pin-striped troops. ‘Whether we are buying tourist art or Coke, the influence of thee ‘signs is only s potent as the significance we bestow on them, both as individuals and as cultures, We need to develop a balance between who we were asa culture and who we want o become a culture. In the province of Chiapas in Mexico, for example, Mayans, who were Spanish inthe 1500, sll maintain many parts oftheir pre-