#he's constructed identities. he's masks worn to play a role

[sparingiscaring]

So I've been thinking about Parabolan reflections for my guys for a bit, and finally narrowed them down! Both Leigh and Emery's reflections incorporate a clear element of non-humanness, due to the connection shared between the two.

Being a less-than-natural person, Emery's reflection is a stitched together toy in the approximation of a human. There's no mistaking him for a person- in motion, he's too exaggerated, and his ability to speak is completely gone, as a result of his mouth only being stitching. His outfit is inspired by some of my own plush toys growing up, as well as some depictions of both clowns and court jesters. You can't take something so fake seriously, after all!

Leigh's reflection passes for human far better, but his fake is unchanging- it is a mask, with painted on freckles and cheeks and teeth, and only darkness and pupils are visible in the hollows of his eyes. A red ribbon takes the place of his Red Science gills, and functions similarly to the classic children's tale, The Girl with the Green Ribbon - if ever untied, his 'head' would fall off, revealing that all he ever was to be clothes, a wig, and a mask, with absolutely nothing beneath. He's mostly inspired by fashion from the late Victorian and early Edwardian - and his smiling mask is shamelessly inspired by one a Parabolan Nightmare once gave him :3

[popitdontdropitwrites]

Engiespy Week (2022) Day 7 -"Dress Up Free Space"

Also available on Ao3 here

This one has to be my favourite of the lot.

Long before technology could imitate the art of disguise, Spy had worn all matter of skins and suits, be it the pungent rags of the poor, the usefully unmemorable clothes of the everyman, the inconspicuous uniforms of many, many organisations and perhaps most enjoyably, the ridiculously lavish fur coats of the rich. Every persona required a masterful understanding of how one should present themselves and the matching skill to carve a new, convincing identity. The tech neatly hidden within his cigarette case made it far too easy, too quick, so much so that anyone could take his role with minimal training. It made him replaceable, disposable, even. His skills had aged with him and now, lied on the bleak precipice of obsoleteness and someday, they may fall into obscurity forever.

But admittedly, it was not the grandeur and nostalgia of the old ways that made Spy miss them, rather, it was the restrictiveness of the new. He had a set of templates, predesigned by someone other than himself. His wardrobe, so to speak, had been limited to just a few outfits, unable to be altered and reimagined. He played the same roles, over and over, reciting all the same acts with fading passion, like a marionette on the strings of an unimaginative puppeteer.

In this endless war, he could only grasp at fickle illusions that crumbled at the slightest touch. He did not live in the life he adorned himself in. It was a mere projection, a trick of the light and a lapse of the mind. It was not anything close to the skin, cloth and very make of another, fleshed out with deliberate posture, rehearsed speech patterns and memorised history. He did not learn how to carry himself with an air unlike his own because there was no need for it any longer. He was the same forever, and while yes, he enjoyed his own form, he so missed the carefully constructed masks of his own design. He had been trapped, locked into one face, one name, one voice, one profession, one life… he was so much more.

Dorian pined for the thrill of browsing through countless stores, bartering with street merchants, and consulting specialised tailors all to design a new version of himself, one that would only ever be a fleeting fantasy, or often, a nightmare. Strand by strand, hair by hair, inch by inch, he spun himself a new face, just as a spider weaved itself a web, similarly designed to ensnare an unsuspecting victim. He had spent countless hours before mirrors of all shapes and sizes, slowly transforming into someone else, and yet, himself.

But despite his desire, he hesitated, suitcase clutched tightly in his hands. He feared that he had forgotten how to create his disguises after so much time without them. The thought of turning back rose within him like a mist laden with doubt.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Dell.”

The man he loved looked at him with such understanding and patience that it hurt. “Don’t be shy now, you’ve been doin’ this your whole life. Sure, you’re not gonna kill me with it – at least I hope not – but you’re gonna be gorgeous, I just know it.”

He couldn’t help but wonder if he would continue to be so calm once he saw the end result. “You are sure that this is okay?”

“Yeah, Dorian, whatever you’re plannin’ on, I don’t mind. I just want to see ya happy.” He placed his hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring pat. “Go on, now, I’ll be waitin’ for ya.”

“You may be waiting for some time.” He muttered, entering Engineer’s bathroom.

He closed the door behind him, going so far as to lock it to ensure his privacy, though Dell was not the type to barge in. He placed the case on the countertop, running his hand over the smooth, luxurious leather, comforting himself with its familiar texture. He did not dare to open it just yet, as he felt as though he was not ready for what awaited him, despite having already chosen his own poison for tonight.

With great reluctance, Spy undid his tie, shedding the first and perhaps the most important part of his own skin. Relinquishing his own appearance had always been the most difficult part, simply because of the consequent nakedness. Without his tasteful choice of formalwear – his source of pride – he was nothing. Regardless of the fact, he pressed on, gently shrugging off his suit jacket, hanging it off a nearby hook. He unbuttoned his shirt, which he folded next to his tie, shuddering under the cool air as he undid his belt and stepped out of his pants. Now undressed completely and by extension, utterly and devastatingly vulnerable, he looked to the mirror, to the blank canvas captured within the glass prison.

Oh, but he wasn’t ready. Not yet.

He picked up one of Engineer’s razors, switching out the abused blade for a fresh one. He examined his face, poking and prodding the stubble on his face. Though it was still relatively smooth and nowhere near as prickly as Dell’s, it was not acceptable for a night like this. He washed his face, applying shaving cream to his skin and with the steady hands of a surgeon, gave himself the cleanest shave he had in years. He preened himself thoroughly, ensuring he was the very picture of perfection, like a bird preparing to woo his mate.

His paintbrushes were ready to meet him, they only needed his skilful hands to guide them.

With trembling fingers, he unclipped the two golden latches on the sides of his case, slowly lifting the lid. Inside, a dress of exquisite black velvet awaited him. Its nightlike darkness had initially appealed to him, but in this moment, it had become terrifying, like the deepest, most silent void – unknown, unexplored, and alien.

He feared what Dell would think. This secret pleasure of his often came across as a sick perversion, a depraved desire beyond redemption, but it was not quite like that for Dorian. This was innocent, pure, like doves and white blossoms.

He only wanted to be pretty.

Spy stepped into his stockings and tugged the translucent fabric over his thighs, securing them with garters. He then eased himself into the dress, taking great care not to damage it as he pulled it up. Unlike an ordinary suit, it restricted him in favour of its staggering beauty. He had this evening gown imported from France, preferring this particular style than those worn here. It went down to his ankles, only showing skin above the chest and fitted his form, flaunting it. He began to tie the concomitant silk stole around one of his shoulders. He remembered the steps, but his muscles did not. He attempted and failed several times before he could get it to properly coil around him and slant down his chest with the long tail draped elegantly over his bare arm. Only then did he glance in the mirror, towards the half-complete portrait of himself. He was still imperfect, but he could see glimpses of who he would become.

He put on the matching heels, which felt rather small compared to his typical dress shoes. Like the dress, they were sleek and elegant, with tall, thin heels that clacked when he walked, almost like snapping one’s fingers to demand the attention of another. Despite being a small addition, they made him feel far more complete. But that was not to say that he was finished just yet. No, poor Dell would be waiting for some time.

He opened his makeup case, displaying a full, glorious collection of concealers, foundation, eyeliners, mascara, lipstick, and brushes. Though the process of beautifying himself was strange and clumsy at first, with time and a few do overs, muscle memory stirred from its long slumber, making it feel like second nature once more. Before this war, these had been as valuable as any blade, due to his ability to play the fairer sex just as easily as he did the other. All men had their weaknesses, and surprisingly often, a refined, exotic woman was one of them – the perfect excuse to indulge himself and experiment with skirts, dresses, blouses, and lingerie.

He was in the midst of applying his lipstick when Dell knocked on the door. “You done yet?”

“Patience, labourer, I am almost finished.” After lining his eyes with complimentary wings, he slipped his fingers into his black gloves, pulling them all the way up to his elbows and straightening out any creases in the material.

He stepped back, giving himself a full view of the stunning creature he had become. He placed a hand to the mirror, in awe as a fluttery high flooded his mind. He had forgotten this feeling, the bubbling excitement, the rush of satisfaction, the fulfilment of shedding who he had been, if just for a moment. He examined his face, in awe of how it all worked to hide his age and bring out his best features. And though his heart raced in his chest, he did not feel shame or fear, because this seemed right.

Dorian took in a deep breath, unclicked the lock and opened the door to meet his audience. Engineer froze, and Spy waited for him to turn away in disgust, but he merely stared, open mouthed and in awe. Colour rose on his charmingly pudgy cheeks at an alarming rate, so much so that he thought the poor man might faint. He sputtered, attempting to speak, but his tongue got caught on his words.

“I-I didn’t know you were…” Was all he could muster. “G…Good lord.” He breathed, his fingers knotting the sheets of the bed, steadying himself.

His reaction made it all worth it. He would not be forgetting this night, not ever. “Would you believe me if I told you that I used to do this as part of my work?”

He tugged at the collar of his shirt, playing with it as his eyes wandered all over him. “Call me crazy but you’re makin’ me jealous of those sons of guns ya assassinated.”

“You shouldn’t be, Dell.” Like this, his voice seemed to mesmerise his partner as it walked the fine, glittering line of androgyny. “This part was only ever a lure.”

“To hide your knife comin’ right for ‘em?”

“Or the poison in my handbag, the derringer in my stocking, the garrotte in my brassiere…” He trailed off, grinning devilishly at the memory. “Rest assured, I have no such things on my person.” Spy stood over Dell, his tone changing slightly. “You may check if you would like.”

He laughed nervously, looking absolutely delicious in his flustered state. “Naw, there’s no need for that… I trust ya, Dorian.” His tone, oh, how it sung to him with its sweetened, unfaltering faithfulness. It was only ever like this that he heard that deeply trusting inflection, not unlike that of songbirds professing their undying love to the morning sun.

He placed a single heel on the bed, causing the hem of his dress to ride up his leg, just enough to get his lover’s attention. He leant in closer, effectively entrapping Engineer. “You are such a fool.” He whispered, his gloved hands cupping his chin. “Now, I have you exactly where I want you…”

His lips met Dell’s, and he felt different even to himself; gentler, sweeter, poisonously tender. There was a hunger to his administrations, but like death, it was patient. Engineer was not, and kissed him hard, desperate to convey just how much he adored this new side of him and that he wanted nothing more than to explore it with him.

[alltheworldsrpg-blog]

ADONIS PETYR | THE HOLO | CENTAURIAN | 26

You were chosen by the Centuarian people, albeit from a roster of few, but chosen nonetheless. Succeeding Luther should be child’s play, your ambitions large and hard to sate. You’ve developed a persona of sorts, the quiet one, thoughtful and diligent in their work. Truthfully, you plan to take Earth for yourself, maybe the other planets as well. Your rule has no bounds and everyone is for the taking. 

BIOGRAPHY

Your life is not your own. It is the first lesson you learn.

You were something made to propel everyone else into the great unknowns of the future, bringing about altruistic change to the world that you’d grown up on. You were to be of great importance, your parents said, a child whose destiny was to be part of something that could give rise to a new age that would tip the fates of many. You were the promise of a Starweaver to your parents, and you were going to deliver on that, whether you liked it or not.

You learned the cost of a new world early on–an assemblage of teachers, of tutors and groomers that would make you into a Chosen that the people deserved, that Proxima deserved. They built you up and stripped you down in to be who they wanted you to be. The golden child, the savior, the foothold in politics, and when they were done, they marveled at who you were, a child scrubbed clean of his identity. After that, the dream soured into a nightmare, making it feel like servitude–forced indenture, rather than a choice you would have gladly made for yourself. But you smile, and grin, and bear it because there is no other choice to make.

At least, for now.

Like Atlas, you bore the weight of everything on your shoulders, of a destiny from a Starweaver, of the pressure from your parents to run and be the Chosen, even the people who never met you, but expected you to save them from themselves even though you wanted nothing more than to be one of the men who waited for deliverance. It was tiring, walking up to people and putting on facade after facade, only having moments to discard it and resent ever having to put a mask on before walking around and shaking hands and answering questions once more.

You felt the cracks on your face, on the carefully manufactured visage that they had constructed for yourself, weathered and worn, until the bubbling from the inside had to be released somehow, for fear you would burst from the sheer pressure. Haunting bars, haunting people in the dark of night was one of the only ways you could maintain everything thrown at you, shore up the supports for the cracks in your foundation. It was intoxicating, to say the least, always coming back for more under another name and another guise just to relax and live a life that seemed better than yours.

As the years leading up to the election went by, resentment grew and blackened within your heart because you were–you are more than what they made you to be, an obedient puppet, serving the whims of the people that you should so dearly think of. But in your bones, you knew that you were never meant to bend the knee or serve the masses, but to rule over them with sweet words and a sweeter tongue.

( You remember winning by a mere thousand votes–crocodile tears on the stand, hugging your opponent as a show of good faith, and you deliver your speech with the hammering of your heart inside your chest. It is good, you think, to show them emotion while you still have your plan in the works. Win their hearts over and they will bow down and smile when they do it.

And for a second, you feel yourself again, show through the cracks–even just for a while. )

Playing Luther’s protege did take some getting used to, the new impositions and rules chafing into your skin as if they were chaining you to the floor, but you managed to pull through, enjoying the little diplomatic acts that they had done for themselves on a regular basis. You were going to be in it for the long haul, you thought, as every board meeting, every public appearance, ever last one of Luther’s missions to some backwater place had to make you think of what to do when he was going to step down.

But this time, you control the moves you were going to set into place, the pace you were going to go, and you feel yourself return to something greater, something meant to wear a crown and preside over the masses. You smile and nod to the public as your mentor watches you at your periphery, a subtle glance, as if he hears the whispers of those in power and believes them. ( For a petty old fool, he knows how to listen, you’ll give him that. )

Though you watch as he self-destructs before you, his impartial leanings towards the masses making them walk into his arms every second he gets up on that pulpit, or consults with a foreign leader, and you barely have to lift a finger. You watch and laugh in private, for Luther was an age long past, and you are the harbinger of a brighter future.

( Once, you asked a Starweaver under cover of night, in cloak and hood, if what you wanted was going to come true. They smiled at you, a tense smile, full of nervousness and worry, and told you that if he was going to let himself be what they wanted to be, it would. If he was going to.

But if recent events have shown you, that’s not really a question for you anymore. Not really.

And with Luther, it wasn’t ever a question of if you would take the helm anymore—it was a question of when. )

CONNECTIONS

THE EON: An elder of Tau is an interesting perspective to hear and they seem most eager to share their knowledge. Their own royal clearly lacking, they’ve turned to your ear instead. You might only be pretending to care, but they seem enamored either way. You’ve so perfectly fooled them, it’s almost humorous. 

THE ZENITH: Your guard knows more about you than you’d like, knows your true aim in life. You’d cut them out in an instant, if it wasn’t for the role you have to play to stay in power. Betrayal from them is right around the corner, you can feel it, so all you can do is play the part of the victim. It’s worked for everything else in your life, after all. 

THE NOVA: In the past, leaders have looked to star-weavers for guidance, to find the right path, but it’s unnecessary for your reign. They seem to know they’ve been cast aside, but don’t seem willingly to act upon it. That’s fine with you, it just makes your rise to power easier.

THE HOLO IS PORTRAYED BY KIM WOO-BIN AND IS  CLOSED

[liveartandperformancegroup-blog]

Announcing the programme of the day! Squash & Stretch Festival 2018.

Main Performers

Tero Nahua (Finland)

Plastique Fantastique (London)

Tero Nauha

Artists, Doctor of Arts (Theatre and dance), Postdoctoral researcher

Tero Nauha is an artist and a postodoctoral fellow at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. He is a participant of a Finnish Academy funded postdoctoral research project ‘How To Do Things With Performance’, also. He defended his doctoral research at the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts in Helsinki in January 2016. In 2015, he published his first fiction novel Heresy & Provocation for a Swedish publishing house Förlaget.

His performance art projects have been presented at the Frankfurter Kunstverein, Theatrediscounter in Berlin, CSW Kronika in Bytom, Performance Matters in London, and at the New Performance Festival in Turku, among other venues.

Lives and works in Helsinki, Finland

https://teronauha.com

Plastique Fantastique

Plastique Fantastique, a collaboration between David Burrows, Simon O’ Sullivan, Alex Marzeta and Vanessa Page (sometimes with others, including Harriet Skully, Ana Benlloch, Stuart Tait, Mark Jackson, Tom Clark, Simon Davenport, Joe Murray, Lawrence Leaman, Samudraka and Aryapala), is a mythopoetic fiction-an investigation of aesthetics, the sacred, popular culture and politics-produces through comics, performances, text, installations and shrines and assemblages.

http://www.plastiquefantastique.org

Performers

Fred Astaire- Puttin’ On The Ritz dance/ Veronica Cordova de la Rosa

I dance to Fred Astaire-Puttin’ On The Ritz song. I dress up as customer service assistant and stretch and squash for five minutes while dancing. Others can join me!

Veronica Cordova de la Rosa is a fictional character. Unconventional ways to take on life.

https://veronicacordovadelarosa.wordpress.com

LINE UP (and join in)/Peta Lloyd

Instructions for the next 5 minutes:

On 5 6 7 Walk up

1 and 2 and 3 and 4

Right together Right together Step turn together clap

Left together Left together Step turn together clap

Grapevine left Grapevine turn

Cha cha and out cha cha and back

Shimmy 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

http://www.petalloyd.co.uk

Temporary State of Excessive Craving for the Fullness of a Phallic Presence/Sam Hall

The Blobby Boys carry out an intervention involving coke, burgers, wearable screens and copious amounts of expanding foam.

Sam creates work through the re-appropriation of mundane activities such as taking the bus or going to McDonald’s, finding novel ways to celebrate personal and cultural identity in web centric, consumer driven environments and exploring ideas of fetish, childhood and consumerism.          

www.instagram.com/sam_hall6

Tights/Katy Watson

Katy walks down the main staircase of the Headington Hill Hall wearing a black dress and carrying a handbag with cosmetics and tights in it. When she reaches the bottom, she sits on a chair and applies a pair of tights to her head followed by dry shampoo, makeup and more tights. She sings odd lines from “Over the Rainbow’ and other songs occasionally.

Katy Watson’s performance style in this piece is influenced by her interest and practice of the Japanese dance form Butoh, and a desire to communicate directly with her audience about things that affect her and other women.

A noise of requiem/Dario Utreras, Zarah Haji Fath Ali Tehrani, Beth Shearsby

Prometheus/Marcin Gawin

Prometheus is an intimate, participatory performance. It creates a sacred, collective experience of a construction of a human being. The piece is a procedure of reversed autopsy performed in a manner of guided meditation and a private mass, but above all, Prometheus enables audience to look at the common denominator of the human species by herding with anatomically accurate replicas of human’s most inner components.

Marcin Gawin is a fine artist born in Poland, and working in performance, video and image making. Drawing on lowbrow and camp aesthetic, his work focuses on establishing artificial environments and hierarchy with the means of a role imposition, absurd and (direct) confrontation.

Touch Screen/Hugh Pryor

Hugh’s fractal video projection creates organically generated fractal patterns as seen in nature with ferns and cauliflower. This is interactive as shadows and images of the viewer feeds into the self-repeating images. Hugh is going to take this process one step further by residing inside the fabric screen during the performance and will make himself, as well as the audience, part of the fractal generation process.

Hugh Pryor is an Oxford based artist who specializes in experimental photography and sculptural installations. Hugh’s overaching interest in motion has evolved as a deep exploration of the potential for photography to capture movement. Using his own highly individual thecniques. Hugh has been working with dancers and performers and is incorporating  performance art as an integral part of his practice.

http://www.hughpryor.co.uk

Ectoplasmic Masks/Luke Jordan

In the form and subversion of a Victorian seance my improvised vocal / body sound is channeled thorough a 'spirit trumpet' and light.  Variations of frequency cause undulations of vibrations of the trumpet against on a metal plate, and patterns of flashing / flickering light : whilst my features are transformed by a mask of yeast / fungus.

Demonstration 7: how to bag one’s air/Robert Luzar

Demonstrations are works that partially show or demonstrate actions which ‘may’ or ‘may not’ be done by anyone, artist or audience. Appearing on the Web as ‘how to’ videos. Demonstrations show audiences step-by-step actions that open possibilities; but these are ‘on-going’ works that appear in multiple performances, where audiences are shown how such works take place.

Robert Luzar is an artist, writer and educator living in Bristol, UK. His works engage 'events' that reflect spaces, traces, and actions of ongoing work. He holds a PhD through practice from Central Saint Martins; and has exhibited internationally in venues such as the Palazzo Loredan Venice (IT), Torrance Art Museum (USA), DRAWinternational (FR), Katzmann Contemporary (CA), KCCC (LTU), Künstlerhaus Dortmund (DE), Nunnery Gallery (UK), and Talbot Rice Gallery (UK).

www.robertluzar.com

Snack daddy in the castle of card  /Robert Ridley-Shackleton

i work hard at the card so u can get down x

Robert Ridley-Shackleton I am the cardboard prince and ive come to play with u, put down your books and let me feed ya.

http://hissingframes.blogspot.co.uk

Sonic Extractions/Victoria Karlsson

Sonic Extractions aims to focus the participants and audience towards the sounds of our inner worlds, the sounds of our thoughts, desires and emotions. It proposes that the artist can ‘extract’ inner sounds from the minds of the participants and play them for all to hear. It confronts both our desire to believe in a ‘pure’ connection of minds, as well as the feeling of intrusion and loss of control we would experience should someone truly be able to ‘penetrate’ our mind.  

Victoria Karlsson is a sound artist, currently undertaking a research degree in sound art at UAL, London, focusing on sound in thoughts. She is interested in investigating our emotional connection to sounds, what they mean to us and how they affect us, using performance, scores and photography.

www.victoriakarlsson.co.uk

DUO/Anette Friedrich Johannessen and Jan Egil Finne

In our performance, we will extend our awareness of each other, our materials and the surroundings, to uncover the dynamics and energy of working as a duo. During this time, all actions will consist of complementary improvisations, where we as individuals and as a team, will evaluate repetition, systems and order.

DUO is a live performance project by Anette Friedrich Johannessen and Jan Egil Finne that investigates the structures and revitalize the dynamics between humans, space and objects. To work on site, gives us the freedom to perform intuitively, open-minded and free of boundaries.

https://janegilfinne.wixsite.com/artwork

http://anettefriedrichj.tumblr.com

Untitled, Cone Dance, 2018/Jessie Palmer

A reflection on our apparent funnelled vision. Cones held to the face, we move without seeing each other.

Jessie Palmer My practice frequently explores the function of colour and the question of what it is to perform, both in art and in life more generally. These themes often enter a dialogue with absurdity or absurdism, generating bizarre spectacles.

Rise and Fall/Hannah Oram and Rosie Mullan

Location: Top Roof in front of the main garden

(Dur. 10 minutes)

Throw it down waiting for the catch

Bricks rise above our heads

Rosie Mullan and Hannah Oram We are a performance art duo living and working in London. We have performed together in London, Oxford and Beijing.

http://rosiemullan.com/Mantle-Clicks

http://hannahoram.com

Weigh In /Al/ice/ex Donaghy

Loose fitting jumper, slack on bones worn away by restricted diet and over exercise. Screaming sisters and cool covered nurses cannot get inside, the body just shakes and shakes all night long, pumped up and starved. Covering the bites of disgust and harm, waking up and returning to where everyone is carrying on.

Al/ice/ex Donaghy I am an interdisciplinary artist working mainly in performance with influences from Butoh dance, experimental writing/music and photography.

adonaghy.com

Human Clay Head (2017-18)/Robin Woodward

A person, a happening, loss of Identity, a becoming.

Using a full block of Terracotta Clay the artist places on his face he removes the ability to see, hear and breath. In actual fact, this performance is a physical representation of a distinct kind of ‘feedback loop’, a downward spiral, one that suggests a curious relationship to Wheatly’s film High Rise. By removing sensory functions, the artist becomes other and no longer has the ability to control what he does and when he wants to do it. In relation to Peggy Phelan’s theories the performance occurs over a time which will not be repeated, but on repetition it becomes “different”. The artist’s actions are unscripted and random.

“In working with clay, I form faces which may or may not represent and inner self. In my performance I do not die, but much like Laing, I become more animal. I lose the restrains that society holds on me. A more devious, sexual, frightening character takes my place-I become, I transgress into madness.”

https://www.robinwoodward.com

Mishearings/Serena Braida and Iris Colomb

Mishearings is a poetic performance piece which explores miscommunication through text and voice. The text is based on a simple process involving correspondence and homophonic translation. The result is a peculiar sequence of text which are linked through sound rather than sense. The performance involves fluctuating levels of intensity built on a variety of ways of reading intermittently and simultaneously. This piece started as a commission for the 2017 European Poetry Night, curated by SJ Fowler as part of the Enemies Project, and recently evolved into the creation of an artist book in collaboration with designer Hortense Bedouelle.

Iris Colomb is a poet, artist, translator and curator based in London. She is the art Editor of Haverthorn magazine and a member of the interdisciplinary collective 'No Such Thing'. Her current projects involve artist books, performance scores, and collaboration.

http://iriscolomb.com/

Serena Braida is a poet, writer, multidisciplinary performer and voice practitioner working both in Italian and English. Her current work focuses on cross-genre writing, text and performance. She co-curates the Locomotrix literary series at Housmans Radical Bookshop.

serenabraida.com

Im Abendrot (At Sunset)/Austin Sherlaw-Johnson

Austin Sherlaw-Johnson is a composer and performance artist who works in a variety of media. Recent work includes: Explicit Sounds (six actions for one performer), Making a Box as Quickly as Possible (video), Anti-Conceptualism, (installation), John Cage and Teeny Duchamp Play Chess in front of a Live Audience (theatre piece for two performers) and You’re Beautiful (three three minute pop songs for two performers).

www.austinsherlawjohnson.com

Welcome!/Tess Tallula

Performance and art object advocating and perpetuating love, warmth, openness and acceptance.

Tess Tallula is an interdisciplinary artist who composes immersive experiences in physical and digital worlds. Her work is celebratory and often has layers of meaning. She lives and loves in Oxford, commissions and collaborations welcomed.

egg-Hamlet 2/NuNu Theatre

egg-Hamlet is a bigger project to fight Hamlet as an emblem of Britishness in theatre and in the English language. egg-Hamlet is like the foreign artist's away match with the almighty British Shakespeare. egg-Hamlet is a confrontation that can work only through engaging with the notions of failure, de-construction, futility, non-performability, opening of the Shakespearean text to 'infestation' from other forms and removing it from the high stage of British theatre and English language standard. egg-Hamlet 2 is an installation with eggs, video and two monologues.

Nu Nu is a theatre company that supports actors and performers who work with English as a second language. Nu Nu supports marginalized artists and artists at a crossroads of their careers. Nu Nu's ethos is interdisciplinary, having collaborated with composers, performance artists, visual artists, sculptors, animators, illustrators for all our projects.

http://nunuplatform.com/sample-page/

Two for joy/Jezella Piggott and Naomi Morris

This is your body, your greatest gift, pregnant with wisdom you do not hear, grief you thought was forgotten, and joy you have never known.

Jezella Pigotts practice draws on cult female anthropology. Her work often combines drawing, print making and performance.

https://jezellapigott.co.uk

Revealed/Concealed/Exposed/Enclosed/Naomi Morris

This is a ongoing solo performance project stemming from work initially exploring finding physical form from nothing and finding the light from darkness.

http://naomiemorris.wixsite.com/portfolio/projects

Smile/Clare Carswell

Come and meet the artist’s ageing smile, get up close and let her show you her teeth!

An interactive performance that invites audience to meet the middle-aged smile of the artist. It will reveal gum recession and the dental hygiene routine required to keep it in check, a usually unseen aspect of inhabiting and maintaining a middle-aged body.

Clare Carswell MA(RCA) works with performance and drawing to make works for the gallery and public space. She curates the work of others at AYYO Contemporary Art, a gallery and project space near to Oxford. She runs Art Pitch, a residential programme for UK and international artists and writes and lectures on contemporary art.

www.clarecarswellperformance.com

[circlesfitness-blog]

Selfies

Self(is) Phenomenon: The multiplexes of the Self

For eons the relationship between man and mirror by far remains a fascinating phenomenon. The famous saying “mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all” truly captures the dynamics of this wondrous relationship. Interestingly man supposedly instructs the mirror for an appropriate reflection dependent on a day or situation. As a result the reflection is a representation of a reality, an image the subject wants to see of themselves or simply what they want others to perceive of them. There is a clear conversation that takes place here and the conflict and tension of that conversation varies with different roles and situations. Similarly these dynamics seem to also be evident in the relationship between man and camera, and most currently camera smartphones. In this case the said conversation between a subject (man) and object (camera phone), goes deeper into a literal directive with self. The instruction is for the camera and the self. It is the construction of the image/reflection that is most intriguing. The dialogue between the conscious and the unconscious aspects that feeds the human psyche. In this post I will be reflecting on the content of the course discussing my opinions about responses to and experiences of digital media as it relates to the personal life. I will be looking specifically at ‘Selfies’ and will substantiate my discussion with reference to examples from my own knowledge as well as from the course material. My blog will include links, memes, gifs, images and other digital content, as well as citations from academic books and articles to further support my point.

Digital media is a place where people connect, where they feel a sense of freedom of expression. It’s a space of openness, interconnectedness and information is in excess. They connect on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter etc. According to Couldry (2012) digital media comprise merely the latest phase of media’s contribution to modernity, but the most complex of all, a complexity illustrated by the nature of the internet as network of networks that connects all types of communication. By and large digital media has had a tremendous effect in the social arena, the humanness and the natural organic interaction of everyday life “The internet’s consequences for social theory are radical. Online connection changes the space of social action, and puts them to use in still further interactions” (Couldry, 2012:2). The digital space offers people a platform for freedom of expression. However it is also a platform where realness or truth can be manipulated to suit social norms particularly on social media platforms. Encouraging people to be something other than who they are. People can easily manipulate, create and form anything on their smartphones with apps like Snapshot and Photoshop. The phenomenon of ‘Selfies’ is a perfect example. ‘Selfies' are by definition photographs that are taken by oneself to express a moment in time “Photo sharing on various social networking sites (SNSs) has become an important part of the online social experience. SNS users utilize various types of pictures, particularly selfies (pictures one takes of oneself), to display their personalities, lifestyles, and preferences” (Sung, Lee, Kim, & Choi, 2016). Furthermore Sung et.al explains that SNSs are shown to have significant impact on the social and cultural norms for communication and relationships by serving as a venue for individuals to present themselves, acquire information, and establish and maintain relationships with others (2016). Indeed ‘Selfies’ are now used as a tool for many reasons in people’s lives like narcissism, psychopathy, marketing, or just pure interaction with friends online. One main thing though is that it reveals a person’s true personality, where they think it is hidden. That conversation between the conscious and the unconsciousness is revealed in the ‘Selfie’.  

By the same token ‘Selfies’ have indirectly become a tool that exposes personalities that people are trying so hard to hide. The juxtaposition of this phenomenon is that it is supposedly communicating what you want the world to see at the same time revealing who you truly are through display of personality, lifestyle and preference. In psychology, the personality that an individual projects to others, as differentiated from the authentic self is Persona. The term, coined by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, is derived from the Latin persona, referring to the masks worn by Etruscan mimes (Encyclopedia Britannica). The mask worn by actors, an identity we wish to project, influenced by social roles. As one of the Jungian archetypes, the persona enables an individual to interrelate with the surrounding environment by reflecting the role in life that the individual is playing, for instance people on social media like to play happy roles all times. In this way one can arrive at a compromise between one’s innate psychological constitution and society. Thus the persona enables the individual to adapt to society’s demands (Encyclopedia Britannica). For example, a father may adopt traits which he considers to be typical of a father - serious or disciplining, for example - rather than those which reflect his actual personality (Psychologist World). However displaying a persona does not necessarily conceal real self, although individuals may feel it does.

Furthermore according to an article in Psychologist World, Philip Zimbardo's study of social roles in a prison situation (1971) in which participants were assigned roles of prison guards or prisoner. Participants assigned as prison guards undertook increasingly cruel behaviour in the belief that they were conforming to their social role, further demonstrated the effect our roles has on our persona and how individuals can easily interchange masks per given role at any given time. Assigned a role, such as that of a prison guard, people often behave as they would expect someone in that role to act. Carl Jung further states that as the persona is not a true reflection of our consciousness, but rather an idealised image which people aspire to, identifying too much with a persona can lead to inner conflicts and a repression of our own individuality (Psychologist World).

‘Selfies’ are never a true reflection of a person. People identify too much with a persona which leads to inner conflicts and tension in who they really are. Hence the masks and the performance particular on the digital space with ‘Selfies’, a platform that gives them freedom of play. The dialogue between the conscious and the unconscious that takes place in the construction of the image/reflection and the performance thereof says a lot about a person, even if they may not be aware of it, it come through in the image. In my own personal life I have become aware of these persona and performances. Friends and family take Selfies all the time and my observation is that the construction looks much like a full on studio photoshoot of a fashion magazine. There’s always a producer and the director of the photoshoot who are often deemed experts because of their addiction and experiences in the field (Selfie masters). The performance has to be flawless with model-like poses and pouts. Then comes the editing, finally the perfect image is selected for publishing out of a million clicks.

Taking ‘Selfies’ is basically just a way of showing people what you want them to see, it’s an act. However taking ‘Selfies’ can also make you appear more narcissistic and give you a self-inflated view of yourself. Just like how a mirror would. When we interact with people it makes you wonder which of their persona you are dealing with. Which mask did they choose to wear for the performance and lastly what is their real ‘Self’ when they post a ‘Selfie’. However I do believe if you look closely you will see who they really are. What is it about the self that it does not want to be seen, whether through a mirror or the lens of a camera? The answer sits in the psychological state of the self, an individual.

References

Couldry, N. 2012. Media, Society, World: Social Theory and Digital Media Practice. Polity           Press. Cambridge. Pp2.

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA. https://www.britannica.com/topic/persona-psychology.

Sung, Y., Lee, J. A., Kim, E & Choi, S. M. 2016. Why we post selfies: Understanding                   motivations for posting pictures of oneself. Elsevier. (97) pp260-265.                               https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.032

Psychologist World. www.psychologistworld.com.

  -

[bystudentanne]

An Analysis of Coldplay and Rihanna’s Princess of China Music Video Using Edward Said’s Theory of Orientalism

In Orientalism, Edward Said (1978, p.1) states that the Orient is almost a European invention. The Orient as Said elaborates, has been viewed as a place of romance, exotic people, haunting memories and landscapes, and extraordinary experiences. Khalid (2014, p.4) states that Orientalism created binary oppositions between the West and East with the former being correlated with being civilized and rational, whereas the Oriental East was deemed backwards and irrational. By differentiating between the West and East as such and viewing the two as polar opposites, ultimately the Oriental East was in essence seen as being the ‘other’. According to Smith (2006, p.69) throughout the years, Orientalism has been used by the West to justify colonialism, racial profiling and defend slavery. However, Orientalism has been widely used on a theoretical level to understand media’s production of cultural text (Park and Wilkins, 2005, p.2). In this paper the theory of Orientalism will be used to analyze a popular text within the pop music industry, Princess of China, a music video featuring British band, Coldplay and pop singer, Rihanna.

The music video that was released in 2012, was the creative product of co-producers Adria Petty and Alan Bibby (Nika, 2012). The imagery seen in the video projects elements that are often related to different cultures within not just China, but multiple cultures within the Asian continent. Rihanna, the female protagonist in the music video, plays the role of a princess that is strong and sensual, while lead singer of Coldplay, Chris Martin, is the male protagonist that travels to the palace from a distant and barren land. The music video, according to Petty was stylized to reflect a “kung-fu movie trailer” (Nika, 2012). In the same frame, the music video was listed as containing ninjitsu, flying sequences, dance numbers, drumming, wandering ronins, boudoir scenes, court intrigue and princesses. Elements such as architecture, furniture, ornamentation and clothing that are commonly seen in China and Chinese culture make up the majority of the backdrop and props for the video. We see a temple reminiscent of the famous Chinese landmark, The Forbidden City, which is the largest imperial palace in the world and is one of China’s most popular landmark and tourist destination. There are also heavy elements of martial arts and traditional dance, performed by Rihanna, Chris Martin and the supporting cast. The music video carries multiple layers of Orientalist stereotypes that have been prevalent within the representation of China and Asians in Hollywood.

In Princess of China, the 2 main characters were played by non-Asians and the directors of the video were non-Asians as well. Only the supporting characters, such as dancers, martial artists and other roles were played by a cast that are visibly Asian looking. Rihanna who is of Barbadian descent played the main role of a Chinese princess and although it can be argued that the song is sung by her and it is perfectly understandable for her to star in the music video, it is however questionable that she portrayed a character whose culture she does not completely understand as it is not her own. According to Purangao (2006, p.3), the practice of non-Chinese individuals playing Chinese characters is not something new as it was even seen in early twentieth century films. White actors and actresses performed roles in yellowface, a term used to describe the practice of dressing and wearing makeup to appear more Asian, so they could play an Asian character. The practice of donning yellowface can be seen in The Mask of Fu Manchu, The Good Earth and Dragon Seed. The main characters, although being Asians, were played by white actors and actresses in these movies - Boris Karloff, Paul Muni and Katherine Hepburn (Wong, 2016).

In the past, yellowface and the need to cast white people to play leading roles of Asian characters was because Hollywood studios wanted to avoid the issue of portraying interracial romance in their films (Isola, 2015, p.2). In a sense, it can be said that Hollywood, although fascinated by the Orient for all its unfamiliar exoticness, had the power to represent the Orient as it wanted and needed to through film. In the Princess of China music video, Rihanna too donned a yellowface by wearing heavy eye makeup to make her eyes appear slanted, thin eyebrows similar to that of Anna May Wong in the film Daughter of the Dragon, and wore her hair up with traditional ornaments in it. According to Zhan (2015), a woman’s hair represented her marital status and wearing ones hair up meant they were already married. In multiple Chinese dynasties, princesses generally had their hair up and wore extravagant headpieces (Guangming Daily, 2012). However, in the music video, Rihanna’s character goes back and forth from having her hair up and down in different scenes. The ornaments in Rihanna’s hair which had hanging pendants were historically accurate as according to Off the Great Wall, these were typically worn by nobility (Chinese Hairstyles Through the Dynasties, 2015). The inconsistent accuracy of facts about cultural practices among Chinese women would support the perspective of Orientalism which according to Storey, (2012, p.177), is that the question of ‘true’ or ‘false’ historical representations within Hollywood does not matter.

Hall (2013, p.3) introduces the concept of representation and claims that we use similarity and differences to create relationships or to distinguish between one another. This “system of representation” as Hall explains, involves the correlation of people with a set of preexisting concepts that we have in our heads. Thus in terms of Orientalism, we can clearly see that the West has a tendency to represent China with preexisting concepts that they have been made accustomed to throughout the years, especially through the portrayals of Chinese people in film. Media in itself plays a major role in determining the representation of other people and of oneself as it can effectively construct the identities of people and provide an understanding into what it means to belong to a particular group of people, be it in terms of gender, race or even religion (Brooks & Hébert, 2006, p.297). Bowman (2012, p.6) suggest that the West has a tendency to misinterpret other cultures and make it fit into stereotypes that align with the fantasy the West has painted about the Orient.

Branston and Stafford (2006, p.3) claim that media images are always a construction and does not directly reflect reality, as it is a “re-presentation”. This “re-presentation” of Chinese culture in Princess of China, is heavily influenced by past films such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers. The beginning of the Princess of China video is very similar to the first few scenes of the Hero trailer. Just like Jet Li, Martin is placed in a frame with a dessert in the background. Shot from the back, the two are seen walking towards the respective castles in their stories. Another similarity is the sword fight scene between Martin and Rihanna, however in Hero Jet Li fights a female assassin and not his lover. Additionally the scene in which Rihanna and Martin kneel before one another in a dessert is similar to the scene where the character played by Maggie Cheung rushes to save her lover played by Leung Chiu-Wai, and they sit kneeling before one another at a dessert as well (Mackey, 2004). In a scene from Princess of China, Rihanna is seen dancing while flailing the very long sleeves of her costume, imitating the dance performed by Zhang Ziyi where she is seen throwing her ribbons to hit drums in House of Flying Daggers. This form of imitation and representation of Chinese culture is in fact a form Orientalism, where artist from the West choose to depict the Orient in ways they perceive it (Mart et al., 2010, p.367). By imitating creative work done by people from the Orient in Western productions, it shows that the West lack having a thorough understanding of the Orient, but instead re-presenting it in ways they have already seen in films thus creating a stereotype of the Orient.

Hegemonic power can be seen in films where leading roles are not played by Asians which disallows them from telling their own narratives and it is instead told by non-Asians. This, as Wang (2014, p.8) suggest gives the audience the opportunity to experience a new culture without shifting their understanding of traditional hegemonic power structures. According to Fuller (2010, p.xii), it also prevents the white audience from having direct contact with the ethnic ‘other’ and reassures them that their ethnicity is the acceptable one. In Princess of China, Rihanna plays the role of a royal whereas the supporting female characters played by Asians only have minor roles such as backup dancers. Martin portrays a character with more hegemonic power in terms of masculinity compared to the Asian males in the video, because ultimately he is the man that is worthy of falling in love with a princess. Wang (2000, p.114) claims that a white heterosexual male does have dominance over ethnic minorities, therefore in the context of Princess of China, Martin is the most dominat male character in the video. These aspects further support the Orientalist view of the people from the West having hegemonic power over cultures in the East. Hollywood films in general have stereotyped Asian males as either being geeks or asexual martial artists whose priorities do not include having any love interest (Yang, 2011, p.60).

In the music video, Rihanna generally depicts the stereotypes related to Chinese women in films. The Orientalist stereotypes of depicting women as highly sexual females are prevalent in the video. She is seen laying on a sofa, in a very flirtatious manner and most of her actions come off being very sexualized and sensual. According to Yang (2011, p.53-54), older Hollywood films would typecast female Chinese characters as either being a “China Doll” or “Dragon Lady”, where the former is seen as sexually desirable, feminine and submissive, whereas the latter is more deceitful, mysterious and sinister. Rihanna however depicted a Chinese character more commonly seen in Hollywood movies after the 2000s. Asian women from films in the 2000s played more significant roles due to having considerable martial arts ability which in turn provided them with more power to break out of previous typecasting roles (Wang, 2012, p.90). Therefore although Hollywood had a pre-existing view of the Oriental Chinese female and depicted her accordingly, that view shifted due to new female roles being developed and seen in many Chinese films. This shift, although seemingly an improvement from the past stereotypical roles, ultimately did create a new limit for the roles of Chinese women like Michelle Yeoh and Lucy Liu (Wang, 2012, p.90). No matter how the depiction of Chinese women in films changes throughout time, it still creates a stereotype for that period of time, without actually allowing these women and characters to have a sense of individuality and uniqueness.

Other than Rihanna’s portrayal of the typical demeanor of an Oriental woman, her clothing helped support the Asian mysticism that the producers wanted to project through their music video. The “authenticity” of her wearing clothing which resembled the ones worn by traditional Oriental women not just in China but other Asian countries, enabled her to exude the attractiveness which Western men find in Oriental women (Wang, 2012, p.84).  Prasso (2009, no pagination) states that in the past, Asian women were the subjects of the Europeans “mystical sexual fascination” and till the present, many artist still are fascinated by Asian women and are lured by their exotic nature. Paired with her dressing, her dancing was also key in creating the mystic allure that the West finds attractive and commonly see in the depiction of other Oriental women in films.

As for the representation of Asian men in the Princess of China, we see a clear contrast between Martin who plays the male lead, and the other male characters in the video played by Asian men. Although according to the producers of the video Martin plays the role of “The Returning Ronin” (Nika, 2012), he stands out too much as a white male rather than someone who is playing an Asian character apart from his clothing slightly resembling traditional Asian clothing and his ability to yield a sword. If one had not read the intention of the producers to portray him in that fashion, by solely watching the video it would appear that Martin seems more like a “white male that comes to an exotic land and falls for the princess of China”. Brooks and Hébert (2006, p.307) state that films historically portrayed Asian males as a threat and most recently as martial artist and are not viewed as possessing dominant masculine characteristics. In the music video, the characters played by Asian men - drummers, martial artist, menacing looking guards - fit their aforementioned stereotypical portrayal. They also fall short in terms of possessing dominant masculine characteristics because in comparison with Martin’s character, they do not appear to have the sexual prowess to attract the princess.

Another prevalent theme in the Princess of China music video is cultural appropriation. In her book, Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law, Scafidi defines cultural appropriation as:

Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else's culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another culture's dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. (Baker, 2012)

The clothing worn by the characters in Princess of China were culturally appropriated as they did not accurately represent the true appearance of the traditional clothing. For example, Rihanna’s “kimono” inspired outfit (Nika, 2012) was remotely similar to how an actual kimono looked like. It actually appears to look like a short silk blouse, under which Rihanna wore short tight red leather pants paired with red latex thigh high boots. In the fight scene between Rihanna and Martin, Rihanna is seen wearing an outfit resembling a martial arts robe with a modern day twist of a jumpsuit which had slits in the sides. Mel Ottenberg set out to make costumes that were easy and modern, and tailored it in a manner that would not hinder movement (Nika, 2012). However, the reasoning of not wanting the clothes to hinder movement seems insufficient as even in movies such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers, characters were dressed in costumes that were far more extravagant without having any slits in them to prevent restriction. Cultural appropriation within pop music is not something uncommon or new, with musicians such as Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Miley Cyrus being just a few who have been accused of it (Nittle, 2017).

Finally we look at the aspect of Princess of China clearly being titled to present a video related to China, but actually depicts a fusion of Japanese and Chinese cultures instead of solely representing China. There are Japanese elements such as ninjas, Martin as a Ronin, Taiko drummers and Rihanna’s Kimono inspired costume. Whereas we see Chinese cultural elements such as the traditional Thousand Hand Guan Yin dance, Chinese logograms throughout the video and the use of Jian (Chinese sword). This merging into one subculture and assuming that everything that is Asian is Chinese, is seen quite often in Hollywood. Viruega ([no date], p.6) provides the casting of Chinese actresses to play geisha’s in Memoirs of Geisha as an example, where critics argued that Hollywood’s orientalist view was not capable of differentiating the cultural differences within Asia.

To conclude, although only the imagery within Princess of China was analyzed, it is mainly because there are hardly any Orientalist aspects within the lyrics of the song itself. Said argued that the West have a tendency to project heavily onto other cultures, misinterpret it and to make it fit into their fantasy stereotypes and this is prevalent in the music video as the creators tried to recreate the fantasy and exoticism of the Orient with their own twist projected onto these cultures. By reproducing stereotypes of China within a popular text, it shows that Orientalist discourses are still visible even in this era and that there is a close relationship between popular culture and Orientalism. This form of Orientalist stereotyping of not just China, but Asians as a whole, takes away from the uniqueness of each culture and places them under one umbrella filled with biased understandings. As artist continue to create pop culture by taking influences from other cultures and reshaping it to fit their own aesthetic and purpose, it further supports stereotypes and cultural appropriation which are based on Orientalism. The practice of stereotyping cultures with an Orientalist view creates an imposing sense of order without taking into consideration the feelings of those being stereotyped. Lastly, although Orientalism is more often used to study matters relating to colonialism, it is possible to use this theory to study popular text depicting East Asian cultural stereotypes as well.

  References

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Bowman, Paul (2012), ‘Martial Arts and Oriental Philosophy (Mediated)’, p.6.

Branston, G. and Stafford R., (2006), “Re-presenting Asian Stereotypes in Hollywood Cinema: an Analysis of Race and Gender Representations in Memoirs of a Geisha”, by Viruega, I.M.B., p.3.

Brooks, D. E. and Hébert, L. P. (2006), ‘Gender, Race, and Media Representation’, in The SAGE Handbook of Gender and Communication, edited by Dow, J.B. and Wood, J.T., SAGE Publications, Inc.

Chinese Hairstyles Through the Dynasties (2015), Directed by Off the Great Wall [video]

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Fuller, K. R. (2010) Hollywood Goes Oriental: CaucAsian Performance in American Film, [online] Available from: https://books.google.com.my/books?hl=en&lr=&id=incu8kvbRGIC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=generalization+of+asians+by+the+west+film+&ots=FgAERmsEgb&sig=DevrIACQyqckU6McXLc0j3rKHOw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 08/05/2017]

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Isola, Ashley (2015), ‘YELLOWFACE, THE YELLOW PERIL, AND THE RISE OF THE KUNG FU MASTER’, TCNJ JOURNAL OF STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP, p.2.

Khalid, Maryam (2014), ‘Gendering Orientalism’: Gender, sexuality, and race in post-9/11 global politics’, Critical Race and Whiteness Studies, p.4.

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Mart, Çağrı Tuğrul, et al. (2010), ‘Criticism on Edward Said’s Orientalism’, 2nd International Symposium on Sustainable Development, p.367.

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Park, J. and Wilkins, K. (2005), ‘Re-orienting the Orientalist Gaze’, Global Media Journal, p.2.

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Purangao, Robert (2005), ‘The Yellow Peril: Chinese Representations in Hollywood Films’, The Atlas: UBC Undergraduate Journal of World History, p.3.

Smith, A. (2006), ‘Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy: Rethinking Women of Color Organizing’ in Color of Violence: The INCITE! Anthology, edited by INCITE!, Cambridge: South End Press

Storey, John (2012), Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction. Harlow: Pearson Education.

Viruega, I.M.B. [no date], “Re-presenting Asian Stereotypes in Hollywood Cinema: an Analysis of Race and Gender Representations in Memoirs of a Geisha”, p.6.

Wang, Annie (2014), ‘21st Century Orientals: The Displacement of Eastern Identities in Contemporary Hollywood Adaptation

Wang, Athena (2000), ‘Asian White Boys’ Competing Discourses About Masculinity: Implications for Secondary Education’, Canadian Journal of Education 25, p.114.

Wang, Hanying (2012) ‘Portrayal of Chinese Women’s Images in Hollywood Mainstream Films - An Analysis of Four Representative Films of Different Periods’

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Yang, Yueqin (2011), ‘Stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans in the U.S. Media: Appearance, Disappearance, and Assimilation’, M.A. Thesis: Baylor University

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