"Othering" - as seen through Wing Young Huie and Margaret Atwood
Huie, Wing Y. David and Lou. 2012. Minneapolis, MN. www.know.wingyounghuie.com. Accessed 20 September 2018.
Wing Young Huie is an American photographer based in Duluth, Minnesota. His most known projects have taken place in Saint Paul and Lake Street corridor in Minneapolis. The chosen photograph titled David and Lou was taken in South Minneapolis in 2012. Looking at the image we see two men sitting on a porch. Their composure is casual, and it seems that they are having a conversation as friends. David and Lou is part of Wing Young Huie's project, We are the Other. In this series of photographs, Huie captures the cultural landscape of America, revealing what is hidden and what is in plain sight. The photographs, such as this one, present the ways people are mirrored culturally, and the "them" who make up "us". In Huie's description of David and Lou, it is disclosed that the two men are "brothers from another mother", who met when one of them moved to Minneapolis from Chicago. From a series of troubling conditions, the two were brought together and formed what is now a close bond. By digging deeper into this image, we can understand part of who and what make up the cultural landscape of the American society. We commonly make generalizations of people whom we don't know, but Huie's photographs show us that everyone has a story, to which add to who we are as a people.
Wing Young Huie's photography also examines the concept of "othering", perceiving or portraying someone or something as fundamentally different or alien. This concept can be seen in David and Lou, as the two may seem like an unexpected pairing. Lou (right), told Huie that it was difficult living in Chicago as a young black male. He was surrounded by crime and hostility from those around him. Huie displays through image that we are all just people, but are often disconnected from society and treated as different. In American society, black men are regularly associated with danger and segregated in all capacities. Of course, this should not be the case for all humans, regardless of race, experience the same things such as relationships, hardships, and vulnerability (to some extent). In this way, the concept of "othering" is prevalent.
Another person who examines the concept of "othering" in their art is, you guessed it, Margaret Atwood. Atwood shines a light on this concept through her novel The Handmaid's Tale, written in 1985. "Othering" is primarily seen through Atwood's depiction of women and the society of Gilead as a whole. When the totalitarian Republic of Gilead replaces what was the U.S., the former state becomes completely foreign and "alien" to those now living in Gilead. To portray this Atwood uses language, creating an entirely new vocabulary to form to the structure and hierarchy of the society. Women are stripped of their biological names and defined only by their roles as Handmaids, Marthas, or Wives. Feminists and women that do not cooperate with the government are labeled as "unwomen", setting them apart from the rest of society. Words such as "salvaging" and "ceremony" are used to define the rituals of Gilead. The former society is unrecognized by those in Gilead and to many (primarily authority) seen as something fundamentally different from how things should be run. These beliefs are dangerous and eventually lead to various consequences, as we all know.
Exploring these two inspiring individuals, we can thus further understand the negative results of "othering". Through Huie, how we classify people as "not one of us" when in reality we are the other (as Huie says). And through Atwood, how the concept of "othering" has the potential to lead us to unspeakable conditions.
The decontextualization of the photograph by Huie is insightful and helps to provide the necessary background information for Emi to then discuss the concept of "othering". The response to the question is easy to follow and makes sense. However, there seem to be limited comparisons and contrasts developed between Huie's photograph and Atwood's book. I also think that there could have been more focus on some of the concepts presented in the question- such color and layout/format.
ReplyDeleteThe context you establish in the first paragraph about the photographer's work sets up the post very nicely. I also like your analysis of race as an example of othering. One suggestion I have is for you to find similarities between Atwood and Huie's portrayal of othering through their respective art. Lastly, I think you can provide further analysis on the specific effects that othering has on our society. For example, how does othering lead to racial profiling or other common misconceptions in society?
ReplyDeleteThe introduction including the context of the photograph and language used to describe the photograph are great starts to your overall analysis of the similarities and differences the two artists use. The introduction of the context enables further understanding for the audience and easier understanding of the concept of "othering". The analysis of the concept of othering strongly contributes to the overall understanding of your comparison. A suggestion for you is to distinguish your similarities and differences between the author's tools of writing and language use.
ReplyDeleteThe context of the image you gave was very helpful when reading through your blog post. I found your analysis to be very interesting on the way "othering" is portrayed not only in this photo but in 'The Handmaid's Tale'. One thing that might be helpful when talking about this concept is actually defining what "othering" is to help articulate what your argument is. Another thing I think would be helpful is using some examples from within 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Overall I loved seeing this image through your perspective on what the concept of "othering" is in this photo and in 'The Handmaid's Tale'.
ReplyDeleteThe context of the image you gave was very helpful when reading through your blog post. I found your analysis to be very interesting on the way "othering" is portrayed not only in this photo but in 'The Handmaid's Tale'. One thing that might be helpful when talking about this concept is actually defining what "othering" is to help articulate what your argument is. Another thing I think would be helpful is using some examples from within 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Overall I loved seeing this image through your perspective on what the concept of "othering" is in this photo and in 'The Handmaid's Tale'.
ReplyDelete