Existing comment:
Stephanie Syjuco
Cargo Cults: Object Agents
2013
Cargo Cults: Object Agents
2013
mixed media sculpture and prints
Collection of the artist
The Cargo Cults project, comprised of object-based installations and photographs, borrows the "dazzle camouflage" graphic technique used during World War I. Rather than conceal a position, it was made to confuse the aim of the enemy. For her self-portraits (at right), Syjuco purchased mass-manufactured goods from retailers such as American Apparel and Urban Outfitters and restyled them to evoke historic ethnographic photographs and recognizable "ethnic" patterning and costume. Her use of camouflage disrupts our ability to classify the subject being depicted, challenging our views on exoticism and cultural identities. She leaves price tags visible and sports USB cable bracelets, details that hint at our consumer culture and digital lives. |