The Objects of Othering, The Othering of Objects JaNae L Edwards
Abstract This project interrogates why and how architecture and the visual arts have been used a tool of creating the Other, while in turn, the Other uses these same fields as a way of liberating themselves. The basis of this exploration and examination consists of the myriad ways that otherness can be utilized to raise awareness and be a catalyst for change. The Other has routinely been delegated to the margins of society, vision, and memory. They have often been kept out of the public realm due to their supposed base and animal instincts - their apparent uncleanliness. The Other are often depicted as less than, even lacking, if depicted at all. When one of the Other dares to attempt to leave the margins, they face scrutiny and mistrust; the display of any will of their own is viewed as suspect and dangerous. The popular consensus of those in power is that it is better for those who are “other” to remain silent and unseen, or at the very least, shallow and predictable at the periphery of society. The Other, as a form of rebellion and subversion, take advantage of their marginalized status and invisibility to subvert power structures, while remaining relatively unnoticed. From the French salon to the black beauty salon, utilizing the margins has allowed the marginalized to grow, develop, and support each other to create a better current and future reality. The Other also subverts existing power structures and norms through the way they represent themselves through fashion, art, and the creation of alternative narratives and stories. The Objects of Othering, The Othering of Objects is an exhibition proposal that, through the use of five everyday objects, explores the ways one navigates the complexities that arise due to the construction of the Other, and the Other’s refusal to accept the boundaries placed upon them by those in power. Each object reveals aspects of society’s viewing and treatment of the Other, such as erasure and displacement while challenging the gaze and aesthetic norms and celebrates identity and the self.
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The Objects of Othering, the Othering of objects consists of five types of everyday objects that tend to be looked over, going unnoticed, until needed. Each object navigates the complex web of Otherness in society. The exhibit examines topics on the construction of the Other, such as erasure, exclusion, and displacement, while simultaneously highlighting the Other’s refusal to accept the boundaries placed upon them by shifting the gaze, challenging aesthetic norms, and celebrating their cultivated identities.
As you move through the exhibit, you may start, pause, or stop at anytime. For more information, click “Read More”. When you are ready to proceed through the exhibit, please click “next,” or you may select the corresponding room on the map.
As you make your way along the path, you may notice an image to your left. This image is one of many by Hedrich Blessing in Popular Home Magazine for the U.S. Gypsum Research Village in 1955. The Hedrich Blessing photographs, like many used in architectural representations and popular media, portray white heteronormativity as the norm and anything else as other and strange. The image projected onto the marginalized often serves to make those with power simultaneously feel as though they are neutral and yet, superior. Especially when compared to the images from mainstream media that depict black people using negative stereotypes. The image and visual representation affect how one views themselves and their role within society.
You will see broken and deconstructed birdhouses floating around you, reflecting the creatures which inhabit them. Birds are highly symbolic creatures whose meaning varies across cultures and among different species; they can simultaneously be harbingers of doom or messengers of peace, the physical representation of a deity or a household pet, they can carry letters or deftly take down prey. The home of a bird varies by species and purpose: it can take many shapes and sizes and provide various levels of shelter and security.
While the birdhouse is a shelter and a shield for the elements, it is also an object to display and a source of entertainment. It is a home gazed upon by the voyeur.
Moving into the next room, take a moment to locate and open the cupboard to reveal what is hidden inside. Neatly removed from sight, and kept out of memory, black communities have been systematically displaced, fractured, and erased across the United States.
These communities have been, at best, delegated to being only a spot on a map marked with red ink - hidden away in the poche of history, erased, and displaced by highways and other conveniences for those who were not considered to be a “blight.” At worst, they were brutally and maliciously razed, their citizens with them.
These maps, now revealed, trace the locations, boundaries, buildings, and people of such communities in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati Ohio. While these historic communities are mostly gone, they will no longer be forgotten.
A clean and tidy home has a place for everything and everything in its place. Clutter is tucked away and hidden in the drawer of the nightstand. Opening the drawer opens one’s secrets. Take a moment here to open each drawer of the nightstand.
Historically, architectural representation has been dependent on the perception of normal and the rejection of Otherness. From the devaluing and displacement of black homes, to the indifference towards historic black spaces, and the focus on white heteronormativity, architectural fields and real estate have routinely failed communities deemed as “other”.
The image reflected is not always representative of reality. It is a balancing act between what one wishes to be and what society wishes for them to be. It determines the perception of self. The Other has constantly been subjected to imagery that serves to make them seem strange and less than. Those with power demand that the Other either reflect the stereotypes placed upon them, or assimilate into what society deems to be the “norm”. The cultivation of the image, the crafting and stitching together of the presented self is to don a mask, to prepare for the day’s performance.
Knowing from where one comes, being able to trace the past to bring shape to their present, is a privilege many have been denied. Denied of being able to put a name to a face. A title to a story. A caption to an image. Every image has a story to tell. They tell stories of heritage and pride, embrace family and community, mourn tragedy and celebrate life, document and preserve memories. The portrait gallery celebrates and honors past moments that together comprise the present self, highlights given, chosen, and found family.
Thank you for visiting The Objects of Othering, the Othering of Objects and starting the journey of uncovering some of the stories and images that have been hidden away, so that they may be brought back into the light. To continue the journey, please visit our gift shop.
Thank You
JaNae L Edwards
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janaeledwards/