Popular Art Research Articles

Paula Rego and Adriana Varejão: Patterns of an ‘Embodied, Explosive Dialogue’

I propose to trace the patterns of dialogue established between the work of Paula Rego (Lisbon, 1935–2022) and the Brazilian artist Adriana Varejão (Rio de Janeiro, 1964–). The impact and influence of the former is openly acknowledged by Varejão and is the subject matter of an exhibition that was held in Rio de Janeiro (2017), which offers a dialogue between the visual poetics of both artists. I want to investigate how, despite their generational and geographical distance, a material dialogue between the work of both women artists, across continents and cultures, is so very audible. The parameters for comparison include the following ones: an identical fascination with myth and narratives (though Varejão privileges anthropological and historical narratives over Rego’s literary ones); a shared interest in the baroque tradition and the dissipation of borders between high and popular art (i.e. Portuguese eighteenth-century tiles and the art of the popular nineteenth-century ceramist Bordalo Pinheiro); the urge to expose violence, be it in issues of gender, or the colonial trauma; a direct confrontation of a misogynistic reality; the appeal of the grotesque and the choice of parody as a means to unveil ideological ‘secrecy’.

Houcine Slaoui’s Song ‘Lmarikane’ or ‘The Handsome Blue-eyed Ones’: A Postcolonial Perspective

The present paper is a retrospective journey/ ‘voyage back’ in Moroccan popular art, an invitation to cast a new perspective on its lyrical heritage, to uncover hitherto overlooked dimensions, and ultimately to rethink in novel and original ways Moroccan popular culture. Read through the prism of Postcolonial theory with its arsenal of conceptual tools, Houcine Slaoui’s Lmarikane or ‘The Handsome Blue eyed Ones’ is invested with unsuspected revolutionary potentials in so far as it erects itself as a genuine anthropological document unravelling the deeply ambivalent condition of subalternity. While being politically and historically grounded, the complexity of the song/ text lies in forcing the spotlight on the epistemic violence committed by Western imperial powers, namely the American presence in Morocco ensuing Operation Torch in 1942, and ultimately exploring how identity is constructed through a complex engagement with otherness.

Arena and (Re)Stabilization of Reog Bulkiyo Dance Cultural Production

Contestation among traditional art performances, in the technology and information era, creates complex and diverse challenge to the dance of Reog Bulkiyo. In 1999, the dance had to be stopped following the regeneration and economical problem. Although Reog Bulkiyo has been performed again since 2009, the conditions which makes this dance can be produced is still inexplicable. This article attempts to explain why dance experiencing production and activity stagnation. Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural production theory is used to analyze this problem, while ethnographic qualitative is used as the method. This study found that Reog Bulkiyo dance is in the arena of traditional dance art which has a double-tiered structure. The first structure leads to popular culture, while the second structure leads to art culture. In the first structure, Reog Bulkiyo dance group uses relational capital with relatives, social and Islamic groups to survive in the midst of competition with other popular arts. The dance then gains a relationship with the academy and the state which provides relational, cultural, and symbolic capital in the form of granting intangible cultural heritage status. These two relations give Reog Bulkiyo dance group the opportunity to maintain its cultural production.

Tactics for Troubling Taste: Barbara Jones and the Blackeyes and Lemonade Exhibition at Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 1951

Curated by the artist Barbara Jones (1912–1978) for the Whitechapel Gallery in London in 1951, Blackeyes and Lemonade was an exhibition of popular art or, what Jones defined as, “the things people make for themselves, or that are manufactured in their taste.” The exhibits, which included a tiled fireplace in the shape of an Airedale dog, a giant anthropomorphic lemon, pub beer pulls, advertising posters, and industrially manufactured confectionary, posed a challenge to a codified and class-based conception of taste, fine art, and high culture that was prevalent in the post-war British museum. Through an analysis of the production and reception of Blackeyes and Lemonade, this paper charts the intellectual and practical battles Jones had to engage in to defend her selection and interpretation of objects, while simultaneously defining an unfamiliar branch of esthetic impulse and attempting to redirect what she called the “museum eye.” Finally, the paper explores the role of the temporary exhibition in re-opening discussions about taste, class, and gender in the museum.

“No One Is Who They Say They Are”: The Political Aesthetics of David Peace, Waste Land Poetry, and Extreme Music

Abstract This article constructs a genealogy of anti-imperialist cultural practice, connecting novels and spoken word projects of David Peace to post–World War II Japanese poetry and to the extreme music practice of the powerviolence band Column of Heaven. By placing Peace's novels in conversation with these different cultural forms, it aims to show how the modernist mystification can augment the radical political effects of popular art during the era of imperialism. The article proposes an alternative route to Marxist cultural criticism via Althusser's understanding of ideological interpellation and his critique of Lenin's classic analysis of imperialism. In this sense, it proposes to link contemporary experimental musical and literary practice to a Marxist politics of anti-imperialism, in contradistinction to the potentially depoliticizing effects of the popular critique of neoliberalism.

The Interplay Between Art, Aesthetics and Politics in The Xyz Show

Artivism, a neologism of art and activism, has attracted the interest of scholars who have studied artivism in various popular art productions. The XYZ Show, the first animated Kenyan puppet comedy, has received fair attention; however, the nature of artivism in the show has not been consistently addressed. This study therefore interrogated The XYZ Show to determine how as a popular art production it engages art to ridicule various omissions and commissions of political leaders in Kenya. The interpretation is guided by Grace Musila’s model of reading popular art: Politics/Power/Agency, to corroborate the artistic aesthetics that make the show politically textured. The study is qualitative and it engages in textual analysis of purposively sampled episodes to explain the nature of artivism as depicted in the show. Videos of sampled episodes were watched and data was collected using structured observation checklists and analyzed using thematic content analysis. From the analysis of the data collected the study determined that The XYZ Show employs artistic strategies to speak truth to power. It uses allusion, allegory and imagery among other techniques to present events that are intelligible to the Kenyan audience with a view to satirizing government officials and the Kenyan political landscape. This article expects to add knowledge on the subject of popular art and artivism in Kenya

Artwork pricing model integrating the popularity and ability of artists

AbstractConsiderable research has been devoted to understanding the popularity effect on the art market dynamics, meaning that artworks by popular artists tend to have high prices. The hedonic pricing model has employed artists’ reputation attributes, such as survey results, to understand the popularity effect, but the reputation attributes are constant and not properly defined at the point of artwork sales. Moreover, the artist’s ability has been measured via random effect in the hedonic model, which fails to reflect ability changes. To remedy these problems, we present a method to define the popularity measure using the artwork sales dataset without relying on the artist’s reputation attributes. Also, we propose a novel pricing model to appropriately infer the time-dependent artist’s abilities using the presented popularity measure. An inference algorithm is presented using the EM algorithm and Gibbs sampling to estimate model parameters and artist abilities. We use the Artnet dataset to investigate the size of the rich-get-richer effect and the variables affecting artwork prices in real-world art market dynamics. We further conduct inferences about artists’ abilities under the popularity effect and examine how ability changes over time for various artists with remarkable interpretations.

지역 문예회관 활성화에 미치는 영향요인 분석: 지역 특성 요인의 유의성 검증

This study aims to analyze the factors that influence the revitalization of local cultural and arts centers, which have been established to foster regional cultural development and enhance the cultural lives of local residents, within the context of past decentralization efforts and recent emphasis on balanced regional development. Specifically, the study examines the significance of various social and economic conditions affecting local area, such as population decline, regional extinction, aging populations, youth outmigration, and economic slowdown, on the revitalization of local cultural and arts centers. By investigating the causal relationship between the current limitations of local areas and the activation of local cultural and arts centers, the study seeks to propose future strategic directions for regional cultural policies to enhance the vitality of these centers. The research employs a panel regression analysis on data from 53 local cultural and arts centers in small and medium-sized cities, using performance-related data from 2016 to 2020, as detailed in the Board of Audit and Inspection's report on the Status of Population Structure Change III(Local Administration). The analysis reveals that higher operational expertise, achieved through the residency of professional performance groups and the employment of specialized personnel for performance planning and related projects, as well as higher operational capacity for hosting and planning both fine and popular art performances, positively impact the revitalization of local cultural and arts centers. However, regional characteristics were found to have no significant causal relationship with the activation of local cultural and arts centers. Consequently, to enhance the activation of cultural and arts facilities, including local cultural and arts centers, local areas should not remain constrained by their current physical limitations or social and economic issues. Instead, efforts should focus on developing regional culture through the branding of cultural and arts facilities, facilitated by necessary changes in systems and policies that allow for the continuous infusion of professional personnel and high-quality art programs into local cultural and arts centers.

Feeling blue? Arts attendance as a moderator of the effect of neuroticism on subjective well-being: evidence from two national panel studies

Neuroticism has long been known as a risk factor for reduced happiness and impaired health. And yet, despite the growing evidence linking arts engagement to happiness, the question remains: Do people high in neuroticism benefit from arts engagement? Using data from two nationally representative panel studies from Germany (N = 874) and Switzerland (N = 6,336) we examined whether arts attendance moderates the relation between neuroticism and subjective well-being. Results showed that popular arts attendance moderated the effect of neuroticism on life satisfaction and positive affect in the German sample. Quite similar results were observed in the Swiss sample, where arts attendance acted as a protective factor but only for life satisfaction. Arts attendance, however, did not serve as a moderator of the relation between neuroticism and negative affect in both samples. Even so, taken together, these findings further confirm the contribution of arts engagement to subjective well-being and illustrate the importance of its promotion among people scoring high in neuroticism.

Between Desire and Anxiety: Music Performances during The COVID-19 Period In West Sumatera

This article discusses the desire and anxiety of mutual attraction experienced by traditional and popular artists in West Sumatra during the COVID-19 pandemic. Musicians in tradition and entertainment who rely on the survival of music performance services are under heavy pressure by the COVID-19 pandemic situation because performances are rarely performed, even banned. Musicians committed to the creative field of creation experience the same thing. Live music performances are considered to be the cause of the gathering of many people, which results in being vulnerable to the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. However, they still channel the desire to perform live with the risk of getting in the way. Some are creative, using digital internet technology and social media to perform virtually. The research method used in collecting data is a mixture of field and virtual research. The tug-of-war between desire and anxiety is realized through live and virtual performances with non-maximal results.

Refining Contextually Vulgar Word Choices in the Lyrics of Campursari Song "Gubug Asmoro": A Semiotic Analysis

Campursari lyrics have distinctive characteristics in refining word choices, even in contexts that may be considered vulgar. Likewise, the artists constantly adapt to the changing times. They understand that excessively harsh or vulgar word choices can undermine the beauty and wisdom they intend to convey. In this regard, the present study aimed to analyze word choices to refine the vulgar context in the lyrics of the Campursari song "Gubug Asmoro." The research method employed was descriptive qualitative with a semiotic analysis approach based on Charles Sanders Pierce’s theory. Data collection techniques included observation and note-taking. The research data consisted of lyrics manifesting as words, phrases, and sentences representing gender imbalances. Data analysis techniques involved content analysis and focus group discussions. The findings of this study could contribute to the fields of linguistics, Campursari music, and language usage in song lyrics. The results documented the semantic and contextual variations in word choices used to refine the vulgar context in Campursari lyrics, aiming to understand how their usage could influence listeners' perception of art and culture. The semiotic analysis by Charles Sanders Pierce was incorporated to provide a deeper understanding of the connection between vulgar words, the context of traditional music art, and how social interpretations were formed through their usage. Thus, this research could contribute to the understanding of meaning construction and representation in the context of popular art and culture in Indonesia, particularly within the Campursari genre.

FuzzyBandit An Autonomous Personalized Model Based on Contextual Multi Arm Bandits Using Explainable AI

In the era of artificial cognizance, context-aware decision-making problems have attracted significant attention. Contextual bandit addresses these problems by solving the exploration versus exploitation dilemma faced to provide customized solutions as per the user’s liking. However, a high level of accountability is required, and there is a need to understand the underlying mechanism of the black box nature of the contextual bandit algorithms proposed in the literature. To overcome these shortcomings, an explainable AI (XAI) based FuzzyBandit model is proposed, which maximizes the cumulative reward by optimizing the decision at each trial based on the rewards received in previous observations and, at the same time, generates explanations for the decision made. The proposed model uses an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to address the vague nature of arm selection in contextual bandits and uses a feedback mechanism to adjust its parameters based on the relevance and diversity of the features to maximize reward generation. The FuzzyBandit model has also been empirically compared with the existing seven most popular art of literature models on four benchmark datasets over nine criteria, namely recall, specificity, precision, prevalence, F1 score, Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC), Fowlkes–Mallows index (FM), Critical Success Index (CSI) and accuracy.

The “Ukiyo” of Moxibustion Reflected in the Ukiyo-e

Abstract Ukiyo-e (浮世絵) was a genre of popular art during the Edo and Meiji periods in Japan. Moxibustion, which was originally introduced from China, was also in its heyday and became one of the popular topics for ukiyo-e artists at that time. Using the images as historical evidence perspective, this article focuses on the moxibustion used in daily life in Japan depicted in the ukiyo-e arts. With the perspective of acu-moxa therapy, one may identify some specific issues in the acupoint selection, leading to the discovery of special application of moxibustion used by the group of yūjo (遊女) at that time. The article concludes by exploring gender issues in ukiyo-e arts and the implications of punishment attached to moxibustion treatment.

Performing fashion/fashioning performance: Kansai Yamamoto, David Bowie and Ziggy Stardust

Kansai Yamamoto (Japan 1944–2020) was one of the first Japanese designers to break into European and American fashion markets. Following his first London showing in 1971, Kansai (as he was known) worked with David Bowie (England 1947–United States 2016) to create a wardrobe for the performer’s 1973 tour, Aladdin Sane. This article explores the pivotal role the collaboration between Kansai and Bowie played in the construction of the performative persona Ziggy Stardust. Focusing on Kansai’s designs and his approach to the western fashion industry – where he employed a similar strategy of deliberate ‘othering’ – I will demonstrate how his intimate partnership with Bowie, already personally drawn to Eastern aesthetics, was pivotal in visualizing the concept of ‘alien’ (both as ‘foreign’ and ‘from out of space’). Kansai’s work – synonymous with bold colour, flamboyant prints and dramatic silhouettes – is heavily influenced by Japanese popular art. His performative involvement in his own runway shows draws distinctive parallels with Japanese theatre. In particular, this article examines the critical influences of Japanese theatre arts, particularly kabuki traditions, and of yakusha-e (ukiyo-e-style actor prints) on Kansai’s oeuvre, and how the designer transformed the previous styling of Bowie’s androgynous Messiah-like character into one of the most internationally acclaimed glam rock icons.

Art, Eros, and Liberation: Aesthetic Education between Pragmatism and Critical Theory

Abstract After showing how pragmatist aesthetics and Marcuse's critical theory affirm aesthetic education as key to transforming society toward greater freedom, equality, pleasure, and fulfillment, I compare the ways these two approaches differently perceive the scope and role of aesthetics in such transformation. Whereas Marcuse identifies the aesthetic dimension with the realm of high art, pragmatism understands this dimension far more broadly to include the popular arts and somaesthetic arts of living. Because Marcuse identifies art's critical function through its oppositional transcendence and autonomy from ordinary reality and practical life, he insists that aesthetics cannot directly contribute to transformative praxis in the real world but can operate only indirectly by transforming our sensibilities. Pragmatist aesthetics, particularly though somaesthetics, resolves the dilemma in Marcuse's aesthetics of liberation by bridging the alleged gap between aesthetics and praxis by reeducating our sensibilities in a more direct, practical, embodied way. The article further exemplifies the overlaps and differences between Marcuse's critical theory and pragmatist somaesthetics by focusing on erotic experience, which is essential to Marcuse's liberational program and increasingly present in somaesthetics’ concern with aesthetic reeducation of our senses and sensibilities.

Numbers as Fact-Icons: The Public Power of ‘6402’ in Post-War Colombia

In 2021, the Peace Court of Colombia revealed that the national army had systematically executed 6402 innocent civilians, falsely presenting them as members of illegal armed groups. This revelation catapulted the number ‘6402’ into a prominent position within the country’s public discourse. I reconstruct the first six months of the figure’s dissemination, encompassing its coverage in both traditional and social media. In this analysis, I put forth a novel cultural-sociological conceptualization of numbers as ‘fact-icons’, departing from conventional views that regard statistics as purely technical entities. For wide segments of the Colombian public, ‘6402’ became a continuing political emblem not only because it reflected the magnitude of a real atrocity, but also due to factors of a more symbolic kind. First, the publication of the figure was constructed as a collective experience of ‘epiphany’ by journalists and media commentators. Second, it was infused with deep narratives of national identity by social movement activists. Lastly, it became a focal point of effervescent collective action through stylized aesthetic representations within the realm of popular art.

Analysis of the Impact of Spokesperson Marketing on Brand Influence in the Context of Social Media

With the increasingly fierce market competition, brand marketing and spokesperson marketing have become important means for enterprises to enhance competitiveness. However, how to choose the right spokesperson, formulate effective marketing strategies and avoid potential risks are important issues facing enterprises. By using the methods of literature research and case analysis, this paper deeply studies the type segmentation and operation mechanism of spokesperson marketing, and analyzes the marketing methods, effects and potential risks of spokesperson combined with specific cases. The results show that selecting the right spokesperson and formulating effective marketing strategies are important to enhance brand awareness and reputation. Enterprises need to establish a sound spokesperson management system and effect evaluation system to ensure the standardization and effectiveness of spokesperson marketing activities. At the same time, this study also takes X and W as examples to explore the huge commercial value they bring to the brand as popular artists, as well as the operation mechanism and characteristics behind them. Through in-depth analysis of the types and effects of its endorsement activities, the study found that the spokesperson played an effective role as a bridge between the brand and consumers, transmitting brand information and promoting the promotion of sales and brand image. In addition, this study also discusses the strategies and potential risks of selecting spokesmen, which provides wise decision guidance for enterprises.

High highs, low lows: Artists and anti-environments in the twenty-first century

From antiquity to contemporary times, artists have served as society’s defence against unbridled technological adoption. As stressed by Marshall McLuhan, artists are those individuals who aid society in understanding the conditions of our time. In literate times the poet and the painter assumed such responsibilities, but in the digital era the artist becomes something altogether different. McLuhan defined the artists broadly as an individual in any field who was able to provide insightful information into the human actions and consciousness of their time. Similarly, Paglia argued analysts must combine ‘high with popular art, the noble with the sleazy’ (1991: 34). Thus, we are left with two pressing questions: who are the artists of the millennium? Can they still save us? The following article sought to trace who we should be considered artists in the twenty-first century and exactly what they have accomplished, or failed to accomplish, in making society aware of shifting sense ratios. Though might bemoan the obsolescence of authenticity and aura in art, Paglia astutely points out the ‘popular culture reclaims what high culture shuts out’ (1991: 34). Therefore, a survey of both high and popular art will probe the abilities and limits of artists and their art to make society aware of the effects of technological change.

Private Shrines: Domestic Experiences of Surrealism in Three Italian Interiors from the Early 1970s

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of private spaces. As a result, the link between Surrealism and domesticity has gained new relevance. In this essay, Di Domenico explores the impact of surrealist artworks exhibited inside collectors' homes focusing on three case studies: three Italian rooms from the early 1970s featuring artworks by Man Ray and René Magritte. Photographs of these rooms were featured in popular art and interior design magazines such as Domus, Casa Vogue , and BolaffiArte . By analyzing how surrealist artworks functioned within the bathroom of the Agnelli family, the "playroom" of actress Sophia Loren, and the bedroom of gallery owner Luciano Anselmino, the author examines the impact of surrealist works in domestic settings, the role of gender dynamics in the construction of personal identity through collecting, the reception of Surrealism in Italy, and its relationship with interior and product design. By delving into the biographies of the collectors, he offers insights into the role, function, and significance of the surrealist artworks they chose to display in their most intimate spaces: their private shrines.

Meme-ing Malawi’s 2019 presidential election: Humour, hope and disillusionment

On 21 May 2019, Malawi went to the polls to elect leaders in what turned out to be highly contested presidential, parliamentary and local government elections. Compared to previous elections, the 2019 tripartite elections also featured highly on social media. Focusing on the presidential election, this article analyses how these elections were depicted in popular imagination particularly in internet memes. Our contention is that the internet memes, and by extension, other popular art forms of that period, constitute a humorous, but highly significant documentation, of the key events of that election. The memes reflect hopes, aspirations and disillusionment that characterized the 2019 polls. In terms of conceptual framework, we draw on the theory of visual rhetoric alongside scholarship on internet memes as both humour and political discourse.