Shifting Perspectives: Breaking Stereotypes
I recently took some time to appreciate some of the artwork found right here at Washburn's Mulvane Art Gallery. Now, before I start, let me start by saying that I am in no way, or do I claim to be a wonderful art critic. That being said, I was able to find multiple connections between Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Mulvane's Shifting Perspectives exhibit. I found this particularly prevalent as the art pieces shown ranged from the 17th Century to the present; and the themes depicted in them can still be shown today.
Though we haven't had a chance to discuss the Merchant of Venice in class, some initial observations can be made. Firstly, there is a significant amount of stereotyping throughout the play, that ranges from political, social, and religious stereotypes; culminating into a depiction of a collective rather than the individual. Shylock is discriminated against by the other characters as being too conservative with his money, boring and therefore more common than most in his "Jew-ness". Shylock in turn shows his prejudices against the "Christians" by charging different prices for a loan to Antonio; and later by loudly lamenting his daughter's "betrayal" by running away. Essentially, the root of all prejudice comes from the religion of the characters, and their incessant need to withhold the traditions of hating the other.
This theme of tradition and stereotypical traditions can be found within Mulvane's Shifting Perspectives exhibit. Kuniyoshi (Western Landscape depicted below) was a Japanese immigrant in 1906. And, even though by 1929 he was included in many important art exhibitions in New York, many critics chose to denounce his inclusion in the "Nineteen Living Americans" exhibit in 1929, simply because he wasn't born in America. Sound familiar? Kuniyoshi retaliated with a claim that I believe can still be relevant today, and especially to the topic of "Freedom of Speech and Expression", he stated that he considered himself and American, considering that America was a country founded on immigration. The image depicted below is of a typical western countryside, with corn, a silo, barn and cow depicted. Even though Kuniyoshi was under a lot of scrutiny during the creation of this lithograph in 1930 (considering the events of Pearl Harbour, he was put under a lot of governmental suspicion), he managed to work for the WPA in the graphics division of the Federal Arts Project - proving that an individual cannot be defined by the collective - much like Shylock's daughter cannot be defined as Jewish, or Christian. This concept can be applied to Shylock as much as any other character. In The Merchant of Venice being Jewish is depicted as being reliant on money, and practical things, rather than determining the value of a personality. However, Shylock breaks this boundary by referring to Antonio as "a good man", which could perhaps be a subtle commentary on Shakespeare's part that one cannot be defined by their religion.
Though we haven't had a chance to discuss the Merchant of Venice in class, some initial observations can be made. Firstly, there is a significant amount of stereotyping throughout the play, that ranges from political, social, and religious stereotypes; culminating into a depiction of a collective rather than the individual. Shylock is discriminated against by the other characters as being too conservative with his money, boring and therefore more common than most in his "Jew-ness". Shylock in turn shows his prejudices against the "Christians" by charging different prices for a loan to Antonio; and later by loudly lamenting his daughter's "betrayal" by running away. Essentially, the root of all prejudice comes from the religion of the characters, and their incessant need to withhold the traditions of hating the other.
This theme of tradition and stereotypical traditions can be found within Mulvane's Shifting Perspectives exhibit. Kuniyoshi (Western Landscape depicted below) was a Japanese immigrant in 1906. And, even though by 1929 he was included in many important art exhibitions in New York, many critics chose to denounce his inclusion in the "Nineteen Living Americans" exhibit in 1929, simply because he wasn't born in America. Sound familiar? Kuniyoshi retaliated with a claim that I believe can still be relevant today, and especially to the topic of "Freedom of Speech and Expression", he stated that he considered himself and American, considering that America was a country founded on immigration. The image depicted below is of a typical western countryside, with corn, a silo, barn and cow depicted. Even though Kuniyoshi was under a lot of scrutiny during the creation of this lithograph in 1930 (considering the events of Pearl Harbour, he was put under a lot of governmental suspicion), he managed to work for the WPA in the graphics division of the Federal Arts Project - proving that an individual cannot be defined by the collective - much like Shylock's daughter cannot be defined as Jewish, or Christian. This concept can be applied to Shylock as much as any other character. In The Merchant of Venice being Jewish is depicted as being reliant on money, and practical things, rather than determining the value of a personality. However, Shylock breaks this boundary by referring to Antonio as "a good man", which could perhaps be a subtle commentary on Shakespeare's part that one cannot be defined by their religion.
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