Fannon Art + Survival

 Art & Survival

    With a practically unprecedented amount of access to artwork spanning decades, it is lost how precious it is to be able to access it all. The internet, public museums, and archives gift humanity with the ability to connect with people who died maybe one year or one thousand years ago. In a world like today, it is truly difficult to reckon with the idea that it can all one day disappear. Throughout history, we have seen what the destruction of art does to a culture, but what could destruction of art do to an entire world? And what would one do if given the opportunity to retrieve only three pieces of art from the rubble? It definitely requires a lot of thought, the pressure to answer the question of what is worth preserving is immense. In the end, three special examples were selected to survive into future generations. While they may be controversial picks, the themes that each of them share are too important to lose. The works of art chosen to survive are: Tired Salesgirl on Christmas Eve by Norman Rockwell, My Bed by Tracey Emin, and finally, Tea Time in New Haven, Enugu by Njideka Akunyili Crosby. They are not spectacular in content, however that is intentional; The stories of the overlooked aspects of society, whether through sales workers, depressed women, or affluent Africans, deserve to be preserved because they are so often overlooked in comparison to the grand and spanning tales of royalty or religion. 

Figure 1. Rockwell, Norman. Tired Salesgirl on Christmas Eve, 1947, 30 ⅜ by 28 ¼ inches, Oil on Canvas. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/american-art-n09939/lot.19.html.

In Norman Rockwell’s Tired Salesgirl on Christmas Eve, a young woman slouches on a yellow toy car. She has bags under her eyes and is looking off into somewhere not in the frame. She adorns a loosened navy blue work uniform that contrasts greatly against the vibrant colors of the background. The only pop of color on her person, besides her flushed cheeks, are the notes bursting out of the journal on her person. Her shoes are off, carelessly scattered away from her resting position. This, along with her slouched pose, throws off the balance of the piece, and therefore adds a chaotic sensibility to the whole scene. The pillar she leans against provides a blank background to frame her slouching figure. On the pillar, behind the woman’s head, is a leaning sign that reads, “....store….at 5 pm….Christmas Eve”. The tiny clock sitting on the woman’s breast reads 5:05. The loose, flat, colorful sheets are littered across the ground with no rhythm to them. The exaggerated slump provides the only true sense of movement, a lovely curve from head to exposed toe until the eye catches onto the abandoned shoe. Naturally, the observer searches for the other shoe and then gradually takes in the rest of what Rockwell has to offer. The lack of movement accentuates the stillness of the piece and it is left to curiosity to explore it. Rockwell captures reality beautifully with his oils. The use of a model to stage the pose is apparent but helpful in portraying the rigidity of the subject as well as the subtle nature of exhaustion.

The nature of this artwork becomes extra humorous with the consideration that it was released to the public on December 27th. After joyous celebration with friends and family, and of course, the exchanging of gifts, Rockwell reckons with the public that there are people who did not get to relax for the holidays. That there are people who worked harder than ever that year to ensure others’ holiday would be a wonderful experience. The salesworker’s empty stare and limp body likens her to the dolls that surround her, another product or commodity used for pleasure, a dehumanization. Rockwell’s use of a model to achieve a figure as close to reality as possible helps to remove the actual possibility of the observer viewing the woman as inhuman. It instead brings out the ghoulishness of her current nature. Even if the scene itself, a peek behind the counter after hours, is not familiar to every reader of The Post, the person and the setting provide some familiarity. People recognize the rush of buying presents last minute and they are most likely familiar with the exhaustion that comes from a long work day. This makes it easier to sympathize with the woman, and therefore to recognize the plea of often overlooked holiday department store workers. Rockwell is honest and sympathetic to this reality, but instead of hiding it away in lieu of holiday cheer, he puts it at the forefront this season.

Rockwell was commissioned to make this artwork for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post for its December 27th release in 1947 as part of his long-running collaboration  with the magazine. When looking at earlier examples of Christmas covers commissioned by The Post, the grandiosity of the season, and of the equally as grand Santa Claus, give Christmas an air of whimsy and fantasy commonly associated with the season. Leyendecker and Rockwell himself built this narrative around the seasons starting all the way back in 1899, but in a post-World War II nation, he was ready to sober up and introduce a more grounded version of the holidays. It is humorous observing the difference between his 1927 King Kong Santa and his infinitely more depressing Tired Salesgirl on Christmas Eve, one appearing to be way more in the Christmas spirit than the other.

Figure 2. Rockwell, Norman. King Kong Santa, 1927, Oil on Canvas. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/collections/the-best-santas-ever/

This rather grim look at reality is exactly why it deserves to be remembered. The impact of the holidays and the legend of Santa will remain intact for as long as people will let it, but the much more ghoulish reminder of how taxing the holiday season can be is something people want to forget. No one wants to remember which is exactly why they should. For every jolly Christmas goer who will feel a bit more aware of the world around them, there will be a similarly tired worker who gets to sit back and revel in the fact that their story is being heard. Perhaps, this will prompt a reexamination of the consumer culture around Christmas and other holidays especially as it will be the only lasting representation of it in the typical medium. Worker and consumer alike can reckon why people are expected to work tirelessly while others reap the benefits. How could anyone look into the dead eyes of the young woman in the painting and believe she deserves to suffer? While it is not often comforting, it is always necessary to be aware of what is behind the curtain, and Rockwell delivers that action in his signature style, the same in which he communicates the merry tales of Santa Claus.

Figure 3. Emin, Tracey. My Bed, 1998, Box frame, mattress, linens, pillows and various objects, Tate Britain. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-my-bed-l03662.

Tracey Emin depicts an all too common scene with her magnum opus, My Bed. Pictured is Emin’s own bed in a very messy state as opposed to a neat arrangement where sheets are tucked and pillows are fluffed. Sheets, comforters, and even towels are towered upon one another near the foot of the bed, revealing an empty space below one of two pillows. The other pillow has the bundled sheets below it. The sheets are stained. Entangled within that are pantyhose. On the side of the visible sheet, one can see it is lifting to reveal a good bit of the green striped mattress.  Said mattress rests on a knee height wood panel that shows less signs of wear than the items that sit atop it. Behind the bed (when looking from the side of the lifted sheet) are two suitcases, a large blue one and a smaller multi-colored one. They are tied up with an assortment of elastics and chains. Lined up roughly against the bed are an arrangement of items that rest on a dirty rug that is quite vibrant compared to the naturally colored bedding. The items include a stuffed white dog in a sitting position with a red bow around its neck, browning newspapers, empty bottles of vodka, a smashed package of Malboros with one singular pack beside it, a slightly used tube of lube, striped slippers, an unfastened belt, an orange razor, and a pile of withered tissues (?). There is a dark, wooden nightstand by the head of the bed occupied with more items: birth control, a candle, cigarettes, condoms, and polaroids of a happier version of herself. Critics at the time derided the exhibit as not being true art, one claiming Emin to be “a bore” of an artist. But the value of this piece is not in its technical skill, but within its story.

In a culture that has become increasingly individualistic and self-contained, a piece of art this raw is a miracle. Its contentious nature is understandable, but simultaneously so necessary to share with the public. Emin stated she did not view her work as anything scandalizing but feasibly the derisiveness stems from how honest it is. It reveals the lowest point in someone’s life, something usually only captured on film or in literature, separate from the reality of the viewer. My Bed, however, is tangible. It is as real as the room it is being presented in. When that barrier, that fourth wall, is no longer present, the onlooker is left with the nasty truth. Going back to the idea of individualism, the process of depression and grief are typically left within the victim’s world, only having spectators in the rare case of sensitization which typically undergoes a certain amount of buffering for the sake of marketability. Here, Emin shares that low-down state of depression that many people have experienced but few have shared. Especially through the perspective of a woman, where this filthy and messy display is something society is not often willing to attribute to femininity. It challenges the idea of a woman and who she is behind closed doors. And that is truly the reason why it is as derided as it is loved. How many people are actually comfortable with looking past those doors, into the uncurated design of someone’s heart? People are afraid to see the truth, and they are afraid to see themselves.

Figure 4 & 5. Emin, Tracey. My Bed, 1998, Box frame, mattress, linens, pillows and various objects, Tate Britain. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-my-bed-l03662.

As previously mentioned, My Bed underwent serious pushback following its release. WideWalls Magazine referenced the maxim “personal is political” in their retrospective of the piece. In that late nineties culture where everything was real but staged, horny but chaste, it is such a statement for Emin to be so loud and honest with her pain. So much so that it prompted a visceral reaction from people. The year it was installed, Yuan Chai and Jian Jun Xi had a pillow fight in Emin’s bed while topless. While debatably inappropriate, the honesty of the installation inspires people. It reaches out to the viewer and pleads for them to be themselves, to be true. For a woman to say that when they are so often silenced for the sake of comfortability and status quo, especially in the 90s, is so grand. Not only that, but for a woman to be so outward about her mental health as well. In the following years, Britney Spears, who debuted in 1999, would suffer an ongoing backlash that led to her having a mental breakdown and being regarded as a loon who needed to be locked under a conservatorship to survive. This all happened post-My Bed, so for Emin to be so free with her experience when other, more powerful women were punished for experiencing similarly unsightly emotions is beyond brave. Perhaps some may even refer to her as a martyr for women’s fight for personhood whether she intended to be or not.

If saved from destruction, Tracy Emin’s My Bed and its impact will exist for future generations to take inspiration from. Ideally, the sheer honesty of the piece will prompt viewers to be honest either within their own art or their lives. If they see someone else bare their soul, they are more likely to do it for themself. People replicate what they see in art after all. Exceptionally so as the piece was done by a woman, there is hope that this subversion of femininity will reach female observers. They will more than likely see themselves in it, whether via the depression bed or the period stains. Women should have that comfort that their humanity is not in competition with their expectations as a woman, that they can exist as a multi-faceted person who has troubles just like men. Perhaps they will even feel empowered to share said humanity, reaching even more women. It will re-establish a sense of community for everyone. In addition to representing women, the work also represents mentally ill people in an unflinching way. With the same theory as the women, it is hoped that the art will provide a mirror that reaches and influences people to share their struggles of mental illness without being shunned. Even moreso, it shows that art can come in many different forms whether it be a painting like Rockwell’s or a bed like Emin’s. For a work derided as simple and pretentious, Emin really made an impact on the art world.

Figure 6. Crosby, Njideka Akunyili. Tea Time in New Haven, Enugu, 2013, 84 x 111 inches, Acrylic, collage, color pencils, charcoal, and Xerox transfers on paper, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New You. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/2015/hammer-projects-njideka-akunyili-crosby.

The ginormous (84 x 111 in) multimedia piece Tea Time in New Haven, Enugu by Njideka Akunyili Crosby is a visual treat. The leading lines of the table lead into a simple black box with a smaller brown box within it. The wall to the left of this box is similarly flatly colored although a tall frame containing symbols and a smaller frame containing a portrait next to it are present. Also, along the bottom of that flat wall is a more realistically rendered white sink which appears to be rather close to the dining table. The long, polished dining table is littered with many goods. There are mugs, canned food, bottled water, a dish used to keep food warm, peeled and unpeeled tin cans, a block of cheese, butter, and more. The reflection of all these objects and the chairs surrounding the scene are present in the table, reiterating its polish. The chairs are spaced naturally apart from one another around the table, no true rhythm but definitely a pattern of two along the length of the table and one at the end. There is not another chair at the other end, presumably so the contents of the table are within view. In place of standard shadows for the chair and table, Crosby fills these spaces with collages of people, homes, plant life, and food. This same collage motif appears in place of placemats (which appear flatter compared to the rendered food items also on the table) and the wall to the right. The work truly displays Cosby’s range as an artist with her effective execution of painting, collaging, and designing all coming together in one cohesive and unique composition.

Crosby explained her creation in a very beautiful manner in one interview; She described the scene as being familiar yet also unique to her specific life. She told a funny story about how the “Enugu” part of her title was abandoned in one of the showings and people mistakenly thought the location represented was New Haven, Connecticut. While it is certainly understandable to be upset by a part of her heritage being erased, she instead found it pleasing that her design was able to be so universal. This is such an important way of looking at art, a medium that can connect with audiences around the world. While yes, it does mean different things to different people, Crosby does not shy away from her own Nigerian lineage in the work itself. Nigerian brands and imagery are littered throughout, like the “Will of God” bread. The multi-media technique works perfectly with the theming, an amalgamation of ideas and lives combined into one setting. Fitting seeing as Nigeria, the setting of this piece, has had so many different lives of its own as empires and rulers shape it into what they think it should be. Here, Crosby displays what it is, abstracting it to show viewers her view, which then becomes their view. Whether said viewer has a developed idea of the nation or is completely ignorant, they will gain a new perspective from this piece. In part due to their ability to project their own life onto it. It is this truly wonderful blend of specificity, heritage, and universality that the art world is lauded for. The grand scale of it prompts the viewer to step inside and take a seat at the table that Crosby built and simultaneously sits at herself. 

Figure 7. Crosby, Njideka Akunyili. Tea Time in New Haven, Enugu, 2013, 84 x 111 inches, Acrylic, collage, color pencils, charcoal, and Xerox transfers on paper, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New You. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/2015/hammer-projects-njideka-akunyili-crosby.

Crosby recounts the story of bringing her white husband to her Nigerian home where he questioned the sink in her family’s dining room. She explained that the sink is a representation of her family’s wealth, as they have access to clean running water, especially useful for a culture that eats with their hands. The imagery of wealth in Nigeria differs from the United States in an eye-opening way, and some of these differences can be traced back to Britain’s occupation of the country. Like many other black cultures, including African American culture, the insertion of white traditions have shaped the way they have adapted, but it also goes to show how these groups of people have expanded past their subjugation and into a new lifestyle that they can control. Crosby features tea time and Christianity as the remnants of that occupation, but those symbols have transformed into their own thing so that it is now uniquely Nigerian, not British. However, perhaps it is so easy for foreign viewers to erase the culture and project onto the art because Britain already has inserted so much of its culture into Nigeria’s. They do not see Nigeria at first, but the land that Britain occupied. It makes it even more commendable of Crosby to be so outward with her inspiration and heritage both in her work and outside of it, to make sure her homeland never goes overlooked.

First and foremost, having different voices represented in one of the lasting works of art is very important. One cannot justify only capturing a certain type of person in all art. Crosby’s work is an excellent fit because, as explained, her work is both specific and universal. People can see themselves in this art whether from America, Britain, Nigeria or Japan, but simultaneously, Crosby’s voice is withstanding. In this theming of honesty and reality, sharing cultural snapshots is just as important as mental health or class struggles. Especially considering interpretations of African countries by people in the west can be less than flattering, a three-dimensional portrayal of it goes a long way. While most art would disappear, culture will remain and a call for more scenes like Tea Time in New Haven, Enugu will increase the amount of perspectives that are introduced to society. People should share what makes them unique because that is how humanity grows and shifts and strengthens into a developed, understanding world. Like Crosby’s collage, the ability to see oneself in other people builds community. Everyone is connected in some way and what a beautiful reminder art is of that fact.

    As a result of their mundanity, they are quick to be left to time but that is the very reason why they should continue to exist. The beauty of the mundane is at risk if it were to burn in fires or drown in floods. While grandiose depictions of religion and nobility will live in the heart of society until the sun explodes presumably, the voices of the common are just as important and half as likely to survive. It is so typical that people think it unrevolutionary to immortalize its memory. Having access to these works of art will remind people that their stories do in fact matter, that their humanity in its purest form is worthy of documentation. It will encourage more people to want to share, producing even more genre art. People will be inspired by Rockwell’s candid representation of the working class, comparing and contrasting their own lives to this sad reality, and hopefully ushering a change in the culture. Emin’s raw exploration of  womanhood and mental health empowers more women, and people in general, to stop hiding away and instead seek out community. Crosby’s collage explains that people are as similar as they are different, prompting them to accept varying perspectives and support their own heritage. People shape the culture that they are a part of. It is vital that they are given the courage to do that both in the present and in the hypothetical future.

References

Artsper. 2022. “The Impact of Tracey Emin's My Bed.” Artsper Magazine. https://blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/the-impact-of-tracey-emins-my-bed/.

Crosby, Njideka Akunyili. Tea Time in New Haven, Enugu, 2013, 84 x 111 inches, Acrylic, collage, color pencils, charcoal, and Xerox transfers on paper, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New You. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/2015/hammer-projects-njideka-akunyili-crosby.

Emin, Tracey. My Bed, 1998, Box frame, mattress, linens, pillows and various objects, Tate Britain. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-my-bed-l03662.

“Hammer Projects: Njideka Akunyili Crosby | Hammer Museum.” 2015. Hammer Museum. https://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/2015/hammer-projects-njideka-akunyili-crosby.

Jansen, Char. 2016. “Interiors and Interiority: Njideka Akunyili Crosby.” Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles. https://contemporaryartreview.la/interiors-and-interiority-njideka-akunyili-crosby/.

Kim, Minjung. 2018. “How Norman Rockwell Created the Modern American Christmas” Sotheby's. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-norman-rockwell-created-the-modern-american-christmas.

Kim, Minjung. n.d. “(#19) NORMAN ROCKWELL | Tired Salesgirl on Christmas Eve.” Sotheby's. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/american-art-n09939/lot.19.htm.

Klimley, April W. 2016. “Young Nigerian artist explores dualities in Norton show.” Palm Beach Arts Paper. http://palmbeachartspaper.com/young-nigerian-artist-explores-dualities-in-norton-show/.

Lesso, Rosie. 2023. “Why Did Tracey Emin's Bed Cause Such a Sensation?” TheCollector. https://www.thecollector.com/why-did-tracey-emins-bed-cause-such-a-sensation/.

“‘My Bed‘, Tracey Emin, 1998.” n.d. Tate. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-my-bed-l03662.

Rockwell, Norman. Tired Salesgirl on Christmas Eve, 1947, 30 ⅜ by 28 ¼ inches, Oil on Canvas. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/american-art-n09939/lot.19.html.

The Saturday Evening Post. n.d. “The Best Santas Ever Archives.” The Saturday Evening Post. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/collections/the-best-santas-ever/.

The Suffering Artist. 2022. “Tired Salesgirl on Christmas Eve.” The Suffering Artist Studio & Gallery. https://www.thesufferingartist.com/post/tired-salesgirl-on-christmas-eve.

Tate, “Tracey Emin on My Bed I TateShots,” YouTube Video, 3:01, April 2, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv04ewpiqSc&ab_channel=Tate.

Takac, Balasz. 2019. “How Art Imitates Life in Tracey Emin's Bed.” Widewalls. https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/tracey-emin-my-bed.