2/16 Hank Willis Thomas

http://hankwillisthomas.com/splash.html

http://www.artnet.com/artist/424601654/hank-willis-thomas.html

http://www.nyartbeat.com/nyablog/2009/03/unbranded-an-interview-with-hank-willis-thomas/
Opportunity Knocks

It Didn't Just Grow by Itself

Now that's funny!

Hank Willis Thomas is an artist who's work deals with the complex underlining issues in popular culture particularly in advertisements. The idea of the 'Other' came up quite a few times in his lecture, speckled throughout his work. "A person's definition of the 'Other' is part of what defines or even constitutes the self and other phenomena and cultural units." according to Wikipedia. This is often referred to as the Self/Other Dichotomy. By sectioning off a part of someone/something/cultures and compare them to yourself you end up defining yourself by what you are not. Social conditioning and Political norms is constantly evolving, but the need for the 'Other' remains. Thomas deals with the shift in the otherness from early 20th century advertisements using African Americans for their 'Otherness' the the now Middle Eastern caricature's that people now are barley blinking a eye at. Thomas highlights the branded conscienceness that people have programed into their heads, and asks the viewer to think twice.

We Both is Glad