Excited
From 8Asians reader brotherparish:
There is a debate at this blog over whether a home decor scheme — Chinoiserie — is offensive to Asians. Your opinion would be welcomed.
So being gay, it’s technically in my contract that I have a nominal interest in interior design. (Yes I DO subscribe to Apartment Therapy on my feed reader, thankyouverymuch.) Chinoiserie is the Victorian and European trend of using Asian-themes that began in the 18th century — a quick Google Image search reveals a lot of wallpaper full of flowers, cherry blossoms trees and peacocks. You know, kind of like the decor of a midwest Chinese restaurant, but instead of a Chinese restaurant, it’s a living room resided by a very rich French Mary Poppins. All of that said, CasaSugar has some examples of modern Chinoiserie arrangements, and with any other themes in interior design some of it actually looks pretty good in moderation.
Chinoiserie is racial, sure. But is it racist? Depends on the context, of course. Who lives there — a middle-upper class Asian-American power couple in their mid-30s? A female professor with her PhD in Asian studies, who happens to be white? A rice queen named Brett? Me?
That said, NONE OF WHAT I SAID APPLIES TO THE ABOVE PHOTO. Clearly, the image above isn’t Chinoiserie; it’s more like Liberace’s house, if Liberace took an Asian houseboy, made him watch Mickey Rooney during sex and then took a couple hits of acid while throwing up all over the house. Folks, that’s a silhouette of a coolie holding a parasol carved out of MDF. In fact, I’m going to convince myself that the above photo was taken in the 1970′s and that the inhabitants died of a tragic LSD overdose in 1975. Or that it’s the bedroom of a very nice, well intentioned elderly couple in Idaho. And then I’d be more than happy to sit them down, explain why these images convey inappropriate stereotypes, and SHAKE THE LIVING BEJESUS OUT OF THEM.
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Man, that decor is ugly. How can you name something after Chinese and not have red and gold splashed EVERYWHERE? What's up with all the white?
Man, that decor is ugly. How can you name something after Chinese and not have red and gold splashed EVERYWHERE? What's up with all the white?
I could picture a room with a Hawaiin theme, and in the background are Hula girls serving Mai Tai drinks with those pretty little umbrellas.
This Chinese theme is missing a dragon or a yin yang design, that always makes it look cooler.
I could picture a room with a Hawaiin theme, and in the background are Hula girls serving Mai Tai drinks with those pretty little umbrellas.
This Chinese theme is missing a dragon or a yin yang design, that always makes it look cooler.
Paying a homage to Chinese culture? Just like when the RACIST Spanish basketball team were paying a homage to their hosts by making the "slant eye" gesture, right?
Replace the sillouhettes above with those of African/African American slaves in a "tropical" or plantation-inspired design (another genre of furniture/decor that exists) and ask yourselves again if it should be considered racist. There's little difference between the two as Chinese manservants were "common" in white households (being one of the only jobs early Chinese immigrants were legally allowed to hold). Afterall, the Chinese were prohibited to own land in the US after a law was passed in 1913!
Paying a homage to Chinese culture? Just like when the RACIST Spanish basketball team were paying a homage to their hosts by making the "slant eye" gesture, right?
Replace the sillouhettes above with those of African/African American slaves in a "tropical" or plantation-inspired design (another genre of furniture/decor that exists) and ask yourselves again if it should be considered racist. There's little difference between the two as Chinese manservants were "common" in white households (being one of the only jobs early Chinese immigrants were legally allowed to hold). Afterall, the Chinese were prohibited to own land in the US after a law was passed in 1913!
uh.....i just realized my sentence does not make sense at all. i'm sorry. my feet are soaking wet from the rain, and therefore, my brain isn't fully functional.
uh.....i just realized my sentence does not make sense at all. i'm sorry. my feet are soaking wet from the rain, and therefore, my brain isn't fully functional.
i think it's offensive and racist in the way that the designer considers an homage to and influence from chinese culture through design (hence chinoiserie) requires those stupid chinaman silhouettes.
yeah, it's ugly. but are those caricatures really necessary?
i think it's offensive and racist in the way that the designer considers an homage to and influence from chinese culture through design (hence chinoiserie) requires those stupid chinaman silhouettes.
yeah, it's ugly. but are those caricatures really necessary?
You write, "Chinoiserie is racial, sure. But is it racist?"
I ask: Is it even racial? Or just cultural? (And is that any better?) Obviously the image you posted is horrendous, and racial, but we both know that that image is not representative of most Chinese-inspired aesthetic designs, the vast majority of which are harmless.
And maybe it does depend on who is displaying the chinoiserie, but does that imply that someone with completely European/white background and blood is automatically insulting or degrading Chinese culture in some way just because they like the aesthetics of it? We might allow that they are ignorant and maybe don't properly appreciate the cultural context of some images (e.g. using Chinese characters as an aesthetic design in a work of art, or a T-shirt or whatever, without even knowing what they mean), and there is the risk of Chinese culture being misrepresented in some way, but really I fail to see what harm is actually being done here, what offense there really is to Chinese culture.
In fact, the opposite argument could be made: that these chinoiseriers, if you will, are actually paying a compliment to Chinese culture, given that they enjoy the designs enough to want to bring them into their homes (or wherever). And certainly a certain amount of this is just the feeling it is something "exotic" and thus more exciting or interesting, but first of all is there anything wrong with that sentiment? It's better than the reverse, shunning all things foreign. And besides, even if people only like it because it's "exotic", there are a lot of foreign cultures to choose from, after all; why are people so attracted to Asian aesthetics? Probably because they're actually beautiful. And while it may seem weird to use Chinese text as purely aesthetic images on T-shirts or whatever, it is the Chinese themselves, more than any foreigners, that have promoted the idea of the beauty of the characters, that have used calligraphy as art, etc., for centuries. So when white people do it too, it might be a little weird, but I don't see how it's offensive.
You write, "Chinoiserie is racial, sure. But is it racist?"
I ask: Is it even racial? Or just cultural? (And is that any better?) Obviously the image you posted is horrendous, and racial, but we both know that that image is not representative of most Chinese-inspired aesthetic designs, the vast majority of which are harmless.
And maybe it does depend on who is displaying the chinoiserie, but does that imply that someone with completely European/white background and blood is automatically insulting or degrading Chinese culture in some way just because they like the aesthetics of it? We might allow that they are ignorant and maybe don't properly appreciate the cultural context of some images (e.g. using Chinese characters as an aesthetic design in a work of art, or a T-shirt or whatever, without even knowing what they mean), and there is the risk of Chinese culture being misrepresented in some way, but really I fail to see what harm is actually being done here, what offense there really is to Chinese culture.
In fact, the opposite argument could be made: that these chinoiseriers, if you will, are actually paying a compliment to Chinese culture, given that they enjoy the designs enough to want to bring them into their homes (or wherever). And certainly a certain amount of this is just the feeling it is something "exotic" and thus more exciting or interesting, but first of all is there anything wrong with that sentiment? It's better than the reverse, shunning all things foreign. And besides, even if people only like it because it's "exotic", there are a lot of foreign cultures to choose from, after all; why are people so attracted to Asian aesthetics? Probably because they're actually beautiful. And while it may seem weird to use Chinese text as purely aesthetic images on T-shirts or whatever, it is the Chinese themselves, more than any foreigners, that have promoted the idea of the beauty of the characters, that have used calligraphy as art, etc., for centuries. So when white people do it too, it might be a little weird, but I don't see how it's offensive.
Maybe it's offensive if it's just plain bad design - the above photo, case in point, whereas something like this wouldn't be "racist": http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay...
Maybe it's offensive if it's just plain bad design - the above photo, case in point, whereas something like this wouldn't be "racist": http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay...
I agree with Sandra. We sort of have to look into the history and "reality" of how things work for better understanding. Everyone goes througho phases or trends, today and probably just as much in the past (at least for the wealthy or aristocrats). Art (or commercial art), like many other topics, is quite...I don't really know a better word than syncretism...merging or unmerging...diveresed in nature-multiplel influences...imaginitively created, etc. However, I could be totally wrong since I don't work and have little interests in this subject.
It's really not offensive, per se. A problem would be if people who have no knowledge (or other motives) and twist it into something else. Like if someone took fantasy and turn it into absolute truth...if this makes sense.
I agree with Sandra. We sort of have to look into the history and "reality" of how things work for better understanding. Everyone goes througho phases or trends, today and probably just as much in the past (at least for the wealthy or aristocrats). Art (or commercial art), like many other topics, is quite...I don't really know a better word than syncretism...merging or unmerging...diveresed in nature-multiplel influences...imaginitively created, etc. However, I could be totally wrong since I don't work and have little interests in this subject.
It's really not offensive, per se. A problem would be if people who have no knowledge (or other motives) and twist it into something else. Like if someone took fantasy and turn it into absolute truth...if this makes sense.
No, I don't think it's offensive. I think people choose ethnic themed decor out of aesthetic preference--even if the aesthetic was constructed by outsiders. It may be as about authentic as Disneyland, but the intention is positive i would hope.
"Chinoiserie" is a french word, so the concept in it of itself was obviously made up by white folks. They've done it with plenty of cultures, India, Morocco, Spanish, even itself, French. Though there is undoubtedly some exoticizing, Asian culture was not the only or first to be inaccurately aestheticized. I've seen companies using interior graffiti to "ghetto-ize" their space. Peeps are always incorporating "the other" into their own for cred, street or ethnic. Or maybe they just think it looks cool.
That said, I think the image you posted is pretty bad. Modern cut out of servants sporting conical hats, bowing to their majesty--the inhabitant in the Emperor bed. Offensive on more than one level!
No, I don't think it's offensive. I think people choose ethnic themed decor out of aesthetic preference--even if the aesthetic was constructed by outsiders. It may be as about authentic as Disneyland, but the intention is positive i would hope.
"Chinoiserie" is a french word, so the concept in it of itself was obviously made up by white folks. They've done it with plenty of cultures, India, Morocco, Spanish, even itself, French. Though there is undoubtedly some exoticizing, Asian culture was not the only or first to be inaccurately aestheticized. I've seen companies using interior graffiti to "ghetto-ize" their space. Peeps are always incorporating "the other" into their own for cred, street or ethnic. Or maybe they just think it looks cool.
That said, I think the image you posted is pretty bad. Modern cut out of servants sporting conical hats, bowing to their majesty--the inhabitant in the Emperor bed. Offensive on more than one level!
OMG, all they need is some half-naked or fully naked rice queen in the picture, and it'd be perfect for Lurid Digs!
BTW, I think you and I are the only two gay Asians in the frickin' world who know absolutely nothing about interior design. :D
OMG, all they need is some half-naked or fully naked rice queen in the picture, and it'd be perfect for Lurid Digs!
BTW, I think you and I are the only two gay Asians in the frickin' world who know absolutely nothing about interior design. :D
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