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Cultural Intrusion, Carla Kucinski, Noise, March 23, 2005
Carla Kucinski | NOISE
Meng-shu You feels like she's losing her culture.
The revelation came to her last summer when she returned to her native country, Taiwan, after living in the United States for the last two years, studying studio art at Michigan State University. What she saw was a landscape dominated by corporate logos -- Nike, Reebok, Coca-Cola -- and fast food chains -- McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC. Her country looked no different than America. Even her Taiwanese friends seemed American to her.
"I was shocked," You said. "When I went back to Taiwan, I saw people change. I saw lots of products everywhere. It was all about the United States. It was a really weird environment for me."
You felt disenchanted. The image of the United States she was fed growing up fell apart once she came to America three years ago. In Taiwan, she was taught that the United States is a powerful country built on freedom, human rights and diversity of races and cultures. All of You's friends, even herself, wanted to act like Americans.
"In Taiwan, they drink Coca-Cola because Coca-Cola means American. They eat McDonald's because McDonald's means United States," she said. "They like to be Americanized. That was me. I was like that until I came here."
But now You feels obligated to protect herself and her culture.
"I changed myself. I changed because the environment here [United States} changed me," she said. "In Asia, we want to learn English because we want to be tough because we want to have a connection with the United States. What I feel and what I was taught are totally different."
In her latest work featured in the MFA exhibition, the 26-year-old artist explores globalization, U.S. imperialism and "Coca-colonization" and how they transform the landscapes of foreign countries and their natives.
You's exhibition consists of four parts, each expressing her ideas about the United States: language privilege, militaristic power, culture and economic influence. The first part is a sidewalk of ceramic tiles with different languages printed on them; the second is a set of cages containing clay bricks that resemble rubble from a bombed building; the third is a collection of 700 ceramic Coca-Cola bottles on metal grocery shelves; and lastly, a red, white and blue shopping cart filled with bricks.
This series is a departure from You's traditional functional pottery; her ideas are more contemporary now. But You rejects being labeled a political artist. She doesn't find her work political or controversial. She sees it as a way to start a dialogue and get people to think.
Part of that dialogue contains You's perspective on how corporations such as Coca-Cola have permeated Taiwan. She made 700 ceramic Coca-Cola bottles and painted bamboo on them with traditional blue and white glazes.
"The Coca-Cola bottle is an American icon for me," she said. "I used to be a big Coca-Cola fan, when I came here. But lately I realized how they intrude on other country's cultures and I started to get sick of it."
Meng-shu You feels like she's losing her culture.
The revelation came to her last summer when she returned to her native country, Taiwan, after living in the United States for the last two years, studying studio art at Michigan State University. What she saw was a landscape dominated by corporate logos -- Nike, Reebok, Coca-Cola -- and fast food chains -- McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC. Her country looked no different than America. Even her Taiwanese friends seemed American to her.
"I was shocked," You said. "When I went back to Taiwan, I saw people change. I saw lots of products everywhere. It was all about the United States. It was a really weird environment for me."
You felt disenchanted. The image of the United States she was fed growing up fell apart once she came to America three years ago. In Taiwan, she was taught that the United States is a powerful country built on freedom, human rights and diversity of races and cultures. All of You's friends, even herself, wanted to act like Americans.
"In Taiwan, they drink Coca-Cola because Coca-Cola means American. They eat McDonald's because McDonald's means United States," she said. "They like to be Americanized. That was me. I was like that until I came here."
But now You feels obligated to protect herself and her culture.
"I changed myself. I changed because the environment here [United States} changed me," she said. "In Asia, we want to learn English because we want to be tough because we want to have a connection with the United States. What I feel and what I was taught are totally different."
In her latest work featured in the MFA exhibition, the 26-year-old artist explores globalization, U.S. imperialism and "Coca-colonization" and how they transform the landscapes of foreign countries and their natives.
You's exhibition consists of four parts, each expressing her ideas about the United States: language privilege, militaristic power, culture and economic influence. The first part is a sidewalk of ceramic tiles with different languages printed on them; the second is a set of cages containing clay bricks that resemble rubble from a bombed building; the third is a collection of 700 ceramic Coca-Cola bottles on metal grocery shelves; and lastly, a red, white and blue shopping cart filled with bricks.
This series is a departure from You's traditional functional pottery; her ideas are more contemporary now. But You rejects being labeled a political artist. She doesn't find her work political or controversial. She sees it as a way to start a dialogue and get people to think.
Part of that dialogue contains You's perspective on how corporations such as Coca-Cola have permeated Taiwan. She made 700 ceramic Coca-Cola bottles and painted bamboo on them with traditional blue and white glazes.
"The Coca-Cola bottle is an American icon for me," she said. "I used to be a big Coca-Cola fan, when I came here. But lately I realized how they intrude on other country's cultures and I started to get sick of it."