Tuesday, November 26, 1996
By Kathleen Rhames
Daily Bruin Contributor
People frequently complain about inaccuracies in newspaper reports and sensationalized images on the evening news. What they may not know is that the media has been influencing American thought for more than 100 years.
A new art exhibit, appropriately named "The Media: Shaping the Image of a People," is an eclectic and rare collection of 19th-century woodblock illustrations which portray the media's influence in creating many modern-day stereotypes of African-Americans and other minority groups.
On display at the UCLA Extension Design Center until Jan. 11, art enthusiast Bill Overton's collection deals primarily with pieces taken from issues of "Harper's Weekly" during the period from 1860 to 1890. Most of the illustrations from this time period portray postwar images of African- and Irish-Americans in stereotypical contexts, revealing the power of the early media in molding society's views.
"This collection is a sort of reminder to me and hopefully to other people of how powerful the media really is and that they can do and create anything they want." Overton says. "It will hopefully be used as a healing tool and an inclusive way to make people realize that this is where the imagery or the shaping of the imagery began."
From slavery, to politics, to religion, the featured art pieces exist as black-and-white prints embossed on original woodblock carvings.
One illustration called "Ignorant Vote" displays a scale balanced on either end by an African-American man and an Irish man. The commentary explains the equal level of assumed inferiority of both ethnicities at the time.
Yet it took artistic and technical skill to create the controversial images. "The biggest thing that fascinates me is how brilliant these guys were," Overton says. "I'd love to know who these artists were and how the heck they got these images on woodblocks. Someone was definitely extraordinary in his craft."
While most of the artwork featured in the exhibit portrays African-Americans and the Irish in a negative way, the illustrations stand as good examples of how society viewed minorities in the past.
Art historian and curator of the exhibit Zena Pearlstone feels this hindsight is a valuable asset.
"I think the exhibit gives people an historical view on the way that African-Americans have been seen by a dominant society," Pearlstone says. "The interesting thing to me is that, with hindsight, these artists really didn't intend to depict them in this way. It is only with time that we're able to look back on these pieces and say 'Oh yes, that was condescending' or 'That was very patronizing.'"
There are some pieces in the exhibit , however, that are sympathetic to African-Americans and depict their plight to gain freedom. One illustrates a Catholic priest beckoning with his index finger to an African-American family while behind his back he is holding shackles. The commentary surrounding the piece explains the need for recently freed African-Americans to steer clear of anything they found burdensome and confining, such as the Catholic Church. Rather than giving the impression of an inferior race, this illustration shows the integrity of African-Americans to maintain control over their right to autonomy.
The history behind such pieces fascinates Overton. His desire to learn more about the time period compelled him to turn collecting from a hobby that filled time when he wasn't modeling or acting to an intense interest spanning 20 years.
Overton explains that his early work in modeling initially sparked his interest in how the media portrays minorities.
"I was one of the first black male models to work for J.C. Penny and Montgomery Ward and it bothered me that I was one of so few working," he says. "Because I was working in front of cameras on a daily basis, I guess I was aware of what was going on in newspaper ads and magazines and on the TV."
Pearlstone agrees that in today's society, African-Americans are striving to make the mainstream media less segregated. The exhibit itself will end with a discussion on a particular issue of The New Yorker magazine that ran last year. It was an all African-American edition, with articles written by and about African-Americans. The response, Pearlstone says, was not enthusiastic.
"The outcry from the black intellectual community was enormous," Pearlstone says. "They saw this as continuing segregation. They were asking, 'Why are we singling out blacks? Why isn't there a Jewish issue or a Latino issue?'"
While Overton views the media as a powerful source that is not necessarily negative, he says he is still offended when he sees an all- African-American sitcom or an all-white or all- Latino show on TV. He states that he'd love to mirror his work on the 19th-century media with the role of the media today.
"Is the media showing America to the world as it really is?" Overton asks. "I really think of America as a melting pot and I know I'm naive, but until they put me in the ground, I'm going to keep on believing. We've got a great country with a great history. If we just try a little harder and be as inclusive as possible, we'll be a truly extraordinary nation."
ART: "The Media: Shaping the Image of an American People" will be on display at the UCLA Extension Design Center through Jan. 11. For more information, call 206-1464.
(below) A recent issue of The New Yorker magazine focused entirely on African-Americans.
(bottom left:) A scale balanced at each end by an African-American man and an Irish man shows their equal assumed inferiority at the time.