SHŌNEN 💢

I am the modern "orientalist", specifying in Japonisme. I do not belong to the 19th century, and I am not a part of the realists and impressionists who started those movements. I belong to the confused group of multicultural mashups that find inspiration from other culture apart from their own. You could call me white american, I have fair skin and US citizenship. But my grandparents didn't. They were as lost as I am a hundred years ago when the immigrated to Hawai'i from Germany, puerto-rico, and potentially so many other places that I have no way of knowing. Hawaiian culture is the only thing I can somewhat relate to, because it is nothing but a large melting pot of Indigenous peoples, asians, latinos, europeans and americans. When I make art based on Japanese culture that I take inspiration from, I am usually greeted with one of two responses. The first is from the questionable, politically correct caucasian who likes the art, but is not sure if the appropriation of this work is offensive or not. These few people are extremely helpful to me, because they make me check my work not twice, but three times to make sure that any material I publish is not insensitive. The majority of the people who read my comic - Anime Goth which is a satire of Japanese anime/ 80s gothic cultures from an American perspective, is nothing but understanding, and respect for the references and research that goes into a project that is enamored with a separate culture, other than their own. Specifically the people from Japan, China and Korea who grew up with the subject matter that I respond to appreciate my work more than anyone else. They are the ones who push me to keep writing my series, which I am about to release my third installment of in the year that I've been publishing Anime Goth. The Artists from the 19th and 20th centuries that were dealing with cultures foreign and unique to them, although going about their work incorrectly were so intrigued by far-off cultures that they wanted to imagine what modern-life in a less advanced civilization could be. As worldwide trade and communication heightened, it was less of a mystery what these cultures were, and artists didn't have to make their own renderings anymore. Photographers and ethnographers could study these cultures in the flesh, and give humanity the truth about all walks of life on planet Earth. Now that we are existing in the 21st century, and continental boundaries have been broken, pure races and cultures are slowly blending into a giant grab-bag of every clashing combination under the sun. Most people studying cultures today most likely belong to more than one, if not dozens, like myself. We have moved from segregated colonies, intrigued by the outside world to a cross-colonizing species that will continue to mix into bigger and stronger combinations. The modern day orientalist is any artist or researcher delving into a society that they are unfamiliar, but for whatever reason intrigued or inspired by. When we reference other cultures we get a better understanding of the world we live in, and the more we distance ourselves from the cultures of our own the more ignorant and complacent we are in our contemporary melting pot.

In 2016 political correctness has reverted to a state of such fragility, that as individuals we are isolated from any creed or color other than our own. Before the era of efficient travel cultures around the world were not known to us, so it was only up to the little information we as artists had, and our imaginations to even consider what these foreign lands and people could look like. Now that we belong to a society where time and space have annihilated, there are resources to get of an accurate glimpse of every dark corner of the earth. It's time that we bring every culture and construct into the forefront of art and design, not in a way that belittles small tribes or incorrectly characterizes religion and tradition, but one that brings the world together as an ever merging cross-cultured society. Looking at orientalism it is to safe to say that we are aware of how we mistreated or represented the cultures that were being dreamt up by artists of the 19th century. To appropriate something with out the affirmative knowledge of that subject matter is just ignorance. But as the human race cross pollinate between, over time our heritage and roots will become less clear to us, and we will have no culture to talk about. Unless we find something unique that peaks our fancy, less we discover and research outer-cultures, less we are inspired by the art, culture and people that adds to the human experience, without the belittling or degration of a certain existence that has outlived the artist that created a post-culturist work of art. Of course, there has to be high standards set for all post-culture works to be taken seriously, and to guarantee that all artists are making work that is embracing culture, and challenging what it means to live in a biodiverse society, as apposed to the politically incorrect art that has moved us backward the last two centuries. Post-culturism is not limited to painting, film, installation or any particular form of creating art. It is anything that goes against the ideals that art and culture can only belong to the descendants of indigenous peoples. But that art and culture belong to all peoples who wish to respect one another as equally evolved, important members to society that all have the capacity to change art, and the world in a meaningful way. We are moving towards a universally recognized world, so its time that we start getting to know one an other for what we really are, equals.