The words McDonald’s and misogyny have more in common than their first letter. Both represent societal ills showcased in the International Show at the Overture Center. The exhibition, presented by the UW-Madison Fresh Hot Press, highlights issues that have negatively impacted the global community in recent years.
Much of the work focuses attention on the inequalities inherent in the treatment of women and minorities. “Untitled” by Sarah Noreen depicts a woman shrouded in a burka. Text, both hand-written and typed, obscures the image of the woman, much as the burka obscures her face. Messages that read “second class citizens” project from the cacophony of language. The black and white image resembles a term paper draft, covered in different fonts and handwriting, as if the artist is depicting the continual struggle to rewrite the roles of women in society.
Noreen’s work succeeds in its ability to captivate the audience. The text draws viewers into the painting inciting thought as the audience attempts to apply each phrase to the lone woman in the center of the canvas.
The level of inequality embodied by “Untitled” exists for particular groups within the United States as well. Dyani Reynolds-White Hawk depicts other variations of inequality and discrimination through her work, “Sometimes They Run.” Hawk’s piece speaks powerfully against the atrocities that have occurred in the land of the free. “Sometimes They Run” portrays the American flag with the proud red and white of its stripes bleeding together. In the upper left-hand corner, 38 nooses have replaced the customary 50 stars. The blue square that typically forms the background for the stars instead appears in the lower right-hand corner of the flag as if it has been rotated 180 degrees.
Text imposed on the flag chastises the United States government for its role in the murder of 38 Dakota warriors: “The largest MASS EXECUTION in the country took place on December 26, 1862. The executed were 38 Dakota men, Dakota warriors, fighting for their lives, their land, and first and foremost, Their Rights.”
It seems government officials of the time neglected to apply the “unalienable rights” outlined by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence to the Dakota as slaughter clearly infringes upon the life, liberty and happiness of individuals. With her artistic criticism of the United States’ domestic policy toward Native Americans, Hawk’s work embodies the idea that human rights are not universally applied throughout the global system.
The globalization and commercialization of nutrition proved another umbrella topic in the show. “There’s Always a McDonald’s,” created by Tyanna Buie, showcases the international omnipotence of America’s signature fast food chain. Ronald McDonald even exists in societies where basic amenities are lacking. In a scene of urban degeneration, the graphics of two faceless children stand amid three dimensional cheeseburger wrappers spilling like a toxic river from a Happy Meal Box. Through her work, Buie indirectly asks viewers, “Are the children that consume this Happy Meal as exuberant and carefree as those featured in McDonald’s commercials worldwide?”
While most of the work in the exhibit features charged political sentiments, Jonathan William Kramka’s “Tug” and “Two Views” and Sandra Anible’s “Morning Glory” depart from this norm and provide a more ethereal flavor. Anible’s piece adds irony to the show by constructing a morning glory, the embodiment of natural beauty, using man-made materials.
UW’s Fresh Hot Press has succeeded in creating a provocative show that highlights many of the moral, historical and economic issues faced by citizens of the modern era. Unfortunately, though, these complex issues cannot be ameliorated with a french fry and a friendly pat on the back from “America’s favorite fast-food clown.”
