I know Asian Americans rally through emails. It seems like any worthwhile independent project or controversial topic spreads quickly this way. This is one of them, and honestly, it's not the most important topic, but it is something that I think you should know.
Yesterday, I received a pair of Ray Fong Adidas. They are truly beautiful shoes. The box, laces, and details are amazing. I doubt a sneaker can get much better. I put up some photos at:
http://www.giantrobot.com/blogs/eric
I realize there's a lot of controversy over the Ray Fong image that appears on this shoe. It's been on CNN and BBC in addition to the viral emails I mentioned. As a friend of the artist Barry McGee, I feel the need to come forward and address the topic.
I've known Barry for nearly ten years, and I can safely say that he isn't racist. For many of you who are following this controversy, you should know that Barry McGee is half Chinese-American, and has been featured on the cover of Giant Robot magazine multiple times. We were proud to exhibit the work of Ray Fong at our gallery in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Let me try to explain who Barry McGee is.
Coming from a graffiti artist background in San Francisco, Barry has transformed into an important contemporary artist in America. I personally believe that he has taken aspects of modern graffiti, including bombs, tags, throw-ups, stickering, and scribing, and made them acceptable in the world of fine art. Since his ascension in art, there have been numerous gallery and museum exhibits highlighting the new genre. The movement is featured in books and magazines around the world. One can also argue that it's given rise to a new industry in America, which is young contemporary art and many art-related products including designer toys, clothing lines, and, of course, sneakers. Barry is at the forefront of this, albeit unintentionally.
Making any product is rare for Barry McGee, and the shoe by Adidas should be appreciated as an art object. At $250, it's obviously intended for a select audience, which may but most likely won't include you. The image isn't a joke at anyone's expense; it's part of Barry's artwork. From his own words, the image is actually a no-holds-barred depiction of himself as a child. This isn't a racist Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirt or an offensive Adam Carolla broadcast. Imagery like this is something that's been done by many respected artists including Kara E. Walker, Kehinde Wiley, James Luna, and Manuel Ocampo. Basically it's taking negative stereotypical imagery and using them in a proud manner. Barry McGee's Ray Fong image can be looked at in a similar light, and will undoubtedly outlive us all. It will be placed into permanent collections in museums. It will be written about for years to come. It may eventually be in art history books. I believe that Barry's art is precious, and a
n important part of art history.
As an Asian American, I am proud to have Barry McGee as a role model. In the realm of graffiti and street art culture, there are few Asian-American faces involved, and none with Barry's widespread appeal. He is perhaps the most respected graffiti artist of all, and his audience ranges from broke art kids to billionaire museum benefactors. Most Asian Americans may not know Barry McGee or appreciate his art (yet), and that's a shame, but I recognize him as a hero and rank him among the 50 most culturally important Asian Americans.
Lastly, I know that this will eventually boil over and disappear. Those who hate Adidas for the moment will probably go back and buy a pair of shoes. I was going to let this go away, but after hearing the constant talk and reports of racism associated with Barry McGee, I felt the need to explain the Ray Fong I know. Help spread this side of the story.
Eric Nakamura
Giant Robot magazine
Giant Robot stores
gr/eats
Yesterday, I received a pair of Ray Fong Adidas. They are truly beautiful shoes. The box, laces, and details are amazing. I doubt a sneaker can get much better. I put up some photos at:
http://www.giantrobot.com/blogs/eric
I realize there's a lot of controversy over the Ray Fong image that appears on this shoe. It's been on CNN and BBC in addition to the viral emails I mentioned. As a friend of the artist Barry McGee, I feel the need to come forward and address the topic.
I've known Barry for nearly ten years, and I can safely say that he isn't racist. For many of you who are following this controversy, you should know that Barry McGee is half Chinese-American, and has been featured on the cover of Giant Robot magazine multiple times. We were proud to exhibit the work of Ray Fong at our gallery in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Let me try to explain who Barry McGee is.
Coming from a graffiti artist background in San Francisco, Barry has transformed into an important contemporary artist in America. I personally believe that he has taken aspects of modern graffiti, including bombs, tags, throw-ups, stickering, and scribing, and made them acceptable in the world of fine art. Since his ascension in art, there have been numerous gallery and museum exhibits highlighting the new genre. The movement is featured in books and magazines around the world. One can also argue that it's given rise to a new industry in America, which is young contemporary art and many art-related products including designer toys, clothing lines, and, of course, sneakers. Barry is at the forefront of this, albeit unintentionally.
Making any product is rare for Barry McGee, and the shoe by Adidas should be appreciated as an art object. At $250, it's obviously intended for a select audience, which may but most likely won't include you. The image isn't a joke at anyone's expense; it's part of Barry's artwork. From his own words, the image is actually a no-holds-barred depiction of himself as a child. This isn't a racist Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirt or an offensive Adam Carolla broadcast. Imagery like this is something that's been done by many respected artists including Kara E. Walker, Kehinde Wiley, James Luna, and Manuel Ocampo. Basically it's taking negative stereotypical imagery and using them in a proud manner. Barry McGee's Ray Fong image can be looked at in a similar light, and will undoubtedly outlive us all. It will be placed into permanent collections in museums. It will be written about for years to come. It may eventually be in art history books. I believe that Barry's art is precious, and a
n important part of art history.
As an Asian American, I am proud to have Barry McGee as a role model. In the realm of graffiti and street art culture, there are few Asian-American faces involved, and none with Barry's widespread appeal. He is perhaps the most respected graffiti artist of all, and his audience ranges from broke art kids to billionaire museum benefactors. Most Asian Americans may not know Barry McGee or appreciate his art (yet), and that's a shame, but I recognize him as a hero and rank him among the 50 most culturally important Asian Americans.
Lastly, I know that this will eventually boil over and disappear. Those who hate Adidas for the moment will probably go back and buy a pair of shoes. I was going to let this go away, but after hearing the constant talk and reports of racism associated with Barry McGee, I felt the need to explain the Ray Fong I know. Help spread this side of the story.
Eric Nakamura
Giant Robot magazine
Giant Robot stores
gr/eats
posted by gr @ PERMLINK: 1:00 AM
6 Comments:
Good post. Will try and spread the word. :-)
Beautifully put, Rico. It hurts to see a guy like Barry get caught up in this witch hunt. I've spent the bulk of my life getting behind movements and activist agendas that I believed in, and I understand that people froth at the mouth to go after things they feel are an injustice, but this is SO not it.
I have a massive collection of figurines that are very Fong-ish, stuff from the 40's and 50's that are caricatures and stereotypes. I have them because I think they are beautiful cultural objects that have artistic and emotional value to me. I like being in control of those images and "owning" them - literally and figuratively. They aren't a mirror of how I see myself as an Asian American, but they are a part of my story of developing my racial identity. I like having a say in that and claiming the imagery in a positive and provocative way. I'm even more inspired when I see someone I respect and admire, like Barry, find the same strength in claiming those images and making them his own.
Hi there. We recived this text from GRAFUCK team (our members) and felt that we should publish it on our homepage.
You can see it here: http://www.boonika.com
You are also invited to join us.
Peace,
BEARHUNTER
i can't imagine that adidas would have the balls to put an old school black face darky coon icon on their sneakers and stand by the concept, that it's polemical "art".
there is a right time and place for these kinds of messages, and i'm not sure a sneaker is the place for it. how about a skateboard, snowboard or a t-shirt.
or maybe i'm just not avant-guarde like that.
are white people allowed to say to their black friends "how are you doin' my nigga"?
Thanks Eric for the thoughtful response regarding McGee's continuing contributions to the art world. I completely understand and appreciate the importance art (of all kinds) plays in within society. And I do agree that the Fong shoe, as a point of aggrevation for Asians, is decidedly less of a priority than are other issues at hand. However, I think it's important to acknowledge that the Fong image is void of any artistic context when placed on the shoe -- and that's my "beef" with this one. In my world, context is everything and I believe Adidas (and HUF) has been remiss in not shedding more light on McGee's association to the shoe. There is no mention of McGee in Adidas's press materials, nor in any marketing or point-of-purchase materials. It was THEIR choice to put the image into the marketplace as a stand-alone icon -- perhaps they felt McGee's work was more recognizable? I think the most telling comment that has been made on the matter so far has been from the owner of HUF who said (and i'm paraphrasing): "People should educate themselves before they complain."...uh, isn't that the point? Isn't he actually acknowledging that if you're not familiar with McGee's subversive use of the image then yeah, of course you'd be offended. I know of contemporary artists who have used Nazi icons as subversive elements within their artwork, yet remove the context of art from those icons and...? I'm not going to lose sleep over this but I do think it's worth pointing out. Adidas, I don't think, is displaying racist attitudes, but I do believe they have at the very least been irresponsible and naive.
barry's non-racism is entirely irrelevant.
the question is whether or not the image barry made is harmful.
we have to tell you that growing up in a good white high school as rap went mainstream, not a single white kid wanted to be black for a minute. they were totally immersed in what was sold as black culture of course, but it was so they could laugh at the dumb negroes literally admitting they were "niggers," at the primitive and inferior black man so insecure with wiomen he beats them and acts like a child, laugh at the stupid and clumsy clothing, laugh at the "lyrics" about raping a bitch, and so on.
a lot of racism complaints are confused and illogical (especially from right-wing groups like the adl or white people trying to claim discrimination), but the possibility remains that the selling point of this shoe is the same as the selling point of old dirty bastard's cd. a safe, even defensible chance to laugh out loud at those different wierdos.
we don't support censorship or even shame capaigns at all, but if this mcgee guy wants to be a real artist he shouldn't need it explained to him that you need a little more subtext than the oh let's see none whatsoever here.
so anyhoo... if we make a cartoon about barry getting anally raped to death with a broken coke bottle, it would be perfectly clear to all the hip with-it graffiti artists out there that we are actually against any such thing and only mean to speak out against coke bottle abuse? that sure goes a long way to explaining the sincerely feminist subtext of all wes craven movies...
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