Cultural Encounters

Cultural Encounters

Module name: Contextual Studies 1 Module code: MCS11-1 Student name: Lucian Reijer Blankevoort Student number: 201247240 UJ Faculty of Art Design & Architecture Department of Multimedia Lecturer: Robyn Magowan Date Submitted: 31 August 2012 Word count: 1281

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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List of Figures.............................................................................................................. ......... Cultural Encounters......……………………………………..................................................... Sources Consulted……………………………………………………………………….………..

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LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1

Firewater Interactive (designer), Homepage for Tribes African Grill Steak House, 2012 .........................................................................

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Cultural Encounters

This essay will attempt to define and explain colonialism and stereotyping with use of an example in contemporary multimedia, figure 1, A website designed for Tribes Steak house, and with references to Holloway, Kane, Roos and Titlestad (1999:196-207) and Hall (1997:239-249).

According to Holloway et al (1999:199) the conquest of the earth was when European nations raced to colonise the so called inferior cultures of Africa, Asia and America, with a purpose to expand their political strength and economic power. The term “imperialism” took on a new meaning with the rise of colonisation. To be an imperialist was now all about supporting the colonisation of the rest of the world. In the process of colonisation, the European powers began to supress the places they colonised. These colonised areas lost their independence and began to rely on the products, technology and mostly, the trade, from Europe. This brought about a power play aspect to colonialism. It was one of an attempt to overpower and manipulate other cultures for the colonisers own personal gain. Colonialism entails the cultural indifferences that existed between the coloniser and the colonised. Where one assumed the role of superiority, usually the Europeans, while the other, the role of inferiority. The colonised cultures were lead to believe and accept that the Europeans were superior, more developed and more technologically advanced and that they were, themselves, less developed and, therefore inferior. Arguably, the positive aspect of colonialism came with the idea that European ideas of social and political structure along with European technologies could be brought to the other, so called, less developed cultures to increase their quality of life. Holloway also expresses the need to remember that it is easy for one to make it seem as if the colonisations of another nation seem right, if you are the one doing the colonising. History is written by those who win and it will always be made out to be sympathetic to those who are writing it. An unbiased perspective is not always present and, when it comes to colonialism, this is ever evident.

According to Hall (1997:243) racism and the idea that races were opposed to each other, was built on a set of binary opposites. Basically, these were supposed definitions of what it is to be black or white. Blacks were considered savages, while to be civilised was considered a privilege of being white. It was believed that whites were driven by development. Striving to learn more and make better, that which they could. Whites were also thought of as more emotionally mature, thinking intellectually rather than acting on 1

instinct and emotional impulses. This is what it was thought to be the meaning of being civilized. Blacks, on the other hand were thought of as instinctual creatures; often acting without thinking, but rather on impulse and without restraint. They relied on ritual and custom, rather than improving on ideas to develop new ways of doing things. This is what it was to be uncivilized, and primitive, like animals in nature. There was also a binary opposite regarding purity and pollution; pollution being the act of mixing races, in relationships and mating.

In my example, Figure 1, of stereotypes of the savage in contemporary multimedia, we can see various “messages” being sent across, displaying how stereotyping is still evident in today’s western society. In this website for Tribes African Grill Steak House, the colours stay true to form with the African stereotype. Neutral colours such as brown, as seen in the background, give an earthy feel to the page. This earthy look is continued through all the elements, from the menu bar at the top, in beige, to the actual walls, furniture and decorations, most of which is one or another shade of brown and some black, as seen in the images displayed. This African stereotyping can be related, not only to the colour of the African land, but also to its native people, in all their shades of brown.

When one views the textures used, one notices that the background is textured like packed earth, such as the ground found in traditional huts. Interestingly enough, the texture seen on the banner seems to have images of the Union Jack; the flag of the United Kingdom. Whether or not this refers to the colonialists from Europe colonising Africa, I cannot say, however, it is an interesting observation. It can also be noted that this texture seems to be carved into the surface, as if done by a native African, on a cave wall. This too is a stereotype, showing how the Africans were viewed as primitive, not having invented or progressed far enough to have come up with a way to paint or sculpt stone in the conventional western ways.

Stereotyping the African people as savage is also evident in the logo for the restaurant. The logo looks like an African cave painting (undetailed and primitive, enforcing the stereotype that the natives had not developed to paint in a realistic manner yet) of a man who seems to be holding weapons and running into battle, like a true “savage”. This idea is repeated in the décor, visible in the photographs of the restaurant. Traditional African weapons, such as spears can be seen; spears being the weapon of choice for the “savages”. 2

With regard to shape, one can see, in the left of the three images that are three quarters of the way down the page, seating that is shaped somewhat like traditional African shields. This, once again, could be taken to refer back to the Africans lack of traditional western armour and protection.

Different elements are separated into blocks on the page, composed in a simple format. Perhaps certain elements could have been displayed bigger, for more impact. This is a slight flaw in the design, but it could also just be a matter of personal taste on the designer’s part.

Figure 1 Firewater Interactive (designers), Contemporary example of Stereotyping in multimedia design (Welcome to Tribes African Grill Steak House 2012). Even the name, “Tribes”, has connotations of African natives not having a traditional western civilization. When one thinks of tribes, one doesn’t imagine a cultured civilization, but rather a group of primitive people, (one could even say savages) living off the land, in a state of ignorance to all things western and “developed” or “refined”.

To conclude, I would like to explain the links between stereotypes created during colonialism and the subliminal and the obvious messages one can receive from my example of contemporary design. Firstly, there were the instances displaying the primitive side of the native Africans; the textures resembling wall carvings in the banner at the top, 3

and simple earth flooring as a background; the primitive cave-paintingesque logo for the restaurant; the primitive weapons on display, as opposed to the developed weapons, such as guns, of the European colonisers. There were also stereotypes displayed of the “savage” that lived in all Africans, as the colonisers saw it; the logo depicting a “savage” running and holding, what seems to be, some form of native “savage” weapons; the actual spears on display, a weapon of the “savage” if ever there was one; the name of the restaurant, “Tribes”, as opposed to “Civilizations”, shows once again, the stereotype of uncivilized “savages”. The website for Tribes is rife with examples of how, even today, we still uphold stereotypes of what colonialists impressions of natives once were. I would even go as far as to say that we exploit these stereotypes, to give our western culture a thrill, to experience the exotic and to let us feel like, even if only for a moment, we too can let go of our inhibitions, and let our primal nature take over. To experience the savage within all of us.

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LIST OF SOURCES Hall, S. 1997. Chapter 4: the spectacle of the Other in Representation. Cultural representations and signifying practices. London: SAGE Holloway, M, Kane, G, Roos, R & Titlestad, M. 1999. Writing about other cultures. Selves and others: exploring language and identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Welcome to Tribes African Grill Steak House. 2012. [O]. Available: http://www.tribesafrica.co.za Accessed 30 August 2012

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