Art history discussion/rant

"Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'" (otto-the-croatian)
07/10/2018 at 20:33 • Filed to: artlopnik

This is The New American Gothic by the artist Criselda Vasquez. It’s obviously an hommage to American gothic by Grant Wood. I like it, I like the style and how simplified the composition is, I think the colors work in the same way the original does but bring a different tone . I think it’s funny, too. It makes a statement about what the standard American family looks like and it asks a question about where the middle class has disappeared . There’s just one thing: Where is the G othic ?

It shows the Astro and nothing but as the background. There are no gothic visual elements in this picture that I can find. But I dunno, maybe I’m blind so you can help me with a comment, I just want some help clearing this out. In the original the ‘ gothic’ is the arch of the window.

Why didn’t the artist put a small fin gerprint in the shape of the gothic window on the Astro, for example? Because I’m doubtful that the artist was oblivious to this. The most obvious answer is that the composition is enough of an hommage to bring the original to mind, which this definitely did. That he felt that bringing in all the original elements would be kitsch and unnecessary. Which I agree with, too. So technically it’s a success, I knew instantly to what it’s referring to. I’m just not sure that this is enough to earn the title of Gothic in the name. I feel that if you’re already making an hommage, a reinterpretation - that you have to apply the same creative process to all areas of the original piece - and that includes the naming. Tell me what you think.

Thank you for your considerations.

DISCUSSION (7)

JeepJeremy > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
07/10/2018 at 21:16

Pros: Red Chevy Astro van with dutch door rear. Super rad!

Cons: Homer bucket from The Home Depot is incorrect shade of orange.

Is it “ gothic”: Architecturally not really...no flying buttresses or rib vaulted windows with elaborate tracery. Also...the couple featured are not ethnically Visi or Ostro gothic (i.e. Germans)

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > JeepJeremy
07/11/2018 at 05:45

Thank you for your contribution. I was looking for the gothic bit for ages but I guess it’s not just me.

ttyymmnn > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
07/16/2018 at 08:58

As you suggest, I think the word Gothic is simply a reference to Wood’s painting. American Gothic has become so iconic that I don’t think you need to bring in the element of Gothic architecture if you are going to do an homage or, perhaps satire, of the original, and I think the social commentary of Vasquez’s painting puts it firmly in the latter category . While Woods’ painting gets its name from the farmhouse window, I think it is the subjects that are more instantly recognizable. The choice to make the subjects of Vasquez’s painting a cleaning woman and a yard worker is particularly apt, at least here in Texas. The only thing that could have made it even more true is if the man were holding a lawn trimmer instead of a hoe. Only farmers and gardeners know what a hoe is these days.

Sorry about the soccer. Your guys played very hard, and we were pulling for Croatia, based in large part on the amount of heart and work ethic they showed in their play. I read your post after the game. I think you were a bit hard on yourself and your country.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > ttyymmnn
07/16/2018 at 15:23

Thanks for the comment! Yeah I think I agree with you, I changed my mind a few times. I too think that the subjects are so recognizable that it doesn’t matter if the title follows the concept or not, it’s enough of an hommage as it is now. And I saw these 2 stereotypes in California when I was there in Palo alto and around the Bay area. I was sad to see how much of the movie tropes are actually real. Most of the retail or manual labor workers were african-american, most gardeners and people in the service industry were hispanic, and almost all cleaning ladies/men I saw were hispanic also. I worked at a restaurant where literally every person working there was hispanic, where I spoke Spanish for most of my day, but then got out to the main hall where I served mostly well dressed white people with small but expensive watches , and the occasional asian person, most likely on break from classes at Stanford.

And for my thoughts on Croatia, I’m also sad that I have these strong and controversial opinions but in my 25 years here it’s become completely normal to see your prime minister go to jail for tax fraud, your mayor wearing watches he bought with your money, and see them elected time and time again, because they know people and have good connections. Something as banal as getting a job as a parking-ticket guy can be tricky if you don’t know someone .

Then we come to soccer, which was a topic recently. All of my life a football fan was a person with 88 tattooed on their neck, a not-so-subtle spread eagle on the Tshirt and both hands with open palms in the air. The left hand is there just to hide the right one a bit.

Most Croatians are quietly and casually racist, homophobic, ultra-nationalist and with very firm religious beliefs - but excluding the positive sides religion can bring to society. When we’re not collectively cursing the french team as “african monkeys” , we’re aiming the hate towards Serbians, if not that - then the hate is alive and well between some cities and regions.

So I’m sad to see a nation with so much potential - economic (we can feed ourselves and neighboring countries with our farming and food growing potential, our tourist destinations are especially popular, we have natural gas in spades, etc. but all of those industries are sold to out-of-state companies), scientific (beginning from Nikola Kopernik, Tesla, Marco Polo, Penkala, the inventor of the pen and torpedo, etc, all of whom were Croatians). The sport potential is obvious.

...

I got lost in my thoughts but basically this country could be as efficient, rich, multicultural and liberal as say, the Netherlands, but all of that potential is wasted because of the people that run the country to the ground, and a large majority who vote for those same people. I dunno man, I just don’t see a way out. Recently there was a huuuge uproar because EU countries were to sign a minor document which made helping raped and harrassed women easier. Everywhere else it’s just a random thing nobody cares about. But there was a tiny paragraph in there which stated that trans and gay people were also victims and deserved help as well as women. The church and most of the citizens were on the streets, protesting it because they didn’t want men to use ladies bathrooms or something similar. And stuff like this happens every other week.

So sorry I made this so long, but I just wanted to explain where the hate comes from, I don’t want to be just another angry commenter online.

ttyymmnn > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
07/16/2018 at 16:05

Centuries of animosity towards others can be difficult to overcome. Just look at the US.

But there was a tiny paragraph in there which stated that trans and gay people were also victims and deserved help as well as women. The church and most of the citizens were on the streets, protesting it because they didn’t want men to use ladies bathrooms or something similar.

Search “trans bathroom bill” and you’ll find that we suffer the same homophobia here in the states. It’s universal. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, or even any answers, but I do believe that these bigots are on the wrong side of history. Just remain true to your own values and try to make your little corner of the world a better place.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > ttyymmnn
07/16/2018 at 16:37

but I do believe that these bigots are on the wrong side of history. Just remain true to your own values and try to make your little corner of the world a better place.

I like that. I’ve been able to influence a friend or two who were once closed-minded, so maybe it’s possible for many. I’ll do my best!

TheDoctor > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
09/16/2019 at 13:12

The “Gothic” in this case, I think is not historical or architectural. It’s a more contemporary cultural frame of reference for the word, as in “G othic” horror film. The painting of course echoes Grant Wood in its subject and composition, but both paintings also have an aura of unspoken menace. Note the subjects’ facial expressions. The man has a look of grim determination. He wields that hoe with pride, and if necessary he will use it to defend this woman, presumably his wife or at least someone important to him-because it’s all he’s got right now . The woman, meanwhile, stands slightly behind him, half-smiling, gazing apparently at the back of his head, or maybe looking at something over his shoulder. This looks to me like a painting about grit and determination even when there is a truly Gothic threat looming. And by the way, the artist is not “he.” Her name is Criselda Vasquez. Get to know it, because I think she deserves to be famous.