Costumes and dress codes as tools for cultural construction and social commentary in performative art

Abstract

This study highlights the importance of costumes and dress codes first as means of cultural construction, and secondly as tools for social commentary art. Its main aim was to discern whether culturally conceived perceptions about the meaning and interpretation of a costume affect the message a performing artist is conveying. The objective was to answer the question of whether the performance can convey the same message in social commentary art without the performer’s chosen costumes as the vital elements of the actualisation of artworks. The diverse and open-ended interpretation and meaning of clothing were interrogated through the application of the theory of the sublime and Nicholas Bourriaud’s concept of relational aesthetics. The study made the argument that when viewers interpret the meaning of artworks that utilise clothes, they are influenced by their prior or cultural knowledge, leading to multiple interpretations of messages and meanings. Six artists were selected to be informants and subjects of this study. The first group included Steven Cohen, Wezile Mgibe, and Carin Bester, who were chosen due to their performances that comment on social issues and utilise clothing. The second group consisted of Mary Sibande, Yinka Shonibare, and Nandipha Mntambo selected for the performative nature and use of clothing in their various artworks. Focus group interviews were conducted as the primary data collection method for this study to firstly decipher the messages and meanings of the six chosen artists’ works. Secondly, to discover whether there is a relationship between the performing artists' intention and the viewers' interpretations, as well as to ascertain the impact of clothing on artistic expression as culturally constructed objects with diverse meanings. This study postulated that clothes as culturally constructed objects are interpreted differently when used in art, subverting socially unjustifiable intolerant behaviour as well as socially constructed biases. It further recommended a follow-up exercise aimed at measuring and validating the impact of agency through performance art as a means for social commentary toward social transformation.

Olu phando luqaphela ukubaluleka kweekhostyum neendlela zokunxiba okokuqala njengezixhobo zokuphuhlisa inkcubeko, okwesibini njengezixhobo zovakalisozimvo ngezentlalo kubugcisa obenziwa eqongeni. Injongo yalo ephambili yayikufumanisa ukuba ingaba iingcamango eziqondwe ngokwenkcubeko malunga nentsingiselo yekhostyum kunye nokutolikwa kwesinxibo ziyawuchaphazela na umyalezo odluliselwa ligcisa lokwenziwayo. Injongo yayikukuphendula umbuzo wokuba umdlalo wokwenziwayo uyakwazi na ukudlulisa umyalezo ofanayo kubugcisa bokuvakalisa izimvo ngezentlalo ngaphandle kwekhostyum ekhethwe ligcisa lokwenziwayo njengezona zinto zifunekayo ekuphunyezweni kwemisebenzi yobugcisa. Ingcaciso eyahlukahlukeneyo nevulelekileyo kunye nentsingiselo yesinxibo zaphononongwa ngokusebenzisa ithiyori yobuhle obuncamisayo (sublime) nengcamango kaNicholas Bourriauds yobudlelwane bobuhle obuncamisayo. Uphando lwenze ingxoxo yokuba xa ababukeli betolika intsingiselo yemisebenzi yobugcisa esebenzisa iimpahla, bakhuthazwa lulwazi lwabo lwenkcubeko ebebenalo ngaphambili, olukhokelela kwiindlela ngeendlela zokutolika imiyalezo neentsingiselo. Amagcisa okwenziwayo amathandathu akhethwa ukuze be ngabanikezeli bolwazi kunye nabathathinxaxheba kolu phando. Iqela lokuqala labandakanya uSteven Cohen, uWezile Mgibe kunye noCarin Bester, nabakhethwa ngenxa yemisebenzi yabo ephawula ngemiba yezentlalo bekwasebenzisa izinxibo. Iqela lesibini lalinoMary Sibande, uYinka Shonibane kunye noNandipha Mntambo elakhethwa ngenxa yendlela elidlala nelisebenzisa ngayo isinxibo kwimisebenzi yabo yobugcisa eyahlukeneyo. Udliwanondlebe lwamaqela olugxilileyo lwenziwa njengemethodi yokuqokelela iinkcukacha zophando ezisiseko solu phando ukuze okokuqala, ziguqule imiyalezo neentsingiselo zemisebenzi yobugcisa yabadlali abathandathu abakhethiweyo. Okwesibini, ukufumanisa ukuba ngaba bukho na ubudlelwane phakathi kweenjongo zamagcisa okwenziwayo kunye nezimvo zababukeli, kwanokuqinisekisa impembelelo yezinxibo kuvakalelo lobugcisa njengezinto ezakhiwe ngokwenkcubeko nezineentsingiselo ezahlukeneyo. Olu phando lubonise ukuba izinxibo njengezinto ezakhelwe kwinkcubeko zitolikwa ngokwahlukeneyo xa zisetyenziswa kubugcisa, ukungavumeli/ukujongela phantsi indlela yokuziphatha yezentlalo engafanelekanga nenganyamezelekiyo kunye nemikhethe eyakhelwe kwezentlalo. Lukwacebisa umsebenzi wokulandelela ojolise ekulinganiseni nasekuqinisekiseni ifuthe learhente ngobugcisa obenziwayo njengemizamo yokuvakalisa izimvo ngezentlalo malunga nenguqu kwezentlalo.

Lolu cwaningo luqala ngokugqamisa ukubaluleka kwemvunulo nemisiko yengqephu njengendlela yokwakheka kwesiko, bese futhi likuveza njengobuciko bokudlulisa umlayezo emphakathini. Inhloso yalokhu ukuba kubonakale ukuthi ngakube kuyaphazamiseka yini ukudluliseka komlayezo wamaciko asika ingqephu mayelana nomqondo nencazelo ngemibono yawo ekwakheni isiko. Inhloso bekuwukuphendula umbuzo wokuthi ngakube umsebenzi wobuciko owenziwayo udlulisa umyalezo ofanayo yini emphakathini ngaphandle kokukhetha imvunulo ethile njengokuyiyo ebalulekile ekuboneni umsebenzi owubuciko. Incazelo nomqondo ovulelekile ngezimpahla zokugqoka kutholakale ngokuthi kusetshenziswe itiyori ebheka ubuhle obungefaniswe nombono kaNicholas Bourriaud wokubheka ubuhle bobudlelwano. Ucwaningo luveza ukuthi uma izibukeli zihumusha incazelo yemisebenzi yobuciko ethinta izimpahla zokugqoka, zibuka ngendlela yolwazi lwazo lwangaphambili noma lwamasiko, okuholela ekutheni zihumushe imiyalezo nencazelo ngezindlela eziningi. Kulolu cwaningo kukhethwe amaciko ayisithupha ukuba yingxenye futhi kukhulunywe ngawo. Iqembu lokuqala belihlanganisa uSteven Cohen, uWezile Mgibe, noCarin Bester, abaqokwe ngenxa yomsebenzi wabo ophawula ngezindaba zenhlalo kanye nezimpahla zokugqoka. Iqembu lesibili belinoMary Sibande, uYinka Shonibare, noNandipha Mntambo bona abaqokwe ngenxa yemisebenzi yabo kanye nokusebenzisa kwabo izimpahla zokugqoka emisebenzini yabo yobuciko eyahlukene. Lapha kubanjwe izinkulumongxoxo zamaqembu njengendlela yokuqala yokuqoqwa kwedatha yalolu cwaningo ukuze kuqala kuhlaziywe imilayezo nezincazelo zemisebenzi yamaciko ayisithupha akhethiwe. Okwesibili, ukuze kutholakale ukuthi abukho yini ubudlelwano phakathi kwezinhloso zamaciko kanye nezincazelo zezibukeli, kanjalo nokuthola umthelela wezimpahla zokugqoka ekukhombiseni ubuciko njengendlela yokwakha isiko kusetshenziswa izincazelo ezahlukene. Lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi ukwakheka kwesiko ngokwezimpahla zokugqoka kuhunyushwa ngendlela ehlukile uma kusetshenziswa ubuciko, kuhlanekezela ukuziphatha okungabekezelelani emphakathini nokuchema okudaleka emphakathini. Ucwaningo luphinda futhi luncome ukuba kwenziwe ukulandelela okuhloswe ngakho ukuba kukalwe futhi kuqinisekiswe umthelela odalekayo ngenxa yobuciko obenziwayo njengendlela yokudlulisa umlayezo emphakathini mayelana nokuguqulwa komphakathi.