The Arrival

For this series of work I wanted to give the audience a clearer understanding of how the use of appropriation in art can change the perception of history and create a distorted understanding.

For the 3 canvas’s I have chosen to do segments of Théodore Géricault “the raft of Medusa” and Goldie’s “ Arrival of the Māori in New Zealand” and the third piece, a more accurate depiction of “arrival of the Māori in New Zealand”. Goldie has abstracted perspective, body composition and the underlying concept of starvation from Géricault. It is a romanticised approach where the audience is to engage emotionally with the piece. My concept unpicks the connotations about his use of these techniques and concepts and begins to change the racial undertones that are in this piece.