My concept for this project was based off of a local Chinese restaurant in my hometown that doesn't look like buildings from traditional Chinese architecture. This is both caused by the time and money that could be put into the building at the time it was built, but also a method of making the building assimilate and be appealing to American clients. I took something that everyone know is Chinese, ie the Great Wall, and filled it with symbols of American fast food to show the dilution of Chinese culture for the sake of assimilation in many places in America.
The image produced by Jordan Harper overlooks the Great Wall of China on a clear, mostly sunny day. The people on the wall walk off into the distance as signs for popular restaurants litter their path. On the right-hand side, a McDonald's seems to be overlapping one of the wall’s towers as it narrowly hangs off the edge. As the viewer walks down the wall, a small Ivory tile lies on the ground in front of them. The first thing that catches my eye are the signs, since they look out of place in this rural and historic environment. Furthermore, the McDonald's building looks to have been plopped in front of the tower without much care for the wall it stands on or the building itself. These two observations make the photo feel almost like an invasion, where the restaurants are staking their claim to the wall with little regard for its history. Moreover, the single Ivory tile is a reminder of the purity and value this monument has lost. The work has a great composition, the wall creates a dynamic line in the piece, and the placement of the signs makes great leading lines. Yet the overall lighting of the picture is not consistent; the added elements seem to have their own light source instead of matching the skylight; also, the end of the wall blurs in the sky, so adding a bit of contrast would be nice. In addition to the lighting, I wish the tower behind the McDonald's were either merged with the McDonald's through Photoshop or taken out entirely. Overall, this is a solid piece; just do some minor lighting and contrast changes, and you're good to go. For one, the Great Wall of China is the symbol of Chinese strength and resilience. It has stood the test of time for centuries and was recently recognized as a world wonder. So to have that history and culture slowly being taken over by larger corporate entities and consolidated into a more appetizing copy speaks to a larger trend in the world today
ReplyDeleteThe composition created by Jordan Harper mixes the Great Wall of China with symbols of American fast food. Along the Wall, there are fast food signs lined up almost like mile markers, and right in the middle there’s a McDonald’s building that looks like a reward for making it halfway. The piece keeps the iconic stone texture and proportions of the Wall but interrupts it with these bright, bold signs that feel out of place. Even though the subject is a sacred and historical landmark, the added elements blend in well because the shadows and lighting were adjusted to match. The figures walking out of the McDonald’s make the whole thing look even more believable, even if one of the Mcdonalds signs is missing its text but the logo is so iconic it doesn’t really change anything.
ReplyDeleteThe message comes across pretty clearly: this is about commercialization and how easily culture can be watered down or taken over by consumerism. By putting American fast food logos on one of the most recognizable pieces of Chinese culture, the piece points out how ridiculous it would be if other countries treated their landmarks the way America treats food and advertising. The McDonald’s in the center especially makes it feel like fast food has become a kind of ritual or “prize,” which is a funny but also sad way to look at how normal fast food culture has become here. It also makes a bigger point about how immigrant culture in America often gets reshaped to fit American tastes instead of staying true to its roots.
From a technical standpoint, the piece works really well. The shadows and lighting are consistent, and the signs and building feel like they belong in the scene. The only thing that could be improved is the missing text on one of the McDonald’s signs, but that doesn’t take away much from the overall impact. The project directions were met: old architecture (the Great Wall) was combined with modern architecture (McDonald’s), and the combination creates new meaning by showing what happens when cultural identity collides with commercialization.
Looking at it from a bigger perspective, this piece connects to conversations about globalization and how American culture spreads everywhere. Fast food chains like McDonald’s are now in almost every country, and that changes how people interact with local food and architecture. The composition takes this idea to the extreme to point out how unfair it is when American consumer culture overshadows or even erases other traditions. It’s also a comment on assimilation—how businesses or even entire cultures sometimes have to change parts of their identity to be accepted in the U.S. That feels especially relevant because so many immigrant-owned restaurants here are expected to look and feel “Americanized” to be successful.
To sum up, the composition turns the Great Wall of China into a commentary on consumerism and cultural erasure. By blending sacred architecture with fast food, it shows how commercialization can cheapen something that should be respected. The technical side is strong and makes the satire believable, and the overall message is clear: we need to think about how culture is preserved (or not) in a world where consumerism dominates.