Self-portrait in Fragments: Kent at Canterbury, 1973-76
SOME 50 YEARS after I left formal studies in sociology and anthropology, I am finding the lectures and readings of those days useful in guiding my art. For example, I derived ideas on self-portraits in fragments from Zygmunt Bauman. Now I am exploring Claude Levi-Strauss’s discourse on totemism, part of my anthropology syllabus at Kent at Canterbury. Two toggle pieces are appended below as background readings to these two sociology greats.
This “Self-portrait in Fragments: Kent at Canterbury, 1973-76” tells a story of my days at the university. It contains many symbols with meaningful associations that would allow me to elaborate on my time there – this will be fleshed out a bit more later. Suffice to say that all the elements, including the background photos, have been chosen and treated with care. The ideas behind Picasso’s Guernica figured prominently in my artistic and intellectual development then, which is why it serves as a background to my collage.
The piece is being exhibited at “The Time is Right: An exhibition of contemporary photography”, Dec 29, 2024 — Jan 16, 2025, Art Voice Gallery, 28, Jalan Kovil Hilir, Sentul, 51100 Kuala Lumpur. Read more below.
This is not my first attempt at such a self-portrait. In May 2023, I took part in a show called “The Naked Faces”, also organised and curated by Art Voice leader Stephen Menon. Read here.
I concluded then: “With all the work [fragments of my self-portrait] already done, I may put together a few mementoes from my days at the University of Kent (1973-76) and Leeds (1976-77) through to my time at The Malay Mail (1978-82) and the International Organisation of Consumer Unions (IOCU, 1982-84) into some sort of ‘autobiography in fragments’, after all, for most of us, our memories from 40-50 years back are triggered mainly by the physical things of those times that are still in our possession.”
This is therefore the first of four pieces, each representing my life from 1973 to 1984. Each piece will have four variations. They will also serve as book covers should I decide to publish works from those days or inspired by them.
I am truly honoured to be part of this exhibition, to be in the company of artists like Eric Peris, KF Choy, SC Shekar, Soraya Yusof Talismail, Sivananthan K, Stephen Menon, Flora, Tamaka, Sharini, Alan Ng, Azlan Mam, Neha Chadha, Gerald Mohan, Manggai Elanggo, Jagan Ragunathan, Ling Nan Ley, Dinish Pushparani, and Constance Teo. Many thanks to curator Stephen Menon for selecting my work.
Launch ceremony of ”Time is Right” by Puan Zanita Anuar at Art Voice Gallery on Sunday, January 5, 2025. Photos courtesy of KF Choy
Zygmunt Bauman and a society in fragments
Zygmunt Bauman’s theory of society in fragments reflects his broader critique of modernity and postmodernity, particularly in how social structures and identities have evolved in an era of rapid change and uncertainty. Bauman argues that contemporary society is marked by fragmentation, fluidity, and individualisation, diverging from the stable, collective frameworks of earlier times.
In modernity, individuals were often embedded within rigid structures—such as class, family, or nation—that provided a clear sense of identity and purpose. However, in what Bauman calls liquid modernity, these structures have eroded. Institutions like family and community no longer hold the same authority, leaving individuals to navigate their lives independently. This has created a fragmented society where collective bonds are weakened, and individuals prioritize personal autonomy over communal belonging.
Bauman describes this fragmentation as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it liberates people from oppressive structures, offering freedom and choice. On the other hand, it fosters anxiety and instability, as individuals face constant pressure to adapt, reinvent themselves, and compete in an unpredictable world. Relationships become more transient, consumer-driven, and utilitarian.
Bauman’s work highlights the paradox of modern life: the pursuit of individuality and flexibility often leads to alienation, insecurity, and a loss of shared meaning in society.
ChatGPT answer (Jan 2, 2025) to: In 200 words, explain Zygmunt Bauman's theory on society in fragments
Claude Lévi-Strauss, totemism and its ”structural elements“
Claude Lévi-Strauss’s exploration of totemism focuses on the structural principles underlying human thought and the way societies use symbolic systems to organize their world. The key structures of thought he identified in totemism include:
1. Binary Oppositions: Lévi-Strauss argued that human thought is structured around opposites, such as nature vs. culture, life vs. death, or raw vs. cooked. Totemism often reflects these oppositions by associating human groups with natural symbols that embody these contrasts.
2. Mediation Between Nature and Culture: Totemism serves as a bridge between humans and the natural world, using animals, plants, or natural phenomena as symbols to connect social structures with the environment. This mediatory role reflects the human need to find order in the relationship between nature and society.
3. Classification: Lévi-Strauss viewed totemism as a classificatory system, helping societies organize individuals and groups into categories. Totems represent a symbolic logic that creates meaning and coherence within a community.
4. Symbolic Associations: Totems link human attributes and social roles to specific elements of the natural world. For example, the strength of a bear or the vision of an eagle may be associated with the traits of a clan or individual.
5. Arbitrariness of Symbols: Lévi-Strauss emphasized that the specific choice of totem (e.g., a particular animal or plant) is less important than the underlying system of relationships and meanings it represents. The symbols themselves are arbitrary but gain significance through their place within the structure.
6. Universal Structures: He argued that totemism reflects universal cognitive structures shared across cultures. These structures are expressions of the way human minds organize and understand the world, transcending specific cultural contexts.
7. Totemism as a “False Problem”: Lévi-Strauss controversially suggested that totemism is not a distinct phenomenon but part of broader systems of classification and symbolic thinking. He proposed that all cultures use similar mechanisms to ascribe meaning to the world, and totemism is just one manifestation of this universal process.
These principles are explored in Lévi-Strauss’s seminal works, such as Totemism (1962) and The Savage Mind (1966), where he examines how different societies use symbolic structures to create order and meaning.
ChatGPT answer (Jan 2, 2025) to: Give the key structures of thought explored in Claude Levi Strauss totemism
