J A Y   R E C H S T E I N E R       jayrechsteiner@hotmail.com                                                                                                                                                 

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John Wayne is Gay

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a one-man group show featuring a thorough investigation into the American Identity and the John Wayne Phenomena
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Introduction/statement

Note that the concept is still in process and not complete. This page is John Wayne is Gay - Kiss, kisscontinually being updated. All work that is being created for the exhibition tries to shed light on the American Identiy (which basically consitutes of the folowing element - liberalism, ethnoculturalism, civic republicanism & incorperationism)by thorougly investigating the John Wayne phenomena from different angles. I would like to unveil the myth of John Wayne - the symbol of 'good old' American values. The process of working on the concept will eventually conclude with my own -hopefully objective view & opinion about the man who shaped American politics, foreign policies and the American spirit.

John Wayne is the emotional icon of America. He represents the strength, honor and way of the American male and way of living. America seen as an artificial concept built on the idea of one big family headed by the iconic John Wayne. He represents the strong, manly, hard working spirit of the American male who loves America, the big family. He represents the American male or has an immense influence on the construction of the male gender of Americans. His influence is very obvious and deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of the American people.

John Wayne starred in many films that built contemporary America and formed the American character fostering soldiers for political and financial wars, giving birth to men and women who blindly absorb ideas of fear causing mass paranoia, forgiving past mistakes with great ease because America is one big family. I see the iconic John Wayne however as an illusion, a lie created by the American government and propaganda machinery.

John Wayne is Gay seeks to unveil the artificial construction of the American male gender (and subsequently the rest of the world that consumes American culture) and its psyche by transforming the heterosexual nature of the American male (John Wayne) into a stereotypical homosexual male, into its opposite.

 

Media/Techniques

video, painting, drawing, print, drawing, installation, computer game

 

Work titles and info

The table below gives you a bit of information on the work that I am woking on for the exhbition.

Image

Title/info

Link

John Wayne

Memories of an American Hero

pictures

 

Click Here
the Duke Show

the Duke Show

Installation

Click Here
John Wayne

Good Morning America

poster, 150cm x 120cm
(in-progress)

Click Here
John Wayne

The Beach Rider

mixed-media painting, print on canvas, 160cm x 100cm

Click Here
ArseAnal

ArseAnal

installation
(gun cabinet & promo video)

Click Here
John Wayne

The Childred of John Wayne

 

coming soon
John Wayne

Public Spanking

painting

coming soon
John Wayne

Adios, Vaquero (Goodbye, Cowboy)

shrine, installation

coming soon
John Wayne

Memories of World War I & II - back in the days

video

coming soon
John Wayne

The John Wayne Bible

book

coming soon

 

Good Morning America

John Wayne is Gay
(160cm x 100 cm, acrylic on printed canvas, computer collage, still in progress)

 

 

the Duke Show

 

the Duke Show - model for a Shooting Gallery with air rifle. Visitors are welcome to shoot targets (Indians, Blacks, Russians & Hippies). Made of wood.

 

 

 

Memories of an American Hero - John Wayne Memories of an American Hero - John Wayne
(Memories of an American Hero)

 

John Wayne is Gay

mural , size depending on available space, coloured pencil

 

 

last update: 11/11/2012

Tags: American socialism, natural communism, generosity, welfare, give-and-take, right-wing, un-American,liberalism, ethnoculturalism, civic republicanism, incorperationism, wild west, western, morals, honour, pride, hard work, shooting gallery

 

 

Copyright © 2006, Jay Rechsteiner. All Rights Reserved.