J A Y   R E C H S T E I N E R       jayrechsteiner@hotmail.com                                                                                                                                                  ............................................................................................................................................................................................... home     about me     gallery     contact ...............................................................................................................................................................................................                                                                                                                                    >> back to exhibition concepts ***************************************************************************************************************************************************** a one-man group show featuring a thorough investigation into the American Identity and the John Wayne Phenomena ******************************************************************************************************************************************************   Introduction/statement Note that the concept is still in process and not complete. This page is continually 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 Memories of an American Hero pictures   Click Here the Duke Show Installation Click Here Good Morning America poster, 150cm x 120cm (in-progress) Click Here The Beach Rider mixed-media painting, print on canvas, 160cm x 100cm Click Here ArseAnal installation (gun cabinet & promo video) Click Here The Childred of John Wayne   coming soon Public Spanking painting coming soon Adios, Vaquero (Goodbye, Cowboy) shrine, installation coming soon Memories of World War I & II - back in the days video coming soon The John Wayne Bible book coming soon   (160cm x 100 cm, acrylic on printed canvas, computer collage, still in progress)       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)   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.