Tom Burckhardt and John Yau, Owe Pen, 2017, colored pencil on paper. Courtesy of Tom Burckhardt
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Homophones
Meaning “same utterance/voice” in Greek, homophones are words that sound similar but have different meanings. There are many categories of homophones, like oronyms and homographs, but what they all have in common is the similarity of sound. Homophones are often used in literature for comical and/or poetic purposes. They have the potential to create a comedy of errors and bring attention to common language and phrasings that we would otherwise glance over. In Disguise the Limit (“the sky’s the limit”, an oronym), John Yau uses a variety of homophones to play with language and the relationship between words, association, and images. An important dimension of this poetic decision is that it is tied directly to Yau’s Chinese-American identity. As a tonal language, there are many homophones in Chinese because most sounds said in different tones have various meanings. The most famous example is the similarity between “four” (四 sì) and “death” (死 sǐ). While English is not a tonal language, the influence of Latin, Greek, German, and Dutch is more than enough to play with. Learn more about homophones with the link below, and find John Yau’s exploration of language at the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://poemanalysis.com/literary-device/homophone/
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Archie Rand and John Yau, V from The Alphabet Paintings, 1987-94, acrylic on gold lamé fabric. Courtesy of the artists
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Book Covers
In today’s bookstores, spines with all colors and fonts line the shelves, calling to patrons to pick them up. This hasn’t always been the case. Before the 19th century, books were a rare commodity. Protecting the often handwritten pages on the inside was more important than a fancy cover, so many remained plain. Wooden boards were usually bound to leather to create a sturdy, moisture-resistant cover. When the printing press made mass production of books available, decorative covers became part of the marketing strategy to draw curiosity for the contents within. Penguin Books was one of the first publishing houses to have actual art on their covers, creating a trend we would continue today. In Disguise the Limit, John Yau and collaborators play with book covers as advertisements, creating poster-like images for an array of different books, actors, and historical figures. Learn more about the history of book covers with the link below, and find John Yau’s take on them in the Main Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://www.domestika.org/en/blog/5484-a-brief-history-of-book-covers
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Richard Hull and John Yau, Wanted: The Lost Movies of Anna May Wong, 2023, monotype in oil and water-based media on paper, courtesy of John Yau
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Anna May Wong
Born Wong Liu Tsong to a second-generation family in Los Angeles, Anna May Wong is considered one of the first Chinese-American film stars in Hollywood. She worked in silent films, sound films, television, radio shows, and on stage. While her career on paper looked like it was flourishing, many of these roles were small supporting parts. She worked during a time when interracial relationships were illegal and the Chinese Immigration Act was being put into effect. This limited her ability to star in a film because many of her male counterparts were white, meaning they wouldn’t be able to have a relationship on screen. Hollywood also preferred casting other ethnicities for Asian roles, leading to yellowface. When she was able to secure a role, it was usually as a temptress, “dragon lady” or other hypersexualized, “immoral” caricature of Asian women. Despite the adversity she faced, she paved the way for Asian Americans in the film industry, fighting for accurate and holistic portrayals of people that shared her identity. John Yau pays tribute to Anna May Wong in many works throughout Disguise the Limit in the Schneider Museum of Art’s Main Gallery. Find more about Anna May Wong with the link below.
https://www.biography.com/actors/anna-may-wong |
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From the Archive
(VIDEO) Creative Industries Discussion: Wesley Hicks 2024 VAST Resident
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