Foreign Eyes Foreignize
Thesis
2021
The popular phrase “Jamaica No Problem” saturates the country's tourism industry, and paints Jamaica as an ideal un problematic world. However this facade is highly curated and appetable to the tourist who takes advantage of the “best” that Jamaica has to offer. Foreign Eyes, Foreignize is a critique and personal exploration of the role of the tourist who visits Jamaica, and highlights the irony of the phrase. The tourist is centered within the problems faced by Jamaicans on an everyday basis, illustrated by spreads inspired by hand painted signage in the country, highlighting issues of skin bleaching, gun violence, domestic abuse and lotto scamming, while at the same time confronting the tourist as a part Jamaica’s problems as well.
The book showcases my own artistic exploration of a monsterized character that embodies the tourist as I try to invade the tourists “No Problem” bubble by using items that they would typically surround themselves with. Patterns are used to create various pieces of clothing to allude to the issues featured in the typographic explorations as a way to surround and make the tourist aware of these issues as they wear the pieces. My book offers a critical perspective on who the tourist is, and questions the way the tourist navigates as an outsider.
Special thank you to thesis instructor, Kelly Walters.
The book showcases my own artistic exploration of a monsterized character that embodies the tourist as I try to invade the tourists “No Problem” bubble by using items that they would typically surround themselves with. Patterns are used to create various pieces of clothing to allude to the issues featured in the typographic explorations as a way to surround and make the tourist aware of these issues as they wear the pieces. My book offers a critical perspective on who the tourist is, and questions the way the tourist navigates as an outsider.
Special thank you to thesis instructor, Kelly Walters.
