Annu Palakunnathu Matthew uses her talent as an artist to satirize a society’s generalized perceptions, mainly that of race and gender. The images below are obtained from a portfolio she call Bollywood Satirized.
In the context of the reading “Digital Technologies as a tool,” Annu is an example of how there was a point in the development of media where artists began to go against the norm and advertize images that were not perfectly constructed or structured as advertisements should be.She uses posters from Bollywood movies, distorts and reconstructs them to convey a message that relate to the movies but yet ridiculed the very ideals of the Indian society. Her technique is unique and being an Indian helps understand her stance. She puts forth in her work a series of stereotypes from the culture and challenges the perception of the onlooker.
For example, the recent rape cases in India are a matter of great disgrace to an Indian women and society knows that, but yet there is so little that society does to change it. They feed on conservative concepts and fail to see what the real issue is, instead they settle for the easiest possible solution which is to make women wear long dresses or rather cover themselves up. Through Annu’s work there is a clear understanding of this very notion of sticking to conservatives principles, she contradicts them in a sense.
The idea that she tries to convey through her work challenges cultural norms and tradition and makes people wonder if it is important to be slightly more open minded about certain aspects in society.
Her work is an example of how society is being confronted by digital media on a daily basis. Artists wake up everyday to oppose the norms, to come up with ideas that will not only have society think but also wonder what will come next.
As an onlooker of her work as well as her perspective, I think that Annu ideally communicates to us the true meaning of digital media today. Despite the constant criticism and opinions of the way media is at present time, there is still a sense of wonder as to how media will change the way we perceive certain concepts for the better.