Remixing the Archive: Amber Channels Grace
Amber Rose takes an ambitious shot at the iconic Grace Jones image shot by acclaimed photographer Jean-Paul Goude in 1978. The original photograph of Jones, interestingly titled, “Nigger Arabesque” is apart Gourde’s Jungle Fever series.
Dr. Richard J. Powell, Professor of Art History at Duke University and author of the widely critical text, Cutting a Figure: Fashioning Black Portraiture offers a necessarily assessment of the Jungle Fever series. “The implicit “contract” between the portraitist and the portrayed in Jungle Fever unabashedly embraces Goude’s racial/sexual affliction and, just as important, each subject’s willed exhibitionism, resulting in portrayals that are profane yet revelatory, beguiling, and often quite imaginative.”
While Rose’s version of the image seemingly releases racial implications, it certainly retains if not heightens a sexual temper. Centered as the leading image of Kanye West’s new website, one wonders what the appropriation and remixing of the Jones archive evokes. Is the couple a new pairing of artist and muse? More importantly, why is there always a nude Rose before West’s gaze?
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None of Amber’s homages to Grace Jones feel as raw and uninhibited as the original photos. I hesitate to sound pretentious, but Grace’s photos were a direct and uncomfortable challenge to black female sexuality and black female conventional attractiveness. Amber Rose’s attempt to recreate Grace’s imagery falls woefully short because Amber’s image embodies the very things Grace lashed out against. It goes beyond light-skin vs dark-skin: to this day, males and females, black and white, feel unsettled by Grace’s unabashed sexuality: she isn’t supposed to be sexy, or have sexual desires, nevertheless outrageous sex. Grace challenges the opinion that black women are sexually immoral, even as she comes across as a maneater. Grace is all hard ebony lines, no curves, and no softness, even as she exhibits how womanly she is. Amber just comes across so “soft” even if she strikes a fierce face or strong pose–especially because, at the end of the day, you fail to understand what she hopes to convey by evoking Grace Jones.
very accurate and adequate statements. I like to look at amber. she is exotic in comparison to most but in the comparison shot she looks like vanilla pudding. Nice try but they should have just kept this one private. It’s laughable in comparison… cute even.. Which is not the point of this shot at all.
In short she is not Grace Jones. It’s like putting a clean glass next to a dirty one. Of course the imitation is a “pales’ in comparison to the original. But you have to give props to the imitators for at least knowing what is worthy of imitation in the first place.
Amber Fails here not just because she isn’t Grace Jones but she’s not even doing the pose right. Grace’s back foot is pointing strait up at the ceiling her knee is at 90 degrees , Ambers knee is not at 90 degrees and her foot pointing more towards the floor than the back of the room. Amber’s arm is bent with her elbow pointing down. Grace has her elbow pointing up towards the ceiling. Grace has her torso twisted towards the camera so that her shoulders are nearly square with each other, Amber on the other is not bending her torso as far as Grace. Grace’s standing leg is slightly bent because she’s leaning forward into the pose. In every way Grace is extending farther and deeper into this pose creating an image that invokes raw sexuality athleticism grace power. It’s hard to believe that Amber messed it up on purpose unless as you say she is subtlety subverting ‘Nigger Arabesque’ by injecting passive feminine allure
Thanks, Clutch. I needed to laugh this morning. Grace looks like a damn statute and Amber looks like a disgruntled yoga instructor trying to hit the natarajasana pose. Ooh, feel the burn, Amber. Feel the burn.
You know, I don’t think even Rihanna would try this. Amber Rose copying this photo is like, sacrilegious or something. Unless you can live up or surpass the original effort, there are just some things . . .
And how exactly does Amber’s take “heighten the sexual temper” as the author claims?
Lol! You put a smile on my face girl. Accurate description of A. Rose. When will that joke finally be put to rest? We all need to turn our backs on this bald headed tramp.
Everyone who tries to emulate grace jones’ famous picture always has short ass legs and it looks so funny hahaha. You must have some long limbs to re-create that photo.
This photo is like ElizabethTaylor portraying Queen Nefertiti…It lacks depth…They should have displayed both photos side by side…so people know the actual history of the photograph…we have to understand that black culture is brillianty beautiful…often criticized and made a mochary of, but nonetheless is powerful and beautiful…It just goes to show you where there real African Ass and sex appeal comes from…
Amber, Amber, Amber… why do you look like you’re holding a Wii nun-chuck?
Honestly, if she was on a Wii Fit mat holding a nun-chuck this picture would be 9000x better!
[...] Normally I can ignore his retarditity because when it comes down to it he’s just another stupid person with a big mouth. THEN, he gets this model girlfriend NO ONE has ever heard of and makes her his “muse.” Now she’s got the “I’m stupid and too busy loving myself to care” disease and is putting out pictures like this one. [...]
grace jones looks powerful and strong, like she’s carved from onyx. amber rose looks like…amber rose. naked and unoriginal.
While I found no use for Amber Rose previous to this blasphemous reinterpretation of a classic photo of a classic artist; I am now of the opinion that she and her boyfriend need to be dismissed from public consumption hence forth.
This was a no-no of major proportions and they both should be bitch slapped for even thinking about doing it.
Amber Rose picture is not classy as Grace’s. Grace is icon and will always be, Amber is just a shadow of Kanye West.
No one can be compared to Grace Jones.
At first glance, I thought she was on the Wii, then maybe yoga? I agree with the other commenters. I think Amber is an attractive woman, but exotic? Nah. She’s able to pull off a bald head and wear revealing clothes that most wouldn’t go for. Now, Grace? Strange’? SHE’S exotic. She looks like a work of art. The Grace vs. Amber thing to be let go. She dims in comparison to Ms. Jones.
Actually (and unfortunately) that Grace Jones photo is entitled “Nigger Arabesque.”
I honestly dont think its that deep to be calling people out of their names. I like both photos. I love Grace Jones. She is number 4 on my list of idols (1,2,and 3 are nana,mom and aunty). I think Amber looks sexy in her version and I think Grace looks like this beautiful African statue that was slowly crafted and carved out of some type exotic stone. Point is, I love both.
Grace Jones’ iconic picture hands down! Sorry…Amber Rose’s homage falls flat. To be honest, I’m actually insulted. Kanye my dear, EPIC FAIL! That is all.
It is a shame she is getting this much publicity…why didnt’ Kanye’s Ex get this much exposure…The African American female (beautiful) talented with her own clothing line…That could have helped tremendously with her company…but O’ well sex sells, ooops I mean art…
Her clothing line sucked…pretty hard. *kanyeshrug* They (Alexis and Kanye) had a nice spread in Harper’s Bazaar together.
I am a huge Grace fan and I love the original photo. I respect Amber and Kanye’s homage to Grace Jones and Jean Paul Goude but I think Amber is beautiful in her own unique way and it would be great to see them do something that is truly thier own original artistic collaboration using Amber as the Muse. Fun to see them recreate the photo anyway…but nothing comapres to the original and never will, it is an iconic image as only Grace could convey.
Bien dit Dan !
LAME!
So I guess Grace Jones really is her idol?!
You cant top the original though.
Amber’s pic is not that bad…
Grace’s photo seems more artsy and graceful…