Art Analysis: The Salvage Paradigm

Salvage paradigm has become a important concept through out history, having the desire to rescue something that is authentic and to keep it alive and useful. Salvage paradigm is used mostly in the field of ethnography, it’s a branch of anthropology that deals with the scientific descriptions of specific human cultures. We today find salvage paradigm, through representations in textbooks, art, and even to museums. Have what we have been holding on to for thousands of years ,the background of our own mankind history been the truth or a conception build overtime, using salvage paradigm to help come up with a explanation. James Clifford and Virginia Dominguez discuss the intervention of using slavage paradigm to the extent to help explain
Through out his articles he uses examples that helped build up the western culture taxonomy. Along with traditions , history and authenticity that helps underlie the salvage paradigm. Clifford mentions that non-western ethnographic are the western’s actual past. But on the other hand western cultures is consently trying to civilize and intrude on cultures and have a hard time accepting unique aspects. For example James Clifford , states that the Speik River art was meant to be inspiring. The art was isolated to emphasize their importance, there was a chant with music in the background for a tribal ambiance , the pictures were presented in black and white nor near realistic to keep the tribal art context. The example presented was an example of a salvage paradigm , declaring that a certain culture or society calls for attention or presented
One problem , is the idea of perception of otherness. Relating to Clifford article, through salvage paradigm, certain culture history helps build up western’s history. Referring to them as others, in coming to a sense that they’re not western people. These people known as others are yet significant to our western society. Dominguez discusses that we use otherness to acknowledge their ideas , history or traditions that is not ours. But we use the practice of otherness to help explain our primitive as we incorporate or represent our history. Second problem Dominguez states is representation, the study of others is fostered on active social, cultural movement not just to represent others but also their right to duty to do so. Representation has been a big impact on salvage paradigm, it set’s up a scenario as cultures becomes scarce artifacts that are all that is left. Behind the setup of art work or even museums exhibts what is being told is what western culture has been taught to beilieve and some culture are now presented to look as if they’re extinct. What is considered extinct may not be extinct. We make a big deal to preserve information, many believed that the culture that have been advertise to be extint shared culture tradiotions with the western society. It seems to me that the main focus is on western society, having the courruption