Heather DeLancett Anth/Geog Field Research June 2010 - Tutuila, Upolu, Savaii

Visual Culture Trends in Samoa and American Samoa:

A Semiotic Analysis of Art & Advertising in Public Spaces

An examination of some conceptual terms of the methodological approach utilized is appropriate for the introduction of this summary of research. Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of this particular field work opportunity, it is my intention to provide the reader a general understanding of the topics I have chosen to personally investigate. Concurrently, it is my intention to present my observations in a manner that will allow for this data to serve future research goals without undue theoretical obscuration. To achieve this balance I have structured this report to introduce the theoretical/conceptual background of my inquiry, to provide direct data observation reports in a number of categories murals, museums, libraries, public transportation, advertising, clothing, and tatau, - and then to summarize my own conclusions of the data in regard to my research topic. Semiotic Analysis Likely the most unfamiliar theoretical term I will employ is that of semiotics. The field of semiotics, most broadly, is the study of signs: Signs take the form of words, images, sounds, odours, flavours, acts or objects, but such things have no intrinsic meaning and become signs

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only when we invest them with meaning (Chandler, p. 17). Semiotics, or semiology, is generally associated as beginning1 with the works of Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) and the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914) two contemporaries working separately on modeling the interaction of language and meaning. Through their innovations, de Saussure and Peirce have influenced the methodologies, assumptions and basic foundational questions2 in a variety of disciplines linguistics, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, communications, literary and art theory, etc. The most evident thread of semiotic influence is that of structuralism (Hawkes, pp. 1118) and the critiques of the methodologies and philosophical assumptions of structural linguistics (and its applications into the social sciences) generally labeled as post-structuralism (Powell, pp. 93-115), (Sarup, pp. 1-3). Fundamentally, both structuralism and poststructuralism involve a process of deconstructing our basic assumptions about meaning that is read in a text whether text applies to a book, an artwork, a cultural phenomenon, social practices, etc. Structuralism seeks to associate observable expressions in the environment to underlying structures of internal mental assumptions, values and beliefs about the world. Critiques of this approach essentially apply the methodology (of the deconstruction of assumptions) to this methodology itself, producing new speculations about how we construct, represent and interpret meaning in every facet of our lives. These critiques lead directly back to the core of the semiotics studies from which the structuralist linguistic applications sprang.
1 2

Rod Ewins points further back to David Hume and Adam Smith see (Ewins, 2004). Peirce works with examining our basic perceptual, logical and linguistic assumptions throughout his works. I find his essays The Essentials of Pragmatism and Perceptual Judgments to be good reference points for examining the philosophical foundations and influence most evident in disciplines beyond philosophy and logic. The Architecture of Theories intuits and addresses some of the critical issues brought forth in post-structuralist critiques. See (Peirce, 1955), chapters 17, 20, 23 respectively.

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Unfortunately, to draw a distinct line around what semiotics encompasses is perhaps not currently possible or even useful. We are looking at nothing less than how we as humans interpret, construct and convey meaning, both consciously and unconsciously. (Semiotics) also involves philosophical theorizing on the role of signs in the construction of reality. Semiotics involves studying the representations and the processes involved in representational practices, and to semioticians, reality always involves representation. (Chandler, p. 55) The last century has shown us that this relationship between the perceivers theoretical constructs and the reality perceived can effect something as seemingly objective as physics (e.g. Heisenbergs Uncertainly Principle, (Uffink, 2006), (Gilmore, 1995)), as vital as our understanding of history (e.g. Marxism, Feminism, Foucault) and even interpretation of our very inner core psychological urges (e.g. Freud/Lacan, Nietzsche, Jung). Anthropology may be the easiest discipline (Hawkes, pp. 19-58) to illustrate the power vested in how we model and interpret systems of meaning. For the anthropologist doing field work or the archeologist how one theorizes about the meanings constructed, attached to material culture and interpreted by the ultimately unknowable Other is essential to what one can know about the Other. Structuralist analysis focuses on the structural relations which are functional in the signifying system at a particular moment in history. It involves identifying the constituent units in a semiotic system (such as a text or socio-cultural practice) and the structural relationships between them (oppositions, correlations and logical relations)..

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relations are important for what they can explain: meaningful contrasts and permitted or forbidden combinations. (Culler, p. 14) Claude Levi-Strauss, often called the father of modern anthropology used and promoted a structuralist analysis as opposed to a functionalist or historical analysis (Claude Levi-Strauss, 2010). Levi-Strausss structural analysis was an extension of Peirces semiotics via the works of the Russian linguist Roman Jacobson (Chandler, pp. 6-7). The initial excitement and resultant decades of critiques of this use in the then budding field of anthropology, is a prime example (Hawkes, pp. 32-58) that the lens of perception of the viewer ones model of how reality is constructed, connected and communicated effects the type of evidence gathered and the interpretation of results. Structuralist semiotics attempts to look beyond the surface of the observed for an underlying structure, generally consisting in patterns of binary oppositions (Fillingham, pp. 9495), which is taken for granted within a given context of naturalness and cultural transmission by denaturalizing the theoretical assumptions. Social semiotics and post-structuralist theorists often focus on analyzing the tropes (such as metaphor, metonymy, irony) and hidden codes (social, textual) to show how the same symbol/sign may generate different meanings for different readers (Chandler, pp. 203-215). In keeping with a fairly straight-forward structuralist semiotic methodology, this report seeks to explore possible structural correlations between social value and cultural identity trends through the relatively unexamined medium of public space visual culture, comparatively between three islands within two countries sharing a single ancestral culture.

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Field Data Murals ) description dimensions used: large > 4 x 6, medium > 2 x 4 > small
Tutuila Two large, one medium mural depicting people on outside walls of Samoan Cultural Art Museum, one large whale mural by Wyland near Pago Pago library, two large ocean and sea life murals, one large post-modernist design featuring an Egyptian pyramid near airport, one triptych design with Anglo-European Jesus in center of hearts on sides. It is difficult to determine if there were more prior to tsunami damage. Upolu One large geometrical pattern mural displaying rugby players. No other murals noted. Signs for businesses occasionally painted artistically on outside wall of establishment in Apia. Savaii Two medium murals in Safua advising to dispose of garbage properly one in English, one in Samoan. No other murals noted.

Museums)
Tutuila Jean P. Haydon Museum (Pago Pago) traditional arts of Samoa (fine mat weaving, woodcarving, tool and weapons, shipbuilding display, natural history. Only traditional arts inside, womens group weaving fale in front, recent community wood sculpture honoring tsunami 2009 victims and three western-styled painted murals on outside of building. Admission is free.
The Jean P. Haydon Museum was established by Governor Haydon in 1970 and was the original home of the Historic Preservation Office. The Museum has displays of various aspects of Samoas history, culture, and natural history and is the official repository for collections of artifacts for the territory. The Museum is housed in a National Register of Historic Places building, part of the U.S. Naval Station Tutuila Historic District in the village of Fagatogo on the island of Tutuila.

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The Museum is funded in whole by the American Samoa Council on Arts, Culture and the Humanities and is the venue for many of the cultural resource activities in the Territory. (Cultural Organizations, 2006)

Upolu The Museum of Samoa (Malifa/Apia) Three rooms: 1) Pacific Room contains historical cultural artifacts from other Pacific islands and a huge photograph and memorabilia rugby display, 2) Environment Room contains information on birds and plants native to Samoa, 3) Samoa Room contains displays of traditional arts and artifacts of tatau, weaving, wood carvings, tapa cloth, weapons, old Bible and cricket clubs from 1930s. There is a collection of old pictures along the walls of the stairway, most dated in early 1900s. The Museum is now combined within the Education, Sports & Culture Ministries as of last year and was moved at that time from downtown Apia courthouse to current location. Admission is free with donations accepted. Robert Lewis Stevenson Museum colonial villa preserved with Stevenson family western culture artifacts and furniture, acquisition/collection of his personal belongings from other locations. Tours of Villa Vailima given, admission price required ranging from 5-15 tala. Savaii no museums noted.

Libraries)
Tutuila The Feleti Barstow public library in Pago Pago is welcoming and appears to be well used by the community. I did not notice many informational or promotional signs downstairs (I did not have the opportunity to explore upstairs). The staircase has a unique wood-carving decoration on it. The books and signs are primarily all in English.

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Upolu The Nelson Memorial public library in Apia is quite a bit larger than the Feleti Barstow in Am. Samoa. This library is totally covered in visual displays old cultural photographs are blown up to huge banner size and rim the entire library, promotional posters for events, literacy programs, advocating against drugs and violence, book promotions, etc. The majority of the posters and books are in English, but there are quite a few in Samoan only. There are small signs in English with phrases like May Peace Prevail On Earth. This library was by far the most visually stimulating place I visited. Savaii No public library noted. The Safua Hotel did have a lending library for guests that contained maps, anthologies and educational material alongside fiction selections.

Public Transportation
Tutuila many decorative and brightly colored buses with themes ranging from ocean themes, cartoon characters, religious affirmations of faith, and prohibitive statements about underage drinking and abstinence. No dull colors, though occasionally there would be a solid color with no further design. Upolu Many buses had a Pegasus hood piece with either blue or red wings. These buses were just as brightly colored and decorative, though most were more personalized with names, tourist destinations, portraits, inspirational words and some darker messages. Savaii - These buses were far less numerous and occasionally with old restored wooden interiors.

Advertising

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Tutuila There is virtually no advertising on Tutuila beyond the occasional sign at the store for dry good product brands or the local Vailima beer. An occasional small sign is seen inside a market for phone cards or cigarettes. Upolu Billboards are frequent around Apia. Advertising for Digicel (a mobile phone network provider) is by far the most prominent, and to a lesser extent GoMobile. These billboard ads feature sports figures, clean cut young people ranging from ages of about 15-30, and occasionally a matronly or grandmother figure in a plush environment conveying safety. This is the only aggressive marketing campaign I observed. Also there are a billboards for bottled water companies, car rental companies, Vailima beer advertisements, and sporting event schedules. Numerous local business advertisements throughout Apia are painted on buildings, have signs in the windows, etc. Savaii - Tourist spot guest fale and the Safua hotel have noticeable advertising near the road, generally hand-painted wood signs. Previous advertising campaigns for Savaii as a tourist destination are displayed in the Safua Hotel.

Clothing
Tutuila Men and women both wore standard t-shirts with names of organizations or foreign places/destinations, surfing brand logos, various floral prints, pictures of marine animals, etc. I saw only one cleavage exposing shirt on a female during the duration. Some men did not wear any chest coverings or shoes. Men and women both wore loose-fitting shorts, generally khaki

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and below the knee. Palagi men and women could sometimes be seen wearing typical trousers or jeans. Lava-lavas were worn my most men, and worn by women mainly only in a ceremonial setting. The weaving women wore formal brightly colored matching western dresses in floral and marine patterns. Most everyone wore flip-flops/slippers or sandals. Upolu Much more Western fashion is incorporated by both men and women. Both men and women seen wearing lava-lavas and t-shirts and flip-flop/slippers or sandals. Similar floral, tribal design and marine patterns. More polyester knit tops with a variety of designs for women, more low cut blouses, shorter skirts, tighter clothing. A survey of the thrift store indicated a wardrobe range for both men and women ranging between jeans, khakis, shorts, lava-lavas, formal business attire, t-shirts with humorous slogans (generally alcohol related), international destinations (primarily US cities, New Zealand, European countries/cities), and cartoon characters. Additionally womens attire available included dresses ranging from very formal to tight-fitting and sexy clothes generally worn by young people to nightclubs. Hats, belts, jewelry and purses were abundantly worn in town and seen for sale at the stores. Savaii People traveling to this island by ferry were dressed in the above described manner of Upolu. After departing the ferry, our observations only presented us with locals that were dressed in ceremonial costumes for tourist destination shows, hotel uniforms (brightly floral lava-lavas and button down shirts (men) and sleeveless blouses and dresses (women), and a village community returning from Sunday church wearing bright reds, greys, black in semiformal western attire (dress pants and short sleeved button up shirts for men and short sleeved dresses for women with elaborate wide-brimmed hats decorated with artificial flowers, ribbons

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and bows). There were many more tourist palagis on the island wearing shorts, bathing suits and t-shirts primarily.

Tatau
Traditional tatau ceremony depicted in mosaic at Tafuna airport. Some elders proudly display their pea and malu, others have not had tatau, including a village talking chief. Younger generations do not display tatau or have predominantly western-stylized art of fishhooks, skulls, Samoa, hearts, butterflies, etc. sometimes mixed with contemporary tribal style designs generally created by the tattoo artist and applied using a modern tattoo gun/ink/equipment. Upolu Tatau shop located in downtown Apia displays traditional pea and tribal designs for arm/leg bands and pieces for shoulders and back. In more westernized tradition are examples of stylized flames, swords, hearts, skulls, animals, character faces, etc. More palagis with traditional Samoan designs, and men between ages of 30-50s seem to display traditional tatau more than anyone else. Savaii Traditional tatau designs incorporated into show for tourists as a display of Samoan culture. Both men and women performers had tatau, though primarily upper body designs, especially shoulders and arm bands for men. Primary female performer had leg tatau and malu. Advertisement in restroom at tourist restaurant spot depicted a Samoan male and female with full traditional tatau and advocated using condoms for safe sex.

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Researchers Interpretations of Field Data

Given the limited time frame of this study, it would not be prudent to aim for conclusive statements in this summary. These emerge as specific points for further exploration: An in-depth interview of bus owners and riders would be useful for determining what motivates the colorful artistic expressions and how much riders choose which bus to use based on motivation from external design versus the music being played. A study on what types of television programming/entertainment is available would be helpful for a long-term study on the introduction of Western visual culture trends, especially regarding sexuality and violence. Interviews with women of varying ages/generations on fashion attitudes.

Each of the islands visited Tutuila, Upolu and Savaii seem to have a different relationship to public visual culture. Tutulia, the largest and most populated island of American Samoa has colorful expressions on buses and murals which seem to celebrate the sea and the whimsical nature of cartoons. The signs there are straight-forward public service announcements which prescribe or prohibit behavior. Upolu, the capital of the now independent nation of Samoa, has allowed billboards for advertising which is currently emphasizing highly esteemed sports figures and the convenience and security in staying connected wirelessly. Additionally, a womens group has actively made their voices very visual by using signs along to the road to speak against sexual violence. In Savaii, most public visual art and signs appear to be directed towards tourist and purely informational or promotional.

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I cautiously conclude that the Samoan culture as a whole is not primarily a visual perception dominant culture. The traditional arts which are made, valued and displayed on these islands are all forms which are primarily textural and tactile. There is an internal, visceral connection to the items of nature (bandana plant, wood, tree bark, etc.) which seems to be part of the emotional connotations of these traditional arts. Western art mediums and styles have not become embedded within the cultures of these three islands. The nature based tactile art forms, along with a strong enjoyment and reliance on music/songs suggest a more kinesthetic and auditory perception primacy over the more Western visual perception primacy. Beyond this, I find some evidence that the residents of Tutuila have a deep suspicion or distrust of visual culture, especially surrounding sexuality. In this community, sexuality is a binding agent of an individual to the entire community. Western standards of visual sexual culture and fashion are threatening to this community. Upolu in independent Samoa seems to have embraced more Westernized attitudes towards visual culture, primarily as a means to bring in tourists and prepare students for study and working abroad. Savaii simply requires more research to get beyond the gloss of tourism. There are at least two levels of how this research can be applied beneficially: study of change over time and conservation efforts. The strictly academic interest involves comparison of observations over time: In the semiotic approach, art historians are concerned with what the image tells us about the patterns of signs or signifiers used to communicate meaning and how the

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signifier and signified may change over time. The search for patterns of signs requires the study of a series of related images that is generally diachronic in nature since the emphasis is on determining changes over time in the signifier (sign) and the signified (meaning). (Chanda, 2004) However, part of our current observations included the study of how the scientists interested in conservation efforts in American Samoa and Samoa were totally frustrated with trying to work with, educate and communicate with the locals. These scientists were all what Samoans call palagis - white, Western academy educated, and relying on visual perception primacy. Perhaps conservation effort messages would be more effective if they were to be made into a song and taught to school children in Samoan and English, or if some hands-on model or demonstration were made to bring points to clarity rather than an expensive computer graphic designed poster. It is easy to take our primary perception mode which weve inherited through our culture for granted. A quick field research survey concludes that this assumption is ineffective, incorrect, and could be easily shifted.

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Bibliography
Chanda, J. (2004). Learning About Culture Through Visual Signs. In D. Smith-Shank (Ed.), Semiotics and Visual Culture: Sights, Signs and Significance (pp. 86-93). Reston, VA: Nationa Art Education Association. Chandler, D. (2003). Semiotics: The Basics. New York, NY: Routledge. Claude Levi-Strauss. (2010, October 25). Retrieved October 28, 2010, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_L%C3%A9vi-Strauss Culler, J. (1981). Structuralist Poetics: Structuralism, Linguistics and the Study of Literature. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Cultural Organizations. (2006, September 22). Retrieved October 28, 2010, from American Samoa Historic Preservation Office: http://www.ashpo.org/cultural_organizations.htm Ewins, R. (2004). Symmetry and Semiotics: The Case of Fijian Barkcloth Figuration. In D. Washburn (Ed.), Embedded symmetries, natural and cultural (pp. 161-183). Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press. Fillingham, L. (1993). Foucault For Beginners. New York: Writers and Readers Publishing, Inc. Gilmore, R. (1995). Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics. New York: Copernicus Books. Hawkes, T. (1977). Structuralism & Semiotics. Berkeley & Los Angeles: Univ. of California Press. Peirce, C. S. (1955). Philosophical Writings of Peirce. (J. Buchler, Ed.) New York, NY: Dover Publications. Powell, J. (1998). Postmodernism for Beginners. New York, NY: Writers and Readers Publishing, Inc. Sarup, M. (1993). An Introductory Guide to Post-Structuralism and Post-Modernism. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press. Uffink, J. H. (2006). The Uncertainty Principle. Retrieved October 27, 2010, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qt-uncertainty/