Week 6 : Anish Kapoor Sculpture

Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate (2004), Millennium Park, Chicago

Celebrated for his gigantic, stainless steel Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago’s Millennium Park, Anish Kapoor is changing the cultural environment with his public works.


Discuss whether Kapoor's work is or isn't conceptual art.

Alberro (2000) explains:

"From its inception, and continuing to this very day, conceptual art has been entangled in controversy by those who stake claims to its foundational moment. This phenomenon is highly paradoxical given that, as with avant-garde practice in general, the emergence of conceptual art was the result of complicated processes of selection, fusion, and rejection of antecedent forms of strategies. Claims for the clarity and purity of the foundational lineage of conceptual art, therefore, should be considered with skepticism, since they are so limited, confusing, and often explicitly constructed in order to promote a particular, partial legacy." (p.16)

I believe Kapoor's work is conceptual art as he has worked with a raw idea that has taken precedence over any sense of traditional aesthetics or material concerns.


Research 3 quite different works by Kapoor from countries outside New Zealand to discuss the ideas behind the work. Include images of each work on your blog.

Leviathan (2011)

"While Kapoor has stated that the work’s title. ‘Leviathan’, was inspired by the 17th century philosopher Thomas Hobbes’s idea of the state as an unwieldy, inchoate monster, he has advised against over-literal interpretations. First and foremost the piece is a play of structure and scale that alludes to the idea of the cathedral: the body as living, breathing sacred space, inside a structure that is literally cathedral-like. If the scale is overwhelming and megalomanic, there’s a humour to the piece that feels very human. In the past I’ve never been entirely convinced by Kapoor’s work, feeling him to be more a planner of grandiose and rather soulless projects than an artist in the real sense, but in this instance he completely won me over."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-reviews/8506594/Anish-Kapoor-Leviathan-Monumenta-2011-Grand-PalaisParis-review.html

I feel as though this work's idea intentially misleads or surprises its viewers as there are two contradicting experiences. One outside the structure and one inside. These experiences contradict in the sense that what the viewer may see on the outside, is not what they should expect when they are on the inside.

Slug (2009)

Georgia O'Keeffe's

Gray Line with Black, Blue and Yellow 

"The work of Kapoor makes such musings a sensual experience. Look at his Slug — a vast, shiny red-lipped ovoid that looks as seductive as one of Georgia O’Keefe’s huge sexual flowers is attached to a coil of unspooling intestine still marked with the pencil notes of the technician. The inner and the outer, the made and the unmade, are contrasted in a piece that attracts the spectator just as it stirs a queasy repulsion." (www.entertainment.timesonline.co.uk)

My first impression of this work was that it was somewhat disturbing, but interesting at the same time, As I once again I feel a sense that there is more than one contradicting experience this work offers. There is something beautiful about the central focus of the work, but then the beauty is somewhat diminished by the sense of entanglement that has been designed to surround it.

Tall Tree and the Eye (2009)

"The steel structure, an arrangement of 76 shiny spheres which bubble up to the level of the surrounding Palladian buildings, is inspired by the words of the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke. 'It is a conjunction of images I have always loved in his Sonnets to Orpheus and this work is, in a way, a kind of eye which is reflecting images endlessly,' said Kapoor. Fifteen metres high, it has a look of weightlessness when viewed from the ground below. 'Now it is up, I am surprised by its fragility,' added the artist. 'There is nothing heavy or imposing about it, but there is something quite improbable. You cannot tell how it has been put up and that is part of its mystery and dignity.' Then Kapoor said he is intrigued by the empty spaces between the shapes he has made, and by the endless, repeating "fractal images" reflected on its polished surfaces. 'Inevitably the shape recalls DNA as a reference, but that is not what it is,' he said." (www.guardian.co.uk)

I feel as though the experience this work offers is somewhat one that provokes thought from its viewers as its design and structure challenges even the most basic knowledge of gravity and balance. Another feature of this sculpture that viewers may find intriguing is it's reflective material. The fact that it's shape is somewhat a reference to DNA, could possibly encourage viewers to "reflect" on themselves and maybe even human science.   

Discuss the large scale 'site specific' work that has been installed on a private site in New Zealand.

Kapoor's Dismemberment Stage 1 (2009)

"Anish Kapoor’s Untitled (as yet) 2009 is related to earlier temporary installations at the BALTIC and the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. But it is an intensely more sensual experience because it is conceived for a wild and unconfined landscape. The previous works, Tarantanrara 1999 andMarsyas 2002, were made to fill the box-like voids of exhibition halls. On The Farm there is no prescribed space to work within. Rather there is an undulating plane, far horizons and a wide sky. In response, Kapoor has nestled the work in a cleft cut into a high ridgeline. With views of the harbour to the west and mountains to the east it is as if he wanted to channel the forces of water, air and rock; and to link the width of the harbour with the height of the hills. The site elevates Kapoor’s work into view, but also makes it impossible to be seen entirely from any one position (other than the air). Even standing on the ridgeline close above it, the sculpture can’t be taken in without turning one’s head from side to side. Seen from a distance, the landscape gives it a nudge, playing tricks on one’s ability to judge size and proportion. But standing close to the 8-storey high work, it’s gigantic, mesmerising character kicks in. Composed of a vast PVC membrane stretched between the two giant steel ellipses, it has a fleshy quality which Kapoor describes as being 'rather like a flayed skin.' During one of the site’s frequent westerly winds it takes on a life beyond what Kapoor could ever achieve indoors. One can sense the wind, as one feels the breathing of someone lying nearby. Entering from the west, it doubles in force and its materiality is amplified, as it passes through the narrow waist and out the wide horizontal mouth of the leeward end. The sculpture breathes: expanding and contracting with each gust. Here Kapoor has realised something transcendent within a large sculptural object. It is architectural in scale yet mysteriously visceral and immediate in character. It is thoroughly exhilarating."

http://www.robgarrettcfa.com/thefarm.htm

I'd describe Kapoor's Dismemberment Stage 1 as a strategical success. This is because the site where the structure has been placed is very specific in terms of how it collaborates with it's environment and the landscape that surrounds it. It's this collaboration with nature as well as its sheer colossal size that provokes its audience to consider how the use of space and setting can enhance the overall experience of a sculpture.


Where is Kapoor's work in New Zealand? What are its form and materials? What are the ideas behind the work?

Kapoor's Dismemberment Stage 1 has been installed on a private "art park" in Kaipara Bay known as "The Farm" which is owned by New Zealand businessman and art patron Alan Gibbs. Its materials consist of "a custom deep red PVC-coated polyester fabric by Ferrari Textiles supported by two identical matching red structural steel ellipses that weigh 42,750kg each. The fabric alone weighs 7,200kg." (Anish Kapoor, 2010) The form of the sculpture is solely generated to collaborate with the enviroment as it acts with an inflating-like performance similar to a balloon when a western wind passes through it. I'm convinced that the idea behind the work was for Kapoor to make a direct connection between his sculpture and nature almost in the sense that he wanted to have control of it, “I want to make body into sky” (Anish Kapoor, 2010).

Comment on which work by Kapoor is your favourite, and explain why. Are you personally attracted more by the ideas or the aesthetics of the work?

Kapoor standing infront of his scultpure, Tall Tree and the Eye (2009)

Kapoor's Tall Tree and the Eye is without a doubt my favourite work of his as it's visually welcoming me to interpret it in a variety of ways because of it's shape and general aesthetics. If I were to visit this work in person, I'd want to view it from as many different perspectives as possible. I feel there is something intriguing about it's form that would encourage me to want to get up close to it and view each and every reflection visible from where I stand next to it. I believe I may also have an urge to climb it as well if I were to see it in real life. Just because I feel the spheric shapes have been composed in a manner that reminds me somewhat of a stairway up to the sky.

Reference List:

• Alberro, A. & Stimson, B. (2000) Conceptual Art: A Critical Anthology. Massachusetts, US: The MIT Press.
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-reviews/8506594/Anish-Kapoor-Leviathan-Monumenta-2011-Grand-PalaisParis-review.html
• Anish Kapoor sculpture blends fabric and steel in New Zealand (2010). Retrieved from http://fabricarchitecturemag.com/articles/0110_sk_sculpture.html
• http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article6840014.ece
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/sep/20/anish-kapoor-sculpture-royal-academy
• http://www.robgarrettcfa.com/thefarm.htm

Week 5 : Pluralism and the Treat of Waitangi

Define the term 'pluralism' using APA referencing.

"Pluralism in art refers to the nature of artforms and artists as diverse. The cultural context of art is all encompassing in its respect for the art of the world's cultures. Inclusion of individuals of differing ethnicities, genders, ideologies, abilities, ages, religious, economic status and educational levels is valued. Pluralism honours differences within and between equitable groups while seeing their commonalities." (Cadwell, B.1999)

How would you describe New Zealand's current dominant culture?

According to Statistics New Zealand:

78% European / Other
14.6% Maori
9.2% Asian
6.9% Pacific peoples

English and Maori are the official languages of New Zealand ("New Zealand Language" 2010), but it's debatable whether the two leading languages support an idea of equality in New Zealand's culture. I would describe Europeans / Pakeha as New Zealand's current dominant culture. I am convinced of this not just because of the population statistics, but because of the culture that comforts the "kiwi lifestyle" in terms of annual European traditions such as Christmas and Easter. I am also aware of a larger success rate of American and European businesses


Before 1840, what was New Zealand's dominant culture?


I am led to believe that Maori were the dominant culture before 1840. As Maori were the original settlers and there are claims that it was only after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 and declaration of sovereignty that the number of immigrants, particularly from the United Kingdom, began to increase. ("British immigration and the New Zealand Company" 2010)

How does the Treaty of Waitangi relate to us all as artists and designers working
in New Zealand?

I feel the Treaty of Waitangi relates to us all as artists and designers in our contemporary society because it is a large fraction of New Zealand's cultural and historical background. Some New Zealand artists depend on this to produce ideas based around New Zealand's cross-cultural themes to individualise themselves from other artists in the national and international art scene.

"Each individual artist and student belongs to several overlapping cultures and subcultural groups. Art can communicate multiple identities within one culture as well as make cross-cultural comparisons. Artistic processes and products may also show cultural mixing." ("Cultural Contex",1999).


How can globalization be seen as having a negative effect on regional diversity in New Zealand in particular?

English singer-songwriter, Robbie Williams

Former American boxing heavyweight,
Mike Tyson

I believe globalization can be seen as having a negative effect on regional diversity in New Zealand because there are societies outside of our nation that are using or replicating features of Maori culture and making it available for all sorts of purposes (eg. Maori tattoo designs as scene on celebrities. This is an issue because some of these features are not crediting New Zealand and therefore negatively effecting the nations tourism industry in terms of less tourists visiting the origin from where these features came from.











Shane Cotton's paintings are said to examine the cultural landscape. Research Cotton's work 'Welcome'(2004) and 'Forked Tongue' (2011) to analyze what he is saying about colonialization and the Treaty of Waitangi.

'Forked Tongue'(2011) Shane Cotton

'Welcome' (2004) Shane Cotton

I feel as though both these works express a sense of spirituality because there is a visual link between man and religious faith. This link is created from the birds Cotton has depicted in his works. The birds technically represent the space between the earth which man walks on, and the sky where man's faith watches over us. Not only does the inclusion of Jesus' face in Cotton's 'Welcome' present us with a sense of Christian faith, but the horizontal and vertical composition forming a cross does aswell. These visual links in Cotton's works depict ideas of colonialization as they introduce viewers to possible methods used by Missionaries to encourage Maori to follow a common European culture, that being faith in Christianity.


Research the work and comment on what Albert is communicating through his work, and what he is referring to.

Tony Albert's installation 'Sorry' (2008) reflects the effects of colonization on the aboriginal people of Australia.

Tony Albert | Australia b.1981 | Girramay people | Sorry 2008 |Found kitsch objects applied to vinyl letters | 99 objects : 200 x 510 x 10cm (installed) | The James C Sourris Collection.Purchased 2008 with funds from James C Sourris through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation | Collection: Queensland Art Gallery 

Describe the materials that Albert uses on this installation and say what he hopes his work can achieve. Define the term 'kitsch'.

"Kitsch - Art using popular culture icons, mass-produced objects; means 'worthless' in German." (ArtsConnected.org)

The materials that Albert has used on this installation are of an ironic sense as he has applied these Australian aboriginal kitsch objects to vinyl, a European material that spells the word "sorry".

Tony Albert / Brisbane Interview:

"These objects that have been silenced for so long now have a voice, and that's what it's about. It's about giving all this imagery a voice of its own"

"People can feel good about putting it on their wall"

"It's empowering to all aboriginal people hopefully"

"It's that whole idea of taking something derogatory, or used against you, and putting it in a real positive light"

"Why have we remained strong or hopeful for so long? It is that something is going to change, something is going to get better, or it can get better, it can change."

Albert also describes himself as being "eternally optimistic"

From this interview I have determined that Albert hopes his work can empower aboriginal culture  as he feels it gives the culture a voice which he feels supports the strength and hope that Australian aborigine's have for change to come to the cross-cultural issues within Australian society.

Explain how the work of both artists relates to pluralism.


I believe both these artist's works relate to pluralism because of their contrasting use of icons from individual cultures, which consequently creates a sense that the artists are putting each of the featured culture's differences aside to provoke a cross-cultural settlement.

Reference List:

• Cadwell, B. (1999) Cultural Context. Retrieved from http://www.public.iastate.edu/~design/ART/NAB/PluArt.html
• http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/language.html
• http://www.stats.govt.nz/
• "British immigration and the New Zealand Company" 2010. Retrieved from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/history-of-immigration/3
• http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/work/52293/shane-cotton-welcome.aspx
• http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/shane-cotton-paintings-examine-cultural-landscape-126412
• "Tony Albert | Brisbane interview" (2010). Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=6afMy0rlqq8
• http://qag.qld.gov.au/collection/indigenous_australian_art/tony_albert

Week 4 : Kehinde Wiley and inter-textuality

Kahinde Wiley is a Gay American based painter born in Los Angeles, who has an international reputation. Wiley lives and practices between Beijing and Brooklyn.

Define Intertextuality.

"Intertexuality, one of the central ideas in contemporary literary theory, is not a transparent term and so, despite its confident utilization by many theorists and critics, cannot be evoked in an uncomplicated manner." (Allen, 2000) I believe the term would have to be one of the most commonly used and misused terms in contemporary critical vocabulary. In it's symplist form Intertextuality is defined as the shaping of texts' meanings by other texts. Since it was coined in the 1960s, the term has, itself, been borrowed and transformed many times. "The term is defined so variously that it is, currently, akin to such terms as 'the Imagination', 'history', or 'Postmodernism': terms which are, to employ a phrase from the work of the US critic Harold Bloom, undetermined in meaning and overdetermined in figuaration." (Allen, 2000)

How might we make sense of Wiley's work? Identify intertextuality within his work.

I imagine we would make sense of Wiley's work by understanding his background and the stereotypes he grew up with. Wiley did not meet his father till he was 20 ("PUMA commissions Contemporary Artist Kehinde Wiley to create portraits of African Football Players to Celebrate World Cup 2010 Campaign" 2010), therefore to grow up without a father figure, I wouldn't hesitate to believe there were some older male figures he would have looked up to. It could be possible the contemporary urban African American figures portrayed in the context of his works are somewhat of the stereotype Wiley grew up with and looked up to, as these figures are presented in heroic-like poses.

Wiley's work relates to next weeks Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Discuss how the work relates to this theme.

"Pluralism in art refers to the nature of artforms and artists as diverse. The cultural context of art is all encompassing in its respect for the art of the world's cultures. Inclusion of individuals of differing ethnicities, genders, ideologies, abilities, ages, religions, economic status and educational levels is valued. Pluralism honours differences within and between equitable groups while seeing their commonalities." (Caldwell, 1999)

Wiley's work relates to Pluralism in a sense that he has portrayed African Americans as a dominant culture within American society. Before Barrack Obama became the president of the United States in 2009, there had only ever been white Americans elected president. At the time of when Wiley's work was made, it may have been assumed that white Americans were the dominant culture within the US. However, Wiley's themes challenge that assumption as he presents African Americans in his works as bold and powerful individuals.


Comment on how Wiley's work raises questions around social/cultural hierarchies , colonisation, globalisation, stereotypes and the politics which govern a western worldview. 

Titian's Venus of Urbino

I look at the style in which Wiley work's in and I feel there is somewhat of a subtle reference to the nature of Renaissance portraiture, which within it's own content used to determine the wealth, power and overall general social status of individuals. 


One of Wiley's paintings in particular presents a composition similar to Renaissance artist Titian's Venus of Urbino. It is possible this similarity is evidence Wiley may have been influenced by Renaissance portrait ideas.

It is possible Wiley's political views are also evident within his works. The presentation of some of the figures in his works remind me of the American presidential portraits in the White House. Almost in a sense that he was foreshadowing a black presidency, that which is now existent with Barrack Obama being the current president of the United States.




Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that
you have read during your research.

I find Wiley's works to be incredibly stereotypical in some cases, but at the same time he goes as far as contrasting against his own themes. With some images having somewhat of a ruthless and gangster nature about them, to having the same character in a completely different setting almost as if he's insulting the stereotype he so often works with.

Reference List:

• Allen, G (2000) Intertexuality (The New Critical Idiom). London, UK: Routledge.
  

• PUMA commissions Contemporary Artist Kehinde Wiley to create portraits of African Football Players to Celebrate World Cup 2010 Campaign. (2010). Retrieved from http://creative.puma.com/us/en/2010/01/puma-commissions-contemporary-artist-kehinde-wiley-to-create-portraits-of-african-football-players-to-celebrate-world-cup-2010-campaign/
  
• Cadwell, B (1999) Cultural Context. Retrieved from http://www.public.iastate.edu/~design/ART/NAB/PluArt.html
• http://www.cretique.com/archives/4012
• http://www.deitch.com/artists/sub.php?artistId=11

Week 3 : Hussein Chalayan

"Hussein Chalayan, who interprets a conceptual approach to fashion, shares the view that Britain's diminshing resources in fact heighten the creative output. He defines British fashion as, 'Aware, multifaceted and empowered by a lack of resources." Davies, H. (2009)


What are your personal responses to these works? Are Afterwords and Burka fashion, or are they art? What is the difference?


Not all clothing is fashion, so what makes fashion fashion?

Hussein Chalayan, Burka, 1996

Hussein Chalayan, Afterwords, 2000

Looking at the images of Chalayan's works, I feel as though they both have a sense of fashion and art about them. However, I have to consider that I may have a different opinion of the works if I looked at them in real life, and instead I'd possibly label them as fashion works because I'd be viewing the pure physicality and finality of the works. But when I look at an image of the final works, I can't help but identify a creative and experimental process that Chayalan has used to create his works. If his works were just fashion, they'd only deal with mere appearances, but since these works encourage us to look at their important issues too, it's hard to deny they are art aswell. It's how Chalayan had used a creative process and put it on display with his works that made him famous in fashion, as well as the use of unconventional materials and
unorthodox techniques.

Chalayan has strong links to industry. Pieces like The Level Tunnel (2006) and Repose(2006) are made in collaboration with, and paid for by, commercial business; in these cases, a vodka company and a crystal manufacturer. How does this impact on the nature of Chalayan’s work? Does the meaning of art change when it is used to sell products? Is it still art?

Eastoe, J. and Gristwood, S. include an introduction in their book Fabulous Frocks (2009) that describes Chalayan's works as "mechanical marvels."

Repose (2006)

I would imagine Chalayan's industrial background could possibly impact on the nature of his work. Afterall, he has been described as one of the most innovative, experimental and conceptual fashion designers of our present time ("Hussein Chalayan / Fashion + Video", n.d.) so it's hard for me to doubt that his experimentation goes beyond what we perceive as fashion ideas.

The Level Tunnel (2006)

I don't believe the meaning of art is changed when it is used to sell products because the product is still formed from an art process. The only difference is that the art is being used for commercial purposes instead of for the sake of art. This isn't nearly enough of a difference to change the meaning of art though, as art wouldn't be successful if it didn't sell, and in order for it to sell, it would need to be visually captivating. I'd expect all forms of art to require the same amount of visual interest as commercial art.

Chalayan’s film Absent Presence screened at the 2005 Venice Biennale. It features the process of caring for worn clothes, and retrieving and analysing the traces of the wearer, in the form of DNA. This work has been influenced by many different art movements; can you think of some, and in what ways they might have inspired Chalayan’s approach?

"Looking at the neurosis and paranoia around the issue of terrorism, the consequential suspicion of foreign individuals and the British Governments new hard line policies on immigration and asylum seekers, Hussein Chalayan decided to propose a scenario depicting how institutions may interrogate and scrutinize individuals and how they may create new measures for living in Britain." (HusseinChalayan.com)

Stills from Chalayan's film, Absent Presence (2005)

Aside from the scientific theme of this film, just by looking at the use of video media and technology, I get a sense that the Science and Reason may have been an influence in Chalayan's approach to this work. The Scientific Revolution supported the view that the world functions like a machine (Hooker, R. 1996). The systematic performance in Chalayan's film supports the theory that the world functions like a machine because the story appears to be heavily dependent on technology and science, and it is therefore brought to our attention that the world could be a slave to science and technology in the sense that we may not function as efficiently without it. 

When and why is it important that the artist personally made the piece?


Many of Chalayan’s pieces are physically designed and constructed by someone else; for example, sculptor Lone Sigurdsson made some works from Chalayan’s Echoform(1999) and Before Minus Now (2000) fashion ranges. In fashion design this is standard practice, but in art it remains unexpected. Work by artists such as Jackson Pollock hold their value in the fact that he personally made the painting. Contrastingly, Andy Warhol’s pop art was largely produced in a New York collective called The Factory, and many of his silk-screened works were produced by assistants. Contemporarily, Damien Hirst doesn’t personally build his vitrines or preserve the sharks himself.

The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living by Damien Hirst (1991)

In this contemporary age, I believe it is no longer essential that an artist has to have personally made a work them-self for it to be credited to them. This is because a majority of today's artists and designers are incredibly opposed to being so restricted to something they are only capable of making by them-self, therefore they are exploring ideas that go beyond the hands of one artist. So long as the artist has contributed the idea to the work, I feel it is fair to credit the work to the artist. While some artists may not physically be making their own works anymore, I feel their ideas and works are still contributing to the development of the art world.

Reference List:

• Davies, H. (2009) British Fashion Designers. London, UK: Laurence King Publishers. 
• http://www.artbabble.org/series/art-fashion
• http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/hc.html
• Eastoe, J. & Gristwood, S. (2009) Fabulous Frocks. UK: Pavilion.
• http://www.husseinchalayan.com/#/art_projects.absent_presence.overview/
• Hooker, R. (1996). The scientific revolution. Retrieved from http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/Enlight/Scirev.html

WEEK 2 : Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

Define Post-Modernism using 8-10 bullet points that include short quotes.

• Complex phenomenon - Grenz. S 
• The quest to move beyond Modernism - Grenz. S 
• Associated with relativism. The idea that "anything goes." - Saugstad, A. 
• Society is fragmented and there is "no grand narrative." - Saugstad, A. 
• "The period in which we now live." Composed by the two words ‘post’ and ‘modern’. ‘Post’ is Latin for ‘after’, and ‘modernism’ refers to the modern period. - Saugstad, A. 
• The idea of social constructivism. "The idea that there is no objective knowledge or absolute representation of reality." - Saugstad, A. 
• Linguistic idealism "Reality does not determine language, language determines reality." - Cupitt, D. 
• Involves the rejection of the modern mind-set, but launched under the conditions of modernity. - Grenz. S
  
  
  

Use a quote by Witcombe (2000) to define the Post-Modern artist.

"The post–modern artist is ‘reflexive’ in that he or she is self–aware and consciously involved in a process of thinking about his or her cultural self in history, in de-masking his or her own pretensions, and promoting processes of self–consciousness." - Witcombe, C (2000)


Summarize Post-Modernity.

Post-modernity is widely considered a rival to the ever manipulative ideologies of modernism. Where modernism relies on a sense of faith for its themes of social and cultural unity, postmodernism ideas are driven by disunity and social and cultural pluralism. As well as that, modernism also focuses more on meaning and the signified, postmodernism pays more attention to a play with surfaces without concern for depth. Modernity ideas also support a dichotomy of high and low culture, however post-modernity's hybrid cultural forms cancel high and low categories. Within post-modernity ideologies, art is respected more by its process and production as opposed to modernism's respect for the unique object and finished work. It is also believed that modernism supported a seriousness of intention and purpose where postmodernism challenged any official seriousness and rather subverts any sense of earnestness.


What features of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo' (1994) are Post-Modern.

Contemporary Chinese artist, architect and political activist Ai Weiwei is openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights and this is evident in his works. According to Ambrozy (2011) Weiwei is opposed to being labelled as a dissident.

"Weiwei’s experimental conceptualism was precipitated by the infectious creative atmosphere of Beijing’s East Village, which begat some of his most iconic images: the Coca-Cola urn." (Ambrozy, L. 2011)

I believe Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo' has features of postmodern themes because it challenges the grand narratives within the communist built structure of China's society. I would imagine that the inclusion of the Coca-Cola logo on the historical Chinese urn would have mostly been considered offensive in Chinese society as it almost implies the idea of a foreign invasion. Coca-Cola is a widely recognised American brand, and its presence somewhat corrupts the cultural and historic nature of the urn. 

How can British artist Banksy's street art be defined as Post-Modern?


"We can’t do anything to change the world until capitalism crumbles. In the meantime we should all go shopping to console ourselves." (Banksy, 2007)

"When you go to an art gallery you are simply a tourist looking at the trophy cabinet of a few millionaires." (Banksy, 2007)


"We don’t need any more heroes; we just need someone to take out the recycling." (Banksy, 2007)

"I am unable to comment on who may or may not be Banksy, but anyone described as being 'good at drawing' doesn't sound like Banksy to me." (www.banksy.co.uk)

"I use whatever it takes. Sometimes that just means drawing a moustache on a girl's face on some billboard, sometimes that means sweating for days over an intricate drawing. Efficiency is the key."  (www.designiskinky.com)

Naked Man image by Banksy, 

on the wall of a sexual health 

clinic in Park Street, Bristol.

Work on building in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, August 2008

Banksy's stencil on the waterline of The Thekla, an entertainment boat in central Bristol.

I believe we can define Banksy's street art as Post-modern because a majority of his works encourage the audience to pay just as much attention to their appearance than they do to their purpose. He achieves this by creating his works in locations that in a sense blend or interact with the environment they have been placed in. Although his work locations come across rather intentional, I feel Banksy challenges any official seriousness his works may have by sometimes incorporating irony or just generally playing with his location. Further evidence we should regard Banksy's work as post-modern is because of his approach to the process of the works, as he states "efficiency is the key" when explaining his technique which shows he cites art more as a process and production as opposed to modernity ideologies that focus on art as a finished work. 

Reference List:

• Ambrozy, L. (2011) Ai Weiwei's Blog: Writings, Interviews, and Digital Rants. Massachusetts, US: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press.
  
• Witcombe, C (2000) Modernism & Postmodernism. Retrieved from http://witcombe.sbc.edu/modernism/modpostmod.html
• Grenz, S. (1996) A Primer on Postmodernism. Michigan, US: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
• Saugstad, A. (2001) Postmodernism: What is it, and What is Wrong With It? Retrieved from http://goinside.com/01/1/postmod.html
• Banksy (2007) Wall and Piece. UK: Random House.
• www.banksy.co.uk
• www.designiskinky.com

WEEK 1 : Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'

What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?

I believe the word claymation originated from the process of stop-action animation using clay models. (Murphy, M. 2008) Immediately when I think of the word claymation, I reminisce of a range of television series that I remember from my childhood. Otmar Gutmann's Pingu is one series in particular that never failed to amuse me. The series is about a small family of anthropomorphic penguins who live in the South Pole.

What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes awry'?

Personally I believe both terms have a misleading sense about them. I would imagine that if something was being described as a Garden of Eden, it would typically have a sense of grace and beauty about it. But as the work is being described as surrealistic as well, I am led to believe that it also consists of something that contrasts from what gives it the sense similar to a Garden of Eden. In my opinion, "all that is natural goes awry" describes how the nature of the work gradually divides itself from its physical form, to the extent where it almost becomes something that viewers wouldn't believe was intentional.

What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?


I believe it would be acceptable to state that Djurberg's work confronts viewers with a complexity of emotions as I would imagine the graphic nature composed with the fictional sense of the work may encourage viewers to interpret her work in a variety of ways.

'Experiment' (2009) Venice Biennale

How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?


There is a sense of childhood story ideas and innocence within Djurberg's work as she contrasts a mixture of positive and negative themes within a fictional, dream-like depiction. Both the positive and negatives themes could be based on the idea of how children's stories usually have an obvious protagonist and antagonist. An example of this children's story concept are the fictional characters; little red riding hood (positive) and the wolf (negative). The use of clay modelling may also suggest a sense of innocence as the character models have a child-like cartoon nature about them.


There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?


I think this fascination has come about since designers have realised that creating a strong contrast within there work can make it so much more effective in terms of how an audience may interpret it. The contrast between the innocent and disturbing nature within Djurberg's work allows a mature audience to be able to reflect on how maybe someone of a young nature would interpret the work.

Why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?


In my opinion, I think Djurberg's work was chosen for the Venice Biennale because it is capable of intriguing a wide range of viewers in the sense that the theme of the work is very fictional but can encourage an audience to be perceptive due to the strong contrast between the nature of innocence and disgust within her work.


Add some of your own personal comments on her work.


Another feature of Djurberg's work that interested me, was the use of lighting within the work space. I believe it would have added a gloomy and imaginative nature to the work that may have even brought the fictional ideas ever closer to reality, as experiencing the work would have almost been like you were walking around inside the artist's mind.

Reference List:

• Murphy, M. (2008) Beginner’s Guide to Animation: Everything you need to know to get Started. New York, US: Watson-Guptill
• http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg

Industrialisation, Modernism and Architecture

Eiffel Tower (1889) Gustave Eiffel

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (1997) Frank Gehry

Research both architectural structures in order to comment on;
-the importance of the design and construction
-significance of the materials
-significance of the designer
-function for which each was built
-function now-has it changed?


Compare the two architectural structures, by noting their similarities and differences.

Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel tower is considered one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower is built of riveted wrought iron, a material that will last virtually forever if it is painted regularly (Eiffel Tower Maintenance, n.d). Ever since it was constructed in 1889, it has been an attraction for many aspiring and famous photographers. It has had great importance in France, as it held the title as the tallest man-made structure in the world for 41 years, standing at over 300m tall.

What I have found interesting about the design of the Eiffel tower is that it is similar to Eiffel's earlier construction of the Garabit Viaduct rail bridge.

 

The Garabit Viaduct was constructed by Eiffel between 1880 and 1884, and opened in 1885

According to Cuito (2003), railroads are symbolic of sustained and unlimited progress. From his youth Eiffel showed "great inclination toward the study of the sciences as well as a thorough interest in succeeding in the society of his time" (Cuito, 2003). Shortly after Eiffel finished his engineering diploma, a contract was arranged by his mother to work with Charles Nepveu; an engineer who heavily influenced Eiffel. “Nepeveu introduced the young Eiffel into the world of bridge building, and it was thanks to Nepveu, as well that Eiffel obtained the supervision of the bridge in Bordeaux, where he demonstrated his great organizational capacity and his gift of socializing with people" (Cuito, 2003). These qualities eventually served Eiffel well as he founded his own construction firm in 1865, at a time when France was industrializing. "Eiffel was also responsible for designing the structure that supports the Statue of Liberty, a gift to America from France in 1886" (Wilbur, 2010).

The design for the Eiffel tower was unanimously selected from 700 submissions at the Paris International Exposition (also known as the Exposition Universelle). The tower originally functioned as an entrance archway to the exposition, but was soon considered by many as an “eyesore” (Wilbur, 2010).

“It’s true that you must take endless precautions, in Paris, not to see the Eiffel Tower; whatever the season, through mist and cloud, on overcast days or in sunshine, in rain- wherever you are, whatever the landscape of roofs, domes, or branches separating you from it, the tower is there; incorporated into daily life until you can no longer grant it any specific attribute, determined merely to persist, like a rock or the river, it is as literal as a phenomenon of nature whose meaning can be questioned to infinity but whose existence is incontestable” (Barthes, 1979).

Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a popular 19th century French writer, who often lunched in a restaurant at the base of the Eiffel Tower; because it was only there that he could avoid seeing its otherwise unavoidable profile. According to Wilbur (2010) many artists and critics tried to stifle the design of the tower. Yet over a hundred years later, still it stands as a “universal symbol” (Barthes, 1979) of France. The Eiffel tower has been described as “one of modernity’s most clichéd images” (Bergdoll, 2003). The Eiffel Tower came close to being dismantled in 1909, but was saved due to its usefulness as a functioning radio tower. It may be safe to say that the tower is a key component in the French tourism industry as it was recently recorded that the tower has over six million people visit it each year (Wilbur, 2010).

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao under construction

Similar to the Eiffel tower, architect Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum located in Bilbao, Spain, is another structure that provokes great international interest. Built out of limestone, glass, and titanium, the museum is situated in the largest city on the north coast of Spain, only 100 kilometers away from France. However unlike the Eiffel tower, the initial construction of the Guggenheim Museum was welcomed and hailed by architect Philip Johnson as “the greatest building of our time” as numerous artists, architects, journalists, politicians, filmmakers, and historians visited the building site in the mere four years of its construction anticipating the success of the venture. (SRGF, 2011)

Despite also having a fascinating design, the constant presence the Eiffel tower has with its locals is where the Guggenheim Museum differs. From a far distance, only the roof of the museum may be visible. But what may intrigue viewers from afar about the museum is its reflective steel, curved shapes and sail-like design. These visual dynamics may be symbolic of Bilbao's past reputation being the leading industrial city in Spain, with its two main industries once being steelmaking and shipbuilding
(Poulakidas, 2004).

The experience the Eiffel tower offers contrasts to the experience of the Guggenheim Museum. Due to the view of the tower constantly being present, locals in Paris may sometimes feel like they have experienced the tower without having to visit it up-close, which means most viewers will possibly credit the Eiffel tower as just a distant observational experience. However, as well as offering general exhibitions, the external architecture of the Guggenheim Museum offers an additional experience for viewers who step foot in its presence.


It’s no secret that the age gap between the Eiffel Tower and the Guggenheim Museum structures is more than 100 years. Therefore it is possible values and ideas in society may have been different in the period each structure was made. However, I interpret the purpose of the Eiffel Tower as being one that individualizes France, where the Guggenheim Museum was built to show one countrie’s appreciation for local and international art and design. It has been said the museum represents "one of those rare moments when critics, academics, and the general public were all completely united about something" (Tyrnauer, 2010).

Reference List:

Website:

• Corrosion Doctors (1999). Eiffel Tower Maintenance. Retrieved May 2011, from http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Landmarks/Eiffel.htm

• (SRGF) The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation (2011). Retrieved May 2011, from 
  http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao/history
  

• Tyrnauer, Matt (30 June 2010). Architecture in the Age of Gehry. Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 2011, from
  http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/08/architecture-survey-201008?currentPage=all

Books:

• Bergdoll, B. (2003) Introduction. In Mark Lamster (ed.) The Eiffel Tower. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. p. 7.

• Barthes, R. (1979) The Eiffel Tower, and other mythologies. New York: Hill and Wang.

• Cuito, A. (2003) Gustave Alexandre Eiffel. New York: Teneues.

• Wilbur, H. (2010) E is for the Eiffel Tower. Michigan: Sleeping Bear Press.

• Poulakidas, G (2004) The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao: Transforming a City. Canada: Children's Press.