Anish Kapoor Sculpture

1.Research Kapoor's work in order to discuss whether it is conceptual art or not. Explain your answer, using a definition of conceptual art.

Conceptual art is considered to be something that does not necessarily need to take a form. It does not have to be something that we can hold or touch, or see with our eyes, but something we feel, or smell or taste. It creates a feeling within ourselves and because it has been created with artistic intention and that is how we can tell it is art. Kapoor's work is defined under the heading of conceptual art because it is more like architecture and has been designed with function in mind and we are able to use it however because it has been created with artistic intention, it becomes conceptual art as well. This is what Anish Kapoor was trying to achieve in her creations and she has done so.

2. 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.

The works here I have featured of Kapoor's work include that of a large door-like shaped piece of red wax that featured in an art exhibition at the Royal Gallery in London, called Svayambh or more commonly referred to as 'the train.' This piece was made by Kapoor in order to represent how he feels he can push the boundaries of what is art and what is architecture, for many artists or even people for that matter, would question whether this could be classed as architecture whatsoever. Here we can further begin to understand that nothing is what we first call it or how it seems. The work 'The Train' is a mere fragment of what architecture should be and what it is traditionally called, this work has no function, it is not a train the public (or otherwise) can use, it serves no purpose other than to be physically pleasing, yet it can still be called architecture.

The second work of Kapoor I have featured here is an outdoor architecture piece from Jerusalem, Israel, and is similar to his works titled 'The Sky Upside-down.' The piece itself is an 16foot hourglass shaped statue made of stainless steel, and is titled 'Turning The World Upside-down' and clearly, because of the way it has been made, it does just that. It shows the sky the earth and the earth the sky. Kapoor created this work because him and several other designers were asked to create pieces that were "permanent, site-specific works in harmony with the light and colours" (ArtePollino – Another South, 2009.) This piece of work is known throughout the city of Jerusalem as a reference to the city's combination of universal beliefs and controlled beliefs and holiness and profanities.

The final piece is a combination of two works, of which are the same, however in different places - the previously mentioned 'The Sky Upside-down' sky mirrors. The first one is situated in Chicago and is quite similar to the 'Turning The World Upside-down' just very much simplified version. These instalations are designed to be pleasing to the eye but again do not serve much function. These pieces, quite clearly, show the viewer the sky, and create a serene, tranquil feeling.

The second one of these sky mirrors is situated in New York.

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

This piece is known as Dismemberment Site 1 and was commissioned on New Zealand's private art park known famously as 'The Farm' by New Zealand businessman and patron to the arts, Alan Gibbs.
This piece was created with the intention to ""make body into sky" (Kapoor, 2009) meaning that he wanted to create something so expansive it could be comparative to the sky, or this is how I have interpreted this quote.

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

Kapoor's work is situated (as stated above) at the Gibbs Farm of the Kaipara Harbour, which is the largest harbour is the southern hemisphere. It takes the form of a long, tube like mass of metal, that stretches out at each end into eclipse like shapes and then scoops into the middle. It is created from steel tubes and distressed fabric and it massive in size at a length of 85metres. The ideas behind the work were to create something expansive that would stand out against the sky, a difficult task, however Kapoor received huge amounts of praise for this work so was in turn successful.

5. 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?

My favourite work of Kapoor's is defiantly the piece 'Turning The Sky Upside-down' for many reasons. Firstly, yes, I am attracted to the appearance and aesthetics of the work, it is a very pleasing piece to look at, especially how it in itself is so grand, standing at 16feet tall, but I also enjoy it because of the religious connotations it holds. Being in a country such as Israel there are many beliefs that require upholding and they are very strict on those beliefs, so to create a piece that so boldly portrays the polar opposites of holy and unholy, good and bad, poses to mean something very great in the context that it is in. I think Kapoor did well with this piece.

References

Anish Kapoor @ Rockefeller Centre (unknown) http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/003711.html

Anish Kapoor (2009) http://www.gibbsfarm.org.nz/kapoor.php

Baume, N., (2008) Anish Kapoor: Past, Present, Future. The MIT Press.

Peyton - Jones, J., (2011) Anish Kapoor: Turning The World Upside-down In Kensington Gardens. Walther König/Koenig Books

Pluralism and the Treaty of Waitangi

Shane Cotton (2011) Forked Tounge

Shane Cotton (2004) Welcome

Tony Albert (2008) Sorry

1. Define the term 'pluralism' using APA referencing.

"Pluralism is used, often in different ways, across a wide range of topics to denote a diversity of views, and stands in opposition to one single approach or method of interpretation.." Connolly (2005)

Pluralism has many different meanings, we cannot simply pin it to one idea or one translation of this word. As Connolly says, there are so many. Although for the most part they tend to have similar kinds of connotations of the word, it just depends on what context they are being placed under. Some of the different contexts could include; cosmic pluralism, cultural pluralism, economic pluralism, legal pluralism, and so forth. There is also pluralism as a philosophy for life and life's meanings and also there have been schools relating to the idea of pluralism, mainly for in ancient Greek times.

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

I would describe New Zealand's culture as being supremely New Zealand European dominated. When people think of New Zealand they do think of the Maori culture, but this is mostly being used as a marketting ploy by the tourism industry to give New Zealand something that the rest of the world does not have or cannot relate to because Maori is ours and ours alone. The dominant culture, to put it plainly, is white Caucasian, with all of us having some relation to overseas European cultures.

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

In this time New Zealand's dominant culture was Maori. It was around this time that the first travellers came from the United Kingdom and took over, killing out a lot of the Maori and reproducing with them, so that the Maori culture became greatly watered down.

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

It relates to us because it meant the turning of an era. As New Zealanders the Treaty of Waitangi made it possible for all New Zealanders - white and Maori, to be able to relate to it's fore-running heritage. We can become unique as artists and designers around the world because we have a stake in this claim, just from being born here and perhaps not being of Maori descent whatsoever.

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

Because globalization has begun to mean to us as New Zealanders that in order to truly OWN our culture and call it OURS for us and us alone to use, we have to place a copyright on it. New Zealand is no longer unique to itself in the greater scheme of things, because overseas people are looking for anything new to be able to put their name on. Humble New Zealand in completely unable to put a stop to this.

6. 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.

The symbols that are in-cased in these two works stand for something great when it comes to identifying links between between globalization and the treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand, as well as how it was when the British first came here from England to take over (so to speak) from the Maori. In Cotton's work 'Forked Tongue' we see a cliff face as a background with red lines tracing some kind of pattern as well as a fan tail and some traditional Maori designs; merely simple patterns and so forth. The subject matter combined means a lot of different things relating all to the way we can link New Zealand as being a traditionally Maori inhabited land to growing as it has done from the arrival of the British, to the Treaty of Waitangi to make an agreement for these two races to live harmoniously and then to how we interact with our native culture in this day and age. 'Forked Tongue' is a painting which relates all of this in spiritual ways, physical ways, and historical ways. (Daly - Peoples, 2011)

The other work by Cotton - 'Welcome' shares some similar views on to the insight of colonization in New Zealand, it depicts what appears to be Jesus Christ as the representation of Christianity and also British European face over that of a Maori shrunken head one over the other, with 2 fan tails on either side. Cotton seems to like using these fan tails of way of representation of the collaboration of races in New Zealand as this frequents his work. In 'Welcome' we see the Jesus Christ to be in the slight background in comparison to the Maori head, as if to say that the British came later; and then the Maori head slightly in the foreground however he is below the British face, as if to then say that the British and with them bringing ideas of Christianity favour themselves as being above the Maori race. I think this picture is a great depiction of the way New Zealanders can view colonization and the treaty of Waitangi.

Some other works by Cotton I think relate to the previous two include;

The Hanging Sky (2007) Shane Cotton

7. Tony Albert's installation 'Sorry' (2008) reflect the effects of colonization on the aboriginal people of Australia. Research the work and comment on what Albert is communicating through his work, and what he is referring to. Describe the materials that Albert uses on this installation and say what he hopes his work can achieve. Define the term 'kitsch'.

Albert is communicating something similar to what Cotton has done, except using the arrival of European Australian's to Australia disrupting the native Aboriginal. In his featured work 'Sorry' we see a large letters made up of Albert refers to as 'Aboringinalia' meaning paraphenalia of the Aboriginal. Include in this are portraits of the Aboriginal which have been labelled 'kitsch' and also these portraits were very stereotypically Aboriginal. Through this work he is trying to express how 'sorry' the European Australians were for how they treated the Aboriginals. The reason for why this means something to Albert is because he is half Aboriginal. The term 'kitsch' is commonly known as something cute and quaint but the actual meaning of it is something that is inferior to other types of work. It is not particularly aesthetically pleasing nor is it worth much in value.

8. Explain how the work of both artists relates to pluralism.

We can relate both these artists work back to Pluralism because they are relating juxtaposing views of different races in the same country in order to help each race understand one another.

References

One Foot In The Art World (2010) http://best-of-3.blogspot.com/2010/09/surrender-experiment-in-looking.html

Daly - Peoples, J. Shane Cotton, New Work (2010) http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/shane-cotton-paintings-examine-cultural-landscape-126412

Cotton, S. (2010) Shane Cotton, to and fro. Rossi and Rossi, LTD.

The James Wallace Art Trust (unknown) http://www.wallaceartstrust.org.nz/

Sorensen, R., Tony Albert (2009) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/curios-of-the-contemporary/story-e6frg8n6-1111119151528

Kehinde Wiley and inter-textuality

3. Kehinde Wiley Count Potocki, 2008 oil on canvas, 274.3 x 274.3cm

4. Kehinde Wiley Support Army and Look after People, 2007 oil on canvas, 258.4 x 227.3cm


1. Find a clear definition of Intertextuality and quote it accurately on your blog using the APA referencing system. Use your own words to explain the definition more thoroughly.

"Intertextuality is the shaping of texts' meanings by other texts. It can include an author’s borrowing and transformation of a prior text or to a reader’s referencing of one text in reading another. The term “intertextuality” has, itself, been borrowed and transformed many times since it was coined by poststructuralist Julia Kristeva in 1966"
Agger, Gunhild Intertextuality Revisited: Dialogues and Negotiations in Media Studies. Canadian Journal of Aesthetics, 4, 1999.

This means that an idea is nothing without ideas to create what it means. Almost every single idea comes from something that has made it. Everything that we see in the world around us, especially in art, because it comes from a previous influence. The thought that 'the artist is the con-artist' comes in to this, regardless of who create what previously, it is what we as viewers are seeing at the times counts. Therefore anything before this is disregarded.

2. Research Wiley's work and write a paragraph that analyzes how we might make sense of his work. Identify intertextuality in Wiley's work.

We make sense of Wiley's work that coming to the understanding that he probably has grown-up surrounded by African Americans who act tough and perhaps a certain way and then adding his own twist to the work, this being flowers and the African Americans in the subject matter of his work acting 'camp' and more blatantly - homosexual. He is combining two unlikely stereotypes and making it work, whilst probably offending many blacks. We can see intertextuality in Wiley's work because although this is a bold statement, like many artworks we see in this day and age, we have seen it before and this is nothing new, so to speak.

3. Wiley's work relates to next weeks Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Read page 46 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.

Pluralism is used to describe juxtaposing ideas in one particular piece of work. In this case Wiley has used black men posing in flamboyant clothing that is related to that of the renaissance. Other than the obvious of how this is clashing because of how ridiculous these black men look in these outfits the time of the renaissance was when the black man was still considered a lower race, and these men, should they have existed in this time, would be in slavery or something similar, not in such extravagant clothing. Wiley has preented the idea, of what many people were clearly thinking, and these ideas can be represented as pluralism.

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

Wiley's work, for obvious reasons, has raised many questions in different areas. Some cultures feel as though homosexuality is a sin and is extremely frowned upon, different stereotypes feel as though his work is an insult and a poor portrayal of their way of being. Wiley plucks his subjects from the streets- largely in New York. Many of his subjects are asked to pose in ways that renaissance painters were done in, making them seem very old fashioned and because of how they are done, gay. This is way out of its time and this is also against the way things are done in this western world.

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

I think that Wiley has done a very good job of creating a new way of thinking in the western world. Although this has been done before we would be hard pressed to find something like this. I like how he has painted his subjects in the era of the 1800's and renaissance, and how because this when placed in this day and age feels completely different to how it would back then.

Wiley's paintings have been said to "blur the boundaries between traditional and contemporary representation.." I believe this statement to be very much true.

References

Unknown., (2006) Textuality and Inter-Textuality in the Mahabharata: Sarup and Sons

Wiley, K., (2010) Kehinde Wiley: The World Stage Brazil: Roberts and Tilton

Kehinde Wiley, USA (2006) http://www.usanetwork.com/characterapproved/honorees/kehinde/

Hussein Chalayan

Burka (1996) Hussein Chalayan

Afterwords (2000) Hussein Chalayan

1. Chalayan’s works in clothing, like Afterwords (2000) and Burka (1996) , are often challenging to both the viewer and the wearer. 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?

My Personal response to this particular work is that the work is clearly a western spin on an eastern concept. The artist is implying that when a part of eastern religion or culture is placed in the west, instead of taking that idea away, they turn it in to something the people of the west can relate to, by making it sexual and therefore more appealing, so to speak.

I think that both these pieces can be called art, just as both can be called fashion. The reason for this being that in fashion, the extreme pieces you see on the runaway and so forth look like this- they are inventive and crazy and not intended to be worn. Henceforth making them fashion and art. Also, who to say what is art and what art is not, this depends all on what the artist or designer wants to call it and how the audience wants to interpret this piece.

Fashion is made fashion because it is created with an idea in mind, it follows a thought process and interests people. I disagree that not all clothing is fashion, because I think that it is. The reason I think this is because all clothing is fashion to SOMEONE, or has been fashionable at SOMETIME.

2. 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?

When this happens I believe that yes, it is still art it just means that the idea behind the create has changed and instead if being art for the sake of art it has become art for commercial reasons. The opinion of him as an artist would absolutely change and a lot of respect probably had been lost for him as fellow artists would say he had sold out. No one is really to say for sure whether this is true or not, it is just personal opinion.

3. 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?

There are many movements that Chalayan could have been influenced by. In his work 'Absent Presence' he relates the work to ideas such as identity, geography, genetics, biology and anthropology. I think he has been influenced by post-modernism, as he shows a disregard for previous ideas of modernism.

Absent Presence (2005) Hussein Chalayan

4. 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. So when and why is it important that the artist personally made the piece?

Once upon a time this was not the case whatsoever. However now that the times have changed, if an artist has money then he can do whatever he chooses. It would be deemed necessary that before an artist of any kind start off from the bottom, creating his own works, in order to establish himself. When he has made this establishment and created a large enough revenue then no one really cares whether it is the 'artists' or the 'unknown workers' create the piece.

Readings, Spring, Summer (2007) Hussein Chalayan

References

Hussein Chalayan, Art 100, (2011) http://art100.wikispaces.com/Hussein+Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan, 2005 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Chalayan, H., (2011) Hussein Chalayan - From Fashion and Back: Bss Bijutsu

Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

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

- Post modernism does not deny modernism, however it is in a whole different sense that is trying to revive more traditional ideas.

- It is the philosophical movement that was trying to get away from modernism

- It says that all of our realities are nothing more than ideas created by social movements and groups and so forth

- It is "having rejected the past many years ago and now the future is no longer the goal of artistic effort.." Witcombe (2000)

- Post modernism is a hugely important theory behind all sorts of creations such as the theatre, books, cinema, journalism etc..

- Post modernism is merely a different perspective on modernism

- The progress of these two movements grew from the Enlightenment

- Post modernism rejects the ideas of 'subjectivity' and 'objectivity'

- The social constructs that are of the time and our ideas can be changed at any time depending on what the people who concern it see fit

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

"The name given to this new period is Post modernism. The Term post modernism is used in a confusing variety of ways. For some it means anti-modern; for others the revision of modernist premises" Witcombe (2000) pg. 18

3. Use the grid on pages 42 and 43 to summarize the list of the features of Post-
Modernity.

- Social and cultural

- Play of surfaces, no concern for depth

- Hyper-reality

- High culture in regards to popular culture and then combining the two

- Art not only how it is but also the process, performance and production.

- It's work is hugely ironic

5. Research Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994)
in order to say what features of the work are Post-Modern.

The reason for why Ai Weiwei's work is considered post-modern is because of how it combines two different ideas in a very ironic manner. In the images below we see a monumental urn, obviously priceless, and the artist has proceeded to print on to it the 'coca cola' symbol. Here we can judge that Ai Weiwei is an artist of the post-modern era for combing these two very different ideas. The next image is of him dropping the priceless urn, all for the sake of art. Post-modernism makes us believe that for the sake of any kind of art, nothing material really matters that much, because it is constantly interchangeable and mailable.

Han Dynasty With Coca Cola Label (1994) Ai Wei Wei

Ai Wei Wei Dropping Han Dynasty Urn


6. Research British artist Banksy's street art, and analyze the following two works by the artist
to discuss how each work can be defined at Post-Modern.(Use your list from point 6.)

Street artist Bansky is primarily know for two reason. One of the reasons is that he stealthily does works of graffiti around major cities and in doing so has made himself infamous all over the world. The second reason is because no-one actually knows who Banksy is. There is a huge amount of speculation in to this and many thoughts as to who or what he is, some say that Banksy is not one person, but actually a collective of people and while others say he is actually one person parading around behind a monkey mask whilst he has a personal assistant handling the other side of things, the way Banksy operates in a post-modern act in itself, for it is rejecting the modern ways. His works too, are clearly that of post-modern workings, because they reject the tradtional mediums of art, and all of his work belongs to the people who see it, because it is on public buildings in public and such.

Flower Riot Banksy

Los Angeles (2008) Banksy

References

Banksy., (2007) Wall and Piece: Random House, UK

Weiwei, A., (2006-2009) Ai Wei Wei's Blog: The MIT Press

Butler, C., (2003) Post Modernism : A Very Short Introduction: Oxford University Press, USA

Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'.

It's The Mother (2008) Nathalie Djurberg

Nesessity of Loss (2006) Nathalie Djurberg


1. What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?

Claymation is a form of art in which the artist builds minature (or otherwise) models of clay figurines, and whilst filming this moves the figurines into position so that they create a motion picture of 'claymation.' However, claymation does not have to be it for motion purposes, it can also just be the figures by themselves.

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

The term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden' in my opinion from the research I have found, means a perfect sanctum, perhaps that is so perfect, it seems surreal, meaning that it is not real in any sense of the word, and makes us feel uneasy because this place can just not be so. The term 'all that is natural goes awry' meaning that the nautral order of something has become so entirely disjointed so it is no longer what it is meant to be and instead mayhem exsists in it's place.

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

Djurberg confronts us with the knowledge that the human emotion is a difficult thing in bring together or pin down. They are so complex that they hold many secrets aswell as many different layers of being, in Djuberg's work we see images of great destress aswell as that of great joy. She combines all these different emotions in to one emotion and this is where we can see the ''complexity of emotions."

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

As claymation is often a medium used to create work for children, we can therefore note the child-like ideas she has brought in to it. The characters (some of them) hold a child-like simplicity and also the ideas that they have are that of those children would sometimes have. Although for the main part I would think that while, yes, there is the childish thought there, it is very minor compared to the vulgar and tainted ideas of the real world.

5. 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 the reason for this is because, for the very simple reason that they can. Artists are forever pushing the boundaires of what is politically correct and what is not. The idea that we can turn something that is meant for children into something pornographic is just further proof that the world is becoming twisted and our minds are completely desensitized where as a few decades ago something like this would be completely frowned upon. This type of work is just physical proof that the world is changing and growing, fast.

6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?

Because in its own right it is very beautiful and moving. Djuberg clearing has talent and flair for the kind of work she does, and it is very different and controversial to many other things that are being produced. People, as a whole, love to see things that disgust them and push their imaginations further. This is why I believe she won the Silver Lion, because her work showed much promise to push the ideas of the surreal onwards.

7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.

Although I think she is very talented and I have enjoyed looking at her work aswell as researching her, I do not care very much for what she is doing. It is not the kind of thing I enjoy. Not so much the ideas she is portraying because I think it is very courageous for a young girl to be creating such things, I just don't care much for claymation.


References;
Nathalie Djurberg, Kaput Art Magazine (2006) http://www.meatspaceart.org/meatspacesite/kaput02/02/sansone.htm

Nathalie Djurberg, RFC Muesum (2008)http://www.rfc.museum/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=350&Itemid=552

Venice Biennale: Nathalie Djurberg (2009) http://we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2009/10/nathalie-djurberg-who-won-the.php

Modernism and Post-Modernism

Self Portrait (1998) Chuck Close

Maggie (1996) Chuck Close

Water Lillies (1920) Claude Monet

Water Lillies (1920) Claude Monet

1. Outline the intentions of each artist.
The intentions of both of the artists were to take a normal subject matter, as they have shown, such as people or flowers, are represented that common subject matter in an entirely different way. Designed to question the viewer and make the viewer think, quite clearly, out of the box, and to extend the viewers mind outside of a normal comfort zone in order to express themselves as artists better and also more creatively.

2. Describe the techniques of each artist
Chuck Close uses a straight line of a brush stroke and then used these to create many box-like shapes that close in on themselves. He has used these in various colours and shades to then create the final picture. The materials in which he used to do these paintings include; a razor blade, an airbrush, rags and an eraser in which was attached to a power drill. He became well known before this as he decided to throw away all his regular tools such as paintbrushes and started to only use tools of a bizarre nature when it came to creating paint art works.

Claude Monet has an similar idea of creating his work, but at the same time is also entirely different to what Close has done. Monet has painted the as he probably sees the subject matter as an artist. The flowers have been painted with a slight blur to them, which again, challenges the viewer to think outside the square. Another reason for why Monet may have painted these works with a slight blur is because whilst he was doing this work he suffered from eye cataracts. Monet did 20 paintings in this series of the water lillies, so then became one of his most famous pieces.

3. Find 2 quotes about each artists work, and reference them correctly.
"the illusion of an endless whole, of water without horizon or bank....."the refuge of a peaceful meditation in the center of a flowering aquarium." Claude Monet, The Museum of Modern Art, (1926) http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5100003&CID=5447010003801a

"en plein air" (outdoor) techniques for painting" Eugène Boudin (1857) http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/monet/

"Chuck Close is an American artist noted for his highly inventive techniques used to paint the human face. He is best known for his large-scale, Photo-Realist portraits." Anon (unknown) http://bigthink.com/chuckclose

"I threw away my tools,I chose to do things I had no facility with. The choice not to do something is in a funny way more positive than the choice to do something. If you impose a limit to not do something you've done before, it will push you to where you've never gone before." Chuck Close (2009) http://www.chuckclose.coe.uh.edu/

4. Note 3 similarities of the work of both artists.

- Both use a different kind of brush stroke
- Both approach the work with photo-realism and hyper realism
- Both are trying to push the boundaries of art for their time

5. What are some differences between the artist's work. (at least 3)

- The subject matter each artist uses is entirely different
- The inspirations that each of the artists paint from are obvious, and because of the time are in ways trying to achieve something different
- To the viewer, the works are completely different.

6. Describe your response to the work of both artists.

As an individual, I think that I respond better to the works of Monet out of the two artists mentioned in this blog. Because I personally just prefer the more classical type of art work from this era. I like both the subject matter and the way Monet has painted.

Also, I personally am not a fan of Close's works. Though I fully can appreciate the work that he has done and I do like how he has not used a conventional way of painting, this makes him different and more talented then most artists of his time for pushing the boundaries as he has done.

Claude Monet, Biography, (2003) http://www.chuckclose.coe.uh.edu/

Tucker, P.H, (1998) Claude Monet: Life and Art. Yale University Press.

Finch, C., (2010) Chuck Close: Work Prestel, USA.

Finch, C., (2010 Chuck Close: Life Prestek, USA.

Industrialisation and Cao Fei's RMB City

Umberto Boccioni (1910) The City Rises

Dynamism of Dog on a Leash (1912) Giacomo Balla

1. What and when was the Industrial Revolution?

The Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century and continued into the 19th. It was an era inwhich began in the United Kingdom and from there on spread to Europe and so on. What the Industrial Revolution is itself is the huge changes the began in the fields of agriculture, business, technology, manufacturing, and transportation. These changes had huge inpact on all aspects of the economy.

2. Research both Modernist paintings in order to comment on the subject matter, form and style used to celebrate the machine and motion in each painting. Answer the question in 2 parts for each painting.

In Boccioni's work 'The City Rises' we see a city in quite clear uproar. The subject matter consists of what looks like some sort of fox-like beast taking over a city. The fact that our attention is drawn to the subject matter of the background, in which is an array of buildings, we can tell that Boccioni's work is intended to be in a Modernist style and we can therefore relate this work to industrialisation.

The reason for this fact we can refer this work to industrialisation is because the subject matter is harsh and dirty. The fact the work refers to the destruction of the city through motion, we as viewers get a sense of the work being some what machine-like, because it is often that machine is seen as something dirty and destructive. Boccioni as indeed intended for this in his work as we see here.


The subject matter of Balla's work features a dog quite clearly in motion. The way he has painted it leads us to believe that this is true, he has painted the dog itself and then continued to turn it on an angle and keep painting it this way. He has used a classical form of painting and then added an industrial twist to the work.

This work portrays the movement of the city and the harsh reality which is that of the city. We can relate this work to industrialism because it shows the nature of the new industrialised city in which Balla was clearly influenced by.

3. Research Cao Fei's RMB City (2007-9) in order to comment on this work in more depth.

RMB City was a work created by Fei as something the viewer could actually go and interact with themselves. It is said to be known as a type of 'online city' which one can go and push the boundairies between the physical exsistance of ones self as well as pushing that of the virtual self. This work took Fei almost 2 years to complete and holds a lot of meaning in regards to the Industrial movement itself. RMB city was used for the creation of several films and also as a live theatre.

I personally very much like this work and think it has been very well done.

4. RMB City is described as a utopia/dystopia. Comment on what these terms mean, and how they can be applied to the work.

RMB City has been described as utopia/dystopia because of the subject matter involved in the piece. It is an array of different things and different pieces of scenery. One, we can call this utopia because utopia is a word used to describe a picture perfect place inwhich displays the perfect kind of world. However dystopia is used to describe a mismatched type of scenery or world. These two terms can be applied to the work RMB City because it is something which makes the viewer think of a place which is an unrealistic euphoria of a world and then the mismatched mixed up feeling we get from the work.

5. Although the Modernist paintings and the contemporary digital work have emerged from
different contexts, there are also many similarities. Comment on the similarities that you can see in the work. Look at the moving digital image at vimeo.com/4272260, if you have not
already researched it.

Although RMB City is different in many ways to the previously discussed Modernist work from many years ago, it still holds true that there are a lot of similarites. These simlarites can be seen in the fact that both of the works are based on motion and machine, where as when Balla and Boccioni were creating their works they had to be far clever with the means that they expressed themselves when showing motion and movement, where as thanks to modern day technology, Fei is able to express himself much, much more fluidly. Both of RMB City and the Modernist works has usewd machine to further the kind of destruction they viewed as being placed during each of their times.


The Industrial Revolution – Innovations. (2011) Industrialrevolution.sea.ca.

People's Monthly 01 Issue", ed. RMB City, (2008)

Fei,C. (2009) Cao Fei: PRD Anti-Heroes Museum Het Domein.

Dubovsky. F,.(1996) Industrialism and the American Worker, 1865-1920 (American History Series) Harlan Davidson

Landscape and the Sublime

On The Beach (2003) Richard Misrach

Untitled 2 (2002) Richard Misrach

Wanderer In The Mists (1818) Caspar David Friedrich

1. What and when was the Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment happened during the midst of the 18th century and is commonly reffered to as the age of reason, and it was called that because this was the time "when man began to use his reason to discover the world, casting off the superstition and fear of the medieval world." Aude Sapere (1999.) The Enlightenment was thought of as not ideas but actual values and beliefs, this was because the ideas within The Enlightenment were often quite contradicting with each other, and so bought about the phenomenon inwhich people began to lead lives based on The Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was not only big in europe, but also in America and Australia, and other places as such.

2. Define the concept of the Sublime.

The Sublime in some ways, is much like The Enlightenment. The Sublime was the notion that us as humans were able to transend above and beyond normal human emotion. To be able to fully appreciate and become apart of The Sublime, one had to have the the belief that there was more to ourselves then what we could see. This includes the belief in paranormal activity, life after death, our souls not exclusively belonging to our bodies, and so forth.

3. How did the concept of the Sublime come out of the Enlightenment thought?

The Sublime was one of the many ideas that the The Enlightenment gave birth to. In this new age of Enlightenment people had become accoustmed to taking in new beliefs that prior to the beginning of The Enlightenment they would of not had the mind brod enough to do so. We can see The Sublime coming through in many aspects of The Enlightenment, such as people opening their minds to the fact that although God was not the be all and end all, science still could not explain everything. Thus ideas began to form that suggested that there was life beyond death and perhaps it wasn't heaven or hell. The Sublime became a great concept to work with through art as it depicted great, vast landscapes completely secular, showing only the beauty and serenity of man in nature.

4. Discuss the subject matter, and aesthetic (look) of Misrach's work to identify the Sublime in his work. Add some more images of his work.

Misrach was greatly known for his minimalistic approach to painting. Depicted in his works we see a stretch of land that quite clearly goes on for miles without anything except one or two people, clearly doing nothing but relaxing. Misrach opens our eyes up to the great nothing which is the beauty of nature, this is what The Sublime teaches. The amazing thing which is that no matter what we build and where, nature will always take its course and act of its own accord, and nothing we do is ever for sure or forever. Misrach draws us in to the beauty of nature and of The Sublime.

Man With Rifle (2001) Richard Misrach

5. Identify some other artists or designers that work with ideas around the Sublime, from the Enlightenment era as well as contemporary artists.

Another artist that worked largely around the idea of The Sublime was Salvador Dalí. He used bizarre out of place objects and painted them with the idea of the Sublime in context. As I have put here you see the melted clocks in the foreground of a vast background. He is obviously not as such a contemporary artist but did become a forerunner for this kind of work.

Persistence of Memory (1931) Salvador Ali

Barnett Newman was quoted as saying his work focused around some ideas of the Sublime and the Enlightenment. His work basically solely consisted of large paintings of one or two colours and could either leave plenty or not much at all to the imagination.

Untitled (1970) Barnett Newman

A famous photographer by the name of would take photographs of beautiful scenery from helicopters and paragliders and through what he photographs we can see is influenced largely by the Sublime.

Untitled (2002) Benutzer Flyout

Also another photographer who was famous for this kind if Sublime photography was David Wilman

Snowdonia (2010) David Wilman

6. How does Misrach's photography make you feel? Does it appeal to your imagination?

Misrach's photography does to me exactly what he probably intended it to. He makes me feel at peace and serene and most defiently gives me a much greater appreciation for the Sublime. Because of the emptiness of space and landscape seen in his work it leaves plenty for the imagination. We begin to wonder what exactly Misrach saw we he took that particular photograph and if it is that same as we feel.

7. Add a Sublime image of your choice to your blog, which can be Art or just a Sublime photograph.

Japan Tsunami (2011) Unknown

Science and reason- Video art by Pipilotti Rist

Still from 'Ever Is All Over (1997)'

1. Define the 17th century 'Scientific Revolution', and say how it changed European thought and world view.

The Scientific Revolution of the 17th century was where science became a huge part of the way an indiviual percieved the world. The world for the individual was primarly percieved as the church wanted it to be, and there was no room for other opinion. With the rise of the Scientific Revolution finally other views and beliefs were able to be publically shared. This revolutionised the religious system, in the churches view this was obviously for the worse, people could now openly question what the church had lead them to believe and with this the social status of the church fell greatly.

2. Give examples of how we can we still see evidence of the 'Scientific Revolution' in the world today.

We can still see evidence of the Scientific Revolution today in the fact that religion, though a very dominant part of society around the world, is not as promininent as it once was. Because of the Scientific Revolution the religious society was changed for better in some cases, and for always. By teaching science in public schools as a way of explaining how we came to be has become the most common rite of teaching children. Children are not publicly taught to believe in God as they were during the renaissance, obviously this is not the same for private religious schools but for the government funded and led schools it is the case.

Research Pipilotti Rist's video installations to answer the following;

3. From your research, do you think that the contemporary art world values art work
that uses new media/technology over traditional media?

The contemporary art world, in my opinion, does not value video media art works as much as traditional works as video media is seen as far less tangible then something we can physically hold, and something that is of great meaning to art collecters, have and hold and collect. As soon as we move into the video media side of art, it becomes freely accessable. Anyone can go on to a site such as You Tube and get as much as they like out of it, free of charge. This is, of course, art for the ever changing world. As technology gets more and more advanced we all feel far less need to actually own paintings and sculptures, even DVD movies and CD albums. Because it's all right infront of us on a little screen.

4. How has Pipilotti Rist used new media/technology to enhance the audience's experience of her work.

In one of Rist's works that I watched, she used a fairly wellknown song and changed the tone of it to make it sound ridiculous. Featured in the video itself, we see a perhaps middle aged lady (though because it is blurly and out of focus it is hard to tell) quite obviously topless dancing around. Rist has used self ridicule through video media to attract a crowd and connect with them on a higher level. If a photograph is one picture and a 2 minute video 1000 pictures, then there is bound to be far more work to appreciate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJgiSyCr6BY
I'm Not A Girl Who Misses Much (1986) Pipilotti Rist

5. Comment on how the installation, sound and scale of 'Ever is Over All' (1997) could impact on the audience's experience of the work.

By playing something as expressive as this on such a large scene is a great indication as to how the audience would view the work. The sound and scale give note as to how exactly, we as viewers, are supposed to view the work. We can almost take the sense of boldness in a work as instuction to how the work was orginally, in the artists mind, meant to be seen. The factors of the work seen that Rist has used, I think were intended to heighten the audiences view of the work.

6. Comment on the notion of 'reason' within the content of the video. Is the woman's behaviour reasonable or unreasonable?

The 'reason' behind said womans actions are entirely how each individual wishes to interpret. If we are to look at her actions as being for the sake of 'art' then as 'artists' ourselves we are able to appreciate the beauty in the act of her smashing up car windows. However from a different perspective if one were to see this lady in real time walking down the street in real time, if would be grounds for arrest. I think that the point of the work is that because it is film we are torn between knowing if this is actually real/not real, acceptable/unacceptable.

7. Comment on your 'reading' (understanding) of the work by discussion the aesthetic (look), experience and the ideologies (ideas, theories) of the work.

The work for me, has proved to me that contemporary art is not something we are able to pin down and class as anything. It is one of the most contervesial and speculated over things in the world within this day and age. The work Rist has created is indeed beautiful and moving but as all art, when is enough enough? Or is that the point of contemprary art? It seems so.

The History Guide - Scientific Revolution, Main Page (2002) Steven Kreis http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture10c.html

Ferris, T. (2010) The Science of Liberty: Democracy, Reason, and the Laws of Nature Harper, UK.

Rist, P. (2006) Pipilotti Rist Dumont.

The Social Status of The Artist

Self Portrait In Fur Coat (1500) Albrecht Durer

Knob (1997) Gavin Turk

Damien Hirst and Maria Norman (1995) Anon

1. Identify aspects of Durer's self portrait that show a changing view of the artist's view of himself as
an individual.
During the renaissance period a front on view was reserved for God's only. For mere mortals they were painted on a three point angle and Durer was very daring and narcissistic to paint himself in this way. Another point that makes us as viewers think Durer thought very highly of himself was because he painted fur with himself which was an expensive commodity. Self portraits Durer has done of himself previously were painted in a much less impressive manner which leaves us to believe that as Durer grew as an artist he had an higher and higher view of himself as an individual.

2. Explain how the artist's social status increased during the Renaissance period. Briefly explain why this happened.
During the renaissance period the gradual social increase throughout Italy and Europe was due to the fact that Europe gained a vast amount of wealth during this time because of the trade centres erected and due to the growing social status of the countries the artists benefited also because people were able to afford art work and galleries. This made art a lot more prominent and sort after and therefore the artists were held in higher regard then previously in the renaissance.

3. Comment on Gavin Turk's work in relation to individualism, status of the artist and egotism.

Individualism, according to a website (1986) by Lexicon Ayn Rand , is the idea and movement that each and everyman has the right to be whomever he wants to be and do whatever he wants to do with his life. Gavin Turk has used this idea to turn his work into something we can note as being conceited as the majority of his work solely consists of his name, used in different styles and mediums. This is taking the social status of the artist further because on what Durer used to make himself look better through art Turk is doing in a modern way, by making his artwork just about himself.

Love Turk (2009) Gavin Turk

Untitled (2009) Gavin Turk

By looking at an artists work such as Turk we can relate individualism, social status and egotisim all in one. Egotism is clearly an artist thinking greatly of himself and thinking that the viewers of art would of course want to see works that revolve solely around himself. By purposely putting the subject of his work in a form of self portrait we can gather a large amount of Egotism from the artist.

4. Comment on Damien Hirst's use of his work and the media for self promotion.

Damien Hirst has become known for his use of self portrait for self promotion, aswell as photos taken of him at public places almost becoming self portraits of himself also. He uses public stunts through the media for the promotion of his work, selling himself through the media to create sales and quite importantly, hype for himself. Hirst has become wellknown for doing obscure self portraits of himself to gain attention.

5. Find 2 images of work by artists or designers that reflects some of the ideas of individualism,
self promotion or egotism that have been discussed on this blog. Upload images to your blog, title and date the work, identify the artist/designer and comment on the work in relation to the question.

My Bed (1998) Tracey Emin

Tracey Emin reflects individualism in the sense that this is a personal work reflecting the artist herself to a high degree. Emin has taken her own bed inclusive of the surroundings which include delicate and intimate objects such as women's unmentionables, condoms, empty wine bottles, tissues and placed them exactly how they would be in her own room. Tha artist of the work has been known for her works that refer to the most intimate aspects of her life, and she uses herself as the main subject for most of her work. We can relate Tracey's work to not only individualism but also to egotism and self promotion as she is using her own self to sell herself, individualism comes into it by the artists own right to create works of what she chooses, as it is her freewill, regardless of what her viewers think or how she is judged for it.

I've Got It All (2000) Tracey Emin

Another work in which Emin uses individualism, egotism, and self promotion for the promotion of her work in a manner that works very well for the type of art she produces. The Emin work I have featured here is a self portrait in the form of a photograph. Emin has taken this photo most likely using a tripod and it features her sitting surrounded by money implying the success, fame and riches she has gained from being an artist. We can see from this work that Whiteread is showing off what she has made of herself therefore we can very much relate this to egotisim as she thinks very highly of herself, and with good right too, I suppose.

6. How do you think artists and designers are viewed in Western society today?

Artists and designers are viewed in this day and age by the Western society as people who can transform any idea or thought that could possibly cross their mind in to anything they wanted, anything that is expressed using a creative medium we can call as art. Artists and designers can even just use the simple idea of a work and call it 'conceptual.' I personally think that artists and designers have become absoultely anyone with a creative thought that crosses their mind. Todays Western society has made it so that you don't even need to be talented in the area of art and design as long as you have the money to hire the people needed to create that work for you.

Gavin Turk, Gavin Turk Biography (2007)
http://www.skny.com/artists/gavin-turk/

Individualism, Definition of Indiviualism (2007)
http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/individualism.html

Social and Economic Changes During the Renaissance, Title page (2006)
http://www.all-about-renaissance-faires.com/renaissance_info/economic_social_and_religious_change_in_the_renaissance.htm