Week 6 - 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 art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns.' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_art) I think Kapoor's work is definitely considered conceptual art. His sculptures are very interesting and go outside what people consider 'art' and what they could see just by looking at them.

Obit sculpture

Dirty Corner

Cloud Gate

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.
Obit Sculpture 'Their Orbit tower is not consensual, or easy to make sense of. It is wild and unexpected. It is, I believe, the most exciting British public artwork since House. Those who commissioned and created it deserve acclaim for choosing electricity over dull consensus.' (Jones, J guardian.co.uk) This sculpture was made for the 2012 London Olympics and was not consented by the public so it was quite controversial. 'Inside, they gradually lose their perception of space, as it gets progressively darker and darker until there is no light, forcing people to use their other senses to guide them through the space.' This is Dirty Corner. A sculpture by Kapoor that creates an experience of the other senses that aren't sight, which is our main sense.  Cloud Gate is a sculpture in Chicago with a reflective surface. He talks about these objects in terms of painting: the effect, he explains, of a traditional painted surface is to draw the viewer into a space that apparently recedes beyond the picture plane. In the mirror pieces, by contrast, "the space doesn't recede - it comes out at you ... a new sublime that's forward of the picture plane." (guardian.co.uk)


3.Discuss the large scale 'site specific' work that has been installed on a private site in New Zealand.
The piece is called 'Dismemberment, Site 1' It is 'Composed of a vast PVC membrane stretched between the two giant steel ellipses.' 'Kapoor has commented, “I want to make body into sky”. At the farm he achieves this. Here, the artist had to devise a form that was both freestanding and capable of surviving a constant arm-wrestle with the sky and the mercurial weather conditions.'

4. Where is the Kapoor's work in New Zealand? What are its form and materials? What are the ideas behind the work?
it's located on a private farm called 'Gibbs Farm' in Kaipara Harbour.
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?
I like the Dirty Corner. I am interested to see what kind of reactions different people would have as their sense of sight is taken away. I really like how he is making his art an experience so that people can interact and react with the work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_art
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/may/15/anish-kapoor-olympic-park-public-art
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/14982/anish-kapoor-dirty-corner.html
http://fabricarchitecturemag.com/articles/0110_sk_sculpture.html
http://gibbsfarm.org.nz/kapoor.php
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/nov/08/anish-kapoor-interview

Week 5 - Pluralism and the Treat of Waitangi

1. Define the term 'pluralism' using APA referencing.
'Pluralism in art refers to the nature of artforms ad the artists as diverse. The cultural context of individuals of differing ethnicities, genders, ideologies, abilities, ages, religions, economic status and educational levels in valued. Pluralism honours differences within and between equitable groups while seeing their commonalities' (Caldwell, 1990)
2. How would you describe New Zealand's current dominant culture?
New Zealand's dominant culture is a mixture of the british and maori influence.

3. Before 1840, what was New Zealand's dominant culture?
Maori were still the dominant culture but the british population were progressively growing because of the whalers and sealers, missionaries, and traders.

4. How does the Treaty of Waitangi relate to us all as artists and designers working
in New Zealand?
There is a lot of cultural diversity in New Zealand and that effects post modern art because of pluralism. Without the Treaty of Waitangi there might have been a different culture in NZ. Maori could be the dominant culture.

5. How can globalization be seen as having a negative effect on 'regional diversity' that leads to a 'homogenized world culture' in New Zealand in particular? (ALVC2 handbook page 52, http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/globalization)
Countries that are wealthier could take advantage of poorer countries and this means they become the dominant culture in that country. In New Zealand this happened with the British taking advantage of the Maori by both of them signing the Treaty of Waitangi. This meant the British were very well done by this deal and it left the Maori out of land and their population didn't grow as fast as the British.

6. Shane Cotton's paintings are said to examine the cultural landscape. Research Cotton's work 'Welcome'(2004) and 'Three quarter view ' (2005) to analyze what he is saying about colonialization and the Treaty of Waitangi.
Cotton's Three Quarter View is a mixture of Maori and british aspects. The main image is of Barnet Burns, a british flax trader that decided to get a full face tattoo and live with Maori. 'The combination alludes to the complex relationship between Christianity, colonialism and contemporary culture. Cotton’s art questions the notion of cultural identity, looking instead to the space between Maori and Pakeha perspectives.' 

Shane Cotton Welcome (2004)

Shane Cotton Three Quarter View (2005)

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.
Albert uses kitsch ans stereotypical items placed on the word 'SORRY' to reflect on the pain Aborigines have suffered over the years by the British. "My work is always about appropriation, that's why it exists," Albert says. "The Sorry work is about my personal collection which, in a way, was always a comfort to me. There were images of Aboriginal people around me and my collecting these objects was my way of marking my respect."

Tony Albert Sorry (2008)

8. Define the term 'kitsch'.
'something of tawdry design, appearance, or content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste.'

9. Explain how the work of both artists relates to pluralism.
They take from different cultures and and their difficulties and create something that is both a celebration of the culture as much as it is bringing attention to all the problems and hardships they have suffered in the hands of the British. 
http://cs.nga.gov.au/Detail.cfm?IRN=149998
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/kitsch
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/curios-of-the-contemporary/story-e6frg8n6-1111119151528

Week 4 - Kehinde Wiley and inter-textuality

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 defined as 'any one text (written or visual) is influenced, or made up of a variety of other earlier texts. As a result the notion of intertextuality suggests that whenever we try to make sense of a text (written or visual) we are constantly referring back to our understanding of its influences to help us understand it.' (Chandler, 2003) In art, especially postmodern art, there is a big emphasis on taking for the old to create new. This means the relationship between two or more texts to create a new piece is constant in postmodernism.

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. 

Wiley's works with mixing urban hip hop subject matter with renaissance style and backdrops. He lifts  "...his subjects straight from the street and rendering them-complete with sneakers, track pants, tank tops, and team caps-in the visual language of classic European portraiture." (Interviewmagazine.com) This means that he is taking two very different texts and creating a relationship between them that compliments each other. It creates "a mash-up of museum treasure and the urban life outside of its gates." Even if we don't know the exact reference for the works, we immediately think of both the renaissance and hip hop. But the meaning behind these works lies in the relationship of the two texts when put together.

3. Wiley's work relates to next weeks Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Read page 51 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.

Pluralism relates to postmodernism because it creates that same diversity that intertextuality does. According to Caldwell (1990) 'The cultural context of individuals of differing ethnicities, genders, ideologies, abilities, ages, religions, economic status and educational levels in valued.' This relates back to Wiley's works because he is putting a new twist on the classic renaissance painting by putting in black men in hip hop/urban gear. This creates a different reading and diversity within the same style of art. 

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 takes paintings from the renaissance and reinvents them. In those times there was a very split hierarchy of while males that ruled most of the world while blacks were considered slaves. Through putting these men in hip hop gear in a renaissance context it raises many questions about whether that hierarchy has changes over all those years.

Kehinde Wiley Untitled (2009)

Van Dyck Prince Thomas

5. Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that
you have read during your research.
I really find the mixture of old and new in Wiley's work very interesting. The bright colours of the renaissance backgrounds in contrast with their originals really make them pop out and grab your attention. 

http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/kehinde-wiley/#_
Chandler, D (2003) Intertextuality. Retrieved 9 Oct, 2003 from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem09.html (ALVC 2 resource book)
http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/paintings.html

Week 3- Hussein Chalayan and Post-Modern Fashion

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? (Research some definitions  for these terms.)
I think Chalayan's work is very provocative (especially Burka) but I find the meaning behind the works interesting and certainly it would be viewed differently by people with different cultures than my own. Oxford dictionaries defines the word 'fashion' as "a popular or the latest style of clothing, hair, decoration, or behaviour." I think fashion can be considered art and I think art can be considered fashion. I believe that the viewer decides whether or not the piece is art or fashion. Both of Chalayan's work, to me, stand out as being art. This might be because there is a lot of meaning behind both of these works that just can't be found in a normal everyday outfit.

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?
I think the commercial side of it defers from anyone really reading the art properly. For example, Chalayan's The Level Tunnel (2006) 'captures the essence of Level Vodka.' (Chalayan.com). This might make the viewer not really read deeper into the work and they'll just think it's about vodka.

The Level Tunnel (2006)

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?

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?
I think when the art holds so much personal emotional from the artist, that is when it's important for the artist to personally make the piece.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/fashion
http://chalayan.com/collection/view/album/id/15
http://www.husseinchalayan.com/#/home/
http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html
http://www.husseinchalayan.com/blog/

Week 2 - Post Modernism

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

• Reflexivity - 'The post-modern artist is "reflexive" in that he/she is self-aware and consciously involved in a process of thinking about him/herself and society in a deconstructive manner, "demasking" pretensions, becoming aware of his/her cultural self in history, and accelerating the process of self-consciousness.' Witcombe, C (2000)
• Relativist thinking - 'Postmodernism is associated with relativism. Relativism is the idea that "anything goes". Saugstad, A (2001)
• Rejection of modernist thinking - 'The seemingly anti-modern stance involves a basic rejection of the tenets of Modernism; that is to say, a rejection of the doctrine of the supremacy of reason, the notion of truth, the belief in the perfectability of man, and the idea that we could create a better, if not perfect, society.' Witcombe, C (2000)
• Non-universalist thinking - 'The postmodern is deliberately elusive as a concept, avoiding and much as possible the modernist desire to classify and thereby delimit, bound, and confine. Postmodernism partakes of uncertainty, insecurity, doubt, and accepts ambiguity. Witcombe, C (2000)
• Pluralism - 'Let me first say that I believe postmodernism represents an important virtue. This virtue is pluralism.' Saugstad, A (2001)
• Irony -  'Deconstructive postmodernism is seen perhaps as anti-modern in that it seems to destroy or eliminate the ingredients that re believed necessary for a worldview, such as God, self, purpose, meaning, a real world, and truth. (This point of view, though, that we need a worldview comprised of notions of God, self, purpose, etc, is itself a modernist one.)' Witcombe, C (2000)
• Deconstructivism - 'Deconstructive postmodernism is seen perhaps as anti-modern in that it seems to destroy or eliminate the ingredients that re believed necessary for a worldview, such as God, self, purpose, meaning, a real world, and truth.' Witcombe, C (2000)
• Linguistic idealism - 'Reality does not determine language, language determines reality.” This position may be called linguistic idealism, a radical and quite bizarre idea that language constructs reality.' Saugstad, A (2001)

2. Use a quote by Witcombe (2000) to define the Post-Modern artist.(page 24)
'The post-modern artist is "reflexive" in that he/she is self-aware and consciously involved in a process of thinking about him/herself and society in a deconstructive manner, "demasking" pretensions, becoming aware of his/her cultural self in history, and accelerating the process of self-consciousness.' 

3. Use the table on pages 47 and 48 in your ALVC handbook to summarize the list of the features of Post-Modernity.
Postmodernism encompasses many different types of ideas and beliefs that may be different. The main value is that not  one idea or belief is wrong. Anything can be considered 'art' without anyone else having to agree to what art actually is. It throws away the concepts of modernism and explores the idea that anything is possible.

Use this summary to answer the next two questions.

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

Weiwei's art has aspects of post-modernism because he takes old Han Dynasty urns which would be an interesting artifact by themselves but by putting a Coca-Cola logo on it, the urn has an entirely different meaning. 'Through his work Ai addresses issues pertinent to contemporary China; notably the loss of historic material culture due to rapid modernization and the effects of the global economy on traditional modes of production.' (artlyst.com, 2011)

'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994)

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 question 3.)
Banksy has postmodern aspects in his art because his work is very ironic. He creates street art with a message. His stencil of 'Flower Riot'' creates a powerful message about riots and love. Flowers are a gift someone gives a loved one and to put it into the hands of a possible rioter who looks very violent makes the audience think. Banksy's other work 'Los Angeles' places the typical caveman with fast food of today. I think he is taking a dig at how lazy we have become with food and how excessive. Especially when compared with the cavemen of our past. Cavemen used to hunt or gather their food everyday, whereas in todays society all we have to do is get in our cars and go through the drive-thru.

Flower Riot

Los Angeles (2008)

http://www.artlyst.com/articles/ai-weiwei-takes-on-coca-cola-in-new-london-exhibition

Week 1 - Nathalie Djurberg

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

The word 'claymation' refers to animation made using clay. This is also called 'stop motion'. "Each frame, or still picture, is recorded on film or digital media and then played back in rapid succession." (wikipedia)

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

'Garden of Eden' is a term that refers to God's garden where the first man and woman were created. It was seen as a kind of oasis or paradise. A surrealistic garden of eden would suggest that it is a warped or surreal paradise that Nathalie creates. Surrealism in definition is surprising or unexpected, which is exactly what Djurberg's claymation is. I think the term 'all that is natural goes awry' means that nature takes an unexpected course or path. This could refer to anything and everything because something that is 'natural' is a very broad word.

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

I think her work is summed up best by the guardian article that says 'Nathalie Djurberg's claymation films are sweet, depraved things that can shock, amuse and confound in equal measure.' I think when most people think about claymation they instantly think about children's cartoons they used to watch. This immediately presents a contradiction when viewing Djurberg's work, such as Turn into me, 2008 as some of the themes in her claymation can be very graphic or startling.

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

Like I mentioned in question 3, Djurberg plays with the idea of children's cartoons being in claymation and how traditionally it hasn't really been seen as an artform. The fact that Djurberg mashes together the innocence of claymation and adult themes like violence makes her works very interesting and confronting. 

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 this so the artist can create something shocking. In our society juxtaposing innocence and violence or something disturbing is seen as something very wrong. It might also be so the artist can cause a reaction from the audience. There is no better way of creating reaction in someone than to shock it out of them.

6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?
I think because her work is so interesting in it's way that it uses a 'childish' media to convey ideas and scenes that shock the audience and really inspire people to create their own opinions on these issues.

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

I really enjoy Djurberg's work and how confronting it can be. I also found it interesting how grotesque and disturbing she could make something like claymation into.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_animation
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/aug/25/artist-nathalie-djurberg
http://www.modernamuseet.se/en/Stockholm/Exhibitions/2008/Eclipse---Art-in-a-Dark-Age/Artists-biograhpies/Nathalie-Djurberg/
http://we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2009/10/nathalie-djurberg-who-won-the.php

Science and Reason

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

The Scientific Revolution was a change in the way of thinking. In 1543-1600 people began to think reason and science over religion and god. This was seen as 'a revolution in human knowledge.' 

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

A lot of the ideas that were developed in this era still exist today. These are concepts like the earth revolves around the sun. This was thought up by Copernicus and he published his theory in 1543. In today's society it is considered common knowledge that the earth revolves around the sun.

3. From your research, do you think that the contemporary art world values art work

that uses new media/technology over traditional media?

I think it has learnt to adapt and recognize it as an art form. The critics mostly focus on the messages she brings through her work as opposed to how she is using video installations to get a message across to the audience. In some articles (such as this one) they say 'Yet the analogies Rist sets up – dreams/films, minds/screens – do not come off because her videos, of late, are so frictionless and empty.' So the critics focus more on how she demonstrates the message.

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

She uses audio in her work along with projectors. Rist also positions the projectors so that two videos merge together and fade into one another. She uses different ways of drapping projector screens and projecting on other objects like  One work is devoted to sex in the head (a head, upon which sex is projected).

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.

I think the overlapping of the two projectors impacts on how the audience sees the work because they could interpret the video differently if the videos were just side-by-side. The way that they're overlapping suggests that they are connected to the same idea and message of the work. The work is big which creates a feeling in the audience where they have to look at it and pay attention to what is going on. If it was smaller the viewers might not be compelled to watch it enough or as closely as needed to get an idea about the work. The sound is very much in sync with the videos and the sound fades away when the woman is about to smash a window. This makes it more dramatic and shocking to the audience as they can only focus on her smashing the car windows and why she is doing it.

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

I think the woman's behaviour is unreasonable. No one should think it's okay to damage someone else's property. Even the argument that she's destroying something with nature is not very reasonable. Maja Horn writes that 'The startling juxtaposition and scrambling of traditional associations that come with flowers, women, violence, and destruction, manifest in Phelan’s apt words a “daring exuberance of thinking outside the law, imagining a different relationship to property, to movement, to the criminal power of beauty itself.”'

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

I think the reasoning behind Rist's work is that it's about the realationship between nature and destruction. The woman is smashing car windows with a flower. This makes the audience think about if it's okay to do something if nature is involved or if it's still not acceptable. 

http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture10c.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/oct/02/pipilotti-rist-barry-flanagan-review

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/sep/26/pipilotti-rist-hayward-gallery-review

http://artpulsemagazine.com/moving-matters-pipilotti-rist-moma