Anish Kapoor

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.

Kapoor's work is indeed conceptual art. Yes they are stunning installations and maybe on your first glimpse of one of his works you will think it is more about the structure/composition, but it is not untill you know the reasons behind his works that you will see his art is very idea based.

Conceptual art is process where the idea of the artwork exceeds that of its structural form.


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.

This piece by Kapoor named "Marsyas" resides in the turbine hall and is part of  the unilever series. The work is a massive installation that includes 3 trumpet like forms all joint together. The outer rings are made from steel while the material that makes up the form is PVC membrane. Kapoor says the PVC is like Flayed skin, relating to a mythical greek creature that was 'flayed' by Apollo. The work explores the ideas of spacial perception and is insanely huge.

This is the 'Sky Mirror' by Kapoor at the channel gardens entrance in Rockefeller center. It is a large concave circle of stainless steel that reflects the sky. The idea around this piece is that Kapoor wanted a way to bring the sky to the ground. Kapoor calls it a 'non-object' as the illusion changes throughout the day.

'Svayambh' is a piece he showed in 2007 and recently in london 2009. What happens is a big block of red wax is slowly moved through the corridors through the use of a railway system. It has become one of london's mod talked about show since it was exhibited there. The idea behind this piece, and where its name comes from, is that the art creates itself by slowly moving through the corridors.

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

Much like 'Marsyas', 'The Farm' is a large metal and fabric piece that Kapoor has blessed New Zealand with in the last year. As with the 'Marsyas' Kapoor is  concerned with the way engineering can be turned into the language of the body. Although the Marsyas was temporary, The Farm was designed to be a permanent addition to New Zealand's outdoor gallery in which Kapoor has created his first outdoor fabric sculpture.

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 Kaipara bay, north of Auckland. It is constructed out of steel and PVC Coated polyester. The steel makes up the two rings on the end while the polyester cuts through the mountains in a cylindrical form. The ideas behind the work include showing the language of engineering and the body while cleverly using the space he has to work with to his advantage. Because of how cleverly it is engineered the wind tunnel is able to sustain the harsh winds that blow inland from the Tasman sea.

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 piece by Kapoor would have to be the Sky Mirror. Not because of what it is, but because of the idea. One can not literally bring the sky to the ground, so Kapoor challenges that idea and is able to successfully view the sky from the ground in a stunning and compelling way.

http://www.lissongallery.com/#/artists/anish-kapoor/

http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-arts-anish-kapoor-biography.htm

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/kapoor/default.htm

http://www.publicartfund.org/pafweb/projects/06/kapoor/kapoor-06.html

http://francesspiegel.suite101.com/anish-kapoor-exhibiting-at-royal-academy-of-arts-a155579

http://fabricarchitecturemag.com/articles/0110_sk_sculpture.html

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

Pluralism and the Treaty of Waitangi

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

According to ALVC Resource book (n.d. p. 46) Pluralism is different cultures and social groups all being treated with the same amount  respect including but not limited to different ethnicities, genders, ideologies, abilities, ages, religions, economic status and education levels.

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

In my opinion I would describe our culture as very much a western society with our own traditional values incorporated into it, and not the other way around. The reason I say this is because sure we all support the mighty all-blacks whose traditional Haka strikes fear into neighboring countries, yet around every street corner we are treated with a big helping of some sort of western developed fast food restaurant or clothing store. Our main spoken language is English and other languages are only a optional choice for studies at middle schools and most of our political parties are made up of European rules and ethics.


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

Definitely the Maori culture. Before 1840 New Zealand was mostly inhabited by the Maori people and few European explorers/traders. The change only began to happen after the signing of a treaty.

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

If the Treaty of Waitangi were to not exit, New Zealand would be a very different place to live in. However its importance to us today is of great value in securing the sharing/ownership of land between the queen and the native people of New Zealand. To an artist it can mean several things. We grew up here, we know the customs, the people, the places. All these aspects that the treaty has helped shape influence us directly or indirectly in ways we sometimes don't even realize. Be it inspiration for a piece of art work or a native line of clothing, we all have much to relate to in terms of the treaty.


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

One main pro of globalization is the culture to culture interaction that we see when immigrants travel to New Zealand. It helps bring new experiences, food, fashions, language, and overall variety to our countries diversity. However the con, or general bad side, is that smaller ethnic groups (in this case Maori) start to be forgotten. Out with the old and in with the new you could call it.

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

Welcome is one of the most popular works by New Zealand artist Shane Cotton. It shows two fantails and two faces all opposite to one another. The top figure appears to be a symbol for the Europeans, maybe based of the lord and savior of the bible. while the bottom figure represents one of the indigenous people of the land. It is important to note Shane Cotton uses a lot of Maori symbols in his work, thus fantails have been used here to show the relationship between the two cultures. The whole work as a whole portrays the merging of cultures that the Treaty proposed.

Forked Tongue is another work by Shane Cotton that challenges the ideas of colonization by use of Maori symbols and icons. John Daly says "metaphors become starting points for an elaboration on the links between the physical, historical and spiritual landscapes." (July 20, 2010, para. 6). This all fits in with his idea of how the land is shared by both the Maori and Europeans under the terms of the treaty.

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'.

The piece 'sorry' by Tony Albert is a collection of faces placed into the word 'sorry'. These faces have all been acquired over the past decade by Tony and by placing them all together he is portraying the idea of the black aboriginal in a white mans world. The history behind the faces is that they are trinkets or items mass produced by white people. Tony has used these in conjunction with the word 'sorry' to show the history stolen from his people over the years. These faces or 'Kitsch' (unsatisfying copys of the original) do an excellent job in pushing this message forward.

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

Well if pluralism is the idea of cultures and social groups not being recognized highly over one another then we can easily see how these works are directly related to pluralism. Shane Cotton's work relates directly in his subject matter and by the symbols he has painted, while Tony Albert's collection of mass reproduced aboriginal faces communicate his view of colonization.


http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/category/tid/133

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/shane-cotton-paintings-examine-cultural-landscape-126412

http://www.gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz/artists/shanecotton/biography.asp

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/shane-cotton-paintings-examine-cultural-landscape-126412

http://21cblog.com/tony-albert-sorry-2008/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Drb9RbW3Tw

Kehinde Wiley

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. 

"On its most basic level, intertextuality is the concept of texts' borrowing of each others' words and concept." (Intertextuality Narrative, n.d.) This means that any kind of text we can read such as books for example all take other texts' words and ideas and use them for themselves. It talks about the author using past texts' they have read and incorporating bits from them into their own work.

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.  

Kehinde wiley, born in Los Angeles, is a famous portrait painter from New York. His paintings mainly revolve around the male African-american figure and relating them to older famous paintings by the use of heroic poses (Kehinde Wiley, n.d.). Such a combination of elements first sets confusion upon the viewer. However as you slowly link the references of his motives back to the times of the renaissance we can understand where he is coming from. The African-americans back in renaissance times did not hold much in terms of power and authority. So by playing with this idea of an urban looking black male painted in a historical-styled background Wiley is able to portray his messages of power, muscularity, and majesty of the black male a lot clearer. The horses and backgrounds and what are said to be 'borrowed' in terms of intertextuality from renaissance masters such as Tiziano Vecellio and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. (Kehinde wiley, n.d.)

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

Pluralism refers to art from other cultures and social groups being recognized as much as the white European males art was recognized. This is extremely related to Wiley's work in a sense that he is trying to show the African-american male with power in a renaissance or older environment. By showing us these black males with such majesty and beauty we, the viewer, can very quickly understand the message being produced by the work. To me it seems as though pluralism is the main idea and theme of some of his paintings.

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 can raise many questions about the overall social status of non-European males. His work is trying to challenge the fact that before not so long ago, only a white male figure could be seen with such a dominant and robust pose. The wealth and social position of such portrayed figures was extremely limited and very customary to the European male in particular. Wiley's work reminds us that now that the world is a much more globalized environment we should not forget to acknowledge the arts of all the cultures around us.

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

Wiley's work very much communicates visually the lack of acknowledgement for other cultures art, back in the day, by showing a accurate representation of what exactly would of been frowned upon during those times. It is also very interesting that African-American artists are starting to get noticed in the art industry and not just in the hip-hop/pop culture that they currently dominate.

http://narrative.georgetown.edu/wiki/index.php/Intertextuality

http://www.skny.com/artists/kehinde-wiley/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kehinde_Wiley

http://www.kehindewiley.com/main.html

http://www.art-interview.com/Issue_009/interview_Wiley_Kehinde.html  

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? 

By looking at these two images it would seem that Chalayan is trying to take forms of clothing we are aware of and change them in a way that makes them almost un-wearable. One being that the skirt in 'afterwords' looks way to heavy to walk around in. While second being all to revealing clothing in 'burka' that shows half/fully naked women. Chalayan studied fashion design at Saint Martins yet i believe his work to be more of an expression of art. I believe the difference between the two, fashion and art, is that with his work being art he is able to freely creative clothing items with no boundaries but if it was fashion he would have to stick to something more, lets say appropriate.

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?

Chalayan is said to be the mad scientist of fashion. Being paid to create installations for well known companies by no means derails him from his main passion, but allows him to further explore and experiment in a new field of art. Does the meaning of art change? well, I don't think so. Art is all around us. Yes maybe it serves another purpose than only being an expression of ones self, but i think the reality is that anything can be art if it has a meaning. In 'The Level Tunnel' for instance, even though it was a piece of advertising made for vodka, Chalayan was giving free rein over what he made and how he built it. This in itself is how we know it is still art.

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?

I think 'Absent Presence' is strongly linked to humanism and the idea that identity is very important in our lives. Chalayan could have been inspired by the fact that the clothes people wear resemble who they are as a person which allows us to see who they really are. He could of also been inspired by the large number of popular television crime shows that air all the time and include constant DNA analyzing.

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?

It is easy to see how the idea of not creating your own work can stir up controversies. Yet it is also blatant to think that just because you had help, what you made is not art.  It is even true that some artists have other people help them even with paintings. This can be seen with famous artists who existed along time ago like Michelangelo. I do agree that art made by the artist might be a little bit more special than that he has had help with, but that is besides the point. I think art is an a idea. How that idea is brought to life is up to the artist.

http://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/designers/hussein+chalayan,253?display=bio

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/2858/level-tunnel-installation-by-hussein-chalayan.html

http://art100.wikispaces.com/Hussein+Chalayan

http://www.husseinchalayan.com/blog/

Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

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

-A mixture of styles brought upon by modernism. "Instead of the reductive, minimalist style of Modernism, Postmodernism architecture is noticeable by its mixture of styles."(p.13 ALVC)

-A idea with bigger focus on decoration and variety. "it is possible to say that the ideology of Modernism was one of anonymity, of what was perceived as 'stylelessness'. The ideology of postmodern design is one of decoration and variety." (p.13 ALVC)

-New ways of thinking about art and culture. "ways of thinking that questioned long-established patterns and hierarchies.

- Expanding upon the range of contemporary arts "art practice was turned upside down by a new eclecticism which celebrated artistic and cultural diversity in contemporary art."

-Rejection of old ideology and a focus on new ones. "Postmodernism rejects the modernist ideals of rationality, virility, artistic genius, and individualism, in favor of being anti-capitalist, contemptuous of traditional morality, and committed to radical egalitarianism."

-a belief that what came before it realted to opressive ideaology."Post Modernism is an anti-Enlightenment position wherein adherents believe that what has gone before, as "Modernism", is inappropriately dependent on Reason, Rationalism, and Wisdom, and is, furthermore, inherently elitist, non-multicultural and therefore oppressive."

-A period of time after the 1980's to now that marked the end of modernism. "If Modernism is at an end, we are now facing a new period. The name given to this period is Postmodernism." (p.18 ALVC)

-A view that is seen to be Anti-Modern. "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 perfectibility of man, and the idea that we could create a better if not perfect, society." (p.18 ALVC)

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

"Whereas Modernism seeks closure in the form and is concerned with conclusions, Postmodernism is open, unbounded, and concerned with process and "becoming.""

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

Postmodernism took what modernity taught us and rejected it in a way that brought upon new thinking  and ideology. People were able to be more open about what they do and explore new nontraditional ways of doing things. social diversity was unclear and cultures adapted to many forms of media. A mixture of cultures arose and hyper-reality became more powerful than the real reality. Art could be seen as almost anything.

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.

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

Ai Weiwei dropping a Han Dynast Urn.

Weiwei's Coca-cola urn is a drastic change of an old historical urn into something new and exciting.
It breaks the boundaries of modernism by defiling a historical artifact with the well known Coca-cola symbol. By doing this he has merged together the western culture with that of ancient china. He has recycled cultural art with aspects of visual media that we can all relate to. The pop culture he has brought to this piece is what makes this work a part of post modernism.

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.

'Flower Riot', Banksy

Flower Riot by Banksy first strikes us as being unusual and out of the ordinary. We see here a determined male rioter about to throw his weapon into enemy territory. Except his choice of weapon is what has made this image so post modern. We all know how riots work, maybe from experience but mostly through the eyes of the media. Banksy is challenging this idea by allowing the male figure to be throwing something normally never thrown, and with such force too. Is he going to bring harm or joy to his target? This image can be defined as post-modern because of how it questions this idea of power.

Los Angeles (2008), Banksy

Humans being the descendants of ape, or so some believe, is what we first see in this piece by Banksy. But wait, what is he holding? Thats right, fast food. Here we see a grown caveman-like male figure with what looks to be a fast food meal in his right hand, and a bone in his left. This piece is directly addressing the fact of human growth and how far we as a species have evolved over time. However by putting this growth into the hands of an aged caveman is how Banksy portrays the question of how far we have actually come. This unorthodox combination is why this work can be defined as post-modern.


 http://digital1.natlib.govt.nz/support/discover/va2essay.htm

http://www.naciente.com/essay15.htm

http://www.arthurimiller.com/journalism/the-worlds-of-ai-weiwei/

http://www.artzinechina.com/display_vol_aid109_en.html

http://dailyserving.com/2010/07/ai-weiwei-dropping-the-urn/

http://arnica.csustan.edu/carosella/banksystreetart/street_art_by_banksy.htm


http://virtualvisualmuseum.blogspot.com/2011/05/fast-food-caveman-by-david-dauteuil.html

Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'.

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

Claymation is a type of film animation in which the artist constructs scenes/figures out of clay and uses a stop-motion technique to bring their works to life. Stop-motion is much like a flip-book animation where you have many different still frames with small differences between them, allowing movement to happen.

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

When i hear the phrase 'Garden of Eden' i think of a place that has reached absolute perfection. A place where nothing could go wrong, however when the garden has been portrayed with a 'surrealistic' point of view there is no telling what it could entail. This out of wack Garden of Eden is exactly what Djurberg has created and everything in it has become strange. With monstrous flowers towering over people and the lack of natural light in the atmosphere it is said to be a very nauseating experience. I think the sentences 'surrealistic garden of eden' and 'all natural goes awry' simply mean that this perfect garden of eden is now a place where anything could happen, and where everything you thought was natural, is now strange.

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

After watching one of her videos it is clear that there is indeed a vast amount of emotions being thrown at us all in a very short period of time. The scarceness of the dark and gloomy environment, the horror and disgust of what is happening to the clay actors, the anxiety and confusion of not knowing what is going to happen next. We are confronted with different types of the same emotion while also being immense amounts of sexual discomfort.

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

To me these 'ideas' of children's stories do not exist much, maybe it is because of how un-innocent the videos really are. However i admit that all the videos do resemble child-like television programs that would be played for kids under the age of 10. This is purely because of the vivid coloured, cartoonish style of claymation she has used which is also seen on television a lot in today's 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 artists these days have more options in the sense that they choose what they want to portray in their work rather than it being commissioned. A lot of the modern art that is surfacing today is more of just the artists trying to express themselves and their views to the world. I personally think one of the reasons for this change could be the constant strain we as humans are putting on the earth we live on. Sure we may live in a more civilized time but little by little we make the world become more disturbing due to all the industrial factories as opposed to it becoming more Eco friendly. 

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

I think the reasons it was chosen are based around the intense amount of emotions and radical feelings we get as soon as we start watching one of Djurbeg's animations. An exhibition like this is highly unique and not seen very often. Also having the clay works around you while you are watching, making you feel like you are part of the atmosphere is all the more exiting.

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

Djurbeg's work strikes me at first as something that came from the minds of people in some sort of mental asylum. It is only after looking past all the disgusting sexual displacement that I can fully understand many of the emotions that she is trying to portray. All in all it is not something i would normally want to view but, despite all its horribleness, i would still congratulate her for creating such masterpieces.

 References

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg

http://we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2009/10/nathalie-djurberg-who-won-the.php

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg-experiment-at-venice-art-biennale-09.html

http://www.labiennale.org/en/Home.html

 http://www.rolloart.com/nathalie_djurberg/about  

 

Industrialisation, Modernism and architecture.

The Eiffel tower and the Guggenheim museum have both been labeled astonishing masterpieces of their time. I will explore the reasons for this while also comparing similarities and differences between the two.

The Eiffel tower is without a doubt one of the most famous pieces of man-made architecture created to date. Standing today at 1050 feet high it is the symbol of Paris and was completed in 1889. The structure was designed by a French bridge builder Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. This gives me reason to believe that this is the reason why it looks so bridge-like. The Tower is made from 15000 pieces of iron that cross one another diagonally as the ascend into the sky. The reason for its existence was to celebrate the French revolution at the world exposition in the 1800s. Many people hated the tower and thought of it as a building without skin. After a failed petition to bring it down the tower now stands in Paris in all its iron glory. Currently it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Paris and the world.

A museum different from all the others in Spain known as the Guggenheim museum is easily one of the most interesting buildings of the 20th century. In a attempt to bring new light into a much industrialized Spain American architect Frank Gehry designed a sculpture-like building that was, and still is today, to be used as a museum of art. The building was designed to look like a ship while the pattern on the walls are fish scales. The structure is made from limestone, titanium panels and glass curtains. The limestone represents tradition while the titanium represents futuristic aspects.

Unlike the Eiffel tower, the museum was made to be used for many years after it was made. The Eiffel tower was originally a temporary project which was later kept instead of being destroyed. The towers structure is that of a pyramid whilst the museums has various free-formed segments connected to each other. Both structures are still used today as tourist attractions.

References

http://www.ionbee.net/travel/destinations/paris-france/eiffel-tower.php

http://www.redparis.co.nz/Facts-about-Eiffel-Tower__I.8033

http://jssgallery.org/essay/worlds_fairs/paris_exposition_1889/eiffel_tower.htm

http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/guggenheimbilbao/index.html

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/gehry/Guggenheim_Museum/