Anish Kapoor Week 6

As an artist kapoor introduces his stylish flair of art with extreme scale. His concern, like the rest of us as a society, is based around the condition of the world today and how its morals are broken. He uses his art to represent our desire for ‘elsewhere’, with ‘elsewhere ‘ indicating what we as a race purely aspire to have in imagination and the fact that we have no idea how to achieve ‘elsewhere’ to its full potential. Noticeably his art is rather limited in colour detail and pattern, yet when one looks at the shape and grand style he uses it is easy to see how well his work can be. His ‘installations’ are in the state of perfectly polished surfaces, his objects can't easily be ordered into relationships with other things; there are no rivets, visible joins, or perceivable pre-fabricated parts.











“I am interested in sculpture that manipulates the viewer into a specific relationship with both space and time.” –Anish Kapoor, Tate Magazine, July 2007

“I am concerned with the way in which the language of engineering can be turned into the language of the body,”



Kapoors work is conceptual because he presents various subjects that are associated  with Architecture, design narrative, manipulation of organic solid materials, and above all the most interesting large scale sculptures I have seen.  I see his work as awe-inspiring to the wonder they provide to a viewer. His Sculptures like 'TARATANTARA" and ''The Farm'' the are inspiring to observe because the dynamic form he presents seems as if the sculptures defy gravity.


His work compared to most other gallery artist’s use of space is reasonably different.  In  his larger than life installation Memory (2008 ) he is confrontational to his observers. This is because the piece literally looms in the viewer’s presence, reminding us of our own relatively tiny scale. The reason this work in particular would create this feeling of insignificance is because the dynamic and interesting shape is not seen commonly, opposed to something that lies within a urban landscape like a tall building. The Guggeinheim Museum accommadates Memory with a spaced out placement. Spreading across 3 sections of the building, he sections a square opening in the last to reach room, a mid section in the second and the round tip in the first room. This forces observers to wonder through different stages of thinking, creating thoughts of 'I wonder what is inside this blimp like sculpture? is it filled with air?steel?water? where does it end?, the viewer will not find out until they physically investigate this matter. Thus Kapoors work provides an example of how he likes his viewers to interact with his sculptures.



The Farm

The farm is a large multi functional installation that lays beyond just the walls of an art gallery. The environment is it's gallery.

A man peering into Kapoors installation, Memory,2008.

the notion of hiding part is what the work is trying to do, steel seemed right to construct a rib system, to hold all forces. closely related to architecture, through the process of walking and process of inhabiting, give and object that cannot be percieved as a whole.






Cityscope de Marco Hemmerling:, Anish Kapoor.

http://www.colectiva.tv/wordpress/tag/anish-kapoor/

Week 5- Pluralism and the Treaty of Waitangi

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

Pluralism means three things. It means Multiculturalism, equal opportunity and Racism. Which seems to base itself on 'celebrating Cultural diversity,' it is also celebrating humanity and 'respect' for people in the sense of their own culture and identity (Wordia, 2010, YouTube.com)

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

The current dominant culture in New Zealand would be difficult to pin point. The Diversity of Ethnics in New Zealand are remotely intercultural and Multicultural for terms. The pre-existent cultures are the Maori and European to dominate originally, yet here in today's society many ethnic groups are indefinitely increasing in numbers. From mere observation it would be a layout of *European, Pacific and Island cultures, Asians to Indian as the most common races to be found (statistics New Zealand,1999. 'New Zealand society is culturally diverse, and becoming more so through changing immigration patterns,' (Social Report, 2001) and this is evidently true considering the large amount of Immigrants the Government allows into the country per year.

According to the (Statistics New Zealand, 1999) the European Culture is in fact the dominant Ethnicity in New Zealand given the statistics of 71% of the population being European with 14.5 % being of the Maori ethnic group. European dominance is described as 'the pakeha mainstream culture’ and is called ‘the culture of power,' Delpit, (1988) pg. 282.
 
3. Before 1840, what was New Zealand's dominant culture?

New Zealand in the 21st Century is a more Multi-cultured society than it was during the 18th-19th century. The first New Zealanders, the Maori, voyaged thousands of miles across the vast unknown Pacific Ocean in small ocean-going canoes. In order to reach New Zealand, these brave adventurers developed their own navigation system using the stars and the currents (New Zealand Tourism Guide, 2010)

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

Various New Zealand Artists associate their Art with 'Cultural Diversity', and let alone New Zealand Culture. The focus on Maori art is dominant through the Markets as a standardisation of Maori representation. Artists are simply interested in the Maori culture so they reproduce artworks for historic or moral value, and others would use very average representations of Maori art through the purpose of tourist ornaments to sell through common trade.

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

Much of the Maori culture has indeed become less apparent to society. The Multi-lingual personal and intercultural status of society in New Zealand has left the percent of Maori culture without a strong hand for its language. Through this recent decade New Zealand Media (TV Mainly) has integrated more Maori orientated shows. Yet, the effect on people is still dominated by many other ethnic groups in New Zealand.

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



Shane Cotton is an interesting artist. He attempts to recreate a sense of European culture and Maori culture historics with an intertwined post modernist approach.

SHANE COTTONForked Tongue, 2010 Acrylic on canvas1400 x 1400mmCollection of The James Wallace Arts Trust

SHANE COTTONForked Tongue, 2010
Acrylic on canvas1400 x 1400mmCollection of The James Wallace Arts Trust

Welcome. 2004, Shane Cotton

REFERENCES:

Becca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd, Government of New Zealand. New Zealand Tourism Guide (2010)

Cameron, K. 'Biculturalism, Multiculturalism' in Biculturalism: The Next Conversation Lectures delivered at the invitation of Dr.Ken Nicholson, District Senior Inspector, Wellington Education board, (1995)

Henry, S (1987)‘The Construction and Deconstruction of Social Control: Thoughts on the Discursive Production of state Law and Private Justice. (Gower Publishing, Aldershot, 1987) at 6-7, 107-11.

987) at 6-7, 107-11.

http://www.design.iastate.edu/NAB/about/thinkingskills/cultural_context/pluralism.html

http://socialreport.msd.govt.nz/2001/culture-identity/culture-identity.shtml

http://researcharchive.lincoln.ac.nz/dspace/bitstream/10182/531/1/cd_dp_88.pdf

Pluralism And The Treaty Of Waitangi-Week 4

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

Pluralism means three things. It means Multiculturalism, equal opportunity and Racism. which seems to base itself on 'celebrating Cultural diversity,' It is also celebrating humanity and 'respect' for people in the sense of their own culture and identity (Wordia, 2010, YouTube.com)

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


The current dominant culture in New Zealand would be difficult to pin point.The Diversity of Ethnics in New Zealand are remotely intercultural and Multicultured for terms. The pre-existant cultures are the Maori and European to dominate originally, yet here in today's society many ethnic groups are indefinately increasing in numbers. From mere observation it would be a layout of *European, Pacific and Island cultures, Asians to Indian as the most common races to be found (statistics New Zealand,1999. 'New Zealand society is culturally diverse, and becoming more so through changing immigration patterns,' (Social Report, 2001) and this is evidently true considering the large amount of Immigrants the Government allows into the country per year.

According to the (Statistics New Zealand,1999) the European Culture is in fact the dominant Ethnicity in New Zealand given the statistics of 71 percent of the population being European with 14.5 percent being of the Maori ethnic group. European dominance; described as 'the pakeha mainstream culture can be described furthermore as 'the culture of power,' Delpit, (1988) pg. 282.

3. Before 1840, what was New Zealand's dominant culture?
New Zealand in the 21st Century is a more Multi-cultured society than it was during the 18th-19th century. The first New Zealanders, the Maori, voyaged thousands of miles across the vast unknown Pacific Ocean in small ocean-going canoes. In order to reach New Zealand, these brave adventurers developed their own navigation system using the stars and the currents (New Zealand Tourism Guide, 2010)

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

in New Zealand?

Various New Zealand Artists associate their Art with 'Cultural Diversity', and let alone New Zealand  Culture. The focus on Maori art is dominant through the Markets as a standardisation of Maori representation. Artists are simply interested in the maori culture so they reproduce artworks for historic or moral value, and others would use very average representations of maori art through the purpose of tourist ornaments to sell through common trade.

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

Much of the Maori culture has indeed become less apparent to society. The Multi-lingual personal, and intercultured status of society in New Zealand has left the percent of Maori culture without a strong hand for it's language. Through this recent decade New Zealand Media (Tv Mainly) has intergrated more Maori orientated shows. Yet, the effect on people is still dominated by many other ethnic groups in New Zealand.

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.

REFERENCES:
Becca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd, Government of New Zealand. New Zealand Tourism Guide (2010)


http://www.design.iastate.edu/NAB/about/thinkingskills/cultural_context/pluralism.html
http://socialreport.msd.govt.nz/2001/culture-identity/culture-identity.shtml

Cameron, K. 'Biculturalism, Multiculturalism' in Biculturalism: The Next Conversation Lectures delivered at the invitation of Dr.Ken Nicholson, District Senior Inspector, Wellington Education board, (1995)

Henry, S (1987)‘The Construction and Deconstruction of Social Control: Thoughts on the Discursive Production of state Law and Private Justice. (Gower Publishing, Aldershot, 1987) at 6-7, 107-11.

987) at 6-7, 107-11.

Kahinde Wiley-Week 4

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


This week’s ALVC class focuses on the postmodern theme "INTERTEXTUALITY", re-read Extract 1 The death of the author on page 39 of your ALVC books and respond to the oil paintings of 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.

Intertextuality is the concept of texts' borrowing of each others' words and concepts.The discussion of  based off  an ideological concept and as little as a word or phrase that  transmits directly from writer to reader. (Robinson. K. Slideshare.net). I understand that intertextuality is the imput of an idea that we base something off another idea.  The academics of intertextuality define that we live off someone elses idea and use it to create another.  Music for instance correlates to every human on the planet, it surrounds us and it cannot be escaped. So, I'm saying a music artist is to create a song based on their interpretation of a situation and produce that song. The idea, and thought to the lyrics may be completely sentimental to that artist but the idea to create a song based on whatever subject of sentimentality, is derived from the idea of Sentimentality (from another person). That might be a poor example per say, but the intertextuality lies within any subject, idea given.

'intertextuality refers; text (literary material), the formulaic (fixed elements in language or myth), human folly (human behaviour or history) and grand narratives,' Aalborg University (2006)

The purpose of intertextuality as academic thought is obvious, it carries on documented information about authors,publishers etc.. and makes an appropriate referencing system, that is fair.

REFERENCES:

Anderson.D, 2006. An Analysis of Intertextual Resonance in the Witch-sequence of Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Submitted to Aalborg University, Denmark.

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


http://www.slideshare.net/kathleenrobinsonmalone/literature-and-inter
textuality
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's work is somewhat extravagant. His works display at the size of a kitchen Table and are presented with oils on canvas.

'My goal is to make paintings that have a physical weight in the world and to contend with human scale. Generally these paintings are 8 to 12 feet in height,' Kehinde Wiley Digital Interview (2007)

. They are classy and intertwined with today’s rendering of reality, with references to medieval and queenly subject backgrounds. Wiley, described as a 'Renaissance Technician with Hip-Hop subject matter' that defines intertextuality with visual dialogue and mixed ideas. Part of Wiley's process is lifting 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. As Wiley’s paintings regularly blur the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation. He displays realistic portraits with the addition of highly decorative and ornamentative qualities  –– while making references to specific old master paintings.
To discover his suggestion of intertextuality within his art,  it lies within his ideas that associate with the renaissance style

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

Wiley makes reference to African American neighbourhood life style. He does this by physically finding a range of black American males from the street, and obstructs them with renaissance significant poses. The fact these people are derived off the street as average joes challenges the perplexity of Pluralism. Pluralism is based on many things, yet Culture is the most signifying representation of its concept. Wiley leaves the boundaries of culture and presents a rather offending representation of what African American males are like.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Kehinde Wiley, 2005
Oil on canvas
182.9 x 243.8 cm (72 x 96 in)
Glenn Fuhrman

During the time of the Renaissance, portraits of an individual reflected much about a person. The purpose of the portrait was to retain someone's wealth and placement in society. Muchly involved with Hierachy and politics a painting would document that persons power in society at the time. Wileys art shows similar value in subject matter, but represents in particular, African American males in today's society. “The absence of young black urban men in paintings says something about our society” (Jackson, 2003)

Napoleon on his Imperial throne, By jean Auguste, 1806

Ice T Kehinde Wiley, 2005
Oil on canvas
243.8 x 182.9 cm (96 x 72 in)
Private collection, courtesy Rhona Hoffman Gallery

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

I like Wiley’s challenge that he proposes in his work. It signifies strength, value and reason. I believe his work should be accounted as an appropriated style of intertextual value. As I appreciate his work, because it is not based on improving or disproving subject matter. It's real, and values the placement of African Americans in todays society. It's not about who the person is individually in his paintings but what that person represents to society. I believe that the subject matter that is surrounded by a stunning style of painting is impressive. Wiley is mixing modernity and the context of the Renaissance in a very beautiful manner. Researching his working process I found that he projects photographs onto a disk firsthand, and are then drawn onto the canvas and a sepia underpainting is applied. tones, colours etc. As a whole new approach to painting he works away from traditional in a way. Even though he projects the images first on to the canvas, it would take great skill to create a full image out of what is made.

REFERENCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ingres,_Napoleon_on_his_Imperial_throne.jpg

http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/paintings.html

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

http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/kehinde-wiley/

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

 New Museum. (2011). Rethinking Contemporary Art and Multicultural Education. New York, USA: Routledge.

Galt, R. (2011). Pretty: Film and the Decorative Image. New York, USA : Columbia University.

Post Modernism-Week 3

Post Modernism is not simply defined. There are many concepts to understand because it is used     in Social sciences, architecture, literature and philosophy - G.K. Chesterton

The view point of Post-Modernism . ‘Post’ is referring to afterwards. Therefore in the case of Post Modernism it is the philosophical movement after Modernism.

If Modernism is at an end, we are now facing a new period. The name given this new period is Postmodernism.  It introduced fields of thought that focused more on ‘reason within thought’ and reality.

-claims to be the successor to the 17th century Enlightenment. For over four centuries, “postmodern thinkers” have promoted and defended a New Age way of conceptualizing and rationalizing human life and progress

-interpretation is everything; reality only comes into being through our interpretations of what the world means to us individually. Postmodernism relies on concrete experience over abstract principles, knowing always that the outcome of one's own experience will necessarily be fallible and relative, rather than certain and universal.

-There is a belief that is associated with ‘Relativism’. Relativism is the belief that It is the idea that ‘’anything goes’ and is the position where one has left the belief in absolute truth, and instead embraced the idea that knowledge is dependent on one’s perspective. 

’ "it cannot on its own principles ultimately justify itself any more than can the various metaphysical overviews against which the postmodern mind has defined itself." -Richard Tarnas

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 Political, in view and philosophy
-Hyper-realism has significance in current ideas for art
-Work is usually Ironic, containing an interesting twist or idea. The freedom to choose whatever subject matter is free and often based with a social-political stance.

              

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.)

The famously under cover street artist Banksy challenges the paridigm 'Only the future will get better' with a number of his works.  He profusely looks towards the nature of politics and frequently refers to serious social-political issues.  With the image of a Neanderthal clasping a representation of a fast food he undertakes the manner of society pushing its way through life with consuming. Consuming may not refer to eating in particular, but other things like money, wealth, and the economy, and consuming more than necessary. I think this image contains Post Modern value because he is trying something different by representing something Modern like fast-food and replacing a the human with a primitive version. This  refers to human's being equivalent to a Neanderthal in todays form. He is basically saying that we are ignorant for what we do for ourselves. Whether it is consuming too much fast food, money, wealth, and that we just consume without thought. 

REFERENCES:

http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/gengloss/postm-body.html

http://www.onenesspentecostal.com/apologetics.htm

http://www.kon.org/archives/forum/13-2/mcgregor.pdf

http://www.kon.org/archives/forum/13-2/mcgregor.pdf

http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/culturefashion/arts/art/banksy-a-postmodern-pioneer/

http://christopherbutler.wordpress.com/category/gk-chesterton/   

Postmodernism is a philosophical movement away from the viewpoint of modernism. More specifically it is a tendency in contemporary culture characterized by the problem of objective truth and inherent suspicion towards global cultural narrative or meta -narrative.

Hussien Chalayan-Week 3

Looking towards Chalayan's work 'Burka’my immediate thought considered how provocative this portrayal of the Burka fashion would lie within society. The reasonable response to this image would be that he is making an interesting yet risky point. Challenging the oppressed value that Muslims follow from their sacred bible the Qu ran’ to ‘dress modestly’. He is presenting three females with different portrayals of a referenced Burka fashion. This work challenges how one item of clothing can in fact hide someone's identity. The Burka is one of the items of clothing that have arisen from different interpretations as to how Muslim women should dress. And in each interpretation he is covering the face of each female. This challenges the religious aspects of Muslims wearing the Burka for a specific purpose. Fashion can be defined from other sources as conventional usage in dress, manners, etc., especially of polite society, or conformity to it: the dictates of fashion; to be out of fashion (dictionary.com).

Hussien Chayalan, Burka, 1996

Hussein Chalayan, Afterwords, 2000

Fashion is something that can be designed to become a form of clothing and can be a way to compliment a person’s figure in creative different ways. Imagine if we all had the same clothing? That would dull the world, and showing part of your visual identity wouldn’t be creative. I believe that afterwards and Burka are both artworks rather than than a fashion statement. Afterwards is a conceptual almost spatial idea, and Burka is the provocation of what is fashion and looks towards how much clothing one should have.
  

Hussien Chayalan,The Level Tunnel, 2006

It would seem less exclusive as art, and recognised as advertising more, however only some of his art is used for advertising purposes and would still be recognised mainly as art for fashion. Both interactions of presenting art offer ideas to the viewer. It does not change the meaning of his art, it just presents it in a different manner.



’The Level Tunnel’ advertising for Absolute Vodka, poses a strong connection to the viewer sending a message.The audience for Chayalan in this case may be less interested in him, but more in the product he promotes. Neverless, he still is getting a form of retrospect and recognition to his audience. It would be obsurd to say that advertising is not art, it is simply another expression of something visual that will relate to consumers.


Advertising can be defined as 'the activity or profession of producing advertisements for commercial products or services' (Google.com).

Art can be defined as 'the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power'(Google.com).

Despite these definitions, both titles cannot be explained so easily, especially art in any form. But in this case Chayalan is simply making advertising a part of his art. Even though he is allowing other people to physically make the piece, it still represents that he designed the idea. I think art holds it's individual value when a person is painting or directly applying their style to a work. This accounts for hands on practicality, where an artist is being commissioned by someone to paint, craft, design etc.. with there individual manner of style.  A case such as 'The Level Tunnel' is more likely to be constructed out of engineers and people that specialise in Architecture, opposed to just one man (Chayalan) making it himself. I think that Absent Precence features Post-Modern influence as well as Modern influence. judging from the photograph there is the presence of machinary and utencils, enclosed in a hospitalised space. however, unlike Modernism this may not represent the aesthetics of those materials, although perhaps there purposes (given the theme to the video). The Post-modernist value seems to relate the work to ideas such as identity, geography, genetics, biology and anthropology.

)

Hussein Chalayan, still from Absent Presence, 2005 (motion picture)

I think in a way by not making producing your art by itself it indicates that the artist is too interested in mass production. It could indicate someone is money hungry not forcing enough time and effort into each artwork themselves, or something completely different. For someone like Chalayan his interest lies within the mass consumption of his product his work often concentrates on cultural or socio-political themes, reflecting chalayan’s personal history as someone whose identity is shaped by different cultures. It seems his approach is not so money hungry but more so he just wants to make as many works as possible with his talent. And using other people to be directed by him shows that he is talented enough to do so. Rather than getting an impression that he doesn’t make his own work but that he doesn’t need to for the type of work that he makes. 

REFERENCES:

http://www.notcot.com/archives/2008/05/level-vodka-tun.php


http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html

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

ttp://www.behance.net/gallery/The-LEVEL-Tunnel-(Absolut-Vodka-Hussein-Chalayan)/701114

Issa,R. Shadi Ghadirian: Iranian photographer (2009)


http://www.dezeen.com/2009/01/27/dezeen-podcast-hussein-chalayan-at-the-design-museum/


http://www.husseinchalayan.com/#/home/

Natalie Djerburg - Week One

Claymation stands for Clay-animation and can also be established as Stop Motion Photography. Claymation is a hands on process in which an animator captures frames of a scene with a camera, and then re-forms those images into a 10-12 second frame of movement; this is called ‘Stop-Motion Photography. The making process involves wired figures that are encased with a commonly known substance such as ‘clay’, or a more versatile and material Plastercine. These substances are used for there malluability and in this case, made into a form that reflects a story.









Referring to the 'Garden of Eden' as 'Surreal' would be considered to be play on words for some. The Garden of Eden is known as, 'a beautiful garden where Adam and Eve were placed at the Creation; when they disobeyed and ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they were driven from their paradise (the fall of man)' (thefreedictionary.com). Djerberg's expression of this story is contradictory. Her Eden displays towers of clay flowers scattered around an art space in the Beinnale gallery. These flowers seem alienated and bitterly contrived for something completely opposite to the actual garden of Eden. She creates her idea around the setting of Garden of Eden but surrounds it with darkness. The version from the bible can be considered ideological in many ways, and here Djurberg is not creating an ideology She is creating a surreal world that is contradicting the value of nature with a version of evil. 'All that is natural goes awry,' addresses a psychological path in which something of feeling and emotion is and has become crooked. Interestingly Surrealism (when it had first established ), was contrived on a concept of 'Phychoanalysis'. The showcase of 'Experimentet' for example unlines this theme.

Experimentet is an installation recreating a Garden of Eden from hell. She employs her work with many disturbing subjects that provoke nature. In Experimentet there is a scene with a female half decomposed, stuck and struggling on a rocky surface. Implying the theme of Fear of death, the female is slowly being attacked by her own limbs, which is repulsive, yet so interesting. Showing nature turning into something unimaginable, aliented and a disturbing. I consider it the type of work that one would have a nightmare becoming a true reality.

Her work may seem sweet and innocent on first acquaintance, but she addresses themes such as obsession, power, pleasure, desire and violence. This is a complexity of emotions that visually engages her audience in her work. The use of stop motion photography also adds an edge to it. The complexity and labour intensive process of re-forming a modelled figurine into a new position for each shot takes hours, and results in a jolty animation with a shaky backdrop. I think that her work is somehow brilliant. I admire that fact that she is confronting stories that are taboo and usually unspoken of and presents them with a reality. “I hate talking about what’s difficult. That is why you do art. It’s for the stuff you don’t dare talk about.”- Natalie Djurberg

Her works start with twisted scenarios that tend to begin with fairy-tale sweetness. This sweetness is then turned bitter that display morbid subjects that most artists would be more subtle with. Glee-ful mutilations occur regularly, which are then accompanied by many bodily functioning s. A stark contrast to 'child-like behaviour' most of the figures are engaging in something to do with sexuality or violence. Her work 'Of Course I Am Working With Magic,' displays a nude female stepping into a forest of carnal trees that literally hang her out to dry, ripping out and reassembling her limbs and stripping off her skin. This is why her work is completely mind boggling. The first impression is that there is a bitter sweet appearance that comes out of her 'wonderland' but when further observed, the scenes are repulsive and uncivilised. In the Garden of Eden there are oversized flowers and plants that appear illusionary. They seem very 'fairy tale' and grotesque once the viewer looks towards them closely. These creepy plants are unattractively coloured and are much distorted in form. I think the clay/plastercine itself may actually have some reflection on child-like stories. Most captures are in movies that are for child based audiences. Therefore it may give an impression to Djurberg's audience that her work appears to have something to do with children at a first glance. Neverless, the truth comes out as soon as an observer watchs a full video.

Art is always being renovated and reformed into new styles and fads. It’s what art is about. And this current fascination is just another way to say that artists are still trying new ways to be ‘different’ and exclusive. Turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing is a good concept. It can broaden expression in so many ways because it can be truthfully reflected in many situations that come from today’s society. Djurberg shows that her interest lies within the nature of having something conceiled and brings it to the surface. Artists generally try and do that, but sometimes without cause. It is important to have subjects that aren't perfect and unacceptable, because happens in real life and is less boring!


The Vienna Biennale employ’s brilliant masterworks that is extreme, and very bizarre. I see her work as being the perfect fitting for this type of gallery. The gallery itself is well known for containing bizzare and nonsensical works. I think that her work has been chosen because the Biennale had every possible artistic medium to offer. From painting to sculpture to photography, video and sound art, installation and many more. This enabled Djurberg to introduce her obscurely natured artwork into this world famous gallery. It offered a great space for her to set out her show and embrace her style. The biennale employ’s brilliant masterworks that is extreme, and very bizarre so I see her work as being the perfect fitting for this type of gallery. Her use of Claymation, sculpture, and video provided effective outcomes for the level of interaction with each observer.

‘The biennale provided a treat for all the senses; there were works that shocked, confounded, disturbed and disgusted, there were those that produced awe, urged laughter and provoked thought and social concern, there were many that were so aesthetically harmonious that the audiences simply kept coming back’ Matters Of Art (2006)

When I had first seen her work I will admitt I found it difficult to watch. At the time of watching a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WojgB4PL4M displaying extracts from her exhibition Experimentet. The exact thoughts of 'This is disgusting who would think of something so revolting' jolted through my mind. But as I watched further through other videos I found my self quite interested in the way she works. I'm simply intrigued by the detail she puts into the violence and rawness of it all. It's kind of brilliant in a way that she doesn't care that people may find her exhibitions disgusting to look at because she says herself that she is interested in waht lies beneath a hideous figure or the nature of something. To finalise i would say that she is some what INSANE for thinking of those ideas, but a rather brilliant person for taking them and showing the world her version without caring.
Using Claymation at a large scale, her works process a crisp unresolved nature. The wobbled armed figures and messy style reminds me of a ‘Tim Burton’ scene, or something of a quick edge 80’s film...

Nathalie Djurberg
Still from The Experiment (Greed), 2009

REFERENCES:

http://www.robinurton.com/history/surrealism.htm

http://www.mjfdesign.net/terri/nathaliedjurbergclaymates

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/t-magazine/22talk-yablonsky-t.htmlhttp://we-make-

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

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/t-magazine/22talk-yablonsky-t.html

http://www.zachfeuer.com/artists/nathalie-djurberg/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVZq0H8mfvQ&NR=1


http://mattersofart.net/leads/lead96.html


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EANzi02oiEs


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/719083/Catch-this-The-Venice-Biennale.html


http://mattersofart.net/leads/lead96.html


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EANzi02oiEs


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/719083/Catch-this-The-Venice-Biennale.html

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

Week 8- Modernism, Industrialisation and Architecture

The Guggenhiem Museum
:The design of the building is phenomenal and surpasses any modern museum construction of the 20th century. Created by American artist Frank O Gehry in 1997, the buildings revolutionary construction provides much more than any standard Museum. The construction geometry consists of sinous forms and curving architecture with orthogonal shapes that make up the interior. To gain interest the museum was made out of various materials that sited a new way of building, the interior consists of clad in glass, titanium and lime stone. For the exterior, a very furnished titanium plates have been spread over the building. As for the scale, the body of the building would be considered standard but abstracted. The form of the building is very different to anything society had seen before and is considered an aesthethic revolution for the containment of art. There is a known flaw in the design of thebuilding and it has been critized greatly over years, that being the condition of interior. The staircase spirals in a circular form upwards which has been called an inconvience for viewing art, as it has to be seen on a angle. However, people seem to still enjoy the building and the art it presents.

Frank O Gehry; born February 28, 1929 is considered to be the most important Architect of our age, his style is classed as destructivism, a reaction to Modern  structures that are not constructed like a standard building. Deconstructivist structures are not required to reflect specific social or universa ideas, such as speed or universality of form, and they don't seem to reflect a belief that form follows construction.



Guggenheim Museum

Exterior

Interior

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The Eiffel Tower (1889-2011)

The construction of the Eiffel tower is of an exceptional standard. It has become one of the most recognised constructions in history and is the current and modern icon of Paris. It is an enormous tower that is situated in the Champ De Mars it reaches the height of 324 metres-which is equivilant to a 81 story building. It is constructed out of pudded iron and is noted the tallest building in Paris, and  is also apparent to be the most visited paid-monument in the world. The Eiffel tower was designed by Engineer Gustave Eiffil 41 years ago, and to this day he is and always will be recognised as a very important man that had played a crucial role in history.

Eiffel Tower At Night

Originally the Eiffel tower had been contructed to impress the visitors for the 1889 year world exhibition.
This was a new approach to impress! and evidentionally a very expensive and also resourceful decision. Changes to the eiffel tower occurred in 1959.  The tower obtained an additional antenna, extending the height by 15 metres, and this is used for satelite and radio. Another interesting renovation is that once every 7 years it has a new coat of paint done. For the Guggenhiem a dramatic change occured when I t was moved

To compare the construction of the eiffel tower to the biblio Guggenhiem museum I could start off by saying the costructions are two completely different forms. The very abstracted figure of the Guggenhiem contrasts dramatically to the Eiffel towers prismic body. But in terms of construction, there are vaguely similar geometrical shapes.   An obvious and positive similarity between the two constructions would be that they pose an interest in Tourism. Both obtain a unique style that has attracted thousands of people from all round the world. Furthermore to address the purpose of the creation of each building, a main point would be to say that they were built to gain tourism, interest/appreciation in art, and on a global scale characterise be enable paris and New York to be recognised as countries that appreciate art in a new way. The aesthetics of each buildings are really where the disimularities and simularities lie. The materials for instance; are used for different purposes. The Titanium plates used in the Guggenhiem  for instance provided more of a visual appeal than the material used for the Eiffel tower. I consider the Eiffel tower to contain it's own style and it certainly doesn't need to have a special substance tthat would inhance it's appearance (besides the paint of course) but to note the construction.- the eiffel tower required a heavier and more versitile material to hold it's enormity. But for the guggenheim both strength and a cutting edge type of material was needed.





References:
-http://www.aviewoncities.com/nyc/guggenheim.htm
-https://engineering.purdue.edu/MSE/AboutUs/GotMaterials/Buildings/patel.html

-http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A506369

-https://engineering.purdue.edu/MSE/AboutUs/GotMaterials/Buildings/patel.html