Lecture 6: 27.10.14 EXHIBITION FEEDBACK AND PROPOSAL FOR ESSAY

Overview

• Feedback on exhibitions seen, and discussion on exhibiting practices and artists statements.
• Hand in proposal for essay: Included below.

My own thoughts on the exhibitions I have seen so far and points I would like to bring up in the seminar.

London Tate Modern:

Overall I found that the TATE had some really relevant and interesting art on display. The pieces on show as part of the "Poetry and dream" exhibition were really fascinating. Through a combination of contemporary mediums and ethereal and philosophical themes they challenged the viewer to consider the world and consciousness in a new light. Using light as a material is something I have real interest in and I have enjoyed creating light sculptures and drawings during my own time as a practicing artist. Many of the artists involved in this exhibition were using light, projection and film or photography to convey their ideas which reinforced to me that I was exploring a contemporary, current and valid approach to my own practice.

New art gallery walsall:

Before walking around the gallery I stopped to have a look in the foyer. A short film on a loop was playing surrounded by a number of books. This revealed a little of what was going on in the gallery that day. This is a useful tool which enables an audience or visitor to understand what they are being led toward in the major exhibition.

The image above is of the space I took to be the first of real significance within the gallery, most likely due to its "art on all walls" approach or the fullness of the floor. The room has a walkway of sorts layed out for visitors, through the positioning of six plinths running parallel along the left and right of the entrance. The head sculptures that are on show on these plinths are just below what i would say is average eye height which creates a sense of fullness in the room and almost a feeling of company as the faces are obviously human and create a feeling that you are not alone within the space. All these heads face the same direction, toward the entrance, as though intending to create eye contact with visitors as soon as they enter. At the rear of these plinths and to either side slightly is a glass case with various items within. These glass cases are placed in a perfect diagonal position between the centre rear pillar and the wall on either side which creates balance and harmony in the space.

This plinth is the only one of its kind in the gallery, the first thing you notice about the plinth itself is the fact that it is white, where the others are all a polished wood. The other obvious thing is the plinth is off centre and parallel to nothing else in the room. The birds that are positioned on top, are done so in a way that makes the otherwise neat space feel encroached upon, as though the piece is less a piece of art than a mistake left here accidently. The combination of these "hyper real" birds and the out of whack plinth compliment each other in a way that makes the piece stand out immensely in a very unique way. The surreal devouring of the heart becomes quite tangible and believable because of this uniqueness. I noticed that these birds are "love birds" which explains the use of the literal heart. There is blood dripping down the side of the plinth, which again creates a deeper sense that this is real and not a piece of work, as it involved the objects around it unlike the other art featured.

Proposal

In this proposal I will highlight the key elements that i wish to include and explore in my essay.

My independent study is concerned with the human condition, particularly existential questions and concerns such as the meaning of life, the search for gratification and fulfilment, and the inevitable inescabability of death. My work currently seeks  to highlight the way in which we conduct our daily lives and how this can be intolerable when viewed in a pensive and contemplative manner. 

An artist I find particularly interesting, is Bill Viola. Viola creates video art, that is mostly projected, in order to create disorienting and sometimes claustrophobic and overwhelming pieces that engage with concepts such as the notion of the sublime, spirituality and the space between birth and death.

My overarching question therefore is

How does Bill Viola explore the Human condition, and how then does this relate to and inspire/influence my practice.

I have several targets in terms of research and evaluation...

To deepen my understanding of Violas practice; for example, the chosen medium, presentation, themes and concerns, audience perception of the work and his own opinions on the creative process.

To contextualise my own work in relation to modern contemporary production

I intend to first explore Violas contemporary use of medium in relation to other artists concerned with similar themes. For example, abstract expressionist works concerned with the sublime such as Malevich's White on White. Which has been regarded as the apotheosis of total and complete emptiness, conveying infinite space and therefore the sublime.

I will then move on to discuss the specific way in which Violas approach communicates, through his use of medium and imagery. How his presentation creates engulfing work that becomes overwhelming and involving in order to create an impact on its audience. 

I will critically engage with particular and relevant pieces, analysing and deconstructing them in order to deepen my understanding of his process. This will help enable me to contextualise my own work and find where my practise lies in terms of contemporary production. 

I will visit and view Violas work in person. This will encourage a deeper understanding of both my overarching theme and his individual execution of an idea.  I will make notes and sound recordings in order to review the perception and impact the work has on me and other visitors. 

I intend to research his body of work over the past few decades and critically evaluate his practice in relation to other artists who have explored the "sublime". Concentrating mostly on his pieces entitled "Nantes triptych and Tiny little deaths", perhaps considering how abstract expressionism was said to have reached its conclusion in the presentation and representation of the sublime, and then Viola's work further explored it, challenging those views, in modern technological formats.

Illustrative bibliography:

Viola, Bill. (1992) Nantes Triptych, (Film, projection, triptych, colour and sound, stereo) at:http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/viola-nantes-triptych-t06854 <accessed Wed 22nd October 2014>

© Bill Viola Studio

Viola, Bill. (1993) Tiny deaths, (Film, projection, sound) Exhibited at Tate Modern, London. 

Viewed and pictures taken/recordings made: 11th October 2014

Worcester Week 20th-24th October 2014 LONDON VISIT

The V&A, TATE and other Galeries in London

                                       

Upon entering the gallery we are directed to the left immediately after walking through the main doors. The room is large, and dark, with a range of projections and up-lit work. The piece above was expansive and the image is taken from some distance away. Due to its size and motion, the piece makes an impact both on the viewer, and also on the space surrounding it. The circles and motifs seen static above, spin and move to a rhythm that spreads out in a sort of 'glow', breathing life into the rest of the room. 

The way pieces were up-lit in the space leant to a sense of drama as though involved in some kind of theatrical performance. Each piece working well in relation to the next, there was an ebb of energy in the room from the flow of light and the atmosphere created from the works curation.

I found this space (above) fascinating. Enormous paintings are suspended on the walls in a way which makes the room seem almost of a 'normal' size. In actual fact this space is impressively large. The arching ceiling and simple neutral colour create a sense f grandeur that is reflected in the imagery on display. This is a private collection and unfortunately I was not permitted to take any more images (ones that show detail of the paintings themselves) Benches sat in the middle of the space face away from each other encouraging audiences to remain quiet and observe/admire the works of art.

The presentation of this exhibition "The Modern Woman" interested me through the way the garments were held in a way that you would expect to see whilst 'window shopping' The pieces were held in a series of very large glass boxes much like shop windows. Mannequins positioned in such a way that the dresses and other women's clothing could be envisioned upon the person viewing them. I photographed myself in one of the mirrors to demonstrate how the audience or individual viewer is in some way involved in the presentation. The glossiness and reflective qualities of the glass give the impression of a clean and expensive space.

I found this 'casual space' really interesting. In the centre of the V&A this garden of sorts allows visitors to relax. (This reminds me of the article discussed by Lindsay Hughes) In the middle of a gallery that seems more formal (and somewhat up-tight at times) I was surprised to find this space. There was a lot of noise and children were playing in the shallow water. The people using the space seemed to have been given 'permission' to become more human than perhaps expected within the gallery spaces. After reading material that examines this I cannot help but think that this is enjoyable but somewhat patronising. A certain demure attitude is expected when around art as though it is of a higher intellectual standard however I am not convinced this is always the case. The content and metaphor/symbolism or a work to me outweighs the situational placement often enough. But perhaps this is down to my own tastes.

The space shown below held a collection of jewellery. The room itself gave me a shock of sorts when I saw it because for the V&A, (a seemingly very traditional gallery) this space seemed so modern and obscure. I felt as though I was walking into a night club when I saw the spiralling glass staircase which was lit up with intense purple and blue, and in some cases ultra-violet light. This light, bounces and reflects off of the rest of the room due to its massive use of glass. The glassy glossiness contributed to the interpretation of the pieces held as it set a scene of wealth, and preciousness before even viewing the jewellery.

Walking up the spiral staircase, maintains a sense of the traditional through its spiral, and also reminds me of walking up the tower of some grand building. This leads to our interpretation being somewhat guided and less distracted, and mentally 'blinded by the lights'.

Aged artefacts such as the swords above, have been presented in a manner of ways before but mostly in a glass box on some sort of heavy wooden plinth, this has previously balanced out the notions of preciousness and also age. This however leaves a juxtaposition that is new to me. The swords are held on transparent spikes that create the illusion that the swords are floating in this translucent cube of reflections and light. It is an incredibly modern and futuristic approach to displaying such objects that gave the pieces a new energy and life. 

Its hard to think that the expansive glass space with such intense and modern lighting stems off this traditional, and somewhat stuffy corridor. The contrast is massive, and in a way that use of traditional coming into such a contemporary space, creates the feeling of being punched in the face, or atleast shocked from its impact. To me this reflects the way we react sometimes when we see something shiny and beautiful though, we are blown away by the sense of preciousness and perhaps this is what curators were going for with the spaces. The room was actually like walking 'Into' a piece of breathtaking jewellery.

Tate Modern:

This gallery space was very busy and somewhat chaotic. This vibrant energy is reflected in the curation of the art works. An array of frame styles surround an eclectic selection of art. All pieces were positioned at different heights and this gave me the impression that the curator was going for a sense of aesthetic balance rather than an organised and rigid appearance.  The space overall is more cooky and casual than perhaps the V&A. There is something more friendly about it.

Shown above and below, Posterised and yet traditional images are placed around the room in groups that remind me of stamps or sticker books. There is a Pop-arty' feel to the space that is exaggerated by the use of colour in the works shown. 

The small blackened room sits in the corner of this poster like space enticing us to move toward it. It has a dramatic presence within such a light hearted "white cube".

I thoroughly enjoyed this space (shown above) and the way in which the images were placed in relation to the space, the viewer and each other. There was a real sense of continuity and balance with all images at eye height and spaced in small groups or individually. The cold polished concrete flooring against the white walls creates a cool and modern space which contributed to the perception of the contemporary landscape photographs. Just one bench sits in the middle of the gallery at a low level which allows the viewer to absorb the full impact of their surroundings. The space is quiet and still. which is reflected in the way the images are presented. They do not scream for attention, they just quietly wait for someone to show interest. 

The image above shows how when the public look through the gallery entrance/exit, the space internally is not disturbed in any way as the piece of work featured directly outside sits at the same level and height etc.

A sculptural piece that incorporates its surroundings in order to be presented 'correctly' Without the wall these long stretches of metal would fall over unless dug into the ground, so this has been considered during the process of making. The artist has relied on the notion of the 'presenting wall'.                                            

Lecture 4: 13.10.14. INDEPENDENT STUDY PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION

Seminar:

My independent study.

Presentations and discussions.

• My work for independent study so far is concerned with the contemplative nature of time. 
• Birth, life and death, three stages of existance and non existance. 
• Passage. 
• How much time we spend living vs non living
• Routine
• The day to day 
• Taking time for granted
• Everything is rushed and timed, scheduled, one thing to another.
• Dates
• I have been taking notes and recording daily activities that form the monotonous norm.
• "the things" we spend a lot of time doing without thought
• Brushing teeth, sitting in front of a tv, cleaning, worrying, writing lists, eating, going to school, getting a job, getting a mortgage, money, death.
• I am interested in the spaces between, the still moments of contemplation. or the after effects of seeing these things highlighted
• The pause
• We all have moments of thought, can we establish clarity, thoughtfulness, engagement with the world
• My work is to highlight exaggerate, elongate, extend, stretch. Give physical form to that feeling.
• This concern and interest comes from my fear of death and anxiety surrounding the routine and things we have t get done before being able to live. everything is a rush.
• Meditative, the zen in chaos.
• Looking at Bill Viola, and Kiefer mostly.
• Can objects help

Lecture 3: 6.10.14 PENSIVE IMAGE + BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM AND GALLERY

Learning team discussion and presentation of response to article handed out last week: the pensive image: N/A

Handout: The pensive image doc:

• Full of thought
• An illusion
• Creates a sense of "what comes next"
• Photography captures a moment of time. "We dont know what the narrative is, we guess"
• There is a gap where you insert your thoughts
• Ambiguity in photography
• References the real world
• Frame work of reference
• Regimes of usuality

Walker Evans 

FSA

The world as it changed etc

Gelatin Silver prints
suggestive.

• Are they talking
• are they arguing
• suggestive that women like to gossip
• wearing nice clothes indicates from a well off background
• you extrapolate out from these clues and can imagine the conversation and the sorts of things these women are talking about.

Roland Bart

• descriptive
• denotive level
• basic image deconstruction
• The studium
• "Indexicality"
• Some sort of reality that can be described
• Punctum -  Detail that jumps out at you "ignites the drama"
• author of camera lucida

Vanessa Bell

• Relationships between women
• Plays around with the idea of the trinity

Lee Miller

• Wrens in camera - Man boat - bulkheads
• Women are a "vessel" 
• Ambiguity in image
• In camera - Latin definition, takes place in camera "in secret", wrens in camera, means in public but also in secret. The secret side of women in the war. Very clever play on words and meanings. Signifying words etc.
• Gills serif.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

This sculptural piece is a reconstruction made from Epstein's studio photographs of an original piece constructed in 1913. The piece stands proudly, dominating the space. It comes across as somewhat intimidating, as though riding a weapon toward you as you enter through the glass double doors. The work sits on a triangular plinth which raises the work by around 14 inches and sits in the centre of the spaces width.  

The above work by Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson depicts an army of soldiers marching as a "war-machine" where the individual is no longer considered. 

In combination with the Epstein work, The room begins to take on a cold and mechanical, view on death and war. As a group of art works, there is an overall theme of fear and loss, and a machine like approach to cold killing.

I feel the cold, flat blue an appropriate choice of colour for the room as it contributes to the emotionally cold perception of the art. From this angle, looking back into the space I can see spotlights hovering above head, they shine down into the space directly above Epstein's sculpture which creates an alien and equally cold perception of the space once more.
Also, you can see clearly that all images have been hung with their central point at average eye height. This creates a sense of uniformity and balance also in keeping with the theme.
Comfort is not key in the space with only one cold hard bench to sit on. Generally the security officer seems to be sat here, which in a way intimidates you from its use. I did not feel comfortable with the idea of invading someone's personal space, especially when that person is an authority figure. Again this contributes to the cold perception of the exhibition.

This room within the gallery embodies an entirely different feeling. The warm orange walls glow and light up the pieces hung upon them softly. The space is inviting and homely. Two sculptures stand as a gateway to the rear, which develops a sense of grandeur within the space as we associate this with wealth and culture. The space overall is very well thought out and balanced through a varying positioning of work. The dimensions of the pieces dictate their height and gauge within the room by balancing out the weightiness of larger works with numerous smaller ones, in addition they are hung this way in height also, there is no fixed line upon which they are suspended. The bench in the centre has a back and soft pillow which makes it both inviting and comfortable. The bench encourages the viewer to take a seat and feel comfort within the space. 

A work stemming from New Art West Midlands. This sits central in the space and as you walk through a square cut out within the supporting wall in the gallery, the room seems chopped off by this dividing wall covered mostly in a sort of wallpaper cerated by graduate student (name?) three masks which she wears accompanied with three wigs (pictured and shown on a wall to the left of this dividing wall) consider her partially oriental heritage. The way in which the paper hangs warped and is held flat/straight only by its own gravity is somewhat surprising and I'm not sure I understand it. I feel that this paper would have looked better flush to the wall. However, In pictures the paper almost looks more like material, that could reference drapes and the extravagant materials of the orient. Perhaps this was the intention for viewers in the space but was not achieved. 

The three plinths reflect the three images taken and create a sense of balance with the central plinth set forward creating a triangular field of view across the piece.

Lecture 2: 29.09.14. SUSAN HILLER RESPONSE, AND SEMINAR NOTES

Susan Hiller: Elan and other evocations

Handout, respond, make notes etc. for group discussion of article. 

• Inscribed
• Feminism
• Self portrature - Always, where or who is the self, multifaceted, freedomin how we describe ourselves
• Symbolic
• Imaginary
• Women inscribed and controlled by language
• Kristeva? - Our own kind of language, explore meaning, materials, engaging.

Damien Hirst's Skull

Symbolic, metaphorical...

• Glamourises death
• Value in materials as in life
• How much is death worth? could be a cultural statement?
• an "uncanny encounter"
• he has taken the skull and objectified it
• raising the idea that we dont value our bodies?
• disturbing
• shunning death - we are ignorant of it in a modern society where death is 'hush hush and kept out of sight.
• Metaphysical - Webster (poet) "we dont look at the skull beneath the skin"
• Make-up, we accentuate our bones
• Diamonds, incredibly precious
• Diamonds - pure, translucent, reflective, sterile, cold, brittle, expensive.

Gunther von hagen

Something I find really odd about these pieces, is that, although I know they are created using real human bodies, I react as though they aren't. It is as though, the knowledge that these are human, and dead, and on display in this creative fashion is so morbid and shocking that my brain refuses to accept it and finds them mannequin like. 

I wonder if it because of my fear of death that I cant accept these for real bodies, or because of the simple fact that we are not usually shown any part of death. In addition though, we do not see the anatomy of a person in this way usually, alive or dead. so in either case the bodies are alien.

Tina Modotti

• Interested in the working world
• Hands feature in  lot of her work
• Large static camera on tripod
• cropping on details
• gesture
• expressive
• communicative
• connects
• tactile
• touch/connections
• survival
• aesthetic - turned simple hands in to a focused art work
• Rural poor - not invisible - hands are important
• Hammer and sickle - communism similar
• objects as metaphor
• METONYMY -  where the part stands in for the whole eg;
• White house, symbolises power and president yet the house is nothing in itself
• The hands here stand in for the rural poor, you can then extrapolate outward from these to illustrate the whole.

Lecture 1: 22.09.14 ENCOUNTERS RESPONSE

Introduction to the course.
Lecture/slideshow: general overview of the module.
Handout.

1. Intended learning outcomes:
2. Develop an understanding of contemporary critical ideas
3. Develop critical skills through a close reading of theoretical articles
4. Extend lexicon of art historical terms and ideas
5. Develop an understanding of the social, political; and cultural background to contemporary art practices
6. Engage critically and analytically with contemporary artefacts
7. Reflect upon process of learning

Lecture/Seminar

Recording:

First assignment

Set out and develop own question on artist who is influential to me using theory possibly, thats interesting etc.

Due: Monday 27th October

-Essay proposal, overarching question, what am i going to do, who am i looking at, how, illustrative bibliography, 

500 words.

Todays short assignment

Find as many meanings for "encounters" as possible for next week.

1. Artists
2. Own work
3. Looking at works of art
4. understand artists so i can give a talk as and when etc

Encounters response:

verb unexpectedly be faced with or experience (something hostile or difficult). meet (someone) unexpectedly.

noun an unexpected or casual meeting with someone or something. First experience of something Can have an effect on thinking Emotional impact Affective impact that creates an emotional response Something you weren't expecting Surprising By chance Surreal Unbelievable Something that was brief Seeing art as an encounter  has an effect on you emotional Recognition Undermining you Can change the way you think agree but don't like it concept yes, attracted no Not in control of response An open space between you and the thing Proximity and distance Time sequence to it, a temporal quality The encounter can be fast but impact can be later or larger Bodily reaction Cognitive reaction An active participant, not passive Something unsettling or unusual.