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