Week 8 - Industrialisation

Week 8 - Industrialisation

Industrialisation and Cao Fei's RMB City

Dynamism of a dog on a Leash (1912) Giacomo Balla

Industrialisation in the late 1800s, and today.

RMB City (2007-9)  Cao Fei

The artists of the late 1800's and early 1900's, in Europe, were influenced by the Industrial revolution.

1. What and when was the Industrial Revolution?

The industrial revolution was a major time period in the late 18th century of Europe shown by the general introduction to power-driven machinery and manufacturing. the invention of electricity, railroads and advancements in communication allowed a rapid change in the economy, a faster production of products of all kind, and allowed Europe, specifically England to forge ahead from the rest of the world.

Both paintings featured on this blog that are from the early 1900s were painted by Modernist painters from the group called 'Futurists'. The Futurists celebrated the machine, and objects in motion. Their primary objective was to depict movement, which they saw as symbolic of their commitment to the dynamic forward thrust of the 20th century.

2. Research both Modernist paintings in order to comment on the subject matter, form and style used to celebrate the machine and motion in each painting. Answer the question in 2 parts for each painting.

Umberto Boccion - the city rises

This painting subject matter is basically being record of a construction of a new electrical power plant being build. it is being dominated by the constant moving figures of muscular men who are just being depicted slaving away to get the building finished. It is typically a modernist painting due to the subject that it portrays and the style used to depict it. The subject as a whole just shows the advancement of time, and as a result shows it making way for new buildings and factories. The style itself is also considered modernist due to the simplicity of the subject, where the style of the work helps capture the movement, color and sound of the painting. This makes it living and somewhat energetic in the depiction of movement in the urban space; therefore it basically celebrates that beauty of progress taking place as a whole.

Giacomo Balla - Dynamism of a dog on a leash

In this painting, the subject matter here aims at focusing on the movement of the dog (as the title suggest), which is a breed called the Dachshund. Beside the dog is its owner, a lady dressed in what appears to be in some form of Victorian style dress. She also appears to scampering around just like her dog, where her skirt looks very clumsy and might trip. The word "dynamism” was used in the title, which is a theory that all phenomena (in terms of matter and/or motion) can be explained as a manifestation of force, and it was general used to describe the modern machine world. So it is basically just a comical relief used to describe this mere little dog being as fast as a machine.

Cao Fei's RMB City (2007-9) refers to China's recent rapid industrialisation and urbanization.
(www.artspace.org.nz/exhibitions/2009/cafeintopia.asp)

3. Research Cao Fei's RMB City (2007-9) in order to comment on this work in more depth.
i.e describe the images that has she used in her digital collage that refer to China's present and history, and explain why has she used these images.

RMB City is a virtual city found in the online world of Second Life, which was launched in 2008 and was planed and developed by Beijing artist Cao Fei, also known in her Second Life profile, China Tracy. The work itself is based around the idea of rapid advancement in China; specifically in terms of urbanizations sue to her work being influenced by the pop culture and entertainment.

The city was originally created as a playground for Cai Fei and her collaborators to experiment on the different use of mediums in order to test the boundaries between the existence of both virtual and physical world.

In the title, RMB stands for "Renminbi, which is the Chinese translation of currency in china consisting of Yuan. The work contains real symbols of china such as their national flag and their animal, the panda, as well as recognized buildings of the Feilai Temple, the Grand National Theatre in Beijing, the Oriental Pearl Tower, a ferries wheel leading to the people's Heroes and etc, and finally a statue of the once great leader of china, Mao Zedong. And these subjects in both real and virtual aspects of the work transverse between the boundaries of past and future, real and virtual to depict china as part of a contemporary cosmopolitan world.

4. RMB City is described as a utopia/dystopia. Comment on what these terms mean, and how they can be applied to the work.

As described in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Utopia is an ideal place where laws, government and social conditions are considered the highest in all aspects, so overall, it is the perfect world. While Dystopia is the direct opposite of Utopia, as it is a place where people live a dehumanized and fearful life, so they live in the lowest quality in standard living.

These two terms can be applied to the work due to how it tries to depict a place as this version of a perfect ideal world, despite the fact that the country itself  is known to have a history of bad human rights, as well as in other aspects of political, and social areas. In the work, Cao Fei used the images and symbols taken from china to depict it as this fantasy like society where it show the area as some form of wonderland, perfect in all areas, its own version of utopia place in one area. However this work I believe only depicts the opposite of what china is as a country or what it should be. For the past few hundred or even thousand years of its history, china has been known for their serious problem in terms of its social and political issues, with the country having practiced a large number in slavery during its dynasties rule, most recently, China is considered having very low human rights, as accused by a number of foreign governments, as well as from protestors, such as ones of the torch relay during the 2008 Olympics, due to their violation in human civil rights, freedom in speech and religion as well as labor and property rights. So in a world-view perspective, china is considered an example of dystopia world due to these issues, and Cai Fei's virtual city uses these real symbols and ideals of china to try and illustrates it as the opposite of it, to show what it could have become if it improved and accepts contemporary ideals, so it could be that the idea of the her work is trying to help establish that from what can exist in the fantasy world to real life.

5. Although the Modernist paintings and the contemporary digital work have emerged from
different contexts, there are also many similarities. Comment on the similarities that you can see in the work. Look at the moving digital image at vimeo.com/4272260, if you have not
already researched it.

The similarity that I can only see between the modern painting and the contemporary digital work is basically the movement, both as an illustration of motion, but more specifically as a meaning to the progression in time. While both have shown the use of movement in their work, particularly from the works of the futurist, as well as the uses of video files from the digital art, what they both have in comment in this area is how they both use it to show the  progression in technology,  culture and ideas of our world today, and they both show it as the digital art uses the technology of today to transfer our creative ideas in this process, while the modernist painting helps illustrate it in a visual context, as the word modern means present, so it tries to help movement forward from today and tomorrow.

6. Comment on other student's blogs.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utopia

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dystopia

http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/c19th/modernism.htm

http://interventionsjournal.net/2012/01/26/rmb-city-spectatorship-on-the-boundaries-of-the-virtual-and-the-real/

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/industrial%20revolution

http://www.learner.org/courses/globalart/work/173/index.html

http://suite101.com/article/futurism-and-umberto-boccionis-the-city-rises-a280519

http://www.mutualart.com/OpenArticle/Cao-Fei--Building--RMB-City-/5A8FD7ADF04F9369

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/great-works-dynamism-of-a-dog-on-a-leash-1912-giacomo-balla-1781174.html

http://defensewiki.ibj.org/index.php/China?gclid=CNLmxJPEorACFU1spAodyywuWg

Week 6-Landscape and the Sublime

Week 6-Landscape and the Sublime

'Wanderer in the mists' (1818) Caspar David Friedrich

'Untitled #2" (2002) Richard Misrach

 'Untitled # 394-03' (2003) Richard Misrach

Richard Misrach's photography reflects the concept of the Sublime, from the Enlightenment.

Research Misrach's work by reading about his intentions, and also by looking at the work. Then answer the following questions;

1. Define the Enlightenment, including its context (time and place).

The enlightenment was a philosophical movement that mainly took place during the 18 century that focused on the framework of new ideas involving the view of man, society and nature and the structural development of science and reasoning. it challenged that traditional belief and ideas dominated by Christianity and had spanned from the 16th to the 19 century. The enlightenment itself is structured a basic principles that focuses on the concepts of equality, reasoning, the power of thought and individualism, human perfection, and the optimistic view of the world. These new ideas help in influencing the many cultural innovations in writing, printing, painting, music, sculpture, architecture and gardening, as well as the other arts.

2. Define the concept of the Sublime.

The definition of sublime, being first prominence in the 18th century is the quality of greatness whether they be physical, moral, intellectual etc. or to convert something inferior into something higher worth. This term was especially referred to the concept as an aesthetic quality in nature distinct from beauty.

3. Explain how the concept of the Sublime came out of Enlightenment thought.

Before that time, sublime paintings were not accept and were even ignored by critics of that time, as they were considered to be unimportant, while that subject of religion top the list on painting subjects. But when the enlightenment age moved away from traditional ideas of the church, people began to think more differently in more of the way the world worked  rather that from the rule of religion, so the sublime painting were slowly accepted by society with that fact that the time of enlightenment focusing on new ideas and challenging old dictated by the church, the concept of sublime reflects this, as paintings deal with the idea that life ad spirit depends on the harmony from the larger order of the universe.

4. Discuss the subject matter and aesthetic (look) of Misrach's work to identify the Sublime in his work. Include some quotes from art critics and other writers who have written about his work. 

On both of his work shown, with a lone or few people being surrounded by the beach and sea area, shows a very unsettling view of isolation from the world, as well as their vulnerability, while the picture's viewpoint itself shows that of clearly someone watching. Overall Misrach's work definitely reflects the ideal of sublime in terms of landscape as the subjects themselves are being engulfed by their natural surroundings, but they are also shown at ease, being tranquil with their surroundings

.

By Blake Gopnik
Washington Post Staff Writer

“In Misrach's work, even images of figures lost in an infinity of water don't make us worry for their safety or sanity. They make us envy their leisure.

Step up close to peer at Misrach's minuscule people, and it's clear that they're at ease: Men and women float calmly on their backs; a woman dives from her boyfriend's shoulders; another woman does a handstand in the water, leaving only her legs visible above the swell.

These images assert a comfort with wild nature that we haven't always had. We now feel sure that we can tame it, use it, enjoy it, even endanger it at will.”

Liz Magor and Richard Misrach

Henry Gallery :

“The series is titled after the post-nuclear bomb scenario of Nevil Shute's 1950s novel "On the Beach," later a movie with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner. The photographs look down at vast expanses of beach and ocean, composed as allover patterns or simple geometries. In some, a lone human figure or two sprawl on the beach, entwine or float in the surf far below. They exist to provide a trope, the notion of the tininess of human life in the grand scheme of things.”

5. Add 2 new images of his work to your blog.

           

6. Describe how does Misrach's photography makes you feel. How does it appeal to your imagination?

I quite like Misrach's work in terms of being both photography and a art form. I found them to be very relaxing, and calm, as well as inspiring me in terms of making me fell like being in place that i have never gone before, which appeals to my imagination. it also gives me an idea of the sublime, as it emphasizes more in the connection of nature and how they relates to the grand scheme of the universe as a whole. Making it quite powerful to behold, which is why it’s sublime because allot of people sometimes overlook this.

7. Identify some other artists or designers that work with ideas around the Sublime, from the Enlightenment era as well as contemporary artists.

JMW Turner was a famous painter and watercolorist of that time who also worked with the ideas of sublime where he painted a few scenes depicting the notion of a subjective world. This can be seen in one of his work “Snow Storm: Steamboat off a harbor’s Mouth (1842)” which depicts a boat sailing under a heavy sea storm. This work makes us experience the area as it draws us into the scene, and as they say “making us look not at the storm but through it.” The ideal of sublime can be seem due to the fact that despite its power and magnificence of the painting, it is not just the qualities of the scene or object we are looking at, but the experience that it emits.

James Turrell is an internationally acclaimed light and space American artist whose work spam to more than four decades. During those times he has created striking works that focuses on the perceptions, and light effect on a created space. His work in terms of sublime is a straightforward relation to mankind’s relation and place in the universe, where his work on the phenomena of light shows a discipline in peace, patience and meditation.

8. Add a Sublime image of your choice to your blog, which can be Art or just a Sublime photograph.

           

9. Reference your sources (books and websites).

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/enlightenment/

http://www.brucekelly.com/library/enlightenment.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/profile/richard-misrach-on-the-beach,1147784/critic-review.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2008374684_henry11.html

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/trnr/hd_trnr.htm

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/turner/

http://www.victorianweb.org/philosophy/sublime/turner.html

http://www.bodegacolome.com/estancia/museo-james-turrell.php?lang=en

Week 4 - Humanism and contemporary sculpture.

 Ron Mueck's sculpture and Humanism

Mask II (2002) Ron Mueck

A girl (2006) Ron Mueck

Ron Mueck has become internationally recognized for his unique sculptures, which replicate the human figure with unrivalled technical skill. His work has a powerful psychological range, focusing not only on universal experiences like birth, life and death but on emotional states such as isolation, fear and tenderness. His startling manipulations of scale are key to our experience of each work.

Mueck's work showed at the Christchurch Art Gallery from the end of 2010 through to January 2011. Research Mueck's sculpture in order to answer the following questions;

1. Mueck's sculpture is described as 'hyper-real'. Define the meaning of this term and explain how it is evident in his work.

Hyper-real, or most specifically in term of Mueck’s work Hyperrealism, is a form of visual arts genre, where painting and sculpture are resembles more as high resolution photograph. Considered advancement to Photorealism (painting that appears photographic) due to the method used to create the resulting painting and sculpture, the term was developed during the early 2000s in United States and Europe. The genre of art is clearly shown on Ron Mueck's sculpture due to how he reproduce and replicates a very high detail of the human body with unrivalled technical skills in every aspect of his recent works, most specifically the facial feature and body structure that appears as real life models.

2. Mueck says he is not interested in making life size sculpture. Find out why he is more interested in working with the scale of the figure which is not life size, and mention 2 works which use scale that is either larger or smaller than life.

The reason why he is more interested with scales not of life size is that he is trying to demonstrate his ideas of mental and psychological aspects that humans experiences, allowing not just the universal experience shown the subject like life or death, but of emotional states such a fear, isolation and insignificances. Of all the 13 works that was shown during the Christchurch exhibition, not once was any considered life size. All were either larger or smaller, and 2 of the works that show these in particular were the Wild Man, and 10 feet high naked beard man in his seated position, and the two women, a 1 foot high sculpture of 2 old women, most likely sisters.

3. Define Renaissance Humanism, and identify which aspects of Humanism can be seen in Mueck's work. Note that the contemporary definition of Humanism is much broader than the Renaissance definition.

Renaissance humanism was a social philosophy adapted from the ideas of humanism and engaged by scholars, writer and civil leaders to help create a citizenry that allowed people to speak and write with clarity based on self interest rather than be trained in strict practices and works approved only by the church. Developed during the fourteenth and fifteenth century, this activity was created to help respond to the challenge of ideas of scholasticism from medieval education or any other form of religious practice. The aspects of Mueck’s work that helps show this philosophy can be seen in both the work itself and what it tries to represent, where the emotional context which is the main idea that it tries to express, shows more of the interest of the human self in relation to the broader definition of humanism, while the details of the work in terms of near flawless detail of human facial features shows how much the artist focus all his efforts on the subject, showing more interest in the subject as well.

4. Research and discuss one of Mueck's sculptures that you might find challenging or exciting to experience in an art gallery. Describe the work, upload an image of the work, and explain your personal response to the work. Comment on other student blogs to develop the discussion around the variety of our own personal and individual responses to art and design.

The one work which I believe would be challenging to experience if I were to ever go to in the art gallery is the Pregnant Woman. The reason for this choice is due to expression of pain and agony she is experiencing while in labor, in other words it was just very uncomfortable to look at. The large size and realism of the structure just helps in naturally communicating the pain and suffering she feel as she is carrying the baby during her pregnancy (despite not being a female). Her facial features were able to help show both her uncomfortable state while at the same time show solace in the knowledge that the pain will be over soon.

·         http://esmaholden.suite101.com/four-reasons-to-visit-a-ron-mueck-exhibition-a333516

·         http://scopepress.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135:for-ron-mueck-bigger-and-smaller-is&catid=39:feature-articles

·         http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/humanism.html

·         http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1002/S00173.htm

Week 3 - Damien Hirst's work 'For the Love of God' and Mercantilism

For the Love of God(2007) Damien Hirst

Research Damien Hirst's work For the Love of God (2007) in order to answer the following questions;

1. Describe the work, giving details of the form and materials. 

Damien Hirst's "For the Love of God", considered the Most expensive art to ever be made by a single artist, is a sculpture which consist of a platinum cast of a human skull, which was brought from a shop in Islington & is thought to be from a European living between 1720 and 1810.This skull, where the platinum covers the entire skull with the exception of its teeth is also encrusted with 8601 flawless diamond, all weighing in a total of 1,106.18 carats. At the center of that forehead lies a peer shaped pink diamond which some believed is to be the center piece of the entire sculpture. All the diamonds used for the work are said to be ethically sourced.

2. What does the work mean? What is Damien Hirst communicating in the work?

The meaning of the work, based on a few sources, focuses around the subject of death. Which was the basic theme that most of his ideas is based upon and was actually famous for. To be specific, the work itself was supposed to be based around the celebration or luxury of death due to the fact that the work was based around a Aztec Skull a the British Museum which focuses on the decoration of the skull. This sculpture is a recreation of that style on death, and embellishes it with luxury by covering it with the most expensive diamond to prove his point.

3. How does Hirst's diamond encrusted skull relate to Mercantilism and to conspicuous consumption?

This work in relation to Mercantilism and Conspicuous consumption is not own only in terms of its pricing and cost, but also on its antiquity. During the Time of Renaissance when Mercantilism was still use as a main system for economy. Wealth was measured by the possession of precious items and materials, as well as the social status of the people, something that is still very much used today. Hirst work on using diamonds helps in being related to Conspicuous consumption due to the obscene amount of money that was being spend on towards the source of the material, but not only do they helps in not just making it the most expensive art to date, but also elevates its status as a work along with Hrist as the artist.

4. How much did the work cost, and how much was it sold for, and who bought it?

The diamonds and fabrication of the skull was said to cost around $16-20 million to make, and is worth around $50-100 million. Originally claimed to have been sold for around about that amount to an anonymously investor, many believe that he hasn’t sold it to any buyer yet and tries to use this claim to help drum up publicity. So it is currently being owned by Hrist Himself.

5. What are some of the differing opinions of the journalists in the newspaper and blog articles?
   What did they think of the work?

There were many mixed opinions of "for the Love of God". To some journalist, the skull shows a perfect representation of the glory and celebration of dead, but however to most it was considered to be quite excessive and extravagant and even claiming that the art is just a publicity stunt by Hirst to get more attention and to raise the value of his other works. Journalist such as Robin Simon, who is the editor of the British Art Journal has given negative response to it, saying that the artwork is "vacuous nonsense" and that the "art is extremely dull" despite good comment on its workmanship. Even Californian private art dealer, Richard Polsky also agree in the publicity stunt of the work, saying that "The sale keeps Hirst in the news, reinforces the demand for his work and makes everyone who spent money at White Cube feel good about their investment”. This is all about investment, not about art collecting". So there are still many talks about the work, considering whether it is artwork or just merchandise

6. Based on your research, what is your opinion of the work, as an object or a work of art?

After much research from my part, I just found the artwork to be quite "interesting" in my part, as I could not distinguish weather it was considered much of an art or object. Naturally when I first saw the piece, I considered it to be more of a one of king piece of merchandise created only for the purpose of being sold to the highest bidder. However I also begin to see it also as a clever artwork in trying to simply celebrate the glory of death, where no matter how much you spend your money, you cannot beat death (which would explain the amount of money used). So in the end, I would see his piece as both a piece of expensive object as well as a work of art, which shows more meaning than it appears.

·    http://janineflynn.com/blog/index.php/category/art/sculpture/

·         http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Damien_Hirst_For_The_Love_Of_God.html

·         http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/nov/21/damien-hirst-tate-modern

·         http://www.gagosian.com/artists/damien-hirst/

·         http://www.geekologie.com/2007/06/damien-hirsts-for-the-love-of.php

·         http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-459204/Damien-Hirst-unveils-jewels-crown-50m-diamond-studded-skull.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-mystery-of-the-pound50m-skull-is-hirsts-record-sale-all-it-seems-401183.html