Barbara Kruger

American conceptual/pop artist Barbara Kruger is internationally renowned for her signature black, white and red-poster style works of art that convey in-your-face messages on womens rights and issues of power. Coming out of the magazine publishing industry, Kruger knows precisely how to capture the viewer's attention with her bold and witty photo murals displayed on billboards, bus stops and public transportation as well as in major museums and galleries worldwide. She has edited books on cultural theory, including Remaking History for the Dia Foundation, and has published articles in the New York Times, Artforum, and other periodicals. Monographs on her work include Love for Sale, We Won't Play Nature to Your Culture and others. She is represented in New York by Mary Boone Gallery. A major exhibition of her work will be presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles in fall 1999, and at the Whitney Museum in New York in 2000.

Untitled ( Not Perfect) 1980

Research Kruger's work to find an example from the 1970s or 1980s to compare with a more recent work. How has Kruger's work changed with the developments in contemporary visual arts? Describe a recent work that moves away from the 'poster' type work of her early career.

Kruger's photographs is mainly constructed around the idea of self-identity, desire and public opinions towards ourselves, which is an on-going manipulation from the mass media. Her red-bordered montages of words and images are featured in her work to really captivate her viewers attention, her works are often seen on billboards, T-shirts and posters, it explores the typical cliches and cultural stereotypes that seem to control our societies, even today. "She reapportions the power of cultural iconography and commercial images, robbing the slick conveyances of societal assimilation of their strength and giving it to her audience in a form of knowledge." (Rider, n.d.)

Between Being Born and Dying

Kruger recently launch an installation work in New York City, she relates this work on modern society today with our obsession of 'media bombardment'. Her signature bold text is still featured in her works, although this time she constructs her ideas and comments on topics such as 'political issues, feminism, consumerism, individual autonomy and desire.' In this work, Kruger moves away from her well-known "poster" type works and develops it more into a contemporary/spatial/installation art, the exhibition is covered and filled from floor to ceiling of comments towards her ideas.

Find 2-3 works by Kruger to add to your blog.

How does the audience experience a more spatial, installation art work compared with a poster?

In my opinion, with Kruger's recent work of 'Between Being Born and Dying' it has elements and techniques of spatial and/or installation art, her use of space and bold texts interacts and plays with viewers while also maintaining to keep her main ideas the focal point of this piece.

What elements does Kruger use in her work to create a strong impact?

It's her signature bold texts and strong messages, Kruger bases her theories around real world scenarios that is why viewers are so captivated by her works.

Comment on the development of her work over the last 30 years.

Kruger has created works that tends to speak towards her audiences about real life scenarios that is constantly goes on in our world, her work consistently develops throughout the past years from creating messages on to a poster like image and recently evolving it into a spatial and/or installation style work. She still maintains to keep her signature bold texts and her intense topics in her art pieces, which she is known for, although she develops her techniques into a more modern style, which I must say has a uniqueness to it!

References

Barbara Kruger (n.d.) Retrieved September 1st, 2010, from http://www.guggenheim.org/

Rider. S, Barbara Kruger: signs of post modernity (n.d.) Retrieved September 1st, 2010, from http://www.wdog.com/rider/writings/real_kruger.htm

Kehinde Wiley

• How do we make sense of Kihinde's work? Identify intertextuality in Kihinde's work.

Wiley's work is based around "the sign and visual rhetoric of the heroic, powerful, majestic and the sublime in his representation of urban, black and brown men found throughout the world"( Kehinde Wiley Studios, n.d.), his paintings are also based on photographs taken around the streets of Harlem of young men wearing everday clothes, he represents the portrayal of masculinity and physicality from the views of black and brown men.

Wiley collaborates his styles and ideas from a range of time periods such as the Renaissance, French rococo, West African textile designs, Islamic architecture and to urban hip-hop. He embraces the style of hip-hop culture which he shows in his paintings, and appear to be based around the style and concepts of the Renaissance paintings. "His painting style has been compared to that of such traditional portraitists as Reynolds, Gainsborough, Titian and Ingres." (Kehinde Wiley, n.d.)

• Kehinde's work relates to this weeks Post Modern theme "PLURALISM" re-read page 50 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.

According to Cadwell (1999)

Pluralism in art refers to the nature of artforms and artists as diverse. The cultural context of art is all encompassing in its respect for the art of the world's cultures. Inclusion of individuals of differing ethnicities, genders, ideologies, abilities, ages, religions, economic status and educational levels is valued. Pluralism honours differences within and between equitable groups while seeing their commonalities."

Wiley's paintings takes away the boundaries that is created within our societies about the different hierachies that we have in our world today, he features black/ brown men in his paintings with a renaissance and british like style in the background to contrast both concepts, while still mainting to keep the idea of the street-like, hip hop culture. "By applying the visual vocabulary and conventions of glorification, history, wealth and prestige to the subject matter drawn from the urban fabric, the subjects and stylistic references for his paintings are juxtaposed inversions of each other, forcing ambiguity and provocative perplexity to pervade his imagery." (Kehinde Wiley Studios n.d.)

References:

Cadwell, B. (1999) Cultural Context. Retrieved August 25th, 2010, from http://www.public.iastate.edu/~design/ART/NAB/PluArt.html

Kehinde Wiley Studios (n.d.). Retrieved August 25th, 2010, from http://www.kehindewiley.com/main.html

Kehinde Wiley (n.d.). Retrieved August 25th, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kehinde_Wiley

Anish Kapoor

Celebrated for his gigantic, stainless steel 'Cloud Gate' sculputure in Chicago's Millenium Park, Anish Kapoor is changing the cultural environment with his public works.

1. Research Kapoor's work in order to discuss the ideas behind 3 quite different works from countries outside New Zealand.



Cloud Gate

The 'Cloud Gate' was constructed around 2004-2006 and was nicknamed 'the bean' for its distinct shape. It is considered to be a well-known sculputure made up of stainless steel plates welded together and is highly polished to reflect the city's landscape and people, in a distorted way. Millions of tourists around the world travel to Chicago to witness its breath-taking structure and unique reflective features, "Cloud Gate was formally dedicated on May 15, 2006, and has since gained considerable popularity, both domestically and internationally." (Cloud Gate,2010)



Sky Mirror

The 'Sky Mirror' is a 35-foot-diameter concave mirror made up of stainless steel; it is an urban, contemporary architecture that gives the impression of a lowered sky. It reflects the New York skyscrapper upside down and also the sky that hovers around the city, which I must say gives a very unique image. The stainless steel sculpture is installed on a platform, a few feet above street level and stands atleast three stories high at the Fifth Avenue entrance to the Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center. The 'Sky Mirror' is open to be viewed by the public.


Marsyas

This scuplture comprises three steel rings joined together by PVC, two are placed vertically at the end of eachother, while the third is suspened parallel with the bridge. "The scupture's dark red suggests something 'of the physical, of the earthly, of the bodily' " ( The Unilever Series:Anish Kapoor, 2003)

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


Kapoor's work 'The Farm' is an installation specifically designed for an outdoor design, it is structured to withstand high winds that travel around the coast of New Zealand's North Island. The ellipse is one horizontal and one vertical and passes through a hillside which provides a view of hills and valleys and the beautiful Kaipara Harbor.



3. Where is Kapoor's work in New Zealand? What are the its form and materials? What are the ideas behind the work?


'The Farm' is located at a private estate, outdoor art gallery in Kaipara Bay, North of Auckland, New Zealand. "The sculpture is fabricated in a custom deep red PVC-coated polyester fabric by Ferrari Textiles supported by two identical matching red structural steel ellipses that weigh 42,750kg each. The fabric alone weighs 7,200kg." (Fabric Architecture, 2010)



4. Comment on which work by Kapoor is your favourite, and why.

One of Kapoor's work that is probably my favourite is the 'Sky Mirror' and the 'Cloud Gate'. Both works are very similar to eachother and uses the same materials to get the unique reflective feature, I really like these pieces because they are very unique and interesting. Kapoor's works is mostly based on interacting with society and space, and the 'Sky Mirror' and 'Cloud Gate' defenetly brings a different approach towards the future of design.

References

Anish Kapoor, Sky Mirror. (n.d.) Retrieved August 10th, 2010, from http://www.publicartfund.org./pafweb/projects/06/kapoor//kapoor-06.html

Cloud Gate (2010). Retrieved August 10th, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_Gate


Fabric Architecture Anish Kapoor sculpture blends fabric and steel in New Zealand (2010). Retrieved August 10th, 2010, from http://fabricarchitecturemag.com/articles/0110_sk_sculpture.html


The Unilever Series: Anish Kapoor (2003). Retrieved August 10th, 2010, from http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/kapoor/default/htm

The Walters Prize 2010

1. What is the background to the Walters Prize?

Established by Erika and Robin Congreve and Dame Jenny Gibbs, they named this organization in honor of Gordon Walters, their main intentions was to make contemporary art as apart of our New Zealand culture. The Walters Prize is New Zealand’s most influential contemporary art prize; this recognizes artists that are devoted to contemporary art in New Zealand.

2. List the 4 selected artists for 2010 and briefly describe their work.

Dan Arps: (Explaining Things)

Arp’s works with a range of found objects, such as a cardboard, a string, a newspaper and crafted elements. Arp’s states that he enjoys and likes to use things that is “ready to hand, things anybody could have access to.” (Artists with eyes on prize, 2010)

His intention was to take everyday objects and separate them from their original purpose, to turn them into something more symbolic. They focused our attention towards the “process into making sense out of something” (Artists with eyes on prize, 2010)

Fiona Connor: Something Transparent (please go round the back)

Connor’s work is an installation which fills the entire gallery space; she explores and works with architecture and installation in a space that captures viewers into her art. Her nominated work was a gallery’s front entrance which she replicates 14 times throughout her gallery space; this work also encouraged viewers to see the work reversed by entering the gallery through the back entrance.

Saskia Leek: Yellow is the Putty of the world

Leek’s nominated work is a collection of her 11 paintings, she explores with subjects such as buildings, a sailing ship, a cat, a bowl of fruit and autumn leaves. She states that the painting process in her work is more important than it is about her subject matters.

Alex Monteith: Passing Manoeuvre with Two Motorcycles and 584 Vehicles for Two-Channel Video

Monteith explores around creating scenarios with cameras for her video art, she has a lot of experience and creativity in her work that captivates her viewers by sounds and films. Two motorcycles are simultaneously recorded on Auckland’s busy northern motorway; she says that by doing this work she “was trying to push what could be done in the little space between two rows of motorway traffic”. (Artists with eyes on prize, 2010)

3. Who are the jury members for 2010?

Jon Bywater - Programme Leader, Critical Studies at Elam School of Fine Art, The University of Auckland.
Rhana Devenport - Director, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth
Leonhard Emmerling - Visual Arts Adviser, Goethe Institute, Munich, Germany, former Director, ST PAUL St, AUT University
Kate Montgomery - Director, Physics Room, Christchurch

4. Who is the judge for 2010 and what is his position in the art world?

The appointed judge for the Auckland Art Gallery 2010 is the “highly respected former-director of London’s Tate Modern, Vicente Todoli.” (Judge for Walters Prize announced, 2010)

Todoli has led the Tate Modern through most of his time and from 1989-96, he was the chief curator and artistic director for The Valencia Institute for Modern Art (IVAM).

Todoli has organized and curated well-known exhibitions of modern and contemporary art around the globe.

“he has worked at New York's Whitney Museum, the IVAM in Valencia, and the Serralves Contemporary Art Museum in Oporto, as well as working alongside the ICA in Amsterdam and the Reina Sofía Museum.” (thinkSpain, 2010)

5. Who would you nominate for this years Walter's Prize, and why? Substantiate
you answer by outlining the strengths of the artists work. How does this relate
to your interests in art? What aspect of their work is successful in your opinion,
in terms of ideas, materials and/or installation of the work?

Fiona Connor and Saskia Leek are my favorite for this year’s Walter Prize. Both artists have works that I personally can relate to in my own work, coming from a painting background I enjoyed looking at Leek’s paintings, because she takes an image and develops it into a more colorful and lively abstract piece. Connor’s works however has also fascinated my interests, her desire in working with architecture and space has inspired me more to develop my own work, to further my designs to a career in spatial design.

6. Comment on other blogs from your ALVC group to agree or disagree with other people,always backing up your answer with clearly stated reasons.

References

Artists with eyes on prize (2010). Retrieved August 3^rd,2010, from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10660949

Judge for Walters Prize announced (2010). Retrieved August 3^rd,2010, from http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1006/S00173.htm

The Walters Prize 2010 (n.d). Retrieved August 3^rd, 2010, from http://www.aucklandartgallery.govt.nz/whats-on/events/2010/july/the-walters-prize-2010#The%20Jurors

thinkSpain (2010).Valencia’s Vicente Todoli to leave London Tate Modern in summer.^rd, 2010, from http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/17799/valencias-vicente-todoli-to-leave-london-tate-modern-in-summer Retrieved August 3

Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan is an artist and designer, working in film, dress and installation art. Research Chalayan’s work, and then consider these questions in some thoughtful reflective writing.

1. Chalayan’s works in clothing, like Afterwords (2000) and Burka (1996) , are often challenging to both the viewer and the wearer. What are your personal responses to these works? Are Afterwords and Burka fashion, or are they art? What is the difference?

Not all clothing is fashion, so what makes fashion fashion?

Hussein Chalayan, Burka, 1996

Chalayan’s idea behind his works of Afterwords (2000) is mostly to feature the “wearable, portable architecture” and that “fashion –forward designs can be found anywhere at anytime”. His unique fashion trends draw attention to his works from viewers that are fascinated by his creativity that he brings forth. The Afterwords (2000) collection features a range of furniture that is able to transform into garments. It also has a futuristic fashion look into it which has collaborated different inspirations such as, architecture, philosophy and anthropology. Personally, I really like this collection, it shows that Chalayan has worked hard to create and develop this unique work, and also introduced his viewers into a world of wearable architectural fashion.

Chalayan’s autumn/winter collection show in 2000, features models wearing dresses and some even naked, the Burka (1996) is based around the idea of the “traditional Islamic chador, as a comment on the treatment of women in Muslim societies.” (Regine,2005)

The Burka (1996) collection is very interesting, although at the same time, it also got me questioning the real idea and reason of why Chalayan chose to exploit an Islamic tradition, to be glamorized and misused in a way that half of the models are walking down the catwalk naked. His collection of Burka (1996) is somewhat can be categorized as a one unique fashion trend and the other, a risky, disrespectful choice of idea. If a head of church from Islam and/or other people that are fully devoted to traditional acts of religion were to see this collection, they would simply regard this work as a misconduct of unethical behaviour towards the religion and cultural symbolism of Islam. Not art at all.

The difference between the collection of Afterwords (2000) and Burka (1996) is that they have two different ideas behind them. In my point of view, I can consider both of these as a work of art, although other critics may see it differently.

Hussein Chalayan, Afterwords, 2000

2. Chalayan has strong links to industry. Pieces like The Level Tunnel (2006) and Repose (2006) are made in collaboration with, and paid for by, commercial business; in these cases, a vodka company and a crystal manufacturer. How does this impact on the nature of Chalayan’s work? Does the meaning of art change when it is used to sell products? Is it still art?

Chalayan was asked to design and create an installation to promote and reflect the taste of Level Vodka. “The idea is to engage in a captivating sensual experience of scent, sound and touch. I want to match all senses – excluding vision – to emphasize the exceptional taste of Level Vodka, as Hussein Chalayan explains.” (The Level Tunnel by Hussein Chalayan, 2008) In a way, this act by Chalayan can still be considered as art; he is also expanding his works and career by taking opportunities such as these and collaborate his pieces with product design and marketing. Therefore, many artists team up and make designs for businesses to promote their products, which results a positive outcome and credit for both artists and businesses.

3. Chalayan’s film Absent Presence screened at the 2005 Venice Biennale. It features the process of caring for worn clothes, and retrieving and analysing the traces of the wearer, in the form of DNA. This work has been influenced by many different art movements; can you think of some, and in what ways they might have inspired Chalayan’s approach?

Chalayan calls himself as a ‘designer artist’, he explores around the areas of fashion and technology. A movement that may have caused for Chalayan’s approach may have been ‘pop art’ from the United States and Britain. Robert Rauschenberg, a well-known and established painter from the United States creates art out of ephemeral materials and using topical events in the life of everyday, his main concern was with social issues of the moment. Also, a group called the ‘Independent Group’ (IG) established in London 1952, was regarded as the precursor to the pop art movement; they were a group of painters, sculptors, architects, writers and critics. They focused on popular culture implications from elements such as movies, advertising, product design, comic strips, science fiction and technology. Early artists such as these may have influenced Chalayan to explore and experiment with the different fields of art and design.

4. Many of Chalayan’s pieces are physically designed and constructed by someone else; for example, sculptor Lone Sigurdsson made some works from Chalayan’s Echoform (1999) and Before Minus Now (2000) fashion ranges. In fashion design this is standard practice, but in art it remains unexpected. Work by artists such as Jackson Pollock hold their value in the fact that he personally made the painting. Contrastingly, Andy Warhol’s pop art was largely produced in a New York collective called The Factory, and many of his silk-screened works were produced by assistants. Contemporarily, Damien Hirst doesn’t personally build his vitrines or preserve the sharks himself. So when and why is it important that the artist personally made the piece?

It is important when an artist is the first to design and create their own works. That is probably the reason why contemporary artists today mainly consider themselves to have ‘originally’ created their pieces, even though engineers and/ or manufacturers helped them create the work.

References

Designer Hussein Chalayan- Wearable, Portable Architecture, (2009). Retrieved July 28^th, 2010 , from http://www.impactlab.com/2009/04/12/designer-hussein-chalayan-wearable-portable-architecture/

Regine (2005), we make money not art: Hussein Chalayan. Retrieved July 31^st,2010, from http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2005/10/his-autumnwinte.php

Pop Art, (2010). Retrieved August 2^nd, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_art

The Level Tunnel by Hussein Chalayan,( 2008). Retrieved July 31^st, 2010, from http://www.selectism.com/news/tag/the-level-tunnel/