Kehinde Wiley

How do we make sense of his Kehinde's work?

This work is quite collaborative, in the sense that two different themes are brought together. For example the patterns spread over the artwork in contrast to the modern gangster's that he has painted. In my mind I believe that the images are representing how the Gangsters of america have gained enough power through drugs and corruption to be viewed as royalty and 'kings' of their blocks and the run down streets of the cities.

Identify intertextuality in Kehinde's work?

Intertextuality - Intertextuality refers to the linkages across texts or discourse events. The meaning of any text or utterance is shaped by what has come before it, as well as in anticipation of future responses.

Interextuality is present in Kehinde's art in the way he links both the themes of physical wealth and social wealth, what I mean by this is the positioning these 'Gangsters' have in their society is quite similar to the patriotic generals that where painted in these types of artworks in the 17th century.

The colors sported by these 'Gangsters' are identifiably 'CRIPS' and 'BLOODS' colors. In one painting by Kehinde there is one male 'Gangster' holding a staf pointing to himself, in a way that he is 'reping' his colors.

The images of the classic american 'gangsters' of today where thought up through Kehindes childhood. He grew up around a rough area of harlem (125'st) and returned to ask residents of the areas to pose for his artwork in the theme of Tiepolo whilst dressed in streetwear/hip hop style.

Pluralism in Kehindes work

Pluralism present in Kehinde's work is identifiable in the way he references artist Tiepolo in his work. The way the work is presented is post- modern however, with a historical edge. The sizes of the men painted are oversized in contrast to the canvas size, which gives off a more 'larger than life' vibe, giving the african american men more power- maybe suggesting that their power has grown since the days of these painting styles?

Anish Kapoor

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

Memory, Anish Kapoor

The raw, brown, Cor-Ten steel structure, just 8mm thick, is like a landed alien pod or a relic from an old war, unwieldy, tightly fit into the otherwise bare white space.The claustrophobic physicality deliberately impedes viewing the entire object at once. Instead the spectator is forced to creep around and piece together fragmented perspectives, the individualized creation of what Kapoor calls 'mental sculpture', all the while wondering how on earth the thing stays upright.

Cloud Gate

Cloud Gate is a public sculpture by Anish Kapoor in Millennium Park, Chicago. The sculpture is shaped like an ellipse, and its legume-like appearance has caused it to be nicknamed “The Bean”. It is made of 168 highly polished stainless steel plates, and stands at 33 feet high, 66 feet long, and 42 feet wide, weighing 110 tons.From a distance it could be mistaken for a huge drop of mercury, while up close its highly reflective surface captures and transforms the skyline, the downtown cityscape and even the passers-by into a wonderfully warped new vista. The artist, Anish Kapoor, has referred to the sculpture as “a gate to Chicago, a poetic idea about the city it reflects.” The 12-foot underbelly is called the “omphalos” or navel and multiplies reflections in a vortex.

Turbine Hall

The sculpture consists of three steel rings joined together by a single span of PVC membrane. Two of the rings are positioned vertically, at each end of the space, while this picture shows the third ring, suspended parallel with the bridge.

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

The private site, known as the farm is located in the North Island of New Zealand in Kaipara Bay. The sculpture that sits on two identical steel eclipses that weigh 42,750kg each, is made out of custom red PVC. It was created and designed to withstand the high winds that blow off the cliffs of the North-West cost of the North Island and the Tasman Sea. Its design is similar to the Turbine Hall exhibited in the Tate Modern Gallery in London.

Walters Prize 2010

What is the background of the Walters Prize?'

Gordon Walters:

The Walters Prize is the most outstanding art prize in New Zealand. It brings to the surface artists who have made made an outstanding contribution to contemporary art in New Zealand. It is named after the famous artist Gordon Walters and was established by several benefactors and donors. They created it to to make New Zealanders more aware of the amazing contemporary art created and wanted to make it a feature of New Zealand life.

The winner recieves $50,000 and the chance to exhibit at the Saatchi & Saatchi headquarters in New York as well as the chance to travel there.

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

Saskia Leek: Yellow is the Putty of the World- Oil pastels on canvas- drawings of buildings and sky scrapers outlined in yellow pastel- fun and quirky twist on serious topic of architecture.

Alex Monteith: Passing Maneuver with Two Motorcycles- A video of two motorbikes illegally driving through congested traffic. One bike filmed the front bike while the front bike had a camera facing backwards at the second bike.

Fiona Connor: Something Transparent- Was created specifically for the Walters Award, consisting of materials usually used for building -(doors, frames and roofing).

Dan Arps: Explaining things- randomized objects found in everyday life, sculpted together to create a artistic object. Some of his work really questions weather the materials together is just a pile of junk or artwork.

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

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

The 2010 judge for the Walters Prise award was the a-famed Vicente Todoli, former director of London's tate- modern - one of the most visited Art museums of the world. Vicente Todoli's position of director at the Tate Modern is a big part of the museums success and renowned reputation, hence why such a prestigious position such as presenting this award was given to Todoli. Previous to the tate, Todoli's career consisted of judging contemporary artwork which made him a perfect candidate for this years award.

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?

Observing these artists, I believe that the overall winning piece would have to be either Dan Arps or Alex Monteith. I think that both artists are worthy nominees as both artworks are quite different. The first, Dan Arps, really gets the viewer to question- what is art? and the second, Alex Monteith, has an entertaining piece on what it is like to ride a motorbike on a motor way. I think both artists relate to my interests as they are quirky and not serious- which is they way I enjoy expressing my own art. I like artwork that makes you think and hold s your attention span longer than if you were just looking at a canvas in a gallery.

Chalayan

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

Both afterwards(2000) and burka(1996) should be considered as art. They both express an idea in a physical form. The materials used could suggest that it is a fashion statement, however the way they have been presented shows that they have been considered more as an artistic statement rather than fabricated.

I think the artwork is presented very uniquely and the ideas involved make the viewer think deeply about the message's Chalayan is portraying. The Burka(1996) is quite controversial in the way that the model is exposed, when the whole idea of the object is to cover as much skin as possible- in this way this work can be seen as more art like rather than fashion. Afterwards(2000) is seen in a material light as the object is designed and displayed as a skirt, however the raw materials used suggest that it is an art piece and to look further into the ideas being projected. There is not a great deal of difference between artwork and fashion. They both project ideas as an object physically, however fashion is more of an presentable form rather than physical object that is observed rather than warn. Overall I believe its the viewers opinion on what art can be considered as.

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?

Art is should be considered as art in every way it is produced, the fact that it was sold and produced for a soul purpose should not change the way it stands in any way. sure, the artists reputation and the way people consider this artist could be discussed differently, but that still doesn't effect the object created. For both The Level Tunnel(2006) and Repose(2006) Chalayan was commissioned to work for companies- he would have been given rough guidelines as to what was to be created, however his own personal expression would have been moulded to both artworks- hence having a piece of his own 'imagery' expressed throughout both artworks.

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?

when I researched Absent Presence I found the short clips that previewed the film very interesting. Chalayan's work has taken another path in the name of art. I however could not find many influences that could have inspired this artist to create this film. Saying that, I think the sudden influx of documentaries being made over the last 10 years could have inspired him to 'uncover the unknown' in that sense.

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?

I personally believe that the artwork that is being created/ designed by the artist should be exhibited in the artist name. However, if the artwork is created more than 50% by assistants/ other artists then this should be documented and named wherever the artwork is presented. I do believe that the artists that display their works as their own when they have not contributed more that 50% are not being true to themselves or the name of art. I get the impression that artists such as Damien Hirst has forgotten/ brushed to the side some of his earlier work like the preserved shark which is a kind of selling out as soon as fame hits. I do not agree with this.

Nathalie Djurberg's claymations

What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?

Claymation's is a characterized objects made out of clay, and photographed in a progression so when these images are projected in order, movement is displayed. The word claymation was created by artist Will Vinton, the world renowned inventor of claymation films such as Chicken Run and the Corpse Bride.

What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes awry'?

By looking at the photo of 'experiment', I can identify the meaning of surrealistic garden, Nathalie Djurberg's interpretation of a garden of eden, is a warped and strange twist on the ideas of a garden of bliss and tranquility which usually comes to mind when garden of eden is mentioned. 'All that goes awry' describes the unrealistic designs of the objects in "experiment'. The website 'Designboom' - (http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg-experiment-at-venice-art-biennale-09.html) describes the work as 'both terrifyingly

disturbing and artlessly sweet'.

What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?

Feelings associated with Djurbergs work would be described as strange and out of place. As the objects created are quite unusual.

How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?

Djurberg's creations play with the ideas of children's stories through the themes, characters and objects used in her artwork. Ideas expressed in Djurberg's work include mythical/beast like creatures and innocent children which was a common occurrence in children's stories.

There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?

I think artists are trying to get their viewers to take a more in-depth approach to their art whilst trying to get them to understand that life is not always about the beauty of things but understanding that its is can be strange and odd also. It is also something that is different and can be viewed as quite controversial as it is not the norm for people to be attracted to the ugly and unattractive side of any object.

In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?

I believe that this work by Djurberg was chosen due to the strange insightfulness of its unworldly aurar. It captures the audience of both children and adults as the colors and shapes of all the different objects are eliminating. I also think the display created takes a longer time to observe than a oil canvas hence, entertaining the guests for longer.

Industrialisation and Art

Industrial Revolution Definition

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions starting in the United Kingdom, then subsequently spreading throughout Europe, North America, and eventually the world. The onset of the Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in human history; almost every aspect of daily life was eventually influenced in some way.

The process of change involved the handicraft economy to an economy dominated by industry and machine based manifacture. Technical changes involved using iron and steel, new energy sources and the invention of new machines that increased productions. Industrialisation effected changes in economic, political and social organisation. This also included changes in distrabution of wealth and increaed international trade. Political changes that resulted from shifts in economic power- which included a rise in working class movements, Development of manergial hierachies and an emerge in new patterns of authority and an introduction to issues such as overcrouding and industrial polution.


Impression Sunrise 1873

Impression, soleil levant


Dated 1872, its subject is the harbour of Le Havre in France, using very loose brush strokes that suggest rather than delineate it. Monet explained the title later:

“Landscape is nothing but an impression, and an instantaneous one, hence this label that was given us, by the way because of me. I had sent a thing done in Le Havre, from my window, sun in the mist and a few masts of boats sticking up in the foreground....They asked me for a title for the catalogue, it couldn't really be taken for a view of Le Havre, and I said: 'Put Impression.'

I believe the realationship between both the painting and Industrialisation is the idea that both are created to be impressive. The painting was also part of the first impressionist exshibition and part of a movement where the fashion in painting was to paint the latest, trendiest and most elegant places, people and things in the painters scape.


Olafur Eliasson's 'Weather Project 2006

The similarities between 'Weather Project' and Monet's Impression sunrise is that both focus on the subject of weather. Weather's content in everyday convosation has been around for centuries. A sudden uproar of more subject on weather has arisen since the idea of the planets tempreture is arising. The themes that relate to these two significant art peices are the significant impact both have on our society and way of human life. I think the aims of these two artists are to observe the vastness of the surrounding environment and how 'impressive' they can be, wether on canvas or as a sun sculpture suspended in the tate.

Artworks of the Triennial - UNFINNISHED

Martin Boyce's work We Burn, We Shiver is an interesting peice. The use of the celling to exhibit his art is different from other artists in the Triennial who use wall and floor space to present their work. I like the way Boyce has used florecent lighting to highlight the shape of the spiders web. The instilation is similar to how a spiders web looks at night as the white thread of the web glows brighter than in the day. I also like the suttleness of the artwork when you walked into the room where it was being exhibited, as first you just believe it to be lighting for the room.



Shilpa Gupta's work singing cloud is a facinating instilation. The use of microphones to create a cloud suggests the idea she is trying to project a message to do with media and recorded messages. On the Triennial website the defention tells us that Shilpa Gupta's work is portraying the message that 'all media effects the way people see and understand the world'. This is interesting as I see the Cloud as a passive and dark idea, which suggests that the artist is not happy about the way media is effecting the global nation. I agree with this statement as this effects the morals and individal thought each person possesses, therefore the medias grip on society is creating a supressive state on a global scale.