Week 6- Anish Kapoor Sculpture

 Anish Kapoor

Cloud Gate (2004), Millennium Park, Chicago

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

1.Research Kapoor's work in order to discuss whether it is conceptual art or not. Explain your answer, using a definition of conceptual art.

A: Anish Kapoor (Bombay, 1954) has lived in London since the early 1970s where he began his distinguished career as a student at Hornsey College of Art and Chelsea School of Art Design. Over the last 20 years, Kapoor has emerged as one of the most prolific and respected sculptors in the world. In July 2004, Kapoor unveiled his first-ever site-specific installation in the U.S. with a monumental work that anchors Millennium Park.

The internationally-acclaimed Anish Kapoor has had solo exhibitions of his work in venues such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, Kunsthalle Basel, Reina Sofia in Madrid and CAPC in Bordeaux. He has also participated internationally in many group shows at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, The Royal Academy and Serpentine Gallery in London; Documenta IX in Kassel; Moderna Museet in Stockholm; and Jeu de Paume and Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.（About the Artist: Anish Kapoor, 2010)

The defination of Conceptual art is: not about forms or materials, but about ideas and meanings. It cannot be defined by any medium of style, but rather by the way it questions what art is. In particular, conceprual art challenges the traditional status of the art object as unique, collectable or saleable.

                           Fountain, Marcel Duchamp, 1917


After reading the defination, and I think it is not excetly conceptual art, although most of his works are hard to understand and more focus on visual impact and feelings, and the sculptures are quite different from traditionals', like the defination mentioned, his art could not be defined by any style, his works are kind of a huge piece and soft shape, it's quite a kind of idea- a sheet of color. However one of an important point of conceptual art is not to make too many sculptures but pay more attentions on feelings.

2. Research 3 quite different works by Kapoor from countries outside New Zealand to discuss the ideas behind the work. Include images of each work on your blog.

                               Svayambh, 2007
A:
1)Against another white wall stood the large red wax work Stack. Kapoor commented on the juxtaposition of cool euclidean metals against the emotion of fleshy red wax, figuring it was “the right thing to do.”(2010)
I think this piece of work showes the movenment of how the red wax passing accross the "door", and because of the size, the large red wax left some part on the door, and after it passed, it is the exactly shape of the door.It seems like influenced by the science and industrilization period, because the work looks like the process of making something.

2）Most of Kapoor's works are kind of spacial, I think it's good for me that it's a great experiencess to get some information from him. After researched his work, I think he would love to use the couve to explain the movenment. In my opinion, this display is quite like to move inside to the point. It's quite mysterious to see into the hole. The bright color makes the work has more visul impact.
This magnificent work is a fine example of Anish Kapoor’s practice as one of the most significant sculptors of our time. Kapoor’s work draws on metaphysical theory and ideas of the sublime, while his use of colour emphasises the sensory in his sculpture. His spectacular and extraordinary works engage the viewer both physically and psychologically with their large scale and saturated colours.(GoMA,2009)

                  To Reflect an Intimate Part of the Red, 19813)It's another work of movenment, it showes the melting process or they are dropped on the floor, but before they fracture. He quite like to make a dark floor but white wall in the space. The stuffs in the space are quite like the toy for babies. I have no idea about he just want to make the pieces like this or just a simple shape. However, it's a great display that showing the movenment.

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

A: Marsyas, Anish Kapoor’s sculpture for the Turbine Hall, comprises three steel rings joined together by a single span of PVC membrane. Two are positioned vertically, at each end of the space, while a third is suspended parallel with the bridge. Seemingly wedged into place, the geometry generated by these three rigid steel structures determines the sculpture’s overall form, a shift from vertical to horizontal and back to vertical again.(The unilever series: Anish kapoor,2002)

It's quite interesting to see his work. Some of his works are large, but not this big. Same as other works, the color is bright, and contrast with green mountain. Red and Green are contrast colour, which make the space as an interesting feeling.

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

Anish Kapoor has undertaken the third in The Unilever Series of commissions for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern.  (The unilever series: Anish kapoor,2002)

Marsyas, Anish Kapoor’s sculpture for the Turbine Hall, comprises three steel rings joined together by a single span of PVC membrane. Two are positioned vertically, at each end of the space, while a third is suspended parallel with the bridge. Seemingly wedged into place, the geometry generated by these three rigid steel structures determines the sculpture’s overall form, a shift from vertical to horizontal and back to vertical again. (The unilever series: Anish kapoor,2002)

Kapoor began the project in January 2002, soon realising that the only way he could challenge the daunting height of the Turbine Hall was, paradoxically, to use its length. He approached the space as a rectangular box with a shelf (the bridge) in the middle of it, and over many months, explored its potential through a series of drawings and sculptural maquettes. Human scale and the relationship of the viewer to the work was central to his thinking.

The PVC membrane has a fleshy quality, which Kapoor describes as being ‘rather like a flayed skin'. The title refers to Marsyas, a satyr in Greek mythology, who was flayed alive by the god Apollo. The sculpture’s dark red colour suggests something ‘of the physical, of the earthly, of the bodily.’ Kapoor has commented, ‘I want to make body into sky'. Marsyas confounds spatial perception, immersing the viewer in a monochromatic field of colour. It is impossible to view the entire sculpture from any one position. Instead we experience it as a series of discrete encounters, in which we are left to construct the whole.(The unilever series: Anish kapoor,2002)

5. Comment on which work by Kapoor is your favourite, and explain why. Are you personally attracted more by the ideas or the aesthetics of the work?

A: I prefer this kind of his works, it showes the movenment of how he make the
stuff and the process. Like I said in question 3, the design is influenced by industrilization, which is the period increasing technology.

There is something that kind of unsettling to me about this work by Anish Kapoor.  Something about the mass of it and that blade.  But it's also deliciously beautiful too.  It reminds me of lipstick or half a wheel of cheese.  I love this blood red colour that Kapoor uses a lot in his work. It's made of wax, paint and vaseline.(Sisalla, 2011)

Youtube has some excellent footage on Kapoor-take a look at Anish Kapoor at the Royal Academy.

www.royalacademy.org.uk › 
http://www.robgarrettcfa.com/thefarm.htm
http://www.billslater.com/cloudgate/

Dismemberment of Jeanne d’Arc- 

Old Municipal Market Building Brighton

Reference List:

1.About the Artist: Anish Kapoor (2010) Explore Chicago
            http://explorechicago.org/city/en/millennium/about_the_artist_0.html


2.(2010)
            http://artobserved.com/2010/12/ao-news-summary-first-ever-homecoming-exhibition-for-london-based-indian-artist-anish-kapoor-occupies-galleries-in-mumbai-and-new-delhi-until-february-27th-2011/


3.GoMA (2009) Anish Kapoor Untitled 2006-07 
            http://qag.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/past/recently_archived/anish_kapoor_untitled_2007


4.The unilever series: Anish kapoor (2002)


5.Sisalla (2011) Art Basel
            http://sisalla.blogspot.com/2011/07/art-basel.html

Week 5 - Pluralism and the Treat of Waitangi

Pluralism and the Treaty of Waitangi

In teaching week 5 you will discuss pluralism and the Treaty of Waitangi in your tutorials.
Use this discussion, the notes in your ALVC book and the internet to respond to the following
questions;

1. Define the term 'pluralism' using APA referencing.

 

A: 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 honors differences within and between equitable groups while seeing their commonalities.(Safly M.,1999)

2. How would you describe New Zealand's current dominant culture?

A: It's kind of mixed culture that could also called pluralism. The reason is that most of people from oversea come to New Zealand, and they bring their own culture, when they live or conmunicate with New Zealanders, they can exchange their culture. Such as western culture, local culture, island culture, and Asian culture. As a result, I think the moti-culture is the dominant culture.
 

 

'Welcome' (2004) Shane Cotton 

http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/work/52293/shane-cotton-welcome.aspx

 

 
A: Shane Cotton (Ngati Rangi, Ngati Hine, Te Uri Taniwha) is one of a small group of prominent artists of dual Maori and Pakeha descent. Trained within a European art school tradition, Cotton’s work explores aspects of his bi-cultural heritage – and by extension, examines the nature of New Zealand cultural identity.(Victoria University Press)

Cotton used the typical face from Maori to stand for Maori, original Maori culture, and native. Also the birds are from New Zealand. As we know, New Zealand has one of the most environment for birds, and people protect them. He use these four obvious face and animal to show "Here is New Zealand." that relates to the title "Welcome".

  

        

 

'Forked Tongue'(2011) Shane Cotton

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/shane-cotton-paintings-examine-cultural-landscape-126412

A: In paintings such as “Forked Tongue”, which features a cliff face, a fantail, some Maori designs and a tracery of red lines these symbols or metaphors become starting points for an elaboration on the links between the physical, historical and spiritual landscapes. “Letters O/I” which combines faded maps and words is a statement about the ways in which mapping and naming is a record of ownership and control of land in traditional European culture whereas for Maori it was other factors which determined ownership. (John, 2010)

7. Tony Albert's installation 'Sorry' (2008) reflect the effects of colonization on the aboriginal people of Australia. Research the work and comment on what Albert is communicating through his work, and what he is referring to. Describe the materials that Albert uses on this installation and say what he hopes his work can achieve. Define the term 'kitsch'.

A: Sorry commemorates the apology on 13 February 2008 by the former Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, to Indigenous Australians who have suffered as a result of ‘past mistreatment’ by the Government of Australia. Yet, Tony Albert is neither championing hopeless blind optimism nor pessimism through his work. Aboriginal people have been offered many broken promises. Here, Albert and his army of kitsch faces, has taken this word on face value until real change is observed.(21st Centry Blog, 2010)


Conservation staff have completed in the installation of Tony Albert’s Sorry 2008. The work was inspired by former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s formal apology to Indigenous Australians on 13 February 2008. On this day, Australia witnessed one of its most overtly optimistic displays of unity and emotion and, in the eyes of many, grew up. Capturing this outpouring of emotion in his work, Tony Albert introduces us to a forest of faces, each of which shares a history with those stolen from their people, land and culture. Each also represents a false identity; a manufactured black face made to fit a white society. By collecting and reintroducing these so-called ‘kitsch’ items into the world as ‘Aboriginal’ art, Albert affords each object a new and different life in the company of kindred souls: his practice is a liberation. (Harth N.,2010)

He used many materials that are culture relic pieces, toys and something that won't be used by people to fill into the big "SORRY" to apologize to native people.
Kitch means art in pretentious bad taste. The materials are Albert's personal collection, they are not good as normal culture relic, some of them could not used.

                                       Tony Albert | Australia b.1981 | Girramay people | Sorry 2008 |
                                               Found kitsch objects applied  to vinyl letters | 99 objects :   
                                               200 x 510 x 10cm (installed) | The James C Sourris Collection.
                                               Purchased 2008 with funds from James C Sourris through the 
                                               Queensland Art Gallery Foundation | Collection: Queensland Art Gallery

8. Explain how the work of both artists relates to pluralism.

A: Both artists are playing with culture, as Renee said, they wants to show as the history and the past, to let us know and to face the culture and history. Also they use different kinds of technologies and that could relates to pluralism. Albert mixed traditional cultural relic and English together.

                             

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6afMy0rlqq8

 

http://qag.qld.gov.au/collection/indigenous_australian_art/tony_albert

Reference List:

 

1. Safly M. (1999) Pluralism in Art Definition. Culture Context.

                    http://www.design.iastate.edu/NAB/about/thinkingskills/cultural_context/pluralism.html

 

2. John (2010) Shane Cotton paintings examine the cultural landscape. The National Business Review.

                    http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/shane-cotton-paintings-examine-cultural-landscape-126412

 

3. Victoria University Press

                    http://www.victoria.ac.nz/vup/2004titleinformation/shanecotton.aspx

 

4. Harth N.(2010) Behind-the-scenes: Tony Albert ‘Sorry’ 2008. 21st Centry Blog.

                    http://21cblog.com/behind-the-scenes-tony-albert-sorry-2008/

3. Before 1840, what was New Zealand's dominant culture?

 

A: Before 1840, the Maori culture was the dominant culture. Maori population is 50 times lager than European. The big difference cause Maori culture as the dominant culture.

4. How does the Treaty of Waitangi relate to us all as artists and designers working
in New Zealand?

 

A: The Treaty of Waitange relate to us in  many different ways. Such as we can make the work and use the culture and history background of the treaty. Acturaly, the Maori culture is quite new for me, after learn about it, I can open my mind, and some ideas came out that are based on the culture. Like the last studio period, 3D people can choose tikis to design works. The culture not onle infect our mind of design, but also we can use the history and the culture to develop and create our new design.

5. How can globalization be seen as having a negative effect on regional diversity in New Zealand in particular?

 

A: After 1840, most of western people came to New Zealand, and the big difference the population was changed to the opposite way that European people are more than Maori's. It's a big impact of Maori culture. For Maori, it's hard to protect their own culture, because they have to live in this "European environment", they start to learn English, eat western food, and they infuse to European culture. Same problem now, not only the European people, but also the Asian, Island, and people from all around the world. All the people have their own different culture. As the population of Maori decreased, they are hard to protect their own culture. At this time, a huge number of culture influx to New Zealand. As a resulte, the culture part of globalization has a negative effect.

6. Shane Cotton's paintings are said to examine the cultural landscape. Research Cotton's work 'Welcome'(2004) and 'Forked Tongue' (2011) to analyze what he is saying about colonialization and the Treaty of Waitangi. 

Week 4 - Kehinde Wiley

3. Kehinde Wiley Count Potocki, 2008 oil on canvas, 274.3 x 274.3cm

4. Kehinde Wiley Support Army and Look after People, 2007 oil on canvas, 258.4 x 227.3cm

Kahinde Wiley is a Gay American based painter born in Los Angeles, who has an international reputation. Wiley lives and practices between Beijing and Brooklyn.


This weeks ALVC class focuses on the Postmodern theme "INTERTEXTUALITY", re-read Extract 1 The death of the author on page 39 of your ALVC books and respond to the oil paintings of Kehinde Wiley. 

1. Find a clear definition of Intertextuality and quote it accurately on your blog using the APA referencing system. Use your own words to explain the definition more thoroughly.
A:"The concept of intertextuality reminds us taht each text exists in relation to others. In fact, texts owe more to other texts than to their own makers."

In my opinion, intertextuality means the work can be found a similar one in the history, which could be a photo a shape or a sculpture. Such as Jake and Dinos Chapman's Great Deeds Against the Dead, which used to be a painting by Goya in 1810. As a result, I think intertextuality could equal to "remade", or add some new ideas based on the original work.

           Great Deeds Against the dead 1810 

                Goya

 Great Deeds Against the Dead 1994

Jake and Dinos Chapman

2. Research Wiley's work and write a paragraph that analyzes how we might make sense of his work. Identify intertextuality in Wiley's work.

                                        Prince Tomosso Francesco of Savoy carignano

St. John the Baptist 

                                                             Count Potocki

A:  As the photos show, the similaritys are easy to see, a part of his work are about intertextuality. He uses the same name as the original pieces, and also the shapes are similar. The way he did is completely what I understand about interrextuality. If say Wiley copied the original work, but not, the works are brand new, the color the details and the decorate are totally different from the original pieces. His works I think are great examples for meaning or defination of intertextuality.

3. Wiley's work relates to next weeks Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Read page 46 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.

A: To answer this question, we have to know what is pluralism.

First, pluralism is not diversity alone, but the energetic engagement with diversity.
Second, pluralism is not just tolerance, but the active seeking of understanding across lines of difference.
Third, pluralism is not relativism, but the encounter of commitments.
Fourth, pluralism is based on dialogue. (Diana L. Eck, 1997)

As my understanding, the reason his work relates to pluralism is he mix the different culture together. Such as, the background of each painting (the shape and the figure) looks like the style from Middle east. And the person in his painting is black, but he used culture from western countries. Also the clothes the people are wearing, which must be after 20 centry. However, he use the old culture and the original painting as the background, and remade them as a new work, but use totally different figures. That's why his work relates to pluralism

4. Comment on how Wiley's work raises questions around social/cultural hierarchies , colonisation, globalisation, stereotypes and the politics which govern a western worldview. 

A:
The person in his painting are all black, and a number of his work used old culture as the background. I think this is about colonisation. Maybe he thought western people could get high social class, black people could also do.

A 'cultural hierarchy' defines a framework describing social ranking. Broadly expressed as 'having' or 'not having', or 'upper' or 'lower' 'class'. From Centre Orchestra seats at the Theatre to bogside at a Tractor Pull, a cultural hierarchy tries to define why any given person is more comfortable in some situations than in others.(What is cultural hierarchy?)

The development of a bacterial infection on an individual, as demonstrated by a positive culture. The infected person may have no signs or symptoms of infection while still having the potential to infect others.(The free dictionary)

Globalization is the tendency of businesses, technologies, or philosophies to spread throughout the world, or the process of making this happen. (Globalization)

Stereotypes are generalizations about a group of people whereby we attribute a defined set of characteristics to this group. (Stereotypes)

As the answer of question 3, he mix shapes(which from different parts of the worlds), figures and culture background, and those relates to globalisation.

5. Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that
you have read during your research.

A: After I researched most of his paintings, I found that maybe he is using those paintings to against racial discrimination. Also, he change the clothes from formal to informal, maybe he wants to against the tradition. Most figures of backgrounds look like Middle east.

http://www.cretique.com/archives/4012

http://www.deitch.com/artists/sub.php?artistId=11

Reference List:

1. Chandler D. (2003) Semiotics for Beginners

2. Diana L. Eck (1997) What is Pluralism? The pluralism project.
                http://pluralism.org/pages/pluralism/what_is_pluralism

3. What is cultural hierarchy?
                http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_cultural_hierarchy#ixzz1WPxTAzuf

4. The Free Dictrionary
               http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/colonisation

5. Globalization
               http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/globalization

6. Stereotypes
               http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/stereotypes.htm

Week 3- Hussein Chalayan

 

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?

A:  In my opinion. Both works are art, but not fashion. The first thing we should know the differences between fashion and art is what is fashion and what is art.
Like Voltaire said:
    "There is a fickle, teasing Goddess
      Fantastic in her tastes, playful in adornment,
      Who at every season seems to flee, return and rise again.
      Proteus was her father, her name is Fashion." (Hurlock E.B., 1929)
That means fashion is a way of dressing that is currently accepted.

For art “Any brief definition of art would oversimplify the matter, but we can say that all the definitions offered over the centuries include some notion of human agency, whether through manual skills (as in the art of sailing or painting or photography), intellectual manipulation (as in the art of politics), or public or personal expression (as in the art of conversation). Recall that the word is etymologically related to artificial -- i.e., produced by human beings. ”（Belten R.J., 2008）

After reseaching the defination of art and fashion, I think fashion is beauty and the dress could popular in a period. The Burka can be the art, but not fashion, because women can not wear this to wald on the stree or do things, it's too open. And Afterword, the dree is heavy, I think nobody will wear the heavy dree to work or go to school, because it's unconvinenc. Both works are art, but not fashion.

The popular things make the fashion fashion.

Hussein Chalayan, Burka, 1996

                                                                 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?

A: Art is Art, it never changed. Chalayan just mix the profit and art together, he do the art, made the art and fashion for more people, that most of people can feel what is fashion, what is art, and surrounded by them. It is a way to let a hurge number of people to open their eyes on art. Art doesn't change when it is used to sell products, the products are still art. Art is not going to change even if it was given value.

‘The Level Tunnel‘ is a project for Level Vodka, designed by Hussein Chalayan. The tunnel a 15 meter long, 5 meter high, glass installation that captures the essence of Level Vodka. Visitors can walk through the tunnel blindfolded or experience it from outside. Chalayan used sound, scent and touch to create something unique. The sound for example, is created by a flute made from a vodka bottle. And when a visitor is going through the tunnel, his position is tracked and he can smell the scent of lemon and cedar as he goes further into the tunnel. When the visitor leaves the tunnel, he can of course taste the vodka. All these senses together should give the visitor an impression of what Level Vodka stands for. It is currently on display in Mexico City but it will travel to Paris and Athens later this year.(The level Tunnel, 2008)
The tunnel was inspired by a cut through landscape, with all different levels, purifying the water that is later used in the vodka destillery. It was a great project to find a solution for a load bearing, watertight glass construction that had to be demountable and easy to assemble. (Nilsby F.)

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?

A:  Unfortunalety, I can not find the video.. bur I can still get some information from the image and the text of the question. As the image shows, the machine in the middle looks  like an ironing table, which could be infuenced by the period that developed science (17th.) and also influence by Industrialisation. I can imagine the video maybe include some part about  hyper-realism, and that would be from post-modernism.
That's what I can think just from the test and the image.
I will add more information after I find the video.

Hussein Chalayan, still from Absent Presence, 2005 (motion picture)

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?

A:  I think it is quite important for artist to make the piece by themselves. The art is a kind of idea or feelings that could be feel and understand by viewers. When artists want to show their mind exactly that other people can not show the idea well, at that time, artists will make the pieces by themselves. Artists care about the color, shape, and how perfect did they completed. Also, the first piece of the work, I think should be done by the artist, and the original one can always get a good price if artist want to make profit from it. Many designers begin to use other people's hand to make the real things thesedays, I can understand that as the world grows up and the technology developes, people works more efficient, however, viewers still love to see the piece made by the "real" artist.They can feel the emotion from the artist

http://www.husseinchalayan.com/#/home/

http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html 

http://www.husseinchalayan.com/blog/ 

Reference List:

1. Hurlock E.B. (1929) What is Fahsion?. The psychology of dress: an analysis of fashion and its motive. US.

2.Belten R.J. (2008) Art History: A PRELIMINARY HANDBOOK
                     http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/creative/links/arthistory/What_is_Art_.html

3.The level Tunnel (2008)
                    http://www.todayandtomorrow.net/2008/05/13/the-level-tunnel/

4.Nilsby F. The LEVEL Tunnel,BDC & Hussein Chalayan for Absolut Vodka
                    http://www.behance.net/gallery/The-LEVEL-Tunnel-%28Absolut-Vodka-Hussein-Chalayan%29/701114

Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

 Post-Modernism

This week's ALVC tutorial covers Post-Modernism. Use the ALVC texts and definitions from the internet to define the term and answer the following questions;

1. Define Post-Modernism using 8-10 bullet points that include short quotes.

A:
 1.One of the main characteristics of postmodern thinking is that the world is seen as a much more complex and uncertain place. Reality is no longer fixed or determined. All truth within a postmodern context is relative to one's viewpoint or stance. The world is a representation. (Essortment, 2011)

2.Postmodernism rejects all boundaries. This rejection also includes the boundaries between different forms and genres of art. The art development of bricolage and pastiche are examples of this. (Essortment, 2011)

3.The postmodern focuses on a de-structured, de-centered humanity. What this really means is that the idea of disorder and fragmentation, which were previously seen as negative qualities, are seen as an acceptable representation of reality by postmodernists.(Essortment, 2011)

4.Postmodern thought is, in its very essence, an adventure and an expression of life experience. (Essortment, 2011)

5.Postmodernism puts everything into question and radically interrogates philosophies, strategies and world views. (Essortment, 2011)

6.Postmodernism is an attempt to question the world that we see around us and especially not to take other people's views as the final truth. (Essortment, 2011)

7. Postmodernism was a movement in architecture that rejected the modernist, avant garde, passion for the new.(Defining Postmodernism)

8.A rejection of the sovereign autonomous individual with an emphasis upon anarchic collective, anonymous experience. Collage, diversity, the mystically unrepresentable, Dionysian passion are the foci of attention.(Defining Postmodernism)

9.Most importantly we see the dissolution of distinctions, the merging of subject and object, self and other. This is a sarcastic playful parody of western modernity and the "John Wayne" individual and a radical, anarchist rejection of all attempts to define, reify or re-present the human subject. (Defining Postmodernism)

10.Postmodernism refers to a  distinct shift in the way that humanistic intellectuals view the relation of their cultural work to society at large.(McGowan J., 1991)

2. Use a quote by Witcombe (2000) to define the Post-Modern artist.

A: The post-modern artist is "reflexive" in that he/she is self-aware and consciously involved in a process of thinking about him/herself and society in a deconstructive manner, "demasking" pretensions, becoming aware of his/her cultural self in history, and accelerating the process of sef- consciousness.(Witcombe,C. 2000)

3. Use the grid on pages 42 and 43 to summarize the list of the features of Post-

Modernity.

A: Post-Modernity includes social and cultural pluralism, not only mixed the culture and unclearbases for social, national and ethnicunity, but also mixing of "high" or "low" categories. Some artists pay more attention to play of surfaces without concern for "Depth" reather then modernity. Visual media becomes real, and some images and texts becomes hyper-reality. During that time, artist begin to remake some old works, some of their works could be found an original one in the history. Irony is also included in the post-modernity.

4. Use this summary to answer the next two questions.

5. Research Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994)

in order to say what features of the work are Post-Modern.

'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994), Ai Weiwei

A: First of all, Ai weiwei mixed a Han dynasty Um and Coca-Cola logo together, the Um is a historical product in China, however, the coca-cola logo could see every where in our daily life, and the logo comes from western country, the two things are in the different culture and different nation. As a result, the work could become social and cultural pluralism and recombinant culture.

In my opinion, the Um could also become culture adapting to simulation. Also the intertextuality could define the work, because the Um can be found in the history, and Coca-Cola logo can be found on the cola bottle. After that, Ai Weiwei mix them their together, the work become Hybridity.


As the answers of the question three defines postmodernism as many points, and the answer for this question are all included by the points. As a result, Ai Weiwei's Um with coca-cola logo belongs to Post-Modernism.

Ai Weiwei dropping a Han Dynast Urn.

6. Research British artist Banksy's street art, and analyze the following two works by the artist
to discuss how each work can be defined at Post-Modern.(Use your list from point 6.)

'Flower Riot', Banksy

A: Banksy used two different drawing skills, the flower looks like an oil painting, and the person who throwing the flower becomes pop art. Same as Ai weiwei's work, this Flower Riot discribe the social and cultural pluralism and Hybridity.  

Hybrid cultural forms cancel "high"/"low" categories.Flower could become high culture and the person wears the hat in that way and wear the informal clothes.

As a result, Banksy's Flower Riot become postmodernism.

Los Angeles (2008), Banksy

A: First of all, the name of the drawing "Los Angeles" is a place's name of American, however, the person in the image is a ape-man who is taking fast food in one hand, and a bone in his another hand. As a result, the work become disunity and hybridity.
As a result, this painting can be defineed at postmodernism.

http://theworldsbestever.com/2008/02/new_banksy_pieces_surface_in_l.php

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/03/11/how-china-conquered-the-art-world.html



Reference List:

1.Essortment, What Is The Definition Of Postmodernism?

                http://www.essortment.com/definition-postmodernism-20903.html

2.Defining Postmodernism

                http://elab.eserver.org/hfl0242.html

3.McGowan J., 1991, Toward a Definition of Postmodernism. Postmodernism and its critics. Cornel University. NY.

4. Witcombe, C (2000) Modernism& Postmodernism. Retrieved 29 January, 2004 From
               http://witcombe.sbc.edu/modernism/modpostmod.html