Week 4- The social status of the artist

Self Portrait in Fur Coat (1500)

Albrecht Durer

Knob (1997) Gavin Turk

Damien Hirst and Maia Norman (1995)

Albrecht Durer's 'Self-Portrait in Fur Coat' (1500) shows a significant change in the way that the artist views and portrays himself.Research the paintings by Albrecht Durer, Gavin Turk and Damien Hirst in order to answer

the following questions;

1. Identify aspects of Durer's self portrait that show a changing view of the artist's view of himself as an individual.

A:  This is considered the most personal and complex of his many self-portraits and the one that has become fixed in the popular imagination.(Bailey) And also, the most self-portrait are so closely resembles earlier representations of Christ. This painting was painted just before his 29th birthday on 21 May. In my opinion, it was a gift for him self.

2. Explain how the artist's social status increased during the Renaissance period. Briefly explain why this happened.

A: Because the technical skill is increasing by the artists. The claims of artists to a better social position sometimes simply take the form of showing that in earlier times the art of painting had been held in great respect.(The social position of the Artist, 1962)

3. Comment on Gavin Turk's work in relation to individualism, status of the artist and egotism.

A: The work of Gavin Turk is a signature of himself, and not only this one, he signed his name every where like he felt he is a famous person. He practise his signature and has cast himself in a series of detailed life sized sculptures as different romantic heroes.

4. Comment on Damien Hirst's use of his work and the media for self promotion.

A: Photography, pop, maybe photoshop...

5. Find 2 images of work by artists or designers that reflects some of the ideas of individualism,

self promotion or egotism that have been discussed on this blog. Upload images to your blog, title and date the work, identify the artist/designer and comment on the work in relation to the question.

6. How do you think artists and designers are viewed in Western society today?

A: They have high social status, and most people started to appreciate their works.

7. Comment on the blogs of other students.

8. Reference the websites and/or books you have used, at the end of your blog.

Reference List：

Bailey, 68

Anthony Blunt,(1962), The Social Position of the Artist

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/durer/self/

http://radicalart.info/ego/statements/index.html

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG7733481/Maia-Norman-Damien-Hirsts-Californian-girl.html

Week 3- Ron Mueck's sculpture and Humanism

Mask II (2002) Ron Mueck

A girl (2006) Ron Mueck

Ron Mueck has become internationally recognised 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 apply it to his work.

A：Hyper-real means: involving or characterized by particularly realistic graphic representation(The Free Dictionary). Ron Mueck is known for making hyper-real sculptures that makes you feel his works are real. And one of his work named Dead Dad is a hyper-realistic work, because the sculpture is his real father.

2. Mueck 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.

A: Mueck is not interest in making life size scuplture because he think the life-size figures are never seemed to be interesting, and he said, we meet life-size people every day.(SunSeven, Awesome Sculptures of Ron Mueck!) 

Ron Mueck (Australian, b. 1958). In Bed, 2005. Mixed media, 63 3/4 x 255 7/8 x 155 1/2 in. (161.9 x 649.9 x 395 cm). Private Collection

Ron Mueck (Australian, b. 1958). Two Women, 2005. Mixed media, 33 1/2 x 18 7/8 x 15 in. (85.1 x 47.9 x 38.1 cm). Glenn Fuhrman Collection, New York

  

 

3. Define Renaissance Humanism , and analyze the term in order to apply it to an example of Mueck's work. Note that the contemporary definition of Humanism is much broader than the Renaissance definition.

A:Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as humanists(Nicholas Mann, The Origins of Humanism). The projects are all about the human, who may around him.

 

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.

Mother and Child (detail), 2001.
Ron Mueck. Courtesy of Anthony d'Offay, London

A: This is a sculpture about the baby is born, people can see the sweat hear and the wet baby. Its shows clearly the baby is just be born, and the umbilical cord has not been cut yet. To see the mother's face, we can easly find that she is tired after gave a birth to a chlild. I can feel the miracle of the life, and how greatness mothers are!

Reference websites and books used at the end of your blog.

Reference List:

The Free Dictionary,

            http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hyperreal

SunSeven, Awesome Sculptures Of Ron Mueck!

           http://hubpages.com/hub/Awesome_Sculptures_Of_Ron_Mueck

In Bed & Two Women

           http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/ron_mueck/http://www.metacafe.com/watch/816457/ron_mueck_australian_hyperrealist_sculptor/

Nicholas Mann, 1996, The Origins of Humanism , Cambridge University Press, UK

christchurchartgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/ron-mueck/



 

 

Week 2- Barbara Kruger & Mercantillism

Barbara Kruger's Art and Design
A:The film named "Cinefile: Reel Women".
(Interviews with women directors working in Hollywood and Europe today, exploring the opportunities and obstacles that face them. Program made to accompany a Channel 4 season of films directed and produced by women）

I shop therefore I am (1987) Barbara Kruger

Face It (Green) 2007 Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger has been described as a feminist, conceptual and a pop artist.

Her work reflects her interest in graphic design, photography, poetry and writing.

Research Kruger's work in order to answer the following questions;

1. Describe the 'style' that Kruger has used in the two presented works.

 

A：The two works engages the merging of found photographs from existing sources with pithy and aggressive text that involves the viewer in the struggle for power and control that her captions speak to. She use the white letters against a slash of red background.

2. What are some of the concepts and messages that Kruger is communicating in them?

 

A: Much of her text questions the viewer about feminism , consumerism , and individual autonomy and desire, although her black-and-white images are culled from the mainstream magazines that sell the very ideas she is disputing.

 

3. Do these images communicate these ideas effectively? Explain your answer.

 

A:Yes. She use the contrast colors to emphasize what she want to say, and also the meaning of the text in the photo is clear.

 

4. Define the concept of Mercantillism and explain how these two examples can connect with the concept.

 

A：consumerism. The text "I shop therefor I am" means that she takes the sentence  to a materialistic level ( a person is defined not by what they think, but what they own (through shopping) . The second photo "Face it!" strongly against the tiny little words "This luxurious garment won't make you rich or beautiful".

5. Upload a more recent example of Kruger's work where she has used a new medium, that is not graphic design. Title your image of the chosen work and comment on your response to the work. How do you think the audience would experience this work?