Art and its institutions

Erwin Wurm

One minute sculpture
1997

Erwin Wurm is a hilarious artist who apparently had people send him a print of his work with a fee of 100 euro so he would sign it and send it back to them so they could call their print an original. This seems to question other ways art can be sold and what constitutes an original work of art outside the set standards of galleries.

This is an interview of him working and talking in his studio definitely worth watching http://prettycoolpeopleinterviews.submarinechannel.nl/erwin-wurm

Art and Spirituality - Dorothy Napangardi and painting “The Dreaming”

Born in the early 1950’s, “land artist” Dorothy, grew up 400 kms out of Alice Springs with her extended family who nomadically lived around the Mina Mina area, living traditionally off the land having a complete diet of bush tucker. Dorothy paints a major religious belief called the “Jukurrpa’ (“Digging stick – possessing – Dreaming” also called Karnta-Kulangu Jukurrpa “Women belonging dreaming”), which is a code that sets rules for living, morals and interacting with the natural environment, thereby providing an integrated life with man and nature.

In order for the Dreaming to exist, it must be perpetuated to be regenerated. So not only is Dorothy illustrating their identities and spiritual connectedness to the country, but also passes on valuable cultural information for future generations and ensuring that the Dreaming mythology is kept alive.

Dorothy is creating visual spiritual illustrations through her work.

Napangardi, Dorothy. Dancing up country : the art of Dorothy Napangardi. Sydney: Museum of Contemporary Art, 2002.

Art and its Institutions - BABABA INTERNATIONAL

(above) Soap City, 2010

This Sydney-based art collective have made use of the gallery space throughout various projects by turning it into a workshop, a kitchen, and even a nail parlor. They recently held an 'exhibition' at First Draft called Soap City, where they used the space as a work shop in which to produce soap for the public. On each bar of soap was a map directing its beholder to a make shift roof top shower somewhere nearby, taking the viewer outside of the institution and to a secret place in which to cleanse themselves.

These guys seem to be interested in using the city's surrounding resources, and are totally breaking down barriers between art and life. Through their DIY mentality, Bababa bring the art making process into the gallery, and diminish the exclusive image that art galleries commonly possess. Instead of witnessing a finished product, the viewer is a part of the process and is encouraged to take part. Their practice is fun, lighthearted, communal and rough around the edges- challenging conventional perceptions surrounding art and its institutional factor.

Check out their website for more information and past projects:

http://www.bababainternational.com/

Youtube links: School and Creativity

The following links were forwarded to me a while ago, so just wanted to share regarding school/Uni and creativity. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D0pwe4vaQo&feature=channel

Arrt and gobilisation

I found out about Juile Watai aka Ai Amano aka Alice 100% moe (?) aka SAMURAI GIRL by looking for some reference material and found her Lolita (somewhat polite anime porn) style of photography pretty leet. In her early publication of 'Samurai Girl- spirituality and technology for the mor consciousness, Watai explores pop culture, which is largely influenced by the rising of otaku culture. Otaku, おたく, translates to someone elces house and has Been used in a negative context, referring to an obsessive compulsion (anime otaku = anime mania). However the Japanese gen y, whom have been hugely influenced by the west, have embraced this compulsion and have started a second pop revolution through the first globalization era.
After the war I believe Japans defeat took away whatever identity japan had, as though japan had lost an arm. It was only though this embrace of otaku culture japan's arm was patch worked together from pokemon blue and red cartridges, professional cosplay outfits, hardcore octopus hentai mangas, all of which influenced jap pop. Watai captures the contemporary aesthetic of the imaginary and virtual space through her portraits and performances. Through globalization the west has taken away Japanese innocence, inserted their own culture, only for it to be mutated into this contemporary introverted fluro kinky kawaii thing, that the west have embraced.

Marina Abramovic

I remember someone did a talk on Marina Abramovic last semester, they showed a work where the artist sat down in front of a member from the audience and stared into her eyes. when I saw this I was like WTF? people line up for that?

I stumbled on this blog.. its photos of people she made cry... while staring into their soul. tones of people crying! Makes me think she was saying mean things to them quietly.

anyway I think this adds a whole other element to this particular performance.

You can thank the internet for this... Globalisation in its purest form!

http://marinaabramovicmademecry.tumblr.com/

Art and Globalisation.

www. 2000
Laser etched optical glass
100 x 100 x 100mm

www. caught my eye as a great expression of the ease of travel (through physical travelling and by the internet) that we have which has led to globalisation. Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell are artist work together mainly creating works that are architectural sculptures that are sometimes functional like 'Paddington basin bridge' in London and other times just conceptual without a function. When displayed this is a sphere suspended inside a block of optical crystal glass that shows the globe by the airplane routes available. The globe is such a fixed image so representing it in this way is thought prevoking.

http://www.langlandsandbell.com/index.html