Overview: Wolfgang Laib: Returning to What Is

The interview by Jorgensen gives an insight on Wolfgang Laib art practice and the truth of his work, that of it being his life and evoking his life. It is an intimate discussion on his art practice and how he naively- as Laib describes it- believes that art can change the world. He as an artist has a real utopian view on art, how if it is real good it can include everything in life and humanity, art, as he describes it is important. His art practice and his studio evoke this sense that it is his life’s work, it is incredibly methodical and engulfing in his day to day life, and his studio reflect on his work completely and is a big influence on his what he does for his studio is mostly glass and he lives in the middle of a landscape. As an overview the interview gives an intimate discussion with the artist, you could literally feel his presence when you read it, it is not detached rather it connects the audience with the artist and it gives his reading on his work, rather than an author or a journalist.

The interview introduces him as an artist being German and his early career beginning in the 1970’s and how he has been immensely successful since this time, it introduces the movements he was affiliated with and what people of said about his work and then discussed further with the man himself on his opinions of this. The interview begins with discussing the mediums he uses and why. He describes his work as having an abstract quality by taking materials of nature out of nature attaining purity. The pollen for example, is intensified and abstracted when it moves from the natural environment into the gallery. It is intense for you see the pollen away from the meadow and nature into artificial light making it about the pollen itself, which makes it also abstract for it is in an unnatural environment. He as an artist has been described as nature artist, and in this way, as his practice has been briefly described goes against this view for though he uses material of nature, his work is not about the environment its about the detachment of the materials environment- it is not about the meadows it is about the pollen itself.

The interview goes on further to discuss his views on the art world and his detachment from it; it also discusses his beliefs and why he became an artist. He is detached from the art world mainly because of his art practice and his studio, he was isolated from the beginning and his studio has remained constant throughout his practice, his studio being in the meadows of a small village of Southern Germany. He describes his studio as I said of being of big influence to his work “the windows go all around to the floor and you can just sit even while there is snow outside” it is involving but in the same way isolating him from the art world, but not from what he believes art to be which he stresses in the interview, for he believes art can change the world. This is the reason why he became an artist because he believes Art is the most important thing, because it can evoke everything in life (if it is good), it involves everything and is the now in society, and this way he challenges himself in his art to create good artwork.

In conclusion the interview is insightful and gives a personal account on Wolfgang Laib as an artist and provides the audience with an inside perspective on his art practise and his “thoughts on the function of art in the world”.

Overview: Wolfgang Laib: Returning to What Is

Darren James Jorgensen’s interview with German artist, Wolfgang Laib, entitled Returning to What Is provides an insight into Laib’s personal philosophy on his art and practice.

Jorgensen provides us with an overview of Laib’s work, which is embedded in the use of organic materials such as beeswax, milk and pollen. Simultaneously he probes out the motivations behind Laib’s practice, which is grounded in the rhetoric of abstract concepts like purity but also in the experience of process.

Having access to Laib’s direct transcribed voice allows readers a real sense of the artist behind the works. The often open-ended nature of Laib’s language in statements like “its about the pollen” or “how the milk is” provides a complete reflection of the simplicity of his works and his insistence on letting the materials speak for themselves. Both his language and his art allow their audiences to encode their own experiences when responding.

Jorgensen covers a number of the topical features of Laib’s work including the spiritual aspects of his practice, Laib’s connection to and understanding of the concept of art, his self-professed ‘non-european’ cultural influences and a description of his studio. He also goes into details of Laibs upcoming exhibition in Perth and queries his response to traditional indigenous Australian art practices in the contemporary art scene. It is interesting to note that again Laib’s primary focus is on materials, expressing concern over the move away from traditional natural paints to acrylics.

The article also includes a number of images of his work, including examples of his work with beeswax and pollen.

Overall, Jorgensen presents an insightful and personal account of the artists practice and beliefs about art.

Wolfgang Laib: Returning to What Is (overview)

This interview discusses with Laib his views on his practice, the art world and how he is viewed by his audiences. Laib appears to have a bold character, in that he is unafraid to refute comments made by others about his work, and although he believes he may be seen as naive, he does not waver in his opinion to satisfy others. The interview focuses mainly on his works; what his influences are and what the final pieces mean to him. He discusses how his works are often mistaken, or have ideas read into them that he would not necessarily apply, such as ideas of spirituality and nature as concept and comparisons to painting in style.

Laib maintains that his work is very indicative of himself. He states clearly that the work stems from his personal experiences; his previous work, his home, his physical space. (“My life is my work.”) He stated that studying medicine he had the same drive as now when creating art. He is confident in his abilities, and believes that art, including his own, has the ability to change the world. This suggests that his art, although set firmly in its personal origins, is very much directed to others for their ability of insight to then direct themselves.

Laib states that he prefers his works to be viewed in a gallery space, as they most often are. This appears to be due to a desire to obtain a neutral space. Explaining his choice of materials he refers to his purpose, to show the material as it is, without placement in its usual space. His practice involves isolating the material from its regular environment to allow a greater understanding of the material itself. As a social, cultural or spiritual reading, this seclusion from the restraints of the usual view opens up new interpretations on the nature of the material, why and what it is. Regardless of what it is meant to be, what might it actually have the potential to be?

A question during this interview uses the term ‘austerity’, which can be defined as severity. This could be viewed in his work, particularly in the strict, repetitive processes involved in the creation and exhibition of the final piece. The pollen is collected meticulously over a long period of time. The milkstones must be emptied of milk, cleaned and filled again for each viewing.A word frequently used by Laib in this interview is challenge. He refers to the challenge of himself as a creator, the challenge of other views of life and the challenge to change the world with his work. His work therefore seems to be about achievement. As a human being he is challenged every day and responds with a complex artistic practice centred on embracing life.

Art & Spirituality - Sterling Ruby

One of the important aspects of spirituality in contemporary art is the birth of abstraction- an attempt to visualise what is not seen by the naked eye.

Apparently Sterling Ruby is 'IT' at the moment. I don't know why he is 'it' but he used to be an art slave for Paul McCarthy. I like the combination of luxury/ghetto in his work.. dont you think?

Art & Globalisation - Fiona Hall

The Real Thing, 1994 - polaroid photographs 68x53cm

'The Real Thing' is part of Fiona Hall's series of works 'The Price is Right' (1995) which was her first commercial showing. The walls of the exhibition featured tupperware illuminated by internal globes and photographs of Coca Cola cans embossed with images of everyday objects, such as a mop, hot watter bottle and underwear. The Real Thing is embossed with the image of Buddha and photographed on either side, displaying the Coca Cola on one side and the shiny aluminium on the other. I interpreted this particular work as a comment on Buddhisms growing popularity and Coca Colas universal status in our contemporary society. Coca Cola cans which are a global marker of modernity are used frequently by Hall in her works; either shredded, knitted, as is or flattened and embossed like so in 'The Real Thing'. Hall's use of the everyday object, I feel is strongly related to globalisation. With the increase of Westernisation, western objects have become frequently utilised in different cultures, which has made them globally identifiable to an extent and vice versa with religions such as Buddhism or asian or middle-eastern cuisine encultured into western society.

The Real Thing, 1994 - polaroid photographs 68x53cm

http://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artists/17/Fiona_Hall/150/

Art & Sprituality - Victoria's Way Indian Sculpture Park

"Victoria's Way Indian Sculpture Park is home to over 14 amazing sculptures. The unusual spiritual visions of an Irishman were created in stone by craftsmen in Mahabalipuram, India, and now populate this park in County Wicklow, Ireland. Covering 22 acres, the park includes a series of dancing figures of Ganesh, Shiva, and other Hindu deities. It also includes more bizarre sculptures of a skeletal Buddha-like figure, an enormous disembodied finger, and a sculpture called "The Split Man" which shows a figure ripping itself in two, representing "the mental state of the dysfunctional human." Intended to represent the spiritual progression to enlightenment, the astounding collection of statues took a total of 20 years to complete."

"It was in 1989 when Victor Langheld first envisaged a strange and wonderful sculpture park. Sculptures which symbolized the stages of the journey from un-wholeness to wholeness, to awakening, enlightenment, fulfilment and the happiness that is the reward for complete fulfilment. Langheld had previously travelled throughout India for over 30 years on a quest to uncover and understand the drivers of life and death. In Mahabalipuram, near Madras in southern India, Langheld discovered 3 artisans who were willing to carve his visions into black granite or where not possible, create models which could then be cast in bronze"

I personally have very little knowledge about Hindu beliefs, but it has always been of interest to me. When I came across these images of the Victoria's Way sculptures, not only did I find them to be spritiual, but very haunting and disturbing, these two images specifically which depict very skeletal like figures. Langheld's vision seems to have been a very spiritual one, taking on board what he had learnt from his travels in India, and perhaps his very own moral's of life and death. I would really love to experience this spiritual journey for myself, and see these amazing sculptures in the flesh! Bec, take me back to your country, lets have an adventure!

http://www.victoriasway.eu/

Assessable TASK for next week - direction

Hi All,

Here are the details for the assessable task - to be completed by our next class (you will have two posts to complete by our next class - the reading task and the post on Globalisation or Architecture).

Please read one of the texts I have posted in the resources box.

To clarify - I am happy for you to read any of the texts appearing here:

• Concerning the Spiritual in Art - W. Kandinsky
• What is Installation? - Nicholas Zurbrugg
• Wolfgang Laib: Returning to What Is - An Interview

Notice that I have added 'What is installation?' - a fantastic introduction to the thematic/conceptual concerns of installation art practises.

THE TASK:

In approximately 400 words - please provide an overview of the article/essay you read.
What are the main concerns/ concepts covered by the reading.

James Turrell VIDEO

James Turrell

Art and Spirituality - Germaine Koh

Fair-weather forces (sun : light), 2005

intervention with sensors, microcontroller and electronic circuits, existing lighting system and natural conditions. Two installation views at Artist Space, New York, 2007.

Looking at James Turrell's practice today reminded me of the Canadian artist Germaine Koh, and her Fair-weather forces series. Like Turrell, Koh uses light to inspire her viewers to experience a relationship between human behaviour and natural phenomena, begging us to become more self aware and to engage with the environment surrounding us. The artist explains that Fair-weather forces (sun : light) is made up of the existing interior lights of a space which are controlled, in real time, in direct relation to changing exterior light levels, effectively defeating the purpose of artificial lighting.

I don't know if Koh was intending to suggest a spiritual experience for the viewer but the fact that it came to mind during the class today demonstrates to me my own connection with spirituality through this particular work.

Art and Spirituality: Bill Viola

Bill Viola is a contemporary video artist, who was born in 25th of Jan1951, age 59 in New York. His works reflect Zen Buddhism, Islamic Sufism and Christian Mysticism. When he received U.S. Friendship Commission Fellowship to live in Japan, he wanted to study "Zen Art," traditional ink painting, but a Japanese friend suggested him to go to a temple and study Zen so that everything he did will be Zen art.


Silent Mountain, 2001

"Silent Mountain is part of a series of works called The Passions made following Viola’s participation in the 1997-1998 Getty Research Institute Scholar Year. The series explores the power and range of human emotions. A feature of the portraits and tableaux of The Passions is the removal of sound and the incorporation of time, which relocates the subjects to a place and dimension outside our own. The resulting extended silence, reminiscent of devotional paintings, goes against the tempo of mainstream film yet remains capable of expressing wonder, misery, ecstasy and rage. In Silent Mountain two panels show a man and a woman. The scenes were shot separately, each in 45 second takes stretched into 8 mins 18 secs. The figures express intensifying signs of emotional stress. She contorts, hugging herself twisting and crouching, he holds his head in agony, with gestures that at times emulate classical poses. They stand in parallel isolation, unaware of their companionship. Each in a private emotional trajectory bound by profound grief or remorse. Their agony ends in a scream, in a sudden explosion that is both an expression of their pain and a release from it. Viola has said that Silent Mountain is "probably the loudest scream I’ve recorded"."

http://www.tba21.org/program/exhibitions/9/artwork/399?category=archive (accessed 29 Aug 2010)

"Here I was thinking about passions, being drawn to the fire of extreme emotions-intensity being something that had interested me for much of my artistic life-and yet knowing that one of the fundamental definitions of enlightenment concerns extinguishing the flames. Kazuaki Tanashashi tells us that "nirvana" is from a Sanskrit word that means "putting out the fire," pointing to a state of freedom from burning desire or anxiety, from the enslavement of passion I discovered that in the passions there was also this other, less dramatic side of the emotional energies; this is where the real heart source of this work lies."

Baas, J. and Jacob, M.J. "Buddha Mind in Contemporary Art". University of California Press: Berkeley. 2004.

My analysis is based on the contents that I read, and the short clips from youtube. I felt that the video was capture of coming in terms with disappointment, anger, frustration, etc, and what goes on within the human system in extremely emotional state. It was like a cleansing process of mind, and the state before we understand what it means to see grey area (or black and white), and then coming to the state of nothingness.

References:
http://www.billviola.com/biograph.htm
http://www.tba21.org/program/exhibitions/9/artwork/399?category=archive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEVZ1gN4fB8&feature=related

James Turrell is a Californian born artist, son of Quaker parents. The 67 year old got is pilots licence at 16 and has worked as an aerial cartographer something which has shape him and the art he makes till this day. Turrell’s work has been primarily considered installation, some critics have placed it in the realms of architectural art however, Turrell himself places the emphasis in his practice to the manipulation of light, the forming of space and creation of potential situations which allow the viewer to see themselves see. For this to happen the architecture must not be dominant and must allow the qualities of the space to become apparent.

 

Though Turrell's work looks to be at least in reproduction, a remnant of minimalist abstraction it goes far beyond this in its realisation. It is mentioned in the reader many artists whose prime concern is the depiction of spirituality often use the minimalist movement’s reductive quality to represent the metaphysical and spiritual elements of this world. Turrell does not do this. His work is primarily concerned with the acts surrounding seeing and perception. In escaping representation or the modernist search for the essence of painting or say sculpture Turrell presents the viewer with a carefully constructed sensory experience, one contingent upon his or her own facilities. He compares the role of the artist to that of the Bodhisattva, “one who comes back and entices others to take the journey… That’s when I began to appreciate an art that could be a non-vicarious act, seeing whose subject was your seeing.” In approaching art in this manner Turrell takes on the role of shaman over preacher, delivering the view to their own epiphany rather than simply recounting his.

 

 

Brown, Julia. Occluded Front. James Turrell. Los Angeles. The Lapis Press, 1985.

 

Noever, Peter and others. James Turrell. The Other Horizon. Vienna, 1999.

 

Turrell, James. Air Mass. London. The South Bank Centre.1993.

 

http://vimeo.com/5929848

(Acessed 25 August 2010)

CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL IN ART - Wassily Kandinsky, 1910

Here is a link to the text:

CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL IN ART

Art and Spirituality; Wolfgang Laib

In Art and Today Eleanor Heartney speaks mostly of the relationship between art and spirituality being based around the representation of gods and of historical and present accounts and experiences of various religions. Be it a figurative representation of the God or event or more subtle or abstract representations. When looking at the work of Wolfgang Laib one might not initially interpret it as “spiritual”.

This is not to say Laibs work doesn’t at all relate to any organised religion or spirituality. There is evidence of Buddhism amongst others in his work and it is said that he draws on Kandinskian elements, concerning spirituality in art. Laibs’ work is obviously minimalist and the audience might have a sensuous relationship with it rather than an understanding of a direct narrative or concept.

Laib lives and breathes his craft. One could say he practices his art like religion and I believe this is why Heartney has included him in this particular segment of the book.

Laib advocates an art, which is primarily a mode of awakening the consciousness via the emotions.

The intensity of the colour in these works seems to balance the fragility and vulnerability. The sheer volume of intense hue in the rectangles is impressive and awe inspiring alone.

POLLEN

Laib lives in centre of the environment from where his materials originate. He spends several months collecting the pollen from various sources such as dandelion, pine, hazelnut and buttercups. He started this tradition in 1977 and continues today.

Its almost as if he is a worker bee for that duration when collecting the pollen. But as opposed to it being a labour of lively hood, it is a labour of spiritualty. The repetitive character of this activity gives the sense of a meditative practice.



MILKSTONES

Rectangular slabs of white marble are laboriously polished by the artist to create a 2mm deep impression on the upper surface. The ritualistic aspect of this work begins with Laib. He pours the milk into the impression until it is filled to the top and creates the illusion of a solid object. At the end of each showing, the milk must be removed, the stone carefully washed, dried and repolished in preparation for the next viewing.


Laibs’ work is produced as a spiritual practice and is intended to evoke spirituality in the viewer.


“Life, like art is fulfilled in this passage to consciousness, in this awakening, which allows us to participate in that which has gone before, that which will survive and that which goes beyond us¬¬”.

ART & SPIRITUALITY

etoy.CORPORATION

From what I can disseminate; they seem to be a german art collective based around what I consider to be quite challenging ideas of artistic practice, expression, display, lady dar et al even by todays generally held ideas of the art world.

They work in weird area's, you can buy shares in they're company, which sort of makes you a patron, you can "download"

works, you can get involved in the way the corporation (etoy.CORPORATION) is run.

They are very strange, inclusive and ardent in the way they run things, they are for spreading knowledge/content and also strong believers in intellectual property rights, however they have a different form of DRM than traditional new media peeps. They're ideas on (and I use DSM as example) on the way they protect their digital artworks is just as important it seems as the works themselves, they seem to believe (and I have faith) that they have realised the utopian future the online space, how we interact, send and deal with data.

Is this the future, or are they just cashed up matrix fanboys?

Art & Spirituality: Rodney Glick

Everyone No. 53, Rodney Glick. Wood. 2009.

This work is a reinterpretation of traditional Hindu idols. This particular figure is a modern version of the god Brahma, the creator of the universe. Brahma is usually seen with four heads, but No. 53 has one removed. He holds his head in one hand, a book in the other "the league of gods", and prays with the remaining hands. The use of modern (80's) clothing shows relevence of the figures symbolism in contemporary society. It is a confronting work. It makes the viewer wonder "who would pray to this leather-clad god?"

Art & Spirituality - Podger and Gyatso

I had initially thought to mention the works by Gonkar Gyatso, after seeing the two displayed at the MCA for the sydney biennale. Then I remembered that the artworks should relate to a sculptural practice. I'm mentioning his works anyway because I just enjoyed them so much. He creates large collages using a wide variety of stickers, and ink. As a Tibetan contemporary artist it is unsurprising that his work deals with the complex issues regarding politics and religion in a globalised world.
I really admire his works. That have that wonderful layering effect that makes you see the larger picture, then think again when you reealise what its made up of. In this case, made from the brightly coloured stickers of pop culture icons, animals, religious symbols and various seemingly random selections.
I'd reccommend giving his work a look.
http://www.bos17.com/biennale/artist/46

However, for sculptural spirituality I have observed the 2008 artwork(s) for sculpture by the sea by Kath Podger (who apparently is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia). Her works are entitled Revelation II–Transformation, Revelation II–Evolution and
Revelation II-Strata. These are tower sculptures of porcelain, standing among the wind and water-weathered rocks at Bondi.
It creates a beautiful image. The porcelain pieces look like shards of broken shells, and so seem very much in sync with the environment. The space itself, although untouched by human endeavours is so prefectly shaped it could almost have been created by people.
She has read a religious meaning/metaphor into this environment that is reflected in her work.
"As time passes, religion's golden veins are made known, like the new layers of rock exposed after thousands of years.." Podger said of the work.
She is a believer in the Bahá’í Faith. I'm having trouble finding what they believe.
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/7_ZCnoPkLxf/2008+Sculpture+Sea+Launches+Sydney/tbBr9txbgAX/Kath+Podger
^nice pictures.
http://www.bahai.org.au/scripts/WebObjects.exe/BNO.woa/wa/pages?page=news_and_media/recent_news/sculptor.html
^info on the work

heya

i have talked to most of you guys about it -

at my place tomorrow (wed 25th aug)
after uni, and possibly after 1st year exhibition.
crash for the night, or just for some(many) drinks.
"go wild" and get some SPI thing spiced up

I WILL BE EXPECTING YOU.
0423 376 073

Art and Identity

Anna Mendieta.
(American, born Cuba 1948–1985)
Using different forms, methods from sculpture, performance, installation she inserts her figure within the process of her artmaking. She demonstrates her own identity representing the subject’s areas that appeal to her defining the meaning of her works.
Displaying herself with nature is a process of her performance work titled ‘earth body art’. She used her own body to explore the past, the present as she was interested in cultural identity and gender. The idea and process of presenting herself was her intention of conveying her practice and identity to the media.

Untitled (Grass on Woman), 1972

http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/4aa/4aa459.htm

http://hirshhorn.si.edu/visit/in_depth.asp?key=33&subkey=57

Art and Spirituality- Andres Serrano

Andres Serrano
piss christ, 1987

Piss christ is a photograph of a crucifix immersed in the artists urine. The work was seen as a mockery of christianity and become the centre in a political controversy over government funding in the arts as Serrano was issued a $15000 grant for the work, part of which was tax-payer funded. The work also caused an outrage in the public and religious extremists; the artist receieved hate mail, death threats and lost future grants as a result of the controversy. The work was also vandalised at the national gallery of victoria, Australia. Supporters argued the controversy over piss christ was an issue of artistic freedom and freedom of speech.

Art and identity- Yasumasa Morimura

Futago,1988- colour photograph

Morimura appropriates Edouard Manet's 'Olympia' and places himself as both the nude olympia and the black maid, assuming new personas whilst crossing racial and gender lines. There are subtle changes in his photograph such as the addition of the japenese fabrics on the courtesans bed and the replacement of manet's feline with a black ceramic cat, in which japenese businesses used to welcome visitors.

Morimuras has used manet's famous respresentation of wetsern culteral traditon and appropriated the image in relation to his own culteral identity and growing up in post war japan-influenced by the images and products of american popular culture.

This Is Oz: Speak up for an inclusive Australia.

Sir Ian McKellen, this is his contribution to the website.

Hello everyone,

I came across this campaign recently, it was started by a number of anti-homophobic organisations, the main one being ACON (AIDS council of NSW).

It's goal is to fight against homophobia and intolerance and to work towards acceptance and equality for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered people.

They describe themselves as part Art project, part human rights campaign and I thought it might be fun to do something for it, as a class.

They are asking people to put up photos on their website, of themselves holding anti-homophobic slogans/messages. Lots of celebrities and large organisations are getting involved as well. It's all about creating awareness. As art students I'm sure we could manage something creative.

This is the site:

http://www.thisisoz.com.au/

So, whose up for it?

-Issy.