Art and Audience

T-shirt worn by lady pink, New York, 1983

Jenny Holzer

When I choose art and audience as the topic I thought it was such an interesting topic to talk about. For many generations the perception of art has been an outrageous debate on how one acknowledges an artwork. Depending on how and where the artist exhibits the work relies on how the work is viewed by the audience. For example having an artwork of various forms exhibited in a gallery one is engaging with the work as a personal interest to art. On the other hand having an artwork displayed in public areas, landscape architecture forces the audience to engage to look at the work.

Jenny Holzer is an American conceptual artist. She was born in 1950 Gallipolis Ohio. She moved to New York in the 1970 and began working creating text based artworks.

In various places around the world she displays texts using LED on landscapes, building; streets, rivers and oceans throughout Europe and America. Her work is publicly shown, the audience forcefully engages with her texts whether or not one is interested in art. Located in public spaces the spectator is being forced to acknowledge the sentences allowing them to engaged and have a personal response.

"I started the work as a parody, like the Great Ideas of the Western World in a nutshell," to make "big issues in culture intelligible as public art." She challenges the public to take position deciding whether they agree or not with what is being stated. She portrays a strong tone with the text that’s forces the reader to stop and enage.

During the 1970s she began her series truisms. The above two photo images are text from this series. The text "The abuse of powere comes as no suprise" was displayed in various areas and forms. Topic areas that she usually writes about in this period and displays are themes of war, money, violence, sex. The experiences, issues activities in life that continuously moves on and how it affects society over time. She wants the audience to take part of the text as a reminder of issues in society. She completed a few series in her art practice and all contain text aiming to the public and how the audiences enages within her work. She has completed a few series in her art practice some are Truisms, Lustmord, Inflammtory essays. Each series focuses on various issues which is significant to Holzer.

The link below are some of the quotes stated by her throughout the Truisms period.

http://mfx.dasburo.com/art/truisms.html

Read my lips, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman. National art Gallery of Australia, Canberra ACT 2600, 1998, Edited by Pauline Green.

Jenny Holzer, Phaidon Press Limited, London, 1998.

http://www.o-matic.com/public_art/holzer.html (The above stated quote).

Art & Audience - Brook Andrew

'Art and audience’ can discuss a number of different movements or techniques in art, and the great variety of ways the audience can react to or change an artwork. Interactive artworks, however, seem the easier way to involve the audience, so that they become an vital part of the work itself.

One work that I had intended to see, (and am now very disappointed that I missed it) was The Cell, by Brook Andrew. I am seriously annoyed that I missed that. Just look at the links. It would have been so good. This work is essentially a jumping castle. It combines art, a jumping castle and exploration. You can never top that.
Apparently the work deals with ideas of cultural identity and consumerism. I don’t need to know that to catch my interest. I just need to know it’s an inflatable rectangle you are allowed the climb in. Although this doesn’t help convey my knowledge of art, I think it appeals to a study of human nature and engaging the audience. Would you say no to climbing into the cell?
For people who do not usually take an interest in art, there may be a number of reactions. Would it attract their attention and cause them to consider the artist’s intention? Would they consider it just another one of those weird things the crazy artists do? Would it not matter what the work meant, it would just become an experience to enjoy?
This choice of material is in opposition to the title of the work. Being a cell, a container for people, who for whatever reason must be kept away from other people, this work should discourage participants from entering. However people are attracted to exploring new spaces, jumping castles and bright colours. This may show that curiosity and a desire for new experiences can overpower misgivings. This may show that the power placed on certain phrases or words, and our associations that guide our choices are illogical. This may just be an experience where the audience can become the author in a space cut off from reality.

Some links have information. Some have pictures. Enjoy.
http://www.nelsonmeersfoundation.org.au/case-studies/SHERMAN-CONTEMPORARY-ART-FOUNDATION-BROOK-ANDREWS-THE-CELL
http://www.sydneydesign.com.au/2010/index.php/exhibitions/brook-andrew-the-cell
http://manexus.ning.com/events/brook-andrew-the-cell
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/artworks/galleries/2010/2948335/image2.htm

Wolfgang Laib: Returning to What Is

This interview with Laib gives us  an impression of his views on his practice as well as how his work is viewed. Laib seems very straight forward with his ideas on life and his goals, its almost as if the distinctions that separte work, llife and art are blurred from the way that Laib describes his practice. A simple, “that’s fine” seems to be justification for him feeling that his art is to be viewed in galleries as long as context of taking nature out of its environment is still valid. Most of the interview talks about his art practice, where he finds influence and what it means to be an artist. The most important piece of information I drew from the interview was the distinctions he drew between his practice and spiritualism. Even though his work is often misinterpreted he remains hopeful that his art I a by-product of his outlook on life. Laib also touches on the connections between himself and his work, drawing comparisons between his art and his life experience. His inspiration includes his past profession as a doctor, where he grew up and lives and his life experiences. Through working as a doctor he realised that he could only reach a certain “physical” level. However through his art practice he believes ht can touch people even deeper, possibly the entire world. His aim seems to be to give people the ability to see themselves in relation to the world in a different way.

 

His use of the word,  “Neutral space” when talking about a gallery, gives a unique spin on the idea of how a gallery or institution can function. He seems to be depoliticising the position a gallery takes in relation to art that is shown within it. The gallery may as well just function as four walls and a door as far as he is concerned.

 It seems this position he takes of what type of environment a gallery is informs the decisions he makes about his materials. This use of a foreign object in a neutral place allows a more “pure” form of work to be represented and abstracted. It is through this extraction of the raw material a deeper understanding of the material can be formed. From my reading of the work I find that he is trying to find definition of an object, how it exists. It is through this observation of a material outside of its frame we can discover more about what a material is and how we relate to it. 

 Throughout the interview we are brought back to the act of living itself being an artistic practice. Laib’s tedious day-to-day routine informed his artwork and in the end his work was evidence of that. The collection of the pollen alone was a performance and metaphor of life itself. The final act of dispersing the pollen within an empty space for others to view is an act of demonstration. It is through this demonstration Laib hopes to change the way in which we view life. 

Art and Audience

I thought I would use this week's topic as an opportunity to talk about a piece that I am working on for Studio Extension. It's a shame that I don't get to see what you are all working on and vice versa, so here is a brief description of what I am trying to convey through this work. (If you haven't spotted it yet, it's the one made of clear packing tape and feathers stuck on the big white wall opposite the 2nd year studios... oh and it's not quite finished yet!)

The work is directly about the here and now, exploring transcendental concepts surrounding form, space and the void. In doing so, it abstracts architectural structures in which we function and move through within our daily lives. It incorporates the architectural surface so that the forms seemingly grow and protrude out from within the wall. The wall becomes more than just a flat two-dimensional and unexceptional structure, as the voids within the forms indicate an interior. While this illusion encourages greater awareness of the space and of our interaction with the space, the voids are impenetrable. They are filled with matter and sealed off from the viewer. This leads us to consider the space in a new light, looking into its unreal yet organic appearance.

The connection between the work and its audience is that when the onlooker views the form they become the beholder of that space, and thus more aware of their relationship with it. I think it is important to look at the notion of art and audience in a metaphysical manner, whereby a work which falls under the theme of abstract, or spiritual, or transcendental, or something along those lines, encourages the viewer to look within and reflect on their own state of existence.

Art & Audience: rAndom International and Chris O'Shea

The installation is a collaboration work of rAndom International and Chris O'Shea. The concept, design and hardware are by rAndom International, and the software, which was developed in C++ using openFrameworks and OpenCV is by Chris O'Shea.

"When members of the audience occupy the space, the mirrors inquisitively follow someone that they find interesting. Having chosen their subject, they all synchronise and turn their heads towards them. Suddenly that person can see their reflection in all of the mirrors. They will watch this person until they become disinterested, then either seek out another subject or return to their private chatter. The collective behaviour of the objects is beyond the control of the viewer, as it is left entirely to their discretion to let go of their subject.

The installation aims to reverse the roles of the viewer and the viewed during this in-voluntary interaction. It seeks to establish a different kind of relationship between viewer and technology. Will other members of the audience experience the sensation of being ignored or excluded when they are not the centre of attention? Will the installation create a feeling of un-ease and unsettlement? The work investigates if machines can evoke diverse emotional reactions with the simplest of means."

Audience, Random International, 2008

It is like a painting or sculpture automatically flipping and turning its back on me, just because it doesn't like me, or I am not interesting enough as an audience. That's what this installation is doing or inteded to do - choosing its audience, rather than audience having the liberty to engage with the artwork of their choice. It has a modern appeal, both in terms of visual aesthetic and properties. Apart from being interactive and engaging for both adults and children, it traces me back to my experiences with technology. It is about losing control and power over your own creation that you once naively thought would move in your rhythm. It makes me think of having to wait for a page to upload, and losing my patience if it takes more than few seconds, and losing a document that is yet to be saved. It doesn't understand our emotions, yet we have succumbed to it; we adjust ourselves to the way system functions, the system that was once created by one of us.

Bibliography:

http://www.chrisoshea.org/audience

Art and Politics

Gunter Demnig

Stolperstein (Stumbling Blocks)

He creates blocks displayed on sidewalks around the cities, vilages and towns in Germany. He engraves words beginning with "Here lived" one on block. He illustrates the identities of people killed by the Nazi's in reference to their name, date and place of death. He has always been interested in pulic interests cultures and issues as a political artist.

He displays the stones himself bringing back the names of the holocaust victims for the public and audience to view. His style of making blocks is quite interesting and is a exceptional way of remembering the dead. As one walks by these blocks reads the word which is imprinted on the blocks and attracts the viewer attention.

http://www.obermayer.us/award/awardees/demnig-eng.htm

http://www.tabletmag.com/arts-and-culture/719/the-right-questions/

Art and Institutions

Theo Jansen creates these Kinetically powered creatures he calls Strandbeests. As you can see these wind-powered plastic tube creatures, many the size of elephants and larger are amazing to watch.

 This Dutch bastard, artist, engineer creates these sculptures to roam the beaches of Holland and survive on their own via the wind. 

Im guessing he wants to create some form of new life, personally think he's insane.

Jansen is a pretty cool guy, he doesn't afraid of anything because he exhibits outside of an institutional format. 

If you like this i suggest watching his TED clip. Or is BMW sponsored clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b694exl_oZo

(ted speech)

BMW clip

http://futurecraft.media.mit.edu/amitz/2007/09/24/theo-jansens-mechanism/

http://www.strandbeest.com/

Art and Politics

Dream City series (2007-08)

From my understanding Gao Xiaowu has never had a nine-to-five job—and he’s proud of it. However this good fortune reminds him of the millions who struggle among the mass of Chinese society. His Dream City sculptures (2007) present one view of such people: balloon-shaped men and women with tiny wings, who seem to be rooted and grounded to the earth, yearning to fly. The effect is both poignant and inspiring: these figures cannot fly. The artist writes: “I am looking for a world without reality … let’s go to a world without reality.” In the meantime, his work celebrates those who will never escape reality, yet never abandon hope. Gao Xiaowu’s pieces are a reflection of modern Chinese society, and portray innately Asian manerisisms and mental traits that combine to create a collective Asian identity.  Through his works I feel as though touch on the political climate of a pre-post communist China, if that makes any sense. His work remains very optimistic amongst the uncertainty of China’s politics. He speaks of the positive energy of the Chinese people as well as the pursuit of happiness occupying the mind of man or woman, regardless of age or social standing.

http://www.odetoart.com/artist.php/3861BDBE-1DE6-4AF0-B2D6-7524DDA3869A,Gao%20Xiao%20Wu

Politics Vs Art

Instead of talking about how an artist deals with the political situation they are presented with I wanted to breifly talk about the effect of politicians on art. We would all be pretty aware of what happend to Bill Henson in 2008, But the larger effects on the visual arts community are not as common knowledge. The way children are dipicted in are is a massive bone of contention, and since the Henson saga there has been a change to how the australia council deal with the dipiction of children and pornography in the relation to funding.What is deemed in good taste in this country is still somewhat in the hands of those "leaders" who look to the commercial network current affairs programs for a moral compass. The structure of Australia's Art scene being largly proped up by govenment investment in the Australia Council and without the philanthorpic scene of America, the UK or Europe may arguably leave Australian visual artist in the uncomfortable position of self censoring.

This is an interesting little article about the funding differnces between Opera australia and the other arts, It is another example of how politics influences the culture of this country and how much of a top down propsition the arts is, funding bodys effectivly funtion as cultural censorship but keeping the art and ideas far enough on the periphery as to not inflame any unrest from either artist or the community at large.

http://http//www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/tone-deaf-in-a-popularity-contest-20100924-15qhc.html?comments=42

Art & it's Institutions

So for some reason in the last few years all the people I know who really loved Banksy now really hate him. Starting out as a stencil artist (for the most part illegal graffiti) and then moving into more (at least for me) interesting spatial intervention work be it text based or sculptural. His work is very political and highly critical of contemporary british society and constanly seek to rupture the public private space devide. My favorite example of this is the instituional/cultural (for lack of a better term) rapes he commites in one of the iconic british institutions the Tate. By placing his own work: bastardisation of more traditional works and by not observing the gallery protocal. To those who witness the work he creates an uncanny skizm of what they expect to see in such a place, but to those who are aware of the work after the fact it questions the whole relation we have to these long established informational top down hierarchies and potetially devalues or at least in some ways balences for a time the old sacred and now somewhat esoteric cows with what is happening in the world of art today.

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkUbYBo5xgs&feature=related

Art & Audience- Francis Alys

When Faith Moves Mountains (2002).

Francis Alys's work When Faith Moves Mountains is a documented performance work where 500 volunteers attempted to shift a sand dune by only using shovels. This work interests me because the work is not the affect the people have on the sand dune but the act they are doing, the conversation they engage in and the physical work they do. This work also makes me wonder who the volunteers are, how was Francis Alys able get 500 people to go out to a sand dune and just start to dig and use energy to do a somewhat pointless act.

Art & Politics- Krzysztof Wodiczko

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NewYork.

Projection, South Africa House, London (1985).

(The image is hard to see, there is a better picture on page 382 in the Art & Today book.)

Wodiczko creates public art works by projecting different images on to monumental sites around the world, in such places as London and NewYork. The images he choses to project can be seen as quite controversial and offence to some viewers. In his work Projection, South Africa, London, 1985 a projection of the Nazi flag was displayed on the front, top of the South Africa building in Trafalagar Square, London. This projection was displayed for only two hours at the top of the building. Projection, South Africa, London, 1985 was a more discreet work, because of the postion and timing the work was displayed, then some of the other works Wodiczko has created. The Nazi flag on its own has strong political by projecting the work on to the South Africa House in London which is a government building creates a deeper stronger statement about how the govenment has acted in the past and how it was in 1985 when the work was made.

The buildings that are selected to display the work have a great impact on the meaing of the work and how the audience reactes. Buildings such as the South Africa House in London and the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch have a specific purpose and some have a somewhat sacred purpose, like a memorial. With these works it is easy to see that there is a strong political message, it is always easy to see how many people could be offerened by Wodiczko's works.

Art & Its Institutions- Guillaume Bijl

Guillaume Bijl creates installation works in normal gallery spaces such as the Tate gallery in Liverpool, his installation work are also very normal and are places that are used and can be found in everyday life. They are usable supermarkets and fitness centres, he has even created a psychiatric hospital inside the gallery space. Bijl's installation "Your Supermarket" (2003) which was installed in the Tate gallery in Liverpool, was simply a supermarket which anybody could use for there everyday needs like any other normal supermarket the only difference it was placed inside the gallery.
Guillaume Bijl's installation works relate to Art and It's Institutions because the artist is making a statement about how art is viewed and touched or not touched in most cases. There is always a DO NOT TOUCH sign in an art gallery, (its because of these signs it is hard to get a audience to interact with work) in the work "Your Supermarket' Bijl has taken away the do not touch signs and created a work that the audience can easily touch, buy and take home, he is making a statement about the 'rules' that are set in art galleries around the world.

ART and politics

some thoughts on the topic
history (as recorded) is self centered and selfish as it is normally recorded by the so called winners.
Art can operate closer to the personal of politics than political parties because they work to apeal to popularist opinions.
To be politicaly active you need to be at least active in politics although it could be said that doing nothing is doing something its a long bow to draw.
concerning mutual obligation, its usually seen as inherent in social interaction and participation.
Australian Nationalism- beware of the identity you have when you have no identity.
I really thought that presenting the title and details vertically at the side of the picture read from top down is a good idea, its not so distracting to the image but the info. is there.

PLEASE READ: EXAMPLES OF EXHIBITION REVIEWS

http://www.frieze.com/shows/

Art and Politics

I wanted to put up a post up about 'culture jamming' in response to this weeks topic. Art beyond the gallery and beyond the myth of the capital 'A' Artist. Art that is organic and autonomous.Culture jamming is in my mind a meeting point between art and activism: from messing with billboards, to banner dropping, to flash mobbing, to free parties, to street performance, etc, etc and all the bits in between...

Check out Graffiti Research Lab for some hot tools to get you started ;P

http://graffitiresearchlab.com/

Also, the Billboard Liberation Front and Space Highjackers are deffinitely worth a google if you're interested..

Art and The Body

When I began my research in Art the body I asked myself what attracted me the most and what is art in relation the body to me, then i put the two together and drawed to the conclusion that when it comes to art and the body the most profound artform to me is tattooing and the history of tattoos. Of course there are many histories on tattoos, one that predates back up to 5000 years, and the art itself is evolving and is becoming digital, and is available everywhere and is now on a mainstream and fashionable level. Once in the western world about 50 years or more ago tattoos were only seen on gangs and the roughest of chicks and circus performers, no person in there right mind got one. I remember my dad telling me that he hid his tattoos for a long time, for he got them in the 70's and back in that time it wasn't a social acceptable thing to have; it was shocking in a sense and he went further into boasting how he was one of the first in Australia to do so, though that is probably an exaggeration. But now, to the shock of my father, every man and his dog can have a tattoo, and the significance of tattoos has changed, its become more personal rather than a culture practice.

The significance of tattoos is different in every culture and in every history. All over the world it has been practiced and it can be spiritual, it can be a fad especially in England in 1862 when the Prince of Wales got a Tattoo it was also prevalent in the English Navy, it is something decorative like in Japan with the full body suit; horis- japanese tattoo artists doing there work and once the individual dies the suit that was created on their skin in maintained and preserved, in Egypt it was a ritualistic practice associated with women, it can be seen as a sign of courage in South America and so forth.

Tattoos have changed in application, what was once something of high pain, placing ink through the skin and also different natural ingredients to create colour has become one of an artform just because of the complexities of the practice of tattooing especially since the permancy of the image being on the individuals body, with the advancement of technology it is no as painful as it once was there are a variety of inks/colours to enhance the image and differebnt guns and needle size. What was once an artform with basic techniques has become complex because of the diverse nature and the advancements in tattooing.

I thought i would conclude my brief on tattooing with my own personal experience with Tattoos. I got my first Tattoo when I was 16, and when my Parents found out I was 17 and my father instead of exploding in rage just found it funny. It is a phoenix bird and I extended it further when I was 18.It now covers my whole back, and I designed it myself, it is inspired by my name and the origin of the Phoenix Bird and its birth from the Tree of Knowledge out of a rose. Its not finished but i am lookinh forward to it being :), it is on the bottom and the other three images are of german circus performers found on early 20th century postcards.

Art & Politics - Van Thanh Rudd

Van Thanh Rudd is an Australian political artist (Melbourne-based), who works within different media, including painting, graffiti and other public works.

Kevin Rudd has a political artist nephew. Who knew?
He is very much against the Labor party, which is to be expected when you are related to someone high up in the system.

Used Car Part From Afghanistan, 2009 is a work consisting of part of a tyre on a plinth, with associated text. It is part of a car that had been targeted by missiles in 2009.This work is clearly bringing a relic of war into the gallery space. I believe this work is directed at the audience to awaken them. I use the term ‘relic’ because that is how it appears. It is torn, blackened and has lost its purpose. It looks old, and is placed in the way a museum may place an ancient and interesting artefact. It is easy to imagine uncovering a piece like this after a famous battle. However, this was part of a family car, and it had been in one working piece up until last year. This work focuses in on a single object, representing one car belonging to a family. This work is reminding the viewer of the problem of civilians caught in a war zone. We are in a position where we are not in danger from our soldiers or the people they are fighting, so it is easy to not think about it.

Another work - if it is a work - that interested me was Rudd’s decision to run against Julia Gillard. It is an election campaign which aims to be a genuine, but is also an attempt to further blur the lines between art and life. To be quite honest, I’m not sure how it is any different from any other member of a party running for a seat somewhere.

Here is an art critic (Mark Holsworth) writing about it.
Part one:
http://melbourneartcritic.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/van-rudd-vs-julia-gillard/
part two:
http://melbourneartcritic.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/political-junkies/
Used Car Part:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/05/2705160.htm
Video for Used Car Part:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28LuVRKSVBY

Art & Politics: Jota Castro

Jota Castro is a Peruvian artist, who lives in Brussels, Belgium, and he has also been a curator. He used to be a diplomat at the United Nations and European Union, and left the career behind in the late 90s to devote in the field of art. His works propagate political activism, and his practice includes photography, sculpture, video and installations.

BBB, Oil Shame (2004).

Mortgage, Dollar Bills, Rope (2009).

I find his works raw, in the sense that it is direct to the point with no articulation or pretention. It must have taken a lot of guts, or he must have been a really frustrated diplomat to change the career altogether, and produce artworks which are politically incorrect. I think art gave him a platform and freedom to voice his opinions, and at the same time make people aware or remind of the politics around the world.

Bibliography:

http://www.jotacastro.eu/

http://dawire.com/2010/04/09/jota-castro/

http://new-art.blogspot.com/2005/05/of-politics-and-art.html

Art & Polotics

WHAT is the value of politics in art? Does political art work and should art be political?

Whilst researching this topic these questions constantly arose in articles and public feedback. One article pointed out that political art was not suited in museums, as it achieved more on the streets or on the web. I’m not certain that I entirely agree with this opinion, but there is a definitely truth to it because in all the feedback I was reading online their was a lot of noise being made in protest and agreement. However despite those interested in the statements being expressed, much feedback is negative and simply question’s ‘is this art’ scrutinising the arts rather than the subject addressed.
Thus bringing me back to the frequented question of whether or not political art works? I think it to be as it always has been; it inspires, influences, aggravates, and is ignored but has difficulty to sway large populations esp. on its own. The arts one of many means that keep society in balance, as is it also an influential measure in political activism. I feel that political art that is displayed online is highly practical due to the accessibility and immediate means for further research.

Here are a few political artists and blogs and sites with extra links for further reading. Hope your keen to be inspired about the problems that address you!
Artworks:
Tight Squeeze Assemlage, John Robertson
Shoot the Taliban out of Afghanistan, John Robertson
State Of Shock, Fletcher Crossman
Guantanemo, Banksy
http://www.socialpoliticalart.com/
http://artthreat.net/
http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=12529493
http://montages.blogspot.com/2004/12/new-opium-war.html

Meg, Esther, Elizabeth Cha

A reminder you are all presenting this week.

Thank you to Meg and Elizabeth - for letting me know which artists you have chosen.

Esther can you let me know ASAP.

A.