Week 11 - Bill Riley

How has Bill Riley's art shifted from themes of the commercial to community?

Riley's work has shifted in emphasis but has demonstrated many continuous themes throughout his career. An aspect of his work which I admire is the way he considers painting as a process and works almost sculpturally, considering physical and conceptual themes, with a strong emphasis on the materials he uses and the method in which he works. He rejects imagery in his work, considering it an invitation for a viewer to read paintings fundamentally as what the images are, concentrating instead on a minimalist style which reflects his values.

Although Riley enjoys the process of painting, he is frustrated with the idea that a viewer judges a painting by the skill of the artist and does not necessarily look deeper. He comments that painting has an 'identity as the be all & end all of art' & presents the question; what is a painting? He dislikes the politics surrounding the medium - what it represents, how it is displayed in galleries, long traditions of social and historical connotations, etc. It has become so commodified, and he experiments of pushing the structure of a traditional painting to test where the boundaries are.

It has been commented that Riley's earlier works on aluminium display an 'avoidance of signifiers for manuality.' This reflects his distain of judgement of paintings by skill of the painter, working in other ways to convey conceptual meanings. His earlier works utilise materials such as glass & aluminium, but throughout his practice, his use of materiality has naturally shifted along with his leading concepts. I am drawn to both his early works experimenting with painting as a medium and a commodity, as well as his more recent works which consider environmental issues. I like the concept of layering paint up to 1cm onto perspex, yet light still passing through and bouncing back, differing to the traditional painting which light bounces off, and this idea of a work appearing normal from one angle, yet standing out from another. It was around this time, however, when he had made several works along similar lines of experimentation with such concepts, that he became more so frustrated with the careers available for contemporary painters, such as the way in which they are build in commercial galleries. I interpreted his view as thus; creating art for commercial identities removes that special, soulful element which differentiates each artist, creating art to fit into a mould, almost violating a painter for his skill as opposed to embracing his creativity. Art, as a career, will almost always inevitably evolve from a deep love of the process, so I can understand his frustration that at the creative rights being interrupted. He states a commissioned artwork for a hotel foyer as an example - buyers want artwork to suit their requirements, not necessarily the work demonstrating a true essence of an artist, which brings us neatly back to this question Riley is preoccupied with - what is art? Riley's work rebels against traditional ideas of painting, and this rebellions grows & evolves throughout his career.

'I had constantly, and still do, question its value and validity as a contempory art practice. What could one do with it any more? Would it forever founder in its own easily consumerable nature?' - Bill Riley

From this point, Riley became more rebellious in his making. For example, the stencils used in one of his works cost only $1.00, yet he cannot afford his own paintings. It is an 'up yours' to this 'art world' which dictates his creations. He has allowed this, yet charged highly, as he is able to. He also created works which delved deeper into this formal redress, avoiding conventional methods, for example by laying paint skins over the top of each other, removing the brush stroke entirely, pulling apart this concept of a 'painting', also removing the structure, whether it be the gallery or the frame, and questioning the painting's value after the removal of this. Displaying a painting in a gallery automatically invites a decorative theme - he rejects this.

'..my problematic relationship with it - as an artist who feels art should be a social or political conduit - has always centered around the paradox of its easy consumability and thus the ease at which it appears to be identified as product or desirable object. However, its longevity, its ability to reassert itself and constantly evolve has kept me persuing its many variations and kept me trying to pinpoint its 'truth' as a medium.' - Riley

Circa this time, Riley was inspired by Kasimir Malevich, and his work Red Square is a direct homage to this artist. There are obvious parallels in the simplicity, rejection of imagery and emphasis on the concept. Malevich 'was able to paint in the peasant style', falling in line with this rejection of a painter being judged by skill. He has commented that 'art can advance and develop for art's sake alone, regardless of its pleasure.' Riley advanced concepts of what a painting is, regardless of the fact that he may have been driven (at this time) by frustration.

Black Square, Kasimir Malevich, 1915

I was also interested in Riley's reference to films made about Picasso and Pollock in which he perceived them to be represented as 'performing monkeys' at the whim of the commissioner, their independence removed, prompting him to create some works on mirrors - by end end of the painting, the artist has removed his own image.

Riley then stopped working for about two years. This need for a break reminded me of the shift which occurred in Steve Lovett's work when he became too angsty about the subjects of his earlier practice and decided to change direction. Perhaps inspired by his love of surfing and his child being born, when Riley returned to art, it was driven by a different passion - that of the environment. Rather than considering politics of art, he concentrates on the politics of the environmental issues of the oceans, demonstrating styles developed through his earlier career to rebel against a different 'evil'. Materiality has always been intrinsic in his reflection of concept, thus he moved towards using recycled materials. He states the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as a passionate cause. It is an organization which I also support strongly!

Sea Shepherd's Mission Statement

"Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.

Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations."

Riley's work began to work directly with these concerns, collecting materials from sources such as packaging companies which would otherwise be discarded, and utilizing these to create his art. The paint industry is one of the most toxic, & Riley gives this paint which would otherwise be dumped a new purpose, whilst ensuring to involve the communities who donate such materials with his exhibitions, thus conveying his message to the relevant audience. In a way, this work reminded me of Frances Hansen's; she works on a smaller, more personal scale, but in particular her project of collecting her rubbish every day for a week & drawing attention to our destructive consumer culture. I love the way Riley reaches out to the world in attempt to change it, & see this as an important element of art; art movements throughout history have often been pioneers in social/political change. Although it seems to me that the world is caught in this consumer culture & pushing for change is hopeless, I value the importance of any impact it may have, particularly as he is working with people of the industries.

References:

Bill Riley, Lecture at MSVA, 11th October 2010
http://www.artbash.co.nz/article.asp?id=1108#com5882
http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/images/469218
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimir_Malevich
http://www.artnews.co.nz/previous/29-2/29-2-feature-article.html
http://www.seashepherd.org/

Week 10 - Richard Orjis

I am drawn to the work of Richard Orjis because he celebrates beauty and nature yet combines this appreciation with a sense of a darker, almost gothic style, juxtoposing elements to create interesting works, demonstrating an off the wall sense of humour. I was first exposed to his works displayed in the city by Aotea Square, and took an instant dislike to them - they seemed at first to be random objects agglomorated to create a sense of confusion and Surrealism, garish in a way similar to Martin Parr yet attempting a sort of beauty, the candles adding a dated aspect, but also transforming the compositions further into their own fictional universe. I could not draw an understanding from them as a set, other than to see a strong visual link and emphasis on the aesthetic perfect yet obviously edited value, and feel transported to a place of the imagination. I was, however, drawn to his photographs of the golden robots - to me, it seemed to be a comment on society and striving for perfection, as well as this consumer society where we are valued by what we have - in this case, the subjects are literally impaired by this material which they consist of, personified yet frozen, apparently in gold. Upon seeing his work again, I have come to appreciate it on many levels.

The opening line of Orjis' manifesto reads 'I believe in the power of beauty.' David Eggleton makes some interesting observations re beauty in Orjis work in his article Poisonous Eye Candy. He comments that 'an ability to find beauty in improbable materials has lead him in past exhibitions to make delicate portrait paintings using runny mud, and to sensuously slather the human subjects of his photograhs in syrup or coal dust - and with a beautician's attention to detail, he has then cosmetically enhanced the photographs.' This juxtoposition of being drawn to create beautiful work and using unexpected, generally considered dirty materials, is an integral element of the uniqueness of Orjis' work, and the element which I am most drawn to. Eggleton also comments that 'beauty, untouched by art, is transitory'. This aspect of beauty also interests Orjis - flowers are always dying, people are always aging. One is beautiful, but already decaying.

Above photography by Martin Parr. Orjis & Parr are artists of entirely different approaches in context and concept, however, I was reminded of Parr's work through themes of garish colours, and emphasising opposites - both artists communicate dark elements through ideas of juxtoposition and aesthetically attractive imagery which could be read entirely differently. Orjis appreciates the beauty and romance of flowers, yet finds humour and darkness in their decay. Parr subverts society's indulgences/popular culture to view it from a condescending yet shamefully realistic, unflattering angle. Orjis also mocks society via such elements as cult references, for example in 'Yes', which I will expand upon later.

Above photographs by Meagan McDowell

These images by Meagan McDowell remind me aesthetically of Orjis' work. There is a contrast between themes of the natural and the fake, and the images are so carefully composed as to seem almost montaged together. The sense of careful construction is emphasised with the models makeup, in particular the eyelashes and lipstick, which has connotations of a Geisha-like style, well known for ideals of perfection. McDowell's lavish looking work here makes no attempt to feign reality, in fact it decidedly rejects it, which strongly parallels with Orjis' portraits. I like the strange humour in the over lavishness. The last image by McDowell reminds me of Orjis' approach to light as adding to the ethereal nature of his work.

- Orjis

A work I personally favoured was a performance piece involving a staged ritual & photography. The subjects performed a ritual of being buried & rubbing coal on each other whilst portraits by Orjis were projected onto the walls. Outside the gallery, subjects surrounded a car which was full of flowers, holding lighters and performing another ritual. Juxtaposition is evident in many elements; contemporary and the gothic/ritualistic experience, natural & alive yet dark, connotations of religion yet humorous in its approach. I love the idea of dumping a pile of dirt into a gallery & turning mess into an artwork. I also love the environmental connotations through the use of coal, a car and flowers – the car is almost a shrine to the slow death of nature caused by humans. We are part of nature, yet we are destroying it – another contradiction. There is also a contradiction between the organised & the resulting chaos when the art took on its own entity & the subjects improvised their ritualistic actions. When faced with this interesting artwork, an audience may be ambivalent as to how to react – it seems to me almost an experiment on the audience, who may be confused, unsettled, tickled or respond in seriousness.

I am particularly drawn to this portrait as it disturbs me somewhat. There are obvious connotations of death shadowing all of us and this concept of transient beauty – the flowers are dying, and the dirt on the subject’s face, to me, references being buried. It is almost as if he is staring as the viewer from the grave. The confrontational direction of the subjects gaze reminds me of a mirror image – it is as though Orjis is forcing the viewer to consider his or her own slow demise/decay, which is happening from birth. You may be young and beautiful now, but you are just as delicate and temporary as these flowers, and one day you will be in the ground. Despite all these artificial ways with which we attempt to make ourselves look younger (reflected in his meticulous Photoshop editing), we cannot escape the inevitable. This portrait speaks strongly to me about life & death.

I enjoy and relate to the colours Orjis employs. He comments that he rejects black & white photography, and this is evident. However, I can see many strong references to black and white photography throughout his work, in the style and use of tone. Perhaps this is partly due to his attention to tonal perfection and texture, which is more an aspect of black & white than colour. His portraits which were projected onto the wall during his installation also caught my attention. He is specific in his rejection of black & white, yet they could almost be black & white images which were photographicall toned in the traditional darkroom chemical fashion. It is impossible to reject black & white – digital & Photoshop are merely different tools for the same use.

Above - portrait by Orjis

Example of traditional photograpic chemical toning (not the best example, but the internet seems somewhat lacking in this department)

If Rood has forged his uniqueness in his use of digital & simplistic style, Orjis’ style, to me, is defined in his rejection of traditional art materials. I love his portraits which were painted with mud. This conceptually rebels against traditional romantic artistic ideals, yet the portraits are beautiful aesthetically. This portrait in particular caught my attention as it seems quite religious looking and precious in the pose and features, but this is entirely subverted through the use of mud. Excellent! He also uses Photoshop pointedly in his photographic works.

Mud portrait by Orjis

Traditional representation of Christ (unknown artist)

I am drawn to Orjis’ photography, as his work encompasses many common themes which recur in my own work – Surrealist influences, references to black & white photography whilst rejecting it, environmental issues, nature, and a concept of beauty which is dark or not straightforward, obviously Photoshopped portraits on a black background of nothingness. I also strongly identify with his use of fire & light to create a deeper meaning, whether it be whimsical or serious, or both at the same time.

Above – my own work, redesign of Free All Angels by Ash

There are many common elements demonstrated here. Orjis demonstrates Surrealist influences, and this work was originally inspired by Le Violin D’Ingres, Man Ray. I was inspired by Ash’s music & lyrics, which include many references to life, death, love, light, magic and nature – all elements reflected in Orjis’ work. They are a bit cheesy but they don’t care. There is also a clear romantic, fictional theme, which is contradicted by its edgy feel. I have obviously Photoshopped this piece, although it does not make the same statement about Photoshop as Orjis’ work, as this the composition could not be created in a physical sense, and this is a compositional element which Orjis plays with. My work contains a sense of nostalgia for black & white photography, demonstrated in the overall colour scheme and digital sepia tone on the central image, and this combination of black and bright colours is a theme in Orjis’ work. I do, however, get the feel that Orjis’ subjects could exist in a different reality, and the narrative of my own piece also implies this. There is also a temporal element in the contrast between colour & black & white, the spiralling of the leaves and the repeated image of the angel. My use of lightening adds drama and a contrast of natural/supernatural, whilst considering an awareness of the somewhat cheesy/cliché aspect of this, as Orjis’ candles do in his own work, and the use of brightly, naturally & unnaturally coloured leaves adds to this also. The contrast between contemporary & the more old fashioned is a strong theme in this piece. I also like that in Orjis' manifesto, he puts emphasis on text as well as image - the text is necessary in this piece, I feel.

Some lyrics which inspired the above: ‘I’ve seen you draped in an electric veil, shrouded in celestial light’ ‘thoughts here enshrined, clandestine, sublime’ ‘tumbling like the leaves, we are spiralling on the breeze’ ‘roman candles that burn in the night, you lit a torch in the infinite’ ‘chemical reaction brought by dark divine intervention, a constellation once seen over Royal David’s city an epiphany you burn so pretty’ ‘dark & chaotic, slow and hypnotic’, ’sub-cult fantasy’ – religious, shrines, poetry, beauty, contradictions, romance, contemporary rock.

I have included this photograh by Orjis as it demonstrates some of the qualities I have discussed above & referred to my own work, & Orjis himself commented on its similarity to an album cover.

ADD MORE PICS FROM DESKTOP - MM ETC

References

www.maeganmcdowell.com
www.amyelkins.blogspot.com
Richard Orjis' manifesto
Eggleton, David. Poisonous Eye Candy, The Listener, September 18th, 2010
www.lightplanet.com
www.ilford.com
Lecture by Richard Orjis 5th October 2010
My own work

Week 9 - Steve Rood

Discuss an aspect of Rood's practice.

After hearing Rood's lecture, I admire & respect him immensely as an artist, relating strongly to his ideas - for me, he has an element I can identify with without putting my finger on exactly what it is, which I believe to be in line with his manifesto - he combines obsession, intellect and spirituality in his work. As a photographer myself, I favour processing my own film work & using traditional dark room printing techniques. I value the magical quality of not knowing exactly how an image will come out, & pushing the boundaries of possibility, perhaps trying things out of line with usual methods. When I was younger & I saw my future career as a photographer, I agonised that the future is digital, and wished that I could have been working in an era closer to that of Surrealists such as Man Ray & Lee Miller, so I could have more of an opportunity to explore that medium & push boundaries, investigate the physics of the colour of light, liquid light, etc, without being pressured by the industry to focus on digital media. Rood has found a way to push his exploration into the future, examining the realms of digital photography in innovative and interesting ways, and it is this aspect of his work which I particularly admire - he stays true to photographic concepts, yet embraces the future of photography in an exciting time of many changes. I was sceptical as to the future of 'photography' as a medium - it almost seemed to me to be becoming more & more souless in this age, but my interpretation of Rood's work is that he seems to be doing with digital technology what the likes of Man Ray was doing with analogue in his own era - hinting at the future to a disbelieving audience. I also appreciate how, although he has embraced digital, he views it as a 'small slice' in photographic history, in this age where people are obsessed with digital as the be all & end all.

My own colour photography shot on 35mm film about 6 years ago - experimentation with multiple exposure & red, green & blue filters, examining the primary & secondary colours of light.

Electricity - Lee Miller, Man Ray, 1931

Rood is secure in his position in a historical lifeline of photographic art making, from long before cameras were invented, dating back to times when artists would use mirrored devices to aid them with their accuracy in paintings.To concentrate on one aspect of Rood’s practice alone seems rather limiting, but I am very interested in his approach to photography. He has created an approach which encompasses passion for his art as well as a high level of professionalism. At a basic level, this is evident in his business card – a fire extinguisher, relating to a story about the first photograph he ever took – of a compost heap, which caught fire later on that day. It is this combination of professionalism & spirituality which, in my opinion, makes him outstanding.

“Photography is just a blip in the landscape of visual technology,” says Rood. Therefore, digital photography is an even smaller slice within history. It is this attitude which liberates Rood to experiment freely with the photographic medium – he is not confined to any preconceptions of ‘digital photography’. Rood considers photography from as early as 1475, when artists used reflections as templates for their paintings – it is only more recently that ‘photography’ as a process has been deemed as being confined to a box, & he considers the future possibilities of an automatic reality, which is already emerging in programmes such as Photosynth, 3D live visual mapping of Glastonbury Festival and live location monitoring throughout the world. He ties this in with his career, pushing boundaries to seek an irreplaceable position in the photographic industry.

Rood highlights Lee Miller as an influence on his work, and she happens to be my favourite photographer. This portrait is of her by Man Ray, but they worked together closely & it was Miller who flicked the darkroom switch to accidentally discover solarization. A poignant comparison between Rood & Miller, for me, is that they both pushed the 'new' or available mediums of their times to the extreme & paved ways for future art.

Above image: Solarization, portrait of Lee Miller, Man Ray

My favourite work which Rood discussed was George – a collection of old, damaged 35mm negatives from various sources such as markets, which are agglomerated and transformed into an interactive, digital photo album of disconnected imagery, forming a portrait of the imaginary George. 60%-70% of the negatives were found, with probably no previous connection. This work questions the portrait’s place in digital media. What happens to it? What will not be replaced? Perhaps his work may seem radical at first, but my perception is that he is only working in fashion in which portraits have always been created, but utilizing previously unavailable technology to do so.We could say, therefore, that in theory, the portrait will not change - it is what surrounds the portrait which changes. He has also created digital works which feature postcards and conversations between people, narratives where the characters are transported to other places when they connect in conversation. George almost reminded me of a facebook page – we are integrated into this phenomenon of collecting visual information about ourselves and displaying it digitally via a created profile. In this way, we have all created interactive digital self-portraits and use them every day to interact. Photography has become a social monster, and Rood anticipates it growing beyond this & into the 3D interactive realm.

Rood has commented that although he won awards for such work, advertising agencies struggled to understand it at the time, and are still struggling now. He is interested in the media struggle with more & more digital media, a concept I had not previously considered, as perhaps I perceived the change to be being pushed by the media. This reaction prompted him in the direction of considering more traditional portrayals digital portraits, whilst still contemplating similar themes of the future of the portrait, and identity within digital media, to further his career & fund his more artistic explorations. He considers the relationship between technology and photography – technological changes always have an impact on photography.

David Hockney is a strong influence on Rood's practice. He works with different media & experiments with innovative ways to create portraits, utilizing available technology, as does Rood. This image stood out to me as Rood is interested in the technique of merging images together and creating work which encompasses different angles. The camera lies, and he enjoys exploring this idea in work and research, whether it be convincing or obvious. This stems back to concepts of how photographic based works are often perceived to portray an accurate representation of a subject, but in actuality, it is all light, mirrors & trickery. Digital manipulation is the current way to convey this.

Rood recognises the impossibility of creating an objective portrait, and therefore attempts to photograph each subject demonstrating strong visual similarities in style/technique/composition, etc. This reminded me of Diane Arbus, whom he states as an influence. Her non judgemental portraits of ‘freaks’ demonstrate qualities of an objective nature in the way they are framed, & the way they directly face the camera, and the running theme in style and composition, which is applied equally yet personally to each subject. Both artists are interested in revealing the subject for who they are, both are trapped within their own styles of portraying others, & thus will never be objective. Arbus has commented that her approach to photography was "like gathering a butterfly collection, in that she aimed to depict objectively the distinctiveness of her unusual subjects."

Both photographs works by Diane Arbus

I should also mention Rood’s early career, when he developed his individual style of essentialising and reducing his subjects, using light to create abstract, basic forms. He sought do define his style in order to specialise & stand out in a competitive industry, and his spirituality is reflected in these images to became an aesthetic. I really love how he utilises light, rather than high technology, to create unusual effects in these images. He applied this unique style to various subjects, depending on where the work was available, and it was this which defined him and furthered his career. This work reminded me of portraits by one of my favourite photographers – London based Nadav Kander. He also uses light & dark to create simple & abstract forms, & demonstrates a personal & unique style which he applies to photographing in various industries, from band/music photography to advertising & fashion.

Portrait by Steve Rood

Artwork for album cover of Meds by Placebo, Nadav Kander

Portrait of Selwyn, my own photography, 2010. Rood uses bright light to burn out detail & simplify his work. I have used darkness here to omit detail & light to select carefully each aspect I wanted to include within this image, simplifying it. This is a photograph of a close friend who is a musician, so it has a very personal/spiritual element to me. This use of light to create a simplified, abstract, form, lies parallel to themes in Rood's photography, but demonstrates my own individual style

Taranaki Sleeps, 2008, my own work. To me, this does not necessarily draw visual similarities between the work of myself & Rood, however, it does demonstrate my preoccupation with light as a tool to create an aesthetic - this was captured on 35mm in low light at about 4am, and was exposed for about 18 seconds. It is of a person close to my heart & for me, reflects spirituality & simplicity, themes also conveyed in much of Rood's work

Finally, I really enjoyed his work Shadow Making Machines. I enjoy the theory behind the work. Light is what enables us see, & is the vital element in photography. In these works, Rood subverts the idea of shining light onto a subject/object in order to view it. The light is central within the image, and casts shadows, which become the focus. This work holds a strong attraction for me conceptually as well as aesthetically, as light and shadow are always central themes in my work, whether it be sculpture, photography, poetry, etc. This piece in particular reminds me also of Cornelia Parkers Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View.

Grid, Steve Rood

Study of Light & Shadow, 2010, my own work - Gun made of glass mirror shards

Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, Cornelia Parker, 1991

References

Lecture – Steve Rood Tuesday 28^th October 2010-10-02

Exhibtion: Diane Arbus, Revelations, Tate Modern 2006 & book

www.facebook.com

www.rood.co.nz

Editorial Review - Reed Business Information (c) 2003

http://kuteev.livejournal.com/115515.html

http://blindflaneur.com/?p=241

Exhibition: The Remarkable Life & Art of Lee Miller, V&A, London, 2007

http://nikkor.tumblr.com/page/108

http://www.doctorhugo.org/synaesthesia/art/index.html

http://www.shadowmakingmachines.com/

http://www.genetologisch-onderzoek.nl/index.php/588/anthropology/archaeologie/

My own work :-)

Week 8 - Fran Allison

1) Define Collaboration and how it differs from a Collective.

2) How have these terms influenced Allison's practice?

3) Give another example of a collaborative art practice.

This is how dictionary.com defines a collaboration:


collaboration (kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃən)
— n (often foll by on, with, etc )
1. The act of working with another or others on a joint project
2. Something created by working jointly with another or others

A collective and a collaboration, in an artistic sense, both involve a group of artists working together to produce work. A collaborative artwork, however, is distinct in that there is a lack of authorship - it does not matter who produces which elements of the creation, the final artowork will be presented as a piece equally created in concept & physicality by all participants of the collaboration - joint authorship. Each artist bring skills towards the final outcome and the audience will not be informed as to who submitted what. A collaborative work can be created without the artists seeing each other or sharing the same space, and some collaborations involve artists contributing in various ways from all over the world.

A collective, according to wikipedia, is 'a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest'. The key word here is entities - a collective as an agglomeration of individuals. The online dictionary defines a collective as 'of or characteristic of a group of individuals taken together: the collective wishes of the membership.' Again, the concept of individuality is highlighted. It also comments 'teams that work collaboratively can obtain greater resources, recognition and reward when facing competition for finite resources'. The online dictionary states a collective as 'forming a whole; combined: and a business, farm, etc., jointly owned and operated by the members of a group.' Therefore, a collective, in an artistic sense, is a group of artists who work together to support each other individually, perhaps benefiting from shared resources, studio space and opinions, to aid the development of each person's separate practice.

Fran Allison's earliest experience within a collective was for a 5 year duration whilst she was establishing herself in London. She highlights works produced within the collective such as a set of swords for an Arab prince, perhaps influencing her towards the path she took of becoming a silversmith for many years. It was also during that period that she developed an interest in the domestic, a theme which has underpinned her work for years to come.

Allison is currently a member of the collaborative group of artists, who call themselves Weeds. Weeds encompasses herself, Lisa Walker, Andrea Daly & Shelley Norton, and each artist brings different skills & techniques to to the group. Collaboratives are often formed as a result of a common interest or passion - Weeds was drawn together by a common frustration at the stereotypical views of kiwi jewellery as perceived by overseas audiences, and they aim to establish a clearer communication between New Zealand and the rest of the world, subverting outdated perceptions.

Allison has commented that “For me ‘Weeds’ is a platform for experimentation. Each ‘weed’ is different from the one before, and each could be cultivated into a body of work. Each piece is a new beginning, an exploration into new materials sourced from the domestic urban environment. The pieces explore the decorative possibilities of op shop discoveries, all containing previous histories and meanings. The added advantage of working in this way is that any discards become compost….” Participating & contributing towards Weeds creates an environment in which Allison is able to experiment and pusher her ideas, as they strive to stretch their ideas to the limit, enabling them to consider methods & concepts they may otherwise not have - the wackier, the better. Allison creates experimentations within Weeds which she then personally explores further in her spare time, thus advancing her own individual practice. She states that Weeds is a 'cataylst' for this, allowing her to divert onto many tangents, playing with materials in almost a childlike sense, and work closely with other artists who inspire her - in particular, Lisa Walker and her fearless approach to creating.

Grant Thompson has commented "I wonder why someone would choose to be a weed in the garden of jewellery. The answer seems to have something to do with a desire to intensify awareness of everyday things as things in them selves rather than as signs of something else." This observation emphasises Weeds' desire to create jewellery which represents the diversity in New Zealand and challenge the definitive idea of jewellery, using second hand materials & transforming them into new works. This is a common goal for Weeds as well as Allison in her own work, which ties in neatly with Allison's interest in Walker's confident approach to materials and exploration. She also values ideas of lack of control, which materialises in techniques such as breaking & smashing her work, and would be an aspect of working as apart of a collaborative, referencing other group members' ideas, rather than exercising complete control over a work.

Plastic is a materialin which Allison is particularly interested, and is demonstrated here in Walker's Brooch, 2007. She has recycled objects of low value and transformed them into an art piece. I was attracted to this piece personally as to me it has connotations of environmental issues. This work seems to encompass the themes Allison & Weeds wish to convey - a contemporary approach using materials which would otherwise be considered to have a low value, challenging traditional concepts of jewellery and preciousness.

Brooch, 2007, Lisa Walker, Plastic & glue

Allison's work here is similar to Walkers in its agglomoration of found plastic materials, perhaps sources from opshops or $2 stores, which seem to have been grouped together as a result of playful exploration. It is from Allison's chapter of a Weeds catalogue & demonstrates typical values of the group.

Random Findings pins, Fran Allison

Allison has been influenced by other artists who work in collaborations & collectives. She states the Swedish collaborative group We Work in Fragile Material as an influence on her artwork created within Weeds. She references in particular their wacky and absurd nature, and their ability to create works within a group which they would be unable to as individual artists, pushing their ideas as far as possible, encouraging each other as they are driven by a common intereste - much like Weeds.

American Craft magazine has commented that We Work in Fragile Material 'finds its strength in numbers', creating 'rambunctious projects'. The group of artists and designers are trained in various specialities but combine their skills to create works which they would be individually unable to. The ceramist Pontus Lindvall states "we don't have a manifesto - we have some kind of feeling or having a view of the world in common, but it's not in writing or even agreed upon." The collaborative allows these artists to work together to push these ideas to the extreme, as demonstrated in this huge troll creation below.

Happy Campers, We Work in Fragile Material

References



My lecture notes

The Collective Conscious by Holland Cotter, New York Times, March 5, 2006.

http://www.dictionary.com/

http://www.wikipedia.org/

http://www.quoil.co.nz/artists/fran_allison/


http://www.fingers.co.nz/exhibitors/Weeds_05.htm


http://www.dhub.org/articles/1151

http://www.weworkinafragilematerial.com/Fragglarna/project06/12_06_Troll.htm

http://www.americancraftmag.org/toc.php?id=7233

http://www.sixpm.net/wwiafm-show.htm

Week 6 - Steve Lovett

How has Steve Lovett's practice evolved over the period of his professional career, ie from political, social & historical concerns to issues of colour and form?

Steve Lovett's work encompasses many layers of thought and physical construction, and although it has developed and evolved in style and content throughout his career, a running theme is how poignantly deep, passionate and personal it is to himself, his life and his beliefs. His work is layered and lost to the point where I feel quite overwhelmed and at sea in its depths!

Lovett is interested in the use of time and movement within a space in his artworks. He has always lived in the same area, and has observed the changes it has undertaken over the years. Coming from a single parent family combines with this to explain early exploration of themes such as the home space and loss. He is interested in providing his subjects with a voice, his early works utilising typography to convey this. Time is illustrated in these works in blurred images and backgrounds, multiple images and abstract colours and forms. The personal and policital are inseperable and indistinguishable to Lovett, the larger political picture relating directly and immediately to the present state of society. He considers in these works the political movement in the past 25 years, the priority given to private companies, and the rich/poor divide. These works are layered in meaning, as well as layered visually - literally, type upon images.

It seems to me a natural progression from typography to the use of sound to convey a personal monolgue for the subject, given his interest in time and creating a voice, or record, of the individual. Combining still images and sound allowed Lovett to create a vividly temporal representation of a subject, as well as spacial, and invites the audience to consider the past, present and future of the subjects. This 'record' he has created challenges the public record of events & history, providing his own record for the future, which he believes to be closer to the truth and less tainted/biased. His theory is that a person's recording is incontestable. This relates to his rejection of faith in the powers which hold the official records, empowering him in this way, allowing him to contribute to history & indirectly dispel some of his anger anger towards the situation of the world.

I posed this question to Dion Hitchens' after his lecture; why, if he is Chinese-Maori and so interested in cultural art, is his work so dominated by Maori culture as opposed to to his Chinese background? One reason he gave was that he took the opportunities he was offered in order to further his career, and there was a high demand for Maori art in New Zealand, which he could provide. Lovett commented in his lecture that galleries were not so favourable towards his complicated sound works which took a long time to install, and this pressure from the artworld changed the direction of his medium. His works from this point have veered more in the direction of print making, and this is the style of Lovett's work which I personally favour.

Lovett quotes Sylvie Blocher as an influence and this is especially evident to me in his creation of diptyches. Her work also seems to influence Lovett's sound work. "Blocher's videos reveal the humanness of these "living picture" ". She invites the audience to identify with the subject by delving below the obvious surface of an image. Lovett also seeks to create an intimate, human relationship between the audience and the subject.

Sylvie Blocher, La sauteuse (lapsus n¡ 1), 2002, video installation (courtesy of Casino Luxembourg; photo: Sylvie Blocher)

Living Pictures/Men In Gold, Sylvie Blocher, 2007, video installation with sound

Bambi/Darren 1997 - 2009 © Steve Lovett, 7 colour screen print on board

These works by Lovett and Blocher both invite the viewer to encounter different aspects of the same subject, allowing a certain level of intimacy. This work of Lovett is poignant in that it is a 7 colour screen print - here, we see a shift towards the physical building of layers within the artwork being an important factor in itself, and the study of colour, although it also seems to relate to the many layers of meaning within the image.

His use of diptyches also reflects a style depicted in Patrick Keiller's London, 1994. This film strongly conveys temporal elements, as demonstrated in Lovett's work. It can be compared with his use of triptych in several ways; the contrasting scenes places one after the other, the way the scenery is often visually divided into close ups/far away landscapes, cutting back and forth between the same scenes, and two very similar scenes places one after the other. The film echoes Lovett's consideration of political events of the past few years, and the direct relation of the political powers to the negative effects of the lower class societies. It shares Lovett's confused/angered stance in relation to the state of society, and wondering how it became the way it is.

Still from London, Patrick Keiller, 1994. This frame interested me as immediately after the camera spent several seconds watching the remainds of the building blow in the breeze, it cut to exactly the same shot, but with plastic bags blowing across the screen. This lingering watching combined with the cutting from one shot to the next emphasises the sense of 'real time'

I was unable to find any stills of London which portray the near/far elements within the same image, but feel that this is directly linked to Steve's work, and creates an idea of two things happening at the same time. The scenes featured of the still camera watching pedestrians walking consider this theme of real time, and relate directly to Lovett's work Intersection, which encompass many stills of pedestrians he has montaged into one large work, contemplating movement in space at different times. It also shares his interest in using a voiceover to transform an artwork and convey a very personal/political slant.

Intersection 1214307845
© Steve Lovett
2007

It would be easy to discuss the relation of Lovett's practice to London in great depth, but I feel it would detract from the theme of the development of his work. Suffice to say, the film is depressing & heartfelt in it's political opinions, as well as artistic on its take of the world. Lovett commented in his lecture that he was not sure why he moved more towards the issues of colour and form, but that he was tired of being so angry at the world, and perhaps needed a break from all this angst he was conveying. If we look back to his previous work, it is evident that this physical building of layers was always a theme (eg the 7 layer screen print), it is only more recently that is had become the dominating theme over political/social/historical issues.

His more recent works are more secretive in their depth - at first, they may appear to the viewer to be simple constructions of lines/shapes. Lovett is interested in this idea. This practice places value on time, in that it takes time to construct the work, rather than portraying images to depict time. At this stage, his practice has evolved from politically driven images, to social & historical sound works and prints to a place where the emphasis is directly on the print. His recent works invite the viewer to look twice and notice what may easily go unnoticed, a theme comparable to the unnoticed repercussions in everyday life of political decisions, perhaps a specific shade of colour, or the careful complexity of a multi layered screen print. This unexpected surprise from a print which might otherwise look 'normal' is what he wishes to convey in his current focus on colour & form. We have this recurring theme of layers, yet rather then carefully considered policial layers, we see carefully constructed physical layers.

Lovett quotes Wunderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit as an inspiration to him. "[this] book captures, in the ease and cadences of its prose, the rhythms of a good walk." His work is built slowly and thoughtfully, contemplating the finer details that one might not notice whilst rushing around.

Although these more recent works concentrate more on colour & form, the political connotations are still there - however, explored in perhaps a more abstract way. It is as though Lovett is taking time out to enjoy a less angsty creation of artwork after a long career of politically driven work. Billboards are an inspiration here - physically punching holes into images allows the audience to view what is behind, or what was hidden. This relates to his interest in layers of messages, and also ties in with his work which is based more on layers of colour/form, lying somewhere in between the two.

www.sfmoma.org/artwork/125519
Slides on emit


Chatting to Dion


London, 1994, Patrick Keiller

www.artpapers.org/.../2005_1112/F1.4.jpg


http://cookylamoo.com/boringlikeadrill/blogpix/keiller02.jpg

http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=2HaKPwAACAAJ&dq=wanderlust+rebecca&hl=en&ei=GRZ6TPu6EJCcsQPk9NDsCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA

Week 5 - Frances Hansen

Frances Hansen conveys themes of environmentalism and domesticity through her practice. The materials she gathers and her ideas are heavily influenced by her lifestyle as a mother and her household environment, particularly throughout times of maternity leave and the artwork of her children.

Collecting is an important aspect of Hansen's practice. She collects materials & transforms them into new collections, creating excitement from normality. I loved her work based on Bill Bryson's Short History of Everything, which she was reading at the time and appropriated words she was attracted to, relating to macro & micro elements of life and the universe which she considers important, such as 'atmospheric' and 'galactic'. These words were painted onto various trays which she had collected and agglomerated for display, although sold seperately. Her process involves compiling inspiration from anything around her which she is attracted to, noting it down, making lists or photographing it, and recycling it in her artwork at a later date. Hansen states John Reynolds as an influence, and I think this is strongly illustrated in his work Cloud, 2006.

Cloud, 2006, John Reynolds

In the above work, Reynolds uses words from Harry Orsman’s Oxford Dictionary of New Zealand English, words which are typical 'isms' of the New Zealand vocabulary, and groups them together almost haphazardly to create a general idea of Kiwiana through text. In Hansen's comparable work, she groups trays together to create an effect of consideration of the greater contempations of life, the universe and everything.

A strong visual theme throughout Hansen's work is the inclusion of the silhouette. Removing all information except the outline allows Hansen to remove the brand, recycle the use of the product and allow the audience to guess as to its identity as per the outline of the form. She is constantly sourcing material from noticing elements in her surroundings, and her domestic life has influenced her to include elements such as cleaning products in her works, reflecting her interest in environmental issues with regard to waste, and, in particular, packaging.

Patrick Pound, Index 2005

This work by Patrick Pound reminded me in particular of Hansen's trays of silhouetted cleaning products, when arranged in a group. Visually, there is a strong connection here and Pound is evidently an influence on Hansen in this way. The theme of haphazardly arranged repetition of smaller works with individualities is exemplified here. Pound removes much of the visual information of individuals' faces to examine how much information is necessary to in order to retain individuality. In Hansen's work, the viewer is invited to guess at which cleaning product might be portrayed, and consider how branding/capitalism affects our culture. What is the real difference between two different brands other than price? Here, we see the domestic element of her work.

Hansen has commented that she strongly admires and identifies with Pound's work, and in particular the way in which he takes everyday objects and manipulates them to becoming something interesting. Another artist who does this is Eve Armstrong. Armstrong directly relates to Hansen in her use of materials.

Both works by Eve Armstrong. Left to right: Gush, 2007. Clear Out, 2007

Hansen has cited these works as strong influences on her practice. This is evident in her use of packaging and other materials which are generally considered to be rubbish. Armstrong "reuses and reconfigures cast-off material within new contexts", emphasising issues of waste & consumerism. She "upcycles" everyday materials, creating a new life for objects which would otherwise be throw away. Hansen treates materials in the same way, constructing works from left over packaging, plastic bags, plant tags sourced from a garden centre floor, scrubbers and old lists people have discarded around her suburb, as well as purchasing materials from $2 stores & transforming them into objects of value. One of her works presents rubbish created week by week, inviting the viewer to consider what the aspects of the waste might convey with regard to the consumer and his/her lifestyle, as well as reflecting environmental issues. One week, for example, contained the discarded packaging from products utilised on a flight to Australia. Upon collecting and noticing packaging, Hansen was shocked by the sheer volume of waste and the impact this would have on the environment, highlighting this as a theme in her work.

The Homely Frontier, Frances Hansen

Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled, Combine painting, 1955

Robert Rauschenberg demonstrates a compositional style favoured by Hansen. Subjects and objects are compiled together whilst occupying their own space, discarding traditional compositional arrangements. Each is carefully replicated & valued - this is evident, for example, in one of Hansen's works which contains a direct copy of a drawing by her daughter. This form of presentation and arrangement transplants each smaller element of the artwork into a new context, inviting the viewer to see it in a new light. Rauschenberg "considered the combining of parts as itself a significant phenomenon, producing new results and effects not present in the elements that were being brought together. He was also attentive to the image quality of the entities with which he was working; for him they were not just constructs or prosaically factual entities." Hansen arranges her paintings as collages, experimenting with comparing various compositions, before refining and creating a final piece. This notion of compiling, laying out and arranging smaller art pieces to constitute a larger artwork is an ongoing theme throughout her practice. Her paintings may contain imagery of anything she has noticed and taken a shine too; perhaps she has noticed a pattern on a letterbox and taken a photograph, or a sticker on a second hand headboard from a handmade bed, or a design on a carpet. These personal touches are valued by Hansen and transformed, merged and celebrated within her own works, again reflecting her interest in themes of domesticity.

One may consider Hansen's current project, writing and illustrating a book of family recipes, the epitome of many of the features I have discussed - domesticity, collecting recipes, lists and illustrations, creating, personal touches, experimenting and merging this all together into 232 pages, many small creations becoming one larger artwork.

http://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibit/truth/pound.html?pagenum=

www.robgarrettcfa.com/walkingwithletters.htm
http://www.chartwell.org.nz/images/imagelibrary/public/cruisecollection/evearsmtrong.jpg
http://sauer-thompson.com/conversations/archives/2007/11/post-349.html

www.coca.org.nz

Week 4 - Eldon Booth

Eldon Booth creates films which experiment with traditional ideas of reality & illusion via the techniques and editing processes he employs. He is interested in the idea of television portraying a 'reality', whereas, in actual fact, it portrays an illusion of a reality. He considers and draws attention to the line between reality & illusion. This is a strong theme throughout his work.

John Fiske comments that "television is seen either as a transparent window on the world or as a mirror reflecting our own reality back to us." Booth considers here the contrast between seeing 'reality' on television through a window, and the concept of creating a world, a reflection. Various techniques highlight the difference between these two perceptions, and his work is strongly influenced by low budget, reality tv of the 90's, reflecting these techniques in his film Withdrawal, 2001. Booth comments in his blog "I’m interested in our perception of reality via the media, including the camera ‘persona’ that reality television or documentary subjects inhabit and ethical concerns regarding the potential exploitation of those participants for entertainment purposes – especially if a programme documents the actual death of a real person."

He encompasses the "camera 'persona'" and denies traditional cinematic conventions via use of amateur techniques & technologies such as hand held cameras, low quality equipment, purposefully roughly editing, panning and blurred focus. These are evident in Withdrawal, 2001. Booth creates a non linear storyline and films with cheap VHS tape. This reflects a medium which would be available to the society portrayed in his films, emphasising elements of realism. The film is written, directed & edited by Booth, yet it displays intentional characteristics of an amateur production. The characters are filmed in mundane situations of transition. They are being directed, yet interact with the public in reality, who are not acting. The grandfather is in hospital in reality, yet he is playing a character who is in hospital. These further blur the lines between reality and illusion. A split screen forces the viewer to consider the lives of both characters at once, and the supposed reality of their everyday actions, rather than sensationalised storylines. Booth says of his characters in his blog "these aren't imaginary friends, they ARE real people.."

Although there is not much information available on 90's TV shows referenced by Booth such as When Animals Attack! and World's Dumbest Criminals, and reality TV has changed dramatically over recent years, one can compare this viewing of a mundane activity to portray realism in more recent Reality TV shows such as Big Brother - this is more available due websites such as youtube.com now being widely used. The official premise is that the show is a 'social experiment' but it provides sensationalised entertainment for the public. This is an interesting portrayal of the theme of reality versus the illusion of reality. It attempts to portray a reality in that the characters are not 'actors', they are real people in a real situation. However, it is an unnatural social situation and they are aware of the cameras, this awareness is reflected in their behaviour, hence it becomes an illusion of reality. The show is edited at the whim of the creators. The techniques employed are not similar to Booths in all aspects. However, the viewer is very aware of the fact that they are almost spying on the actors, from the angles and positions at which the cameras are placed, similar to a CCTV setup (referencing the shows inspiration - George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four). The viewer is always looking on, never included. This reflects Booth's manner of following his actors in Withdrawal, rather than interacting with them. Such use of camera angles & lack of interaction with the characters are evident in Gus Van Sant's Elephant, 2003, a movie also looking to create realism. The Big Brother characters are screened to the public performing mundane acts such as cooking, cleaning, chatting, etc., & this conveys a realistic element, mirrored in the work of Booth when his characters wait for the bus, smoke a cigarette, etc.

Big Brother 3, 2006 (UK) - Alex brushing his teeth

Big Brother 3, 2006 (UK) - Jade & Jonny talking in the garden

Still from Elephant (Gus Van Sant) 2003 - a CCTV style high angle shot conveys realism through lack of interaction, as though the viewer is looking in on the characters, who are unaware of the presence. Booth employs this technique of following the characters in Withdrawal, 2001.

Elephant - the characters are followed by the camera/viewer

Big Brother demonstrates an interesting contrast between reality/the illusion of reality as the lines are blurred & the audience is invited to buy into the truth of the happenings on screen, even though the 'reality' they view has been created by the programme's creators. There is also this interaction between direction of the characters through tasks created by Big Brother, and their improvised/natural reactions. The characters are not actors, and in Elephant, Van Sant uses amateur actors. Booth uses his family to play characters in Withdrawal, adding to the realism.

Sensationalism of mundane events in reality TV is a theme he explores in Five Good Reasons, 2006. Effective techniques which convey this are close ups and montage. Both these are conveyed in the TV show Big Brother, for example in the images I have included above. However, I think a more relevant example of effective use of montage & panning is evident in the TV show Ghost Hunters. As in Booth's work, the viewer is invited to watch a montage of various scenes which create a dramatic effect, combined with interviews. These scenes would otherwise be mundane clips of the inside of a building. This clip also relates back to Booth's reference to amateur production in hand held techniques to convey realism, when the characters are seeking ghosts in the dark. I think his attitude to the characters & interviews can also be referenced here - he enjoys the natural element of the dialogue, & captured this by filming the entire interview without breaks each time, before editing. Ghost Hunters is also very much about the reactions of the actors, their personalities adding to the sensationalism of otherwise ordinary situations.

Celebrity Big Brother 5 - Best Bits montage, screened in Jade's final eviction episode. Use of montage here sensationalises events & creates excitement & nostalgia

Ghost Hunters, 2010. Booths use of montage & sensationalism is reflected here. The style is much more similar to his in the camera panning & zooming adding to the effect, & editing to cut between the interviews and the action. However, it does not portray the level intimacy that Booth achieves through use of shots & countershots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWP7Oeo7ACk

Fiske, John. Television Culture. Taylor & Francis e-library, 2009.

Booth, Eldon. Finding Honk. http://findhonk.blogspot.com/ 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chhA2b5wayU

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(TV_series)

http://moviecultists.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/elephant-shooters.jpg

www.reverseshot.com/article/elephant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvsUm9XDSks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWP7Oeo7ACk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_reverse_shot