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