Week 8 - Industrialisation

Week 8 - Industrialisation

Industrialisation and Cao Fei's RMB City

Dynamism of a dog on a Leash (1912) Giacomo Balla

Industrialisation in the late 1800s, and today.

RMB City (2007-9)  Cao Fei

The artists of the late 1800's and early 1900's, in Europe, were influenced by the Industrial revolution.

1. What and when was the Industrial Revolution?

Both paintings featured on this blog, that are from the early 1900s were painted by Modernist painters from the group called 'Futurists'. The Futurists celebrated the machine, and objects in motion. Their primary objective was to depict movement, which they saw as symbolic of their commitment to the dynamic forward thrust of the 20th century.The industrial revolution was the name given to the period inthe 18th and 19th centuries when Britain was transformed for a predominantly agriculture nation in to the manifacturing workshop of the world. Rapid scientific, technology and commerical innovations, a rising population, improved transportation and expanding domestic and international markets provided the context for the development of thousands of mills, factories, mines and workshops. Minig, engineering and manifacturing continued to provide employment for millions of people well in to the  20th century.

2. Research both Modernist paintings in order to comment on the subject matter, form and style used to celebrate the machine and motion in each painting. Answer the question in 2 parts for each painting.

Cao Fei's RMB City (2007-9) refers to China's recent rapid industialisation and urbanization.
(www.artspace.org.nz/exhibitions/2009/cafeintopia.asp)

Dynamism of a dog on a Leash (1912) Giacomo Balla: shows how the human is not the main picture of this work, its the dog that is on the leash which is the main focus. The legs and the tail of the dog shows how its walking real for the dog but as for us the viewers, dont really feel like we're on the same pace as the dog, it almost feels like the dog is trying to catch up to the pace we normally walk. The repeated shapes of the dogs legs is an influence of Marcel Duchamp for 'Nude Descending A Staircase' from 1912.

RMB City (2007-9)  Cao Fei: this piece is a viewpoint of the city Beijing in China. There are lots of symbols that represent China for example; the china flag, and the panda etc. The peice looks very busy and out of control which reflects how China is a big country and have a lot of population comparing to other asian countries. 

3. Research Cao Fei's RMB City (2007-9)  in order to comment on this work in more depth.
i.e describe the images that has she used in her digital collage that refer to China's present and history, and explain why has she used these images.

One of the international stars of a new generation of Chinese artists, Cao Fei has garnered a reputation for producing highly seductive multi-media installations that respond to the manic pace and dizzying scale of urbanisation in her culture. The first solo exhibition of Cao Fei뭩 work in Australasia, Utopia is an opportunity for audiences to think about the excess and fantasy of our current social and economic condition. 
Cao Fei has amazed the country for producing a high seductive multi-media installation that also now she is an international Chinese artist. By representing the 'RMB City' has gave an impact of her country. Before the big city 'Bejing' it was constantly under a construction; the candy-striped smoke symbolizes an industrial production.

4. RMB City is described as a utopia/dystopia. Comment on what these terms

mean, and how they can be applied to the work.

'Utopia'means in a theoretical "perfect" realm, in which everyone is content,a place full of happiness and where things dont go wrong, a poitive place.
'Dystopia' is an oppostite to Utopia, its negative and its a place that is unable to control and very full of people that are nasty and cruel; mostly looking at the reality side of the world.
These two terms are seen in this peice, utopia can be been the way of colours its used, the given space that is around the RMB City  and onthe other hand dystopuc can be seen by the uncontrolable smoke that is going on between the tall building that are sqaushed.

5) Although the Modernist paintings and the contemporary digital work have emerged from different contexts, there are also many similarities. Comment on the similarities that you can see in the work.

I can see some similarities that relate to industrial revolution in her work but I think its a bit difficult to focus on one point because there is alot happening in one place. I could see the city was polluted very easily because of the population in one city and the factories that is in town, its good in one waythat they have quite an amount of population in China because there are many chances of letting the country know how strong and brave you are.
Also commenting on the colours she has selected for the town was a neat choice because uptopia is meant to be a happy place and to express the happiness, you use colours.    
 Look at the moving digital image at vimeo.com/4272260, if you have not
already researched itemerged from
different contexts, there are also many similarities. Comment on the similarities that you can see in the work. Look at the moving digital image at vimeo.com/4272260, if you have not
already researched it.

6. Comment on other student's blogs.

www.artspace.org.nz/exhibitions/2009/cafeintopia.asp
www.artchive.com/artchive/B/boccioni/boccioni_city.jpg.html
www.artchive.com/artchive/B/balla.html 
vimeo.com/4272260

 Bibliography

http://arthubasia.org/archives/blinding-the-ears-and-cao-fei-in-turin-artissima-2009/
http://dunedin.art.museum/exhibitions.asp?d=203
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dystopia 

Week 4 - Humanism and contemporary sculpture.

Week 4 - Humanism and contemporary sculpture.

 Ron Mueck's sculpture and Humanism

Mask II (2002) Ron Mueck

A girl (2006) Ron Mueck

Ron Mueck has become internationally recognised for his unique sculptures, which replicate the human figure with unrivalled technical skill. His work has a powerful psychological range, focusing not only on universal experiences like birth, life and death but on emotional states such as isolation, fear and tenderness. His startling manipulations of scale are key to our experience of each work.

Mueck's work showed at the Christchurch Art Gallery from the end of 2010 through to January 2011. Research Mueck's sculpture in order to answer the following questions;

1. Mueck's sculpture is described as 'hyper-real'. Define the meaning of this term and explain how it is evident in his work.

 

The term 'Hyper-real' is defined of how to work between the two methods of fantasy and reality. Mueck's works of figure suculptures are all done very realistic and very fantasy-like way at the same time by sculpting the figures bigger than a normal human size. The reason that Mueck's works are known as hyper-real is because of the accuracy of the way its positioned the figure.

2. Mueck says he is not interested in making life size sculpture. Find out why he is more interested in working with the scale of the figure which is not life size, and mention 2 works which use scale that is either larger or smaller than life.

Mueck likes working his sculptures very large or either very small, he doesnt want to sculpture his figures the same size as the normal human size because he thinks it's more interesting and unique. Mueks works his figures enormously becuase he can go to the details of the way of expressions, of each character. 

The two works that Mueck created: 

 

Ron Mueck 'Pregnant woman' ( 2002)


Ron Mueck "Big Man" (2000)

3. Define Renaissance Humanism , and identify which aspects of Humanism can be seen in Mueck's work. Note that the contemporary definition of Humanism is much broader than the Renaissance definition.

 

Humanism defines the cultural movement of  the renaissance and the emphasis on a person's capacity for self- realization through reason.Renaissance Humanism were inspired by the discovery and spread of important classical texts from ancient Greece and Rome which offered a different vision of life and humanity than what had been common during previous centuries of Christian domination.

 

Muek's works didnt relate to any thing religious, he was only focused on the human emotions and the way humans express their emotions. ( more visual)

 

 4. Research and discuss one of Mueck's sculptures that you might find challenging or exciting to experience in an art gallery. Describe the work, upload an image of the work, and explain your personal response to the work. Comment on other student blogs to develop the discussion around the variety of our own personal and individual responses to art and design.

 Mask II (2002) Ron Mueck

The details that this piece has presented is amazing that really caught my attention. By just looking at the photo it doesnt seem like a sculpture, it looks so realistic that you could say its a real-life photograph. The rare details of the wrinkles while sleeping and the beard that has just been shoven are also displayed on the face of the mask really catchs my eye.

 

 

 

 

 

Reference websites and books used at the end of your blog.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/816457/ron_mueck_australian_hyperrealist_sculptor/

christchurchartgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/ron-mueck/

 

 

Bibliography

http://www.mashada.imara.de/superrealism.php
http://nga.gov.au/mueck/director.cfm

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/humanism.html

http://sunseven.hubpages.com/hub/Awesome_Sculptures_Of_Ron_Mueck

week Three- Damien Hirst's work 'For the Love of God' and Mercantilism

week Three- Damien Hirst's work 'For the Love of God' and Mercantilism



Research Damien Hirst's work For the Love of God (2007) in order to answer the following questions;

1. Describe the work, giving details of the form and materials.
2. What does the work mean? What is Damien Hirst communicating in the work?

"The Love of God' was made to forward the idea of death. Damien Hirst's works mostly relats to the idea, death and this peice " the love of god" do relate to the idea of death but in a possitive way that people can think about the happy death. “Then I started to think — maybe that’s why it is a good thing to do. Death is such a heavy subject, it would be good to make something that laughed in the face of it.” 

As Damien Hirst said "As an artist I try to make things that people can believe in, that they can relate to, that they can experience. You therefore have to show them as well as possible."

When I see this peice , it reminds me of Micheal Jackson because before his death, he was real famous as a "king of POP." The diamonds would symbolize the fame and money and the skull would be symblizing the death of Micheal Jackson.

 

3. How does Hirst's diamond encrusted skull relate to Mercantilism and to conspicuous consumption?

 

Damien Hirst's diamond encrusted skull does relate to Mercantilism because of the 8, 601 diamonds. In the past diamonds were only purchased by the high-class people that were able to use in trading and buying items that were mostly expensive. By the successful outcome of this piece, it  has proven the mercantilism and also has forward the past history of how it was like between the 16-18th century.

4. How much did the work cost, and how much was it sold for, and who bought it?

Damien Hirst spent 20 million to make the "the love of god" and by the rumours , he sold it for 100 million, which makes th most expensive contemporary art work ever.  

The piece is displayed at the White Cube Gallery in London.

 

5.  What are some of the differing opinions of the journalists in the newspaper and blog articles?
   What did they think of the work?

"But attention is different from respect, and if you ask the man in the street he’ll tell you that Hirst became a billionaire by cynically exploiting our collective greed and stupidity." said by Richard Dorment. Damien hirst is seen as a negative person and a non-believer that doesnt have any religion.  
 "...he found a remarkably effective way to bring us face to face with death’s emptiness, its finality, its silence. Not all of the animal and fish pieces work, but when they do they are mesmerising." Damien Hirst was also known as a dark person that didnt quite see the positive side of the reality and Hirst only saw the four main things which was Death, Judgement, hell and Heven, alot of his works did refer to them.

 

6. Based on your research, what is your opinion of the work, as an object or a work of art.

 

In my opinion, Damien Hirst art piece " For the love of God" is the first and the most expensive contemporary art piece Ive ever heard. The idea of using real diamond into an old skull to make an art work was very creative. Not only its a successful piece of work, it also explains itself of the historical past of mercantilism. I think this piece is very unique in a way of the idea death.  

 

www.telegraph.co.uk › Culture › Culture News
www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/.../01/hirstsskullmakesdazzlingde
boingboing.net/2007/06/02/damien-hirsts-diamon.html 
www.gagosian.com/artists/damien-hirst/ 

 

 

bibliography

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/magazine/03Style-skull-t.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/nov/21/damien-hirst-tate-modern

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

http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Damien_Hirst_For_The_Love_Of_God.html

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-reviews/9180674/Damien-Hirst-Tate-Modern-review.html

 " For the love of God" (2007) by Damien Hirst, is a real-life human head skull with the influence of the mexican skulls encrusted in turquoise. The diamonds that is on the skull is set 8,601 high-quality diamonds.This peice of artwork turns out to the most expensive contemporary peice that have ever been created.

Week One- Mercantilism and Fiona Hall's work

'Tender' (2003-05) Fiona Hall

Fiona Hall's contemporary work reflects ideas that come from the Renaissance concept of Mercantilism.

Research the two examples; 'Tender'(2003-05) and 'Leaf Litter'(1999-2003) to explain how they relate to this concept.

1. First define mercantilism, using material from your ALVC handbook, and explain how it has developed since the Renaissance.
 Mercantilism was the economic system in Europe between in the year of 1600 and 1800's and the main goal was to increase a nation's wealth by imposing goverment regulation concerning all of the nations commercial wealth. It was believed that national strength could be minimized by limiting imports and maximizing exports. Towards the end of the Renaissance, mercantilism were given away to a new economic system called Capitalism. Research this project to summarize the importance of the area and upload an image to your blog for discussion.

2. Identify the ideas or concepts in Hall's work that relate to Mercantilism?

Fiona Hall works between the two main concepts, the native part of the world and the commercial world. Us, human beings have an enormous desire for wealth because of the loose mindset of essential resources we have in us.Fiona Hall 's work explains the concept of how human beings should not pollute the nature to earn their own profit.

 3. For each work describe the shape, form and materials used, and also explain the ideas behind each example.

"Leaf litter" is a good example to show the idea of the inter-relationship between the native part of the world and the commerical world.The work originate of a number of individual elements that is made out of money from 180 different countries, that merge together to end up into panels. Fiona Hall draws leaves on one of the notes that represented a native plant from the country of origin.The image of the leaf, shows the money behind and the eye of the viewer that moves from one to the other.

4. In your opinion do the materials communicate the ideas of the work? Please explain your answer.

In my opinion, Fiona Hall's work of materials give a strong impact to the viewers about the society that is affected now around us. Using real money in her work showed me the connection of reality to society we're in.  

5. Fiona Hall's recent project The Kermadecs focuses on issues around the Pacific ocean.

 The Kermadec region,is an area between New Zealand’s North Island and Tonga, its has one of the largest volcanic arc in the world.This island has a range of many different animal species, such like a whale, a dolphin, seabirds,turtles,fishes,prawns and for some of the creatures are real rare in now days some that only exists  around there.The Kermadec region is an important support of New Zealand and the global geological because it provides a safe shelter for the creatures that are unknown and the scientists have only started discovering about them.
In this work, there is a large figure of a fish with lots of ships above that are sailing, and in one of the ships, its leaking oil. The oil spill is showing how its polluting the enviroment and killing the sea creatures. This work tells me how there are living creatures underneath and we should be careful of how we use the enviroment that belongs to them.

 ' Leaf Litter' (1999-2003) Fiona Hall

These works were part of an art show titled 'Force Field' which can be viewed in one of the exhibition spaces on Youtube - Part Three: Fiona Hall: Force Field.

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/mercantilism

http://www.thekermadecs.org/fiona-hall