Lydia's Art World

I only want to show you the world I see.

[lydiaismyname]

HTTCA - Review #6, “Geldbider“ Isa Genzken at Hauser and Wirth Exhibition

The Isa Genzken’s exhibition at Hauser and Wirth in London—Geldbider—is filled with Minimalist and Capitalist representations through painting and sculpture. Genzken’s cross-disciplinary style: sculpture, painting, photography, and installation—as well as a range of materials—is characteristic of the postmodern era. Her work shows progression in architecture and society and changes in art processes such as painting styles that evolved after modernism.

Gerhard Richter represents abstract expressionist artwork of the postmodern era. There is a similarity to his style of painting in Genzken’s Geldbild I (2014) as well as other paintings in the gallery. It can be suggested that Isa’s marriage to Richter had an influence on her artistic approach; her canvases show Richter’s technique of smearing paint using a squeegee. The thickness of paint differs from painting to painting, adding an element of chance to each finished piece. In previous work, Isa Genzken uses geometric shapes, which minimalist artists would use to express the idea of artwork being non-representational. However, Genzken is more expressive in recent work, which is a post-modern approach—reinventing the past. What is interesting is that minimalists are against abstract expressionism because of its abstruse nature.

To this day societal and economical shifts due to war and conflict have impacted upon artists work. This can be seen when Genzken imprints various currencies of different value onto paint: coins and bank notes. Although it is prohibited to deface a note, Ivan Cash and Andy Dao in their piece U.K. Average Income (Occupy Liz) (2014) highlight issues of capitalism by drawing and writing information on the bank notes. The money could have been possibly used in circulation thereby spreading information just as quickly as money can be spent. They have the same idea as Genzken that eventhough they have tampered with the money either by placing it out of context on a canvas or drawing directly onto it; it shows their viewpoints of capitalism on the very thing causing the issue.

Genzken expresses how art is an investment and that the money can be re-used if financial issues were to occur, such as the economical struggles after World War II. Genzken’s many paintings have money stuck onto canvases with the aid of the paint, most likely when it was in the process of drying, as if free for people to take. However, people assume that it’s Genzken’s money, and not theirs. She is turning money into a form of art that ends up losing its monetary value. The viewers wouldn’t want it because it is being used for something else rather than sitting in a purse or bank account. It now has a physical purpose that we are being made aware of. If the viewer were to take the money off of the canvas, it would be as if they were defacing the artwork. Andy Warhol remarks, “Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art”.

Genzken’s paintings are contextualised by gluing everyday found objects to the canvas such as: toy animals, feathers, leaflets where they directly stick out as an extension of the work. It gives us an idea of what is in her surroundings because society differs from place to place. Genzken’s artwork is similar to artist Richard Wentworth’s Making do and getting by photographic series where the objects are re-valued or taken out of context so that a new idea may incur.

Geldbider showcases contemporary artwork that evaluates the past to assess the present. Genzken’s paintings present a strong case of analysing society and how humans encounter and deal with experiences. The paintings still had the money stuck onto them when I left.

Top: Geldbild I (2014) Isa Genzken

Bottom: U.K. Average Income (Occupy Liz) (2014)

[lydiaismyname]

HTTCA - Review #5, “Pictures and Scripts” John Baldessari at Marian Goodman Exhibition

John Baldessari is an artist who embraces the power of language through image and text. His exhibit: Pictures and Scripts at the Marian Goodman Gallery in London is a composition of twenty artworks containing film stills and enlarged texts on canvas, against a pristine white wall backdrop. Image and text go hand in hand to make a new narrative as Baldessari remarks, “a word could be an image or an image could be a word, they could be interchangeable”

In 1979, French Philosopher Jean François Lyotard wrote, The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. He believed that traditional narratives, such as story telling, worked in social situations. Lyotard presented the term “Grand Narrative” where events are linked between one another instead of forming a logical structure. Lyotard’s idea about narratives can be likened to Baldessari’s notions of narrative because “That is what the postmodern world is all about. Many people have lost the nostalgia for the lost narrative.” Baldessari’s decision to use film stills initiates a narrative for the audience.

 Baldessari takes artistic control of existing images by painting on top of the image while masking sections that refine the image. This process is suggestive of media representation; what we see on a television screen has been filtered for viewers. The notion of perception also relates to the technique—what we see in front of us may differ in meaning if the image were whole. This overlaying technique is in other artworks such as Frames and Ribbon (1988). Baldessari purposefully manipulates the viewer’s perception of his artwork by covering up the faces—they appear emotionless and cause the viewer to create an alternative meaning.

True to his style, adding the written word solidifies his selective painting and builds upon a new narrative. The viewer has the opportunity to develop their own story as Baldessari gives segments of text in a script format- for example, What is in the salad? (2015) begins with a setting of a “Gala Dinner”, whereas the film still contradicts the suggested setting. We do not know the original source of the film still hence the storyline to the film remains unknown. The combination of written text and film still confirms Lyotard’s idea that narrative doesn’t have to be in a logical order to make sense. Baldessari allows his artwork to be interpreted freely by the viewer.

In the 1970’s, Post-pop art gave insight into artworks that juxtaposed image and text. For instance, Ed Ruscha and Jenny Holzer apply written phrases to their paintings. They add colour and they consider the efficiency of typeface to grab attention. Whereas, Baldessari’s work captures the audience in a different way. We are led to question everything, such as why does the text not match the same subject matter as the image? A postmodern way of thinking is to understand the contexts and meaning in artwork. The text isn’t clear; the viewer would have to physically move to interpret it. Furthermore, the text isn’t hand painted because Baldessari feels that, by painting them the words would not add as much impact. We associate font with different genres of text and the typeface is similar to a typewriter’s script. It mirrors the black and white film stills which suggest an early to mid 20th Century influence.

Pictures and Scripts showcases Baldessari’s signature style. It explores the relationship between image and text. The layout is well planned and the audience can enjoy Baldessari’s sense of humour, through by his informal titles. John Baldessari once said, “I will not make any more boring Art” and that stays true today.

Top: Frames and Ribbon (1988)

Bottom: What is in the salad? (2015)

[lydiaismyname]

HTTCA - Review #4, "Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963-2010" Tate Modern's Exhibition

Tate Modern’s Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963-2010 exhibition shows that during the Post Modern era, Polke was at his peak. The work in the exhibition spans across five decades, representing how his desire for experimenting meant he was not so easily pinned down to one artistic movement. His understanding of society, particularly the culture in post-war Germany, advertisement and artistic work, led him to create work that encompassed complex layers of meaning. Throughout the exhibition, there is a clear sense that he continued to use painting as a medium.

In the 1960’s and 70’s, Professor Joseph Beuys taught Polke about the purpose of painting: how to use it as a medium to discover both his potential and his limitations—how a painting can convey meaning was also important. Beuys stood up to Nazism in Germany and inspired Polke in 1963, to create Capitalist Realism, a painterly movement with Gerhard Richter and Konrad Fischer. They went on to exhibit Demonstration for Capitalist Realism in Düsseldorf. Socialist realism was expressed beforehand mainly in the Soviet Union, which depicts social issues; Polke branched off the term, creating Capitalist Realism. As a collective in Germany, they were against the greed of advertisement and how corrupt consumerism of Western European society. They expressed their views through ironic imagery and swastikas appeared in artwork— this was a political stance in comparison to socialist realism and Pop art.

Polke’s early work demonstrates techniques from Pop art—these convey the everyday subject matter, which was at the heart of his paintings. Polke adopted the Raster dot technique, a signature style from the American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. His reasoning for applying this technique was to consider validity and truth behind an image. Polke would hand draw the dots; exposing and enlarging the mistakes is evident in the portrait of Lee Harvey Oswald (1963): one of his first paintings using the technique. ¬¬

In the 1970’s, Polke then explored the growing popularity with photography and video. On his travels to places like Pakistan, Indonesia and Australia, using new mediums helped him develop a documentative style—this contrasted with how advertisements portray information for their own benefit.

As Polke was layering images, a complex meaning was taking place. The multi-layering aesthetic was inspired by comics and consumerist objects—such as the piece Supermarkets (1976). Polke took hallucinogenic drugs during this period. The final outcomes are worth questioning since the aesthetics changed. Considering the idea of authorship from Roland Barthes’s essay Death of the Author, one must ask who is the true creator. For example was Polke’s alternative state an opening up of his subconscious through drugs? We must also wonder would Polke have even had the same success had he abstained from drug use? Polke potentially tapped into a part of himself that resulted in his outcomes forming abstract illusions.

A theory more suitable would be Jean Baudrillard’s idea of there being four stages of replacing reality from Simulacra and Simulation. Polke’s work could represent the 3rd or 4th stage where the artist’s impression masks a resemblance of the actual object, or where there is a complete separate from the object and there no longer is correlation. As quoted, “We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.” The complexity would diminish any sense of information given to the audience.

It is clear to see that Sigmar Polke was a creature of change with postmodern aspects: using historical references, applying the everyday, questioning everything and using technology and drugs to increase the complexity of his work. To put it into an overall perspective, Venturi’s saying “less is a bore” mirrors my thoughts on the exhibition, you are left wanting more.

Top: Lee Harvey Oswald Portrait (1963)

Bottom: Supermarkets (1976)

[lydiaismyname]

HTTCA - Review #3, Richard Tuttle "I Don't Know: The Weave of Textile Language"

Richard Tuttle’s sculptures have a geometric form, colour and shape in the style of cubism, but they also show a sense of abstraction. From the impressionists to the expressionists, like Munch, Cézanne and Van Gogh, colour and shape was important. Tuttle has chosen bold colours on the fabrics and the fact that the material itself is solely presented without taking form of a visual image, links to abstract art. Renaissance art beforehand was recreating the appearance of reality mainly through paint and this idea became backwards towards the end of the nineteenth century. For example the use of colour in renaissance paintings was accurate to convey as sense of reality. With abstract art, the palette did not match the image as such because imagery wasn’t being represented realistically. So the colours simply could convey anything the artist wanted to and even evoke a mood like Munch’s ‘The Scream’.

Artists looked towards new materials and processes since science and technology, including philosophy, meant there was more opportunity. The modernist architectures believed in creating for purpose and to rebuild a better society. Le Corbusier believed that old styles of architectural buildings were in need for change and materials like concrete, metal and glass were what they could design with. They preferred to use the materials not only for function, but for emphasis with geometric form. Tuttle’s sculpture has shapes that form into a bigger overall shape in a jigsaw style and its height continues to add emphasis. Also, due to advances in machinery, the use of synthetic fibres in the fabric contributes to enhancing qualities like performance and colour.

When considering expressionist architecture in relation to Richard Tuttle’s piece, their appearance of biomorphic structure (structures in nature) appear similar in aesthetics. There isn’t a sense of rigidness with regards to shape but the materials are malleable enough to change appearance like bricks so that it goes against older architecture like Bauhaus or even Gothic. Examples are the ‘Glass Pavillion’ (1914) by Bruno Taut, ‘Einstein Tower’ (1919-22) by Erich Mendelsohn and ‘Goetheanum’ (1924-28) by Rudolf Steiner. Many of the architects fought in the First World War and in 1919 with the German Revolution, there was a utopian atmosphere particularly as social and political factors were changing. The use of glass was something that was instigated in Germany and Paul Scheerbart said, "Coloured glass destroys hatred","Without a glass palace life is a burden","Glass brings us a new era, building in brick only does us harm" and so on. Economic climate did affect the architects because they couldn’t afford nor received any funding for the designs on paper to turn into a real building. The growth of the film industry meant scenography was needed and they turned to that when times were tough economically.  

Tuttle’s sculptures work with the space that it is situated in and due to the height of the piece, it could be suggestive of art nouveau. Even though the designs were more eccentric and iron and glass were the preferred materials, the elegance of the fabric helps smooth out the potential harshness of the sculptures in his work and the emotions would be similar. Through a change of materials, economic situations and expressionism, Richard Tuttle’s ‘I Don’t Know: The Weave of Textile Language’ was inspired by modernism and shows progression from then by revaluing materials purpose, like fabric.

‘I Don’t Know: The Weave of Textile Language’ (2014) Wood and Fabric. Richard Tuttle. Tate Modern Gallery (turbine hall).

[lydiaismyname]

HTTCA - Review #2, Anne Hardy "Two Joined Fields"

Two joined Fields is a constructed installation within a space so that participators can view the external and internal space. The internal space shows influences of modernism as concrete, geometric, sculptures outline the inside space, suggesting Cubist traits. Artists at the time of modernism rejected the traditional Victorian style of how art should be made and what it should mean and involve, i.e. religion, realistic aesthetics and romance. There was a change in culture in all creative arts and main cities like London and Paris were the place to be. Cubism involved mainly painting and sculpture. The use of concrete can relate to the industrial revolution where new materials from glass to metal were to later on format modernist buildings. Paul Cézanne inspired cubism for example ‘Maison et arbes’ (1890-94). Abstracting, fragmenting and reassembling an image, shape or object was what cubism involved and Picasso, who was a key pioneer, is well known for fragmenting portraits and the human figure.

The First World War did cause a moment of disarray for the arts and in Russia, Constructivism was created so that making art was used for a more social purpose than to reinvent prior artistic methods. Political propaganda and cinematic posters were made at the time and they were brightly coloured and geometric to attract attention. Hardy’s piece grabs the attention of the viewer by the use of light and how they draw you to move around the space. ‘USSR In Construction’ is a magazine that artists such as El Lissitzky used to produce work in service of the state and it shows that media and technology of the printing press also played a part in society to change artistic methods. Hardy for example uses photography to further the depiction of her work. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, architecture accelerated and the ‘Realist Manifesto’ written by sculptor Naum Gabo and Antoine Pevsner gave five principals that follow in constructivist architecture.

From Constructivism, the De Stijl movement came in 1917 and they wanted to provide a solution to build a “controllable lifestyle” after the torment of the First World War. They were intending for society to not focus on the hatred of the war, but for individuals to improve themselves and wrote a manifesto called “The Style” in 1918 to show to others that this was the way forward. Representational images became geometric with basic colour schemes, lines and shapes in architecture, painting and sculpture. The movement is said to have “pushed cubism to a pure geometric art” because it meant more than to reinvent ways of creating art and to improve society. Two Joined Fields as a title suggests this union of society. The sculptures lack any form of colour just as the artists and architects of the movement had a basic palette. Simplicity showed in their work i.e. Piet Mondrian’s ‘Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow’ (1930) where primary based colours were used.

The De Stijl movement did have an influence on architecture as in the 1920s, Rietveld designed Rietveld Schröder House. The building was made from the principals set from the movement and you can see the approach in Hardy’s work. It is simplistic but has an impact through the lines and form. It shows a consideration of space as well because the idea of “Less is More” from architect Lugwig Mies van der Rohe could be applied here. Hardy’s has shown consideration of where the sculptures are placed and how the space flows with the use of light. Colour wasn’t always necessary to express the movement and Hardy uses a limited palette.

Anne Hardy’s installation was influenced by social changes from the First World War, changes in movements and how they were interpreted through different creative arts.

‘Two Joined Fields’ (2014) cast concrete, rope, carpet, plasterboard, wood, expanded foam, engineering bricks, chalk drawing, strip lights, 40w light bulb- interior view. Anne Hardy. Hayward Gallery.

[lydiaismyname]

HTTCA - Review #1, Pipilotti Rist "Worry Will Vanish"

‘Worry Will Vanish’ is a video installation of juxtaposing images from the artist, Pipilotti Rist. She used a relaxation process known as ‘Autogenic Training’ to create a mood that psychiatrists have used since the 1930s. This process of evoking emotion as well as displaying a contrast of images is suggestive of the Dada and Surrealist period. During the First World War, André Breton used Freud’s psychoanalytic methods to help soldiers from shell shock. Freud’s work on dream analysis, free association and the unconscious helped develop methods of practice within Surrealism. Philippe Soupault alongside Breton was involved in activities such as ‘automatic writing’ and later wrote “The Magnetic Fields” (1920). To relate, André Masson created the artwork “Automatic Drawing” in 1924, which relays the same method of practice, letting the unconscious mind out and allowing freedom of movement. The poet Pierre Reverdy commented on the notion of juxtaposition “the more the relationship between the two juxtaposed realities is distant and true, the stronger the image will be…”

Surrealists also considered the works of Marxist critic Walter Benjamin and he discusses how through modern technologies like the evolution of photography and mass media, the concept of mass production ruins the essence of original work. He wrote the essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” in 1936, which discusses how photography threatens the traditional aspect of art like avant-garde artwork. The use of printing press meant that you can recreate large quantities of the same image in a book, on posters or anywhere the media was going. He believed that this de-values the piece of art and takes away its sense of “aura” as a “one off”. Rist’s work is better experienced in the flesh but the internet today enables you to experience it anywhere.

In Modernism, changes sparked everywhere and introduced a new kind of revolution in many industries. Rist’s use of projectors was because of the continuing development in new technologies like finding new sources for power. The entertainment industry benefitted from its first movie theatre in 1905 the “Pittsburgh Nickelodeon” and since then, would have impacted on Rist’s expression of moving image today.

The moving images Rist produced were a mixture of nature and the human body, subjects that were in Realism. Their ‘Mirror Theory’ was that the mind could represent objects to be accurate and true as if they were in front of you. Paul Cézanne had a different approach to representation as an impressionist painter. He created ‘Unified Field Theory’ which meant that he chose to focus on “not painting the reality, but the effect of perceiving it”. Impressionist painters like Monet, considered the appearance of light and movement. Rist’s overlapping projections of different image depicts fluidity in movement that is associated with nature therefore showing the effect of observing the nature rather than trying to recreate it.

Historically, the war had an emotional affect on everyone involved because nation had rose upon nation and left misery upon the world. Expressionism was a part of the avant-garde movement which was before the war but remained popular during the Weimar republic. “The Scream” by Edvard Munch in 1893 was the beginning of inspiration for the expressionists. Its ideology was that the world is to be presented in a subjective manner, therefore creating an emotive affect to the viewer. Distorting images again was similar to Rist’s choice of fragmenting nature, but not in a geometric style like the Cubist movement. To evoke a relaxing mood for the audience has been a progression of surrealist thinkers as well as a practice for the expressionists. When you consider expressionist cinema, colour and sounds were prominent for example in Douglas Sirk’s work.

Modernism brought changes in technology and society as well as an array of artistic movements. This would have helped Pipilotti Rist’s work today and changed the way we perceive art visually and subjectively.

‘Worry Will Vanish’ (2014) Video Installation by Pipilotti Rist. Hauser and Wirth Gallery.

[lydiaismyname]

London Show Inspirations #2

http://www.hrp.org.uk/NewsAndMedia/hcpresources/11-03-15-Spectacular-light-show-at-Hampton-Court-500-anniversary-party

[lydiaismyname]

London Show Inspirations

From Pipilotti Rist’s work, Hauser and Wirth are showcasing another video installation, which I had to go and see! Diana Thater shows a documentative side to projection as she “comprises footage from the Hindu pilgrimage site, the Galtaji Temple, near Jaipur in India. Thater projects images of the 18th-century pavilions and pillars onto the walls and floor of the gallery to create an immersive environment“ 

http://www.hauserwirth.com/exhibitions/2422/diana-thater-life-is-a-time-based-medium/view/

[lydiaismyname]

I GOT RESPONSES Pt.3

I recently visited the Whitechapel Gallery for the first time and went to see their well reviewed exhibition called Adventures of the Black Square. I enjoyed it and was fascinated at the scale and wondered simply what went into curating it. So I decided to contact them via email and I went from there.

http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/abstract-art/

1.Hello,My name is Lydia Karwal and I am a Fine Art student studying at UCA Farnham. I recently went to see your "Adventures of the Black Square" exhibition and very much enjoyed my time exploring the four themes being expressed. Would it be possible at all to get in contact with anyone in relation to that exhibition so that I may ask some questions for my research? For example, what did you have to consider when curating the exhibition? How did you want the audience to interact with the space?

I am grateful for the time taken to read my email and also for any potential responses.

Lydia Karwal

2.Dear Lydia,

My name is T. Kennedy and I am contacting you on behalf of the project team of Adventures of the Black Square at the Whitechapel Gallery. I worked on the exhibition and should be able to answer questions you may have.

Best,

T

3. Question and Answers.

1.What were some of the challenges, if any, that you faced while curating this exhibition? – There are over 250 works displayed in the exhibition Adventures of the Black Square, so the scale of the exhibition was a challenge. However the project team worked well with fine art transport agents to organise and ensure the safe delivery of works for the installation of the exhibition. 2. What was involved in choosing pieces for the exhibition? – We chose geometric abstract works relating  to society and politics as a basis of the exhibition. We researched extensively and contacted a number of lenders – both private lenders and arts institutions – to borrow the works. 3. The exhibition is ordered with four themes, how was this decided? – The four themes were decided by our curatorial committee in conjunction with the Director, Iwona Blazwick and Chief Curator Mangus af Petersens. 4. What interests you when it comes to curating a show? – With this show in particular I have been able to work with a wide range of works, paintings, sculpture and AV to tell the story of geometric abstraction from the black square to the present. 5. What experience is needed to curate? -  The curators at Whitechapel Gallery have a wide range of differing experiences that enable them to work effectively in this role. I personally have a masters degree in curating and have worked in a number of museums and art galleries previously. 6. What were the intentions for the audience when viewing the work? – The audience are guided through the exhibition space, works arranged chronologically, but works relate to four different themes, to show the evolution of geometric abstraction from 1915 to the present. 7. Was the concept for the exhibition dominant in decision making or did practicality play a part in it as well? – They both go hand-in-hand. Unfortunately we are not a large institution with endless resources so practicality did play a part; however I believe that the concept of the current exhibition played a vital role in it’s success, and was a drive to create a great exhibition. 8. Is there any advice that you could give to myself on how to curate artwork successfully? – Research your topic and be able communicate well.

[lydiaismyname]

I GOT RESPONSES! Pt. 2

I love Pipilotti Rist’s work and it was all due to Hauser and Wirth Gallery in London exhibiting it. So I decided to go for it and ask them about the curation side...and to see if I could get in contact with Rist. Why not? I thought about going a different route and trying social networking, Facebook specifically.

I introduced myself and my intentions for contacting them.

I then got a response from a gentleman who said he would try and get into contact with someone who works directly with Pipilotti, an assistant in the studio I think and was awaiting an email to come through.

Unfortunately, this was the response, “Hi Lydia, I heard from Pipilotti's assistant and studio and they are so swamped with work that they will struggle to get back to anyone (they receive so many requests). If our website doesn't contain anything you need, feel free to ask me or I can pass key questions over and hopefully someone can take a look. P“

So my final message was this, “I completely understand that they are busy people and I appreciate you informing me. I am enthusiastic about Rist's work and have many questions. But if you could pass on one quick question, "The projection work, ("Worry Will Vanish") shows how you are re-valuing visual language in human nature and in earthly nature, why is projecting the work important?" I would be grateful to you. Thank you very much for keeping in contact, and hope to hear from you soon. Lydia“

As of yet, no response, and I know that my chances are low. Having a response from anyone recognising my interest made me happy and I tried. One day I would like to talk to Pipilotti Rist but until then, I shall continue to be inspired.

[lydiaismyname]

I GOT RESPONSES! Pt.1

I managed to get a few responses and the first one is from a local artist living in my area, Ruth Sadler.

http://www.ruthsadler.com/

Here are the questions and the responses I received.

Does process dominate the outcomes of your work or the concept?

Have you had any influences outside the art world?

How important is the audience to you in relation to your artwork?

What is within your studio space, or the space you choose to create artwork in?

1) Process  is fundamental within my work not only in the conception but once a new idea takes shape and is successful then I will revert to and follow that process for continuity in the body of work that will follow.So it is fundamental not only in the conception, but integral to the outcome.

2)I would say that everyday of my life had had some influence in my work.

3)My audience is incredibly important to me and my work, I work to please a certain audience, otherwise my work would not sell. I do have spells of self indulgence and paint whatever I wish, but this is more of a creative " letting off steam" as the work created in these phases, is not for the gallery, more a cerebral stretch class!

4 )I have a whole plethora of objects, books, easels, images, papers and materials in my studio, anything that might serve to inspire, remind or help me in any and many ways.

[lydiaismyname]

Contacting artists

As part of our research, we have to show that we are making an effort in the art world. So that means sitting in front of a computer screen and to think of questions to ask curators, artists, collectors, galleries, museums etc.

I want to become a practicing artist however I am aware that from doing a few exhibitions, curating is also key. So my aim is to try and ask some artists and curators about their work, practice and what it is like being who they are.

Since I was majorly influenced by Pipilotti Rists exhibition, I decided to be optimistic, and contact the Hauser and Wirth gallery to see if they could pass on some questions to her on my behalf. I also contacted other people to broaden my chances of responses.

[lydiaismyname]

Whitechapel Exhibition - Adventures of the Black Square

I hadn't previously been to Whitechapel Gallery before but I wanted to see this exhibition as it discusses Abstract Art and Society from 1915-2015, 100 years of exploring its evolution. I have always liked Abstract Art because I find it to be a better side to art that is fun, experimental and meaningful.

[lydiaismyname]

Artist Tutorial - Graham Hudson

Today, I was working on my drawing unit artwork and starting to think about outcomes as we have to produce 5 in total.

Graham was interested in the original water bottle photocopy that I did a few weeks ago as it produced a ghostly appearance. He felt that it has an ephemeral affect. (Ephemeral means lasting for a very short time) The work I had done after the bottle was trying to remove its identity and abstract it. Graham thought that it wasn't always necessary to abstract when the photocopy was visually appealing in its simplicity.

I also wanted to ask him what his thoughts were about audience interaction and the value of others thoughts on your work. The illustration he used, which I quite liked, was that you have a vast field, and you plant seeds of ideas and artwork that begins to grow. We are in control of their food and how much attention we give them. However, we cannot control the weather. Wind will come and affect the field but you have to embrace the fact that we cannot control everything but instead to embrace it. Everyone's interpretation of your work is correct. Their pre-existing knowledge would be different to mine so their version is correct for them and therefore valid. 

He also focused on the point of the idea should dominate the art, image or process. So far I have been leading with process. Now I must think about:

From the images produced, what do I associate them with?

Are there any artists who produce work which is aesthetically similar? And if so, what were their influences and ideas?

Will scale make a difference to an idea?

Thinking about sequences, do they even have to make sense?

[lydiaismyname]

Exhibition #3

Lydia Karwal, “This is Language.” (2015) Found footage video and audio (3 min 37 secs), projector with clear perspex box on plinth.

[lydiaismyname]

Curating for Exhibition #3

I had some initial drawings of placement that I was planning to try out once I was in the space (in sketchbook). I wanted to project onto the walls but considering scale, other people’s work around me as well as power sources proved to be challenging.

This last photo is the set upon the day before. As you can see, there are two other piece of artwork next to mine. They are both wood based so my plinth isn’t out of place. To add, neither piece negatively juxtapose my artwork and they are a good contrast for the video and audio.

[lydiaismyname]

Context and Concepts for Exhibition #3

3 main artists/artworks inspired me for the outcome.

- Pipilotti Rist Exhibition that I went to at Hauser and Wirth Gallery on Savile Row , Worry Will Vanish

- Claude Health's Ben Nevis, 2003

- Richard Serra's Boomerang