A Critique of "Materiality and Identity: An Art Exhibition by Garth Amundson and Pierre Gour"
On the evening of September 6, 2013, I received the privilege of being able to attend an art exhibition conducted by Garth Amundson and Pierre Gour, two artists who had produced works—both together and separately—over the course of twenty-eight years. Many of the exhibitions produced by these two artists center around a number of pressing concepts, including objective versus subjective sexuality, gender versus title, and internal versus external. Throughout the twenty-eight years of their collaboration, Amundson and Gour have utilized art as an instrument to bring society to the attention of a number of pressing matters that are prominent on various fronts, from the social world to the realm of politics.
Among their many exhibitions, which have been held in various locations across the globe, “Materiality and Identity” would have to be among the most compelling. This art exhibition focused particularly on materials and individuals, and how they can have a tremendous impact upon our lives. Examples of materials that can have an impact on an individual’s life are those found in “Inventory,” a work produced by Amundson and Gour that was a collection of souvenirs gathered over the course of their lives that, according to Amundson, “recorded a journey.” Another work, “Cut-it-Out,” was a work that featured a variety of photographs, both vintage and contemporary, that portrayed figures whose faces were cut out. This work served to show how void and insignificant the lives we lived and actions that we took would be if there was no element of identity to be attributed to our impact upon the world. However, the work of art that caught my attention was one titled “Head(s),” which, according to Amundson and Gour’s official website, garthandpierre.com, is a “by-product of both ‘Cut-it-Out’ and ‘Penetrating Cuts.’” “Head(s)” features a vast amount of cut-out faces that are attached to pins and mounted on a wall. According to Amundson and Gour’s official website, “cut-out male faces” were selected for this piece. When explaining the context of “Head(s),” Amundson and Gour stated that they were essentially “reflecting on our own social construction and the fluidity of masculinity and how it is presented through portraiture"(garthandpierre.com).
When analyzing and evaluating “Head(s),” one may see a variety of male faces of various sizes. These faces are surrounded by even more faces, and, as a whole, the artwork’s form is that of a giant circle. When making a personal critique of this work of art, I notice a number of things. The first thing that I take note of is the varying sizes of the heads, which seem to reflect the magnitude of the role that each male figure plays in society. This, to me, is very parallel to how figures of significance are perceived in reality. Some people, as a result of their achievements and milestones, are more notorious and prominent than others. A second thing that I noticed about “Head(s)” was the many shadows that were cast upon the wall by each individual head that was pinned. To me, these shadows represented the impact that each individual had upon the earth. In our society, every individual has a place in the world, which results in some degree of an impact being made on humanity as a whole, be it great or small. Finally, the third and broadest concept that I took note of was the fact that all of the heads, appeared to be arranged in a circle, very much like a massive globe. I believe that the arrangement of the heads themselves illustrate the concept that we all serve a position in society which affects the world as a whole. Whether we are aware of it or not, the manner in which we live our lives and the decisions that we make contribute to society’s composition. In retrospect, I agree with Amundson and Gour’s perception of portraits being an important aspect of an individual’s status and the position that they play in society. Previous eras indicate that this is particularly the case for men. Now, however, I believe that portraits are one of many ways of portraying the role that all people play in society, be they man or woman. I also find it fitting that Amundson and Gour focus especially on the heads of individuals, as the lives that we lead are a key element of the impact that we ultimately make on the world.