'Memorial Project Nha Trang, Vietnam'(2001)

'Memorial Project Nha Trang, Vietnam'(2001)

'Memorial Project Nha Trang, Vietnam- 'Towards the Complex-For the Courageous, the Curious and the Cowards', (2001) is a video project by Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba.

Research this project to identify the ideas behind the work. Can you connect some of the concepts and ideas from the renaissance, Enlightenment or Modernism with the work. Discuss your answer.

Discuss how do you think the title of the work reflects

the artists' intentions?

The idea of using cyclos under the water because Hatsushiba has been looking at cyclos and their drivers since I arrived in Vietnam back in 1994. Cyclo is such a traditional transport that back in the old time, however the cities expand and develop, fewer streets will allow cyclos. As modern means of transportation, such as taxis, become more popular with modern business, cyclos become less and less in demand. In the near future, we may see them only as tourist attractions. Hatsushiba remodeled cyclo and its function has the same way as traditional cyclos, he was trying to revitalize the design by accenting some areas like the front section. He also used more curves to make the cyclos sportier. Also, with one of the new cyclos, he used stainless steel bars for the frame.

Hatsushiba used video to present his art work because he thinks it is a interesting and more memorial way to remind people that in today's society not many people value the old. People chasing new and fashion .Colonial houses are destroyed for new multi-story apartment buildings. Even old trees are cut to broaden streets. He thinks cyclos are still refurbished if anyone needs them fixed; however, this happens less and less.

This work really bring view lots of thought about modernism. Technology is developing still, things like computers, cameras, cellphones always updated so fast, it is so fast that we don't have enough time to follow, not everyone can afford to use the newest product. Hatsushiba used a Sony single CCD miniDV video camera with an underwater camera housing which he purchased a year ago. He mention that the quality of equipment that he uses has improved since the first video. The second and third videos were shot with similar cameras to the first. For the fourth video, he upgraded to a 3CCD camera. The recent video in Laos was shot with a Sony HD (but not yet full HD). Technology keeps moving forward and sometimes it can get in the way. This is also a symbol related to the idea of enlightenment. People always need to test on new things to create more. As you can see these people in the video are walking really slow with cyclo, the speed is opposite to the speed that technology is developing today.I think I feel a spiritual connection to many things beyond my work. He was getting goose bumps looking down at the bottom of the ocean where he had placed the mosquito nets. He interprets goose bumps as an interaction with the supernatural.

reference:

http://www.nyartbeat.com/nyablog/2008/07/for-the-courageous-the-curious-and-the-cowards/

http://www.asiasociety.org/arts-culture/asia-society-museum/past-exhibitions/vietnam-memorial-work-jun-nguyen-hatsushiba

http://www.lehmannmaupin.com/#/artists/jun-nguyen-hatsushiba/

Industrialisation and Art- week 7

Impression Sunrise' (1873)

1.Define the Industrial Revolution and Industrialism.

Industrial Revolution is the complex of radical socioeconomic changes, such as the ones that took place in England in the late 18th century, that are brought about when extensive mechanization of production systems results in a shift from home-based hand manufacturing to large-scale factory production.

Industrialism is an economic and social system based on the development of large-scale industries and marked by the production of large quantities of inexpensive manufactured goods and the concentration of employment in urban factories.

2.Research Monet's painting 'Impression Sunrise'(1873) to analyze the work in relation to Industrialisation.

This painting depicting a Le Havre landscape. It hung in the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874 and is now displayed in the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris. From the painting's title, art critic Louis Leroy coined the term "Impressionism", which he intended as disparagement but which the Impressionists appropriated for themselves.

The sun is set against the dawn, the orange color against the gray and the vibrant force of the sun against its motionless surroundings. To many spectators, the sun undulates or pulsates slightly. The sun is nearly the same luminance as the grayish clouds.This lack of contrast explains the painting’s eerie quality. The painting creats a mixture colour feeling that all the objects in this painting are sticking and mixing together. if we think about the Franco-Prussian War (19 July 1870). I think Monet was trying to use this painting to show how the environment looked like during that period of time, the war brought pollution, also means large amount of weapons were produced. Imperfect is what we can see from this painting.

3.Olafur Eliasson's 'Weather Project'(2006) is a contemporary work that relates to Monet's

famous landscape. Research the project to identitify the artist's intentions, as well as the site (space or venue) chosen for the project, to provide depth for your answer.

Eliasson used humidifiers to create a fine mist in the air via a mixture of sugar and water, as well as a semi-circular disc made up of hundreds of monochromatic lamps which radiated single frequency yellow light. This is a new way to present art piece compare to Monet's painting. Because Eliasson used scientific way to create an amazing result which creating a real feeling of a sun, a sun so close to us, making me feel like we are in the space right beside to the sun. Monet and Eliasson both use their own techniques to show how industralisation is affecting the world around during the period of time that they are living in. Compare the Weather Project to Impression Sunrise, modern art looks more alive and creative.The ceiling of the hall was covered with a huge mirror, in which visitors could see themselves as tiny black shadows against a mass of orange light. Many visitors responded to this exhibition by lying on their backs and waving their hands and legs. If we look at the reflection from the mirror, i can imagine how do people look like on the earth from the satellite.

'Weather Project' (2006)

Olafur Eliasson

reference:

http://economics.about.com/cs/economicsglossary/g/industry.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet,_Impression,_soleil_levant,_1872.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Weather+Project&aq=f

Science and Progress-Tony Oursler- week 5

Science and Progress-Tony Oursler- week 5

New York 1996 pic1
'Eyes' 1996
pic2
pic3

Research Tony Oursler's projection sculpture to identify some of the ideas and methods he uses in his work.
How do you think the Enlightenment concepts of Science, progress, reason, individualism, empiricism, universalism, freedom and secularism can be applied to Oursler's work?

Instead of producing two-dimensional works onto a screen or a surface, Tony relocated projected or screened images onto three-dimensional objects, such as glass case (picture 1), spheres (picture 2), abstract sculpture shapes (picture 3), mannequins, and dummies. Science can be seen strongly through his works, biomorphic forms in varying configurations and sizes. Tony’s work highlight the key of expanding all human knowledge. From the works ‘eyes’ (1996), we can tell that Tony have experienced lots of methods in scientific way to produce such freaky but amazing results of eyes. The ‘eyes’ combine with natural and social world, eyes are the symbol of door of soul of human, it is part of human’s sense organs, Tony use technology to combine eyes to attempt a WOW to the viewers. Everyone has different feelings about things around themselves, and different people can see one objects in different ways, and have different comments and feelings, some people think the works are disgusting, some people think it is amazing or freaky, maybe this is what Tony wants to approach, to approve individualism this society has, one product can create a large number of individual actions and thoughts.

Fragmented eyes look like bizarre alien but still maintain enough human characteristics to create freakish, empathy and amazing fascination. The projection is bright and vivid but are viewed in normal light, look very sick, terrifying and horrific, tap a disorienting complex of psychological and perceptual quirks.

Bulbous blinking and rolling with outsized mouth pursing, while mumbling in a very sentimental way, sounds like self-pity and seductive to attract the viewer.

Secularism is also what I can see from Tony’s work. ‘Eyes’ are the works which opposite to traditional artworks, instead of present beauty and elegance, Tony used mawkish to emphasize the experiemce and performance of ‘presence’ is the way that he wants to show his work, he displaced ‘authority’ of classical presence. His work is about expression, performance and how technical support can bring his work more thoughts and feelings to the viewer, in Nick Kaye’s essay states “By contrast, Oursler’s hybrid objects are designed to prompt processes of emphathy and catharsis, frequently taking their effect in the viewer’s recongnition of and identification with a ‘media entiry’ whose perceived ‘presence’ may challenge the integrity and stability of the onlooker’s position.”

reference:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tony+Oursler&aq=f

http://csw.art.pl/new/99/ousler_e.html

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

Week 3 - Fiona Hall's work and Mercantillism

Week 3- Fiona Hall's work and Mercantillism

' Leaf Litter' (1999-2003)








'Tender' (2003-05)

Fiona Hall'scontemporary work relates to the Renaissance concept of Mercntillism.

Define mercantillism and explain how it has developed since the Renaissance.
About 1450, Renaissance appeared in Europe means ‘rebirth’, this is the beginning of the modern history. The modern history starts means to explore new lands. This is the new age in Europe. Italian cities traded with the Arabs, this was the ideas of exchanged along with goods started.Instead of religious topics in the paintings, realistic became more important. Realistic means more art works were asked to be done by members from rich families during early renaissance, art works showed nature and depicting feelings of people. Realistic is very important link between Renaissance and Mercantillism. Mercantilism defined as ‘The theory and system of political economy prevailing in Europe after the decline of feudalism, based on national policies of accumulating bullion, establishing colonies and a merchant marine, and developing industry and mining to attain a favorable balance of trade.’ (www.answers.com)

Describe the shape, form and materials of the work and explain the ideas behind each example.

Money is a tool of exchange things, a sign to show how its economy is powerful of a country. But does that mean richer only can bring better life to us? This question can be seen in Finoa’s two works. Both work used paper currency as the main material. In Leaf litter (1990-2003), in this painting we can see leaves formed as a Christmas tree as life-size, these leaves portrait over banknotes which from the leaf’s country of origin. Pollution by human is so serious at this stage, human use materials from nature to produce different goods, for example paper is produced from trees, but can paper turn back to trees after we using? Of course the answer is no, doesn’t matter how much money we spen, paper can’t turn back to trees. Life-size leaves over the 183 banknotes highlight that money can’t buy anything, money can’t buy nature back after human destroy it. In the work Tender (2003-05), different shapes of birds’ nests are made from shredded US dollar bills. This work tells story about how the modern life effects on the habitat of different species on this planet, like birds. These different shapes of the nests symbolized different living areas, just like we can see many different styles of houses and buildings are around us in different places. Architecture gets higher and higher. There are thousands of kinds of birds on this planet, but century after century, our earth is developed so fast that people ignore about the order of the nature, instead, human start to cut trees, building roads etc, these destroy wild animal’s lifestyle, so they start to move to another place or become extinct. To protect our natural environment is more important than making stronger economy system in today’s life.

reference

http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/fionahall/

http://www.dbmagazine.com.au/363/viz-FionaHall.shtml

http://www.artreview.com.au/art/profiles/artists/buzz-review-fiona-hall.aspx