Author: Chloe

Week 3

The task for today (tuesday) was to download and familiarise ourselves with Meshmixer. After watching the tutorial, I gave it a go!

I found it very hard, to begin with, but the video was very helpful in clarifying what all the toggles mean and do, and I found myself having a bit of fun making my assemblage. After I finished making my assemblage, I downloaded 15 objects from the links in the task handout. These are the objects I downloaded, I tried to think about what I could do with these objects when using them and how some of them could work together. For the task tomorrow, I am confident I will be able to make an interesting assemblage with the objects I have accumulated.

These are all my objects! I’m excited to see what I can do with them :).

Verisimilitude

For our 5 day break from classes, we were instructed to make 3-5 sculptures in response to the previous assemblages we made last week. I have been having a lot of trouble gaining inspiration from my sculptures because I find it hard to make an artwork with no visual intent. To help myself, I identified the features I liked about my previous sculptures, whether it is scale, material use, silhouette, shape, colour, etc. I managed to come up with three works that I could see further development from.

Insect Sculpture

After completing my artist model research, I could not get Louise Bourgeois Maman sculpture out of my head. For reference, the sculpture is a spider protecting its eggs. I really enjoyed looking at the use of metal and how the material created a unique aesthetic in terms or light reflection and also strength. The sculpture was very thin and looks as though it is weak, but due to the material, it is quite the opposite. Looking at my material use and also my site preference, I decided I would also construct an insect but using the materials I have previously worked with, and intending for it to be in the same site that I have worked with. I liked the interactions that my metal and mandarins had in my previous assemblage. It is very easy to pierce the mandarins with the metal, and the malleable capabilities of metal pose many opportunities I could take in use of it.

I like this assemblage because I think it is a very nice mix between hard and soft materials, durable and breakable materials. I think that there is an opportunity to extend this idea. I like the thought of creating spiderwebs, using yarn, on the trees that I did my yarn site intervention on and then continuing to create a spider or other insects using sire and other objects.

My next work is also in response to my mandarin, wire spring, and break assemblage. I like the visual impact that the springs have when made in bulk. Especially when adorned with objects connected to the site, it is an interesting work. I enjoyed working with moss during my site interventions and I thought that the spongy surface would be perfect to twist the springs into. I adorned the springs with dead flowers because they are all around my backyard from the trees. I thought this would be a nice follow-on from the mandarin because my choice is more catered to the site of which I have installed my assemblage.

My third assemblage is a combined response to the photoshop assemblage and my vase assemblage. I liked the multiple tiers of the vase work and I wanted to incorporate that into my next assemblage. I also liked how my photoshop assemblage sculpture challenges the physics of gravity and how if the sculpture were real, it would be very difficult to stand. I wanted to create a sculpture that has a similar tier composition while also challenging the impact of gravity. I chose to work with dead flowers because they are very light. To create the base, I sewed together flower cups I found. I then went on to melt candles so that the multiple flowers would be able to stick together, and it could also create a solid platform. I wanted to utilize the lightness of the flowers to create a work that looked as though it was about to fall over. This was the outcome.

I am most excited about my insect assemblage because I think that there are lots of avenues I could take. I understand that I am supposed to be working abstract, perhaps more abstract to the point where you cant identify the object in relation to something else, but I think that I work better with a subject matter in mind. I do wish I was able to put more time into these works but it is all a work in progress. I am interested to see what’s on the table for this week 🙂

Niel Dawson

Born in Christchurch in 1948, kiwi artist Neil Dawson studied at Canterbury University School of Fine Arts, Christchurch, and the Victorian College of the Arts, in Melbourne. Dawson’s artistic practice has focused on the large scale, site-specific, construction of sculptures in not only New Zealand, but also Asia and the United Kingdom. 

He is most well known for his suspended sculptures which include his work Globe, which was installed for the Magiciens de la Terre at the Pompidou Centre, Paris in 1989. His portfolio as a sculpture artist also includes sculpture commissions from the Bomber Command war memorial in Canberra, Australia, Wellington’s Civic Square Stadium, Auctralia for the 2000 Olympic Games, and also Cathedral Square in Christchurch. Dawson went on to receive a Laureate Award from the New Zealand Arts Foundation in 2003.

Gibbs Farm holds one of Dawsons most ambitious works in his career. It is a massive piece of land which holds some of the largest sculpture works ever made. The highlight of ones experience when going to Gibbs farm however, is most commonly noted to be Neil Dawsons work, Horizons. This artwork reaches the height of a four story building, spanning a great length of 118 feet. Made using welded and painted steel, this art piece is home to the top of a hill, introducing a cartoon-like outline of what could be described as tissue or paper on the horizon line of Kaipara Harbour – hence the name Horizon. It was one of the first pieces commissioned by and for Gibbs Farm.

Niel Dawsons work, Horizons, presents an optical illusion for the viewers. What could first be considered as a three dimensional work, is actually a flat work utilising perspective, and the natural movement and linear structure found in paper or tissue. His steel sheets which cover carefully chosen areas of the sculpture, give the effect that there is a foreground and a background, but really there is only a middleground. What makes the illusion even more promising, are the gridded holes along the steel panes. The holes allow light and colour to show through the panes while maintaing the sense of shadow that is most important when describing a 3D form.

Niel Dawson shows a considerable amount of attention to detail in his seemingly simple artworks. ANother sculpture, made for the Cathedral Square in Christchurch is another example of his attention to detail and its impact on light and shadow. This sculpture was commissioned by the Canterbury Association to honour the 150th anniversary of Christchurch and Canterbury. This sculpture, was made using steel and aluminium, steel for the inner hexagonal structure which was painted blue, and aluminium for the outer cone shape, painted silver. Depicted in the outer aluminium cone, made using computer routed shapes, are native leaves such as mapou, kowhai, mahoe, totara, karamu, titoki, ngaio, maratata and koromiko. These leaf shapes reflect the geometric Cathedral architecture, windows and tiles. The leaves, following the sculpture up, become more detailed and less dense as you near the highest point of the sculpture. At night, a floodlight situated at the base of the cone, is turned on to cast shadows of the leaves along the pavement, creating a splash of light and shadow.

Niel Dawson creates sculptures that are both beautiful, and also visually impactful. From his large scale sculptures, to his sculptures attributing light and shadow, he works to produce art which cast illusions on your vision while also broadening the creative possibilities of sculpture. His work most often interacts with its surroundings, elevating them and including them in his art. He works to combine the mundane with excitement and introduces new contexts into sites. Dawson has the ability to turn a simple artwork into a breathtaking sculpture through his consideration of scale, materials, light, and location.

Web Links

https://thecentral.co.nz/artists/neil-dawson/overview/

https://www.gibbsfarm.org.nz/dawson.php

https://ccc.govt.nz/culture-and-community/heritage/heritage-in-the-city/chalice

https://thecentral.co.nz/news/120/

https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/neil-dawsons-horizons-on-gibbs-farm

Michael Parekōwhai

Michael Parekōwhai is said to be one of the most important contemporary artists in New Zealand today. He is a sculpture artist who depicts artworks which evoke ideas of camaraderie, tools for teaching and child development, as well as quotes from contemporary art history and popular culture. While his work is often characterized as emphasizing the extraordinary in the ordinary, each body of work has layers of meaning and significance –  it can be interpreted in many different ways. The place of Māori knowledge is where the artist’s practice pivots and finds its distinction. His work is most often influenced by his Maori ethnicity, it can be most notable in his work, He Korero Purakau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu: story of a New Zealand river.

This work overall took 10 years to create. An original Steinway piano, made with brass, added timber, cast and flat bar steel, resin, ivory, ebony, mother of pearl, paua and lacquer, with additional maori carvings adorning the entire surface area of the piano. This artwork was made alongside 9 other works – all pianos as well – and was played on the opening day of the exhibition. This artwork is a beautiful representation of the artworks Michael Parekōwhai creates when combining the culture he comes from, and the western impact that colonisation has had on it.

I enjoy the way that Michael has great consideration of the materials, and the visual impact they have when combined with his personal connection and knowledge of Maori culture. His artworks have great consideration of context, and his communication of these conversations is further extended when placed in contexts of cultural significance like his work, The World Turns contains.

The bronze sculpture by Michael Parekowhai is a life-size Indian elephant seemingly standing on its head while its feet are affixed to a rock. It is easily missed, but nearby is a life-sized, Australian, Native Water Rat grooming its bronze fur. The work is located on the South Bank of the Brisbane River outside the Art Gallery. 

“The World Turns” was commissioned by the Queensland Government in 2011. We are told on the plaque that the Native Rat is a hero who was a traditional keeper, along with the Native people, of the mangroves at Kurilpa Point, where the Gallery is located. Initially, this seems to give the work some geographic significance. By the end of this story, the Rat tells us that despite shifting the world, represented by the Elephant and rock, off its axis, he goes about his business as usual. The scene is further disturbed by the presence of an empty chair at the edge of the green. Here lies the place of the viewer, the third party who complicates binary views of the world. Through their senses and thinking, they serve as a witness to the relationship, and by doing so make the relationship public. Although the world may turn, the dynamics of our interactions and how we interact with the world also do. In a public space, we draw meanings from our experiences, and our judgement of others’ actions shifts with time and discussion.  

The work was made to bring to attention that history is often recorded to highlight specific moments, but there are many other stories that are also vital to our understanding of history. In addition to its involvement in dialogues related to the important historical and cultural history of the site where the cultural precinct now stands, the piece is undoubtedly impressive.

I enjoy Michael Parekowhai’s consideration of context when making his artworks. His use of symbolism is very thought provoking and allows for multiple interpretations – with all of them being correct in one way or another. I enjoy his use of composition and the implications that it has on the work. One thing that stood out to me about his sculpture The World Turns, is the contrast in scale between the elephant and the rat further communicating symbolism about history. The rat is easily missed, and in consideration of the storyline, it speaks quite vocally about the injustice that happens – especially in colonisation – and the way that history is manipulated through white lies. The rat, representing the true story, and the elephant obscurring the view of the rat and in turn the truth.

https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/1236595

https://www.thearts.co.nz/artists/michael-parek%C5%8Dwhai

https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/explore-art-and-ideas/artwork/31258/te-ao-hurihuri-left

The World Turns: A warm, witty outdoor sculpture

Michael Parekōwhai

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois, a french-American artist, was primarily a sculpture artist, who created works that explored topics such as memory, sex, and trauma. Her large portfolio of work includes artworks made through printmaking, painting, and most commonly, sculpture. With an oeuvre spanning more than sixty years, Bourgeois explored the depths of human emotion more deeply and passionately than perhaps any other artist of the era. One of her most well-known sculptures, which upon succession then turned into a series, was that of the Spider, made in 1994.

Maman is inspired by Louise Bourgeois’ own mother. Her mother’s appearance as a spider, who protects her eggs in steel cages, is both beautiful and terrifying, yet also poignant due to her improbably built extended legs. This depiction stems from the home environment that Bourgeois lived in. Her teacher, who was also her father’s mistress, lived with Louise and her family, her mother living complacently with the dynamic.

Bourgeois once explained that she chose the spider as a subject because its traits reminded her of her mother. “She was deliberate, clever, patient, soothing, reasonable, dainty, subtle, indispensable, neat, and as useful as a spider,” the artist said. Made using bronze and plaster, this artwork exemplifies an assemblage that is astounding. She had previously explored arachnid forms in two ink and charcoal drawings from 1947, but this sculptural series would take those ideas to a monumental scale.

In the final decade of her life, before she passed in 2010, Louise Bourgeois created multiple renditions of this work which were placed in many locations around the world. This includes places such as Switzerland, the USA in; Arkansas, Iowa, and Kansas City, and California, Japan in Tokyo, South Korea in Samsung Museum of Art, Spain in the Guggenheim, Russia in Saint Petersburg Hermitage Museum, and finally, London in the Tate Modern.

A sculpture 30 feet high, and the most ambitious work Bourgeois attempted. This artwork exhibited the momentous scale that you can incorporate into your work and the impact that these choices make. Through the consideration of scale, Louise Bourgeous has created nearly a dozen sculptures that leave viewers in awe of the sheer size. In my work with photoshop and consideration of scale, I am interested in creating a sculpture which I can then, using photoshop, expand the scale to create an intervention on a big scale.

Web Links

https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bourgeois-louise/life-and-legacy/

https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bourgeois-louise/artworks/

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bourgeois-spider-al00354#:~:text=Summary-,Summary,born%20American%20artist%20Louise%20Bourgeois.

https://publicdelivery.org/louise-bourgeois-spider-maman/

Maman

On Tuesday our task for the following afternoon was to create 5-10 assemblages of objects that we find. I started this brief very motivated and interested to see where my assemblages would take me, but that motivation waned quite quickly and I found myself on Tuesday night having not completed this task. The first assemblage I made on Tuesday was definitely built on the ascension of my motivation.

Starting off, I made a sculpture using an armchair, a broom, and mop, books, board games, and also a step stool. I started my assemblages inside because it was raining and I could not go outside. I was also interested to see what I could find in the flat to make an assemblage.

I approached this sculpture by challenging myself to use whatever objects I either first thought of, or saw in front of me. The product of this challenge was, I think, quite successful although it does not have a direct influence from my previous site interventions.

My following sculpture was half for an interesting, simplistic approach, and also just want to try it out. The outcome of this sculpture is not the direction I think I will take because I want to challenge myself. But I think that having something simple such as this is important to have an understanding that a sculpture does not have to be busy to be successful.

It was at this time where I lost my motivation to do my work. I’m wasn’t sure why I did, I tried to continue but I was really not enjoying myself. And so I continued my day mulling over what I could do for my next sculptures whilst I tried to complete other work for my class. It wasn’t until Wednesday, today, that I managed to pick up where I left off and continue making sculptures.

My next sculpture used lots of towels and blankets as well as chairs and a stepping stool. I wanted the chairs and the stepping stool to be the connecting joints of the sculpture so that I could place the materials on top of the structure. I placed the backs on both chairs inside the stepping stool and allowed the stepping stool to balance between both sides. The intention for this work was to make the towels look like a mountain of colour. I think I achieved this as much as I could have, other than buying more towels and blankets to complete this.

The next sculpture, I made using photoshop. The brief spoke a lot about the assemblage of objects and the consideration of what type of assemblage you can use to make these sculptures. Photoshop is similar to that of rope, or glue that you could use to attach objects to one another, except it is digital. I wanted to approach this sculpture with the intention to use photoshop obviously. I did not want my sculpture to follow that of the rules of gravity, or the idea of perspective, or the rationality of scale. I quite like this sculpture, I am interested to see what else I could create using photoshop, working with one theme, such as nature, for example, to create a sculpture could be very interesting.

Continuing on from my sculptures, working with photoshop, and changing the scales of the objects, made me realize that maybe the struggle I had recently with my assemblages could have been my lack of consideration for scale. I had an idea in my mind that I needed to do something big to make an assemblage, but I realized that I did not.

And so, following on from this realization, I continued on to make two more sculptures that were small instead of large.

I liked the idea of using objects to make a bouquet of random things once I had found my starting object which was my paint tube bowl. I found that by removing a couple of the paint tubes, I would be able to place something in them. I found a vase that went with my intent quite well and then proceeded to add on some washy tapes that were at my disposal to bring in some more colour. For my final touch, I inserted some shells into the gaps of my paint tubes.

For my final sculpture, I wanted to use wire to be my attachment device for my objects. I had been considering using my metal wire for my previous sculptures but because I felt I had to do large scale, I felt that the metal would be wasted. Using the metal, I twisted it into spring-like cones and pierced them into mandarin pieces. I then proceeded to twist them into the end piece of my bread loaf. I am really not sure how I managed to create a sculpture as odd as this, but I am quite happy with how it turned out (?). I think that the consideration of materials, and what objects would be able to work for a sculpture such as this, led me to mandarins and bread. I find this sculpture to be interesting and poses possible avenues that I can follow.

I found this task to be difficult to start, but enjoyable to do once I got into it. I definitely think that I have accumulated a group of sculptures that have opportunities for further development and I am very interested to see where this takes me. I have a few ideas that I think I will try tomorrow :).

On Thursday, we were instructed to spend the next 5 days contemplating our backyards and creating interventions in our site. I found this task to be difficult because it is very different from the previous art-making that I have attempted. I also had to keep in mind that my backyard is also the backyard of the four other flats conjoined with ours. For my task this weekend I have had to attempt to make sculptures that were easy to remove and did not create any long-lasting impacts that may annoy my neighbors.

For this task, I decided to make a series of multiple small interventions that could be completed without much disruption. To begin, I went out to the backyard and sat in it for a few minutes to analyze what elements I could influence and what I could change or add to the site. Once I had planned the first site intervention, I began making my sculpture.

Site Intervention One

For my first site intervention, I was thinking a lot about the cement slab and how it is very overgrown. It had obviously not been cleaned for quite a while. And so, I realized that cleaning would be my first site intervention. If I were allowed to, I would have attempted to water blast the concrete clean, but I did not have the tools and I would not have had permission. Once I cleaned the space using a broom, I decided that photographing the broom would not have been interesting enough. And so with that, I decided to use the vacuum cleaner instead. I thought that it would be interesting as the vacuum is meant for cleaning inside, but in this photograph, it is a domestic appliance on a forgotten cement slab, one that could have once been the ground of a shed or room.

Site Intervention Two

I ended up going back inside after my first site intervention because I was quite dirty from all the mud. While I was inside I began looking at the objects in my flat to see what I could use in my sculpture. I decided that the small zebra armchair that my flatmates own would be an interesting intervention to make because it is an animal print on a domestic item. The idea is that the print is something that should blend in but a) it is a chair and therefore could not blend in, and b) the print is typically known to be seen in the ‘wild’, and here it is in my backyard, in New Zealand. I found it to be a more amusing site intervention. With this idea in mind, I photographed the chair in a series of angles, amongst the trees as if attempting to blend in but boldly failing.

Interlude

Before I did more of my site interventions, I went over the task brief again and looked at the artist models. I felt I needed to refamiliarise myself with the artist models and their approach to site intervention sculpture, as well as reconsider the tips given on the handout When I did this, I found myself coming up with more site interventions than needed. I decided to follow through with all of them because I felt it would help me understand site interventions more. Once I felt I had more than enough plans, I decided to go forth and complete my attempts.

Site Intervention Three

For this site intervention, I decided to attempt to wrap one of the trees in the backyard with yarn. I wanted to do this because whilst I was looking at the photo examples, I noticed that they looked quite similar to when people wrap yarn around the trees. The yarn stands out a lot, and not only this, but it highlights the shape and silhouette of the tree. It creates an interesting concept when you highlight something which should naturally blend in. It separates the tree from its surroundings. I like that the yarn is a bright color against the tree and that the yarn has a material base that derives from nature.

Site Intervention Four

My next site intervention was inspired by the first site intervention that I attempted. Whilst I was cleaning the cement, I found myself looking at the moss quite a bit, and I decided that I wanted to use the moss for one of my site interventions. And so, when I went back to the task hand-out and looked at the artist model photo examples, I found that I liked Iris Bechtol 1122 Elmdale Pl. Dallassculpture that had circles of mud on the pavement. I found the stark contrast very striking and I realized that with the cement underneath, I would be able to create an inverted type of work inspired by this sculpture. I wanted to include the cutouts of the moss in the photographs but the moss fell apart. I like this piece a lot because I find it intriguing how interrupted the environment seems to look.

Reflection

I enjoyed doing the site interventions because it was really nice spending some time outside and being productive while doing it. I found this introduction into outdoor sculpture to be very creatively testing but also achievable at the same time. I enjoyed the combination of familiarity with the space, but the unfamiliarity of the task. I found this site sculpture very contemporary, it allows for all sorts of interpretations and wide boundaries. Upon reflection with my site interventions, I wish I planned site interventions on a bigger scale. I also would have preferred to have more yarn for the tree so that it looked like a more complete sculpture. I enjoyed my use of the zebra chair and the humor that I received from this intervention, I would like to have had more time to consider how I could use the zebra chair in settings such as my backyard.

Lockdown

Today our task was to analyze a space in reference to its impact on our body. We were instructed to ask questions about the space. What textures are there? is the space small or large? what is the purpose of the space? etc. Once these instructions had been carried out, we then are expected to make interventions with the space. Thinking about how we can affect the space in relation to our bodies, we were instructed to explore how we can change the space and how these changes affect the ways our bodies function in space.

15 minute analysis of the space – The Hallway Cleaning Cupboard

The hallway cupboard is used to store some of our bigger cleaning products. It has only one entrance – the door from the hallway.

The cupboard is tall and narrow. It is taller than me and only a little wider than me. It has space in the depth but no shelves to utilize it. There are cleaning objects on the ground. A vacuum cleaner, a bucket with a sponge in it, there is a mop, an iron, and some extra vacuum bags.

2/3rds of the way to the top of the cupboard, there are some thick wooden boards lining the three walls creating the space. On the ceiling of the cupboard, there is a removable panel leading to the attic. The lino on the floor of the hallway enters and covers the floor in the cupboard. The paint looks dark, but this is because of the lack of lighting – there is no lightbulb in the cupboard. The paint is the same color as the rest of the walls in the flat.

The cupboard is taller than I anticipated. It is slightly taller than the ceiling of the hallway. The door used to shut away the space has paneling, allowing small amounts of light into the space from the hallway. The doorframe is shorter than the ceiling on the inside of the room. The doorframe has been painted white, as has the door, the inside is a warm painted grey.

I just noticed that there is a clip mechanism on the top of the left panel of the doorframe. On the door in the same spot, there is what looks like an extension to the clip. This is used to keep the door closed when the space is not in use.

This space is small and cramped. It is the most unutilized space in the flat and allows for only a little amount of storage. If there were shelves, the space would have a lot more use. When retrieving the items, it is difficult to move. You can only stand partially in the space when the objects are in it. There is no room to stretch, to walk around, to lie down in the space. If there were no objects in the space, you could sit, or you could stand.

Space Interventions 1

My first space intervention is to remove all of the objects currently in the space. When doing this, I am able to move more freely in the cupboard. Without the obstacles of the cleaning products, there is more foot space to stand and turn around. I can sit down and if I try, curl into a ball, and lie down. My body has more ability to move.

Space intervention 2

I have made the space more comfortable. Taking away the hardness of the floor I am able to comfortably sit down in this space. The height from the ceiling when sitting down is vastly tall, it is more noticeable. I can put my hands up, I can stand, I can jump. When I try to cross my legs, I can not sit comfortably because the walls are too narrow. The pillows did help me feel more comfortable when sitting down though. The space still feels confined, however, it is dark. The shadows take up much of the space, creating an illusion that it is smaller than its actual size.

Intervention 3

For my third space intervention I wanted to see if I could fit in the cupboard with all of the original objects as well as the pillows I added. I was very squiched but the pillows made it more comfortable. The vacuum cleaner was by far the most difficult object to fit in the cupboard with me.

Its interesting to examine how your body interacts with a space. More often than not its a natural response for your body to move in a space according to the size. When testing the limits, you can find yourself in very interesting positions and in my case, become in need of help to get out of it. This space was very small, and I had not attempted to explore the limits of the space when interacting with my body and my mobility. It would be interesting to create a space that is really big but hard to move around in, it could create a juxtaposition in terms of size and surface area, and the mobility abilities of your body in response.

Artist Model Research

Tracey Emin is an English multi-media artist who had a troubled childhood. Through experiencing breakdowns in her family, horrific events in her childhood, and the raw obstacles life gave her, she made art. Utilizing these unhappy moments, Tracey Emin is an artist who feeds off of these negative experiences and turns them into expressive, honest artworks. These types of works that Tracey Emin creates are often referred to as ‘confessional work’, something of which is honest and true to the subject of intent.

Her sculpture work is often commented on as a self-portrait. Unlike the classical making of a self-portrait, Ermin allows her personal space and emotions to draw up an exhibit that tells a story and takes the audience through her experiences. They give a visual definition of who she is during these times. Her artwork “My Bed” is an exhibition she formed from her breakup with her significant other. Depicting Tracey Ermin’s own bedroom during this experience, “My Bed” is an exhibition that brings an intimate setting out into the public eye. In a moment in time where society was becoming more progressive with the expression of raw storytelling and cinematic narratives, this exhibit quickly became well-known, and therefore elevated her artistic career.

Ermin exhibited this work at the 1999 Turners Prize exhibition, and although she had lost the prize to a fellow artist, her exhibit continued to elevate her popularity as an artist. Her autobiographical details shown in her work “provocatively contributed to feminist discourse with the raw, confessional nature of her art.” Through her depiction of period-stained underwear, empty vodka bottles, unwashed sheets, and more of the like, Ermin has shown that she is an artist who values self-expression and challenges the very definition of what prestigious art is, and how it can be depicted.

Tracy Emin is an artist who bends the rules of art to allow room for true self-expression. Her interpretation of what art is, and how you can express yourself especially in terms of sculpture helps to expose a feeling of raw truth and breaks down the boundaries of what I believe is ‘sculpture’. The exploration she carries out in terms of the context where an extremely expressive and personal experience such as “My Bed” is shown, allows for an insight into a truly artistic sculptural experience. Her grasp as to what is sculpture, and her ability to redefine and contribute to the progressively expanding perspectives of art, allows her audiences to approach sculpture in a different definition. One that does not have to be created in a studio, but rather in the comfort of your own home.

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-tracey-emins-my-bed-ignored-societys-expectations-women

http://www.artnet.com/artists/tracey-emin/

The Empty Bed: Tracey Emin and the Persistent Self

Day 1 Task.

Today is the first day of the new sculpture brief! During our introduction this morning, James showed us an artist named Erwin Wurm. Erwin Wurm is a sculpture artist who focuses on creating sculptures that incorporate people into his work. Playing with the functionality of objects and the different ways you can use them, Wurm explores interactive art.

After our lesson today, the class was instructed to look at Erwin Wurms one minute sculptures on his websites and try to use this artist model as inspiration to make our own sculptures. We were instructed to explore the different ways you can use an object other than its original intent and to take photos of at least 8 different attempts.

Here are some photograph examples of Erwin Wurms One Minute Sculptures.

Below, shows myself interacting with objects around my house in a similar manner to that of Erwin Wurm’s work.

I enjoyed doing the task today because it was a combination of art and humor. It was quite difficult coming up with ideas and objects I could use because I have not attempted to interact with objects in this way before. Eventually, I decided to think about what I do when I’m bored – as it happens a lot in lockdown – and think about how I interact with objects when I am feeling this way. Often when I’m bored I tend to slither around and mess with random objects which are quite similar to Erwin Wurm’s interactive sculptures, and this task. I found myself laughing at lots of the photos and enjoying myself as I went along.