Fig1: Jake and Dinos Chapman, Nein! Eleven, 2013
Ever since I started studying art, I have always been fascinated by the dioramas produced by the artists Jake and Dinos Chapman. After many failed attempts, I recently managed to attend an exhibition displaying their diorama ‘Nein! Eleven?’ [fig1] in the exhibition ‘Age of Terror: Art Since 9/11’. The work consists of two piles of mutilated Nazi’s and bloody skulls as a representation of the atrocities committed in the 9/11 bombings.
Fig2: Won-hui Lee, The Beginning of the End, 2017.
Fig3: Jarhead, The Last Light, 2013.
Personally, I was disappointed by the artwork, as an avid scale modeller and Warhammer player I felt that there was a large lack of attention to detail within the work. This is not present within photographs as they can never truly capture the attention to detail given in similar dioramas. Take for example ‘The Beginning of the End’ [fig2] by Won-hui Lee or ‘The Last Light’ [fig3] by Jarhead in comparison both these dioramas exhibit a far greater level of skill and a better comprehension of composition.
If I had not of seen this work in person I would never have been able to judge with my own eyes the level of detail on each individual model or the true scale of the work, approximately 1:15 scale. I also would not have been able to perceive all sides of the diorama or focus in on certain areas of interest. I feel that this inability to capture the full depth of the work or the emotional impact over a photograph is why it is so important to see work in the flesh.
Bibliography
Jake and Dinos Chapman, Nein! Eleven, 2013. (2013). [image] Available at: http://cdn.jakeanddinoschapman.com/wp-content/uploads/9203-680×453.jpg [Accessed 5 Dec. 2017].
Won-hui Lee, The Beginning of the End, 2017. (2017). [image] Available at: http://imodeler.com/uploads/2017/11/w/won-huilee-171104-59fddfd8f1ce5.jpg [Accessed 5 Dec. 2017].
Jarhead, The Last Light, 2013. (2013). [image] Available at: http://www.puttyandpaint.com/images/uploads/artistworks/3432/09__sized.jpg [Accessed 5 Dec. 2017].