Jason Rhoades- Black Pussy, 2006

An unapologetically noisy, autobiographical, light, spatially aware, conflicting, sensory experience.

I find that my artwork often questions the definition of art, so that -to some- they may question the purpose or narrative of my practice. The word ‘unapologetic’ i find perfectly describes this method of working and enhances my creative ability to be what I see in my head as the definition of my artwork.

The blog has enabled me to learn and accept a multitude of information in many ways; the information that I was required to research were unconventional to me, it allowed me to broaden my understanding of the transformative nature of art. My reflection of the exhibitions that I’ve visited made me truly acknowledge the art, it made me appreciate its craft and reflect upon the significance of context. For instance, upon researching Mark Bradford, I understood that the materials used can have the equal significance as the body of the art, both can be manipulated to create art that immerse and tell a story of its origin. Additionally, my fears of authorship, originality and appropriation was subsided as I gradually began to understand these concepts. I was informed about an artists’ entitlement and the legality of copying someone’s art. This process of self-reflection helped me organise my thoughts and ideas; I am now beginning to embed various exterior ideologies into my art thus intensifying my desire for experimentation.

Jonathan Horowitz, Your Land/My Land (installation view), 2008. Courtesy the artist and Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York. Photo: Thomas Müller

Jonathan Horowitz’s Your Land/My Land: Election ’12 (2012) depicts an epidemic that was and still is worryingly relevant in today’s society. His installation comments on the divide of a nation caused by political parties; he splits the space in half with blue on one side and red on the other thus manipulating the colours of the American flag. The colour divide not only addresses the clash between traditionalists and mavericks, but also refers to America’s cultural divide. This separation is further heightened by the back to back television monitor (located at the centre) which airs broadcasts of Fox News and CNN. Each monitor leans towards endorsing either the Democratic or Republican presidential candidates; whilst the audience observe a monitor, they are forced to face the people supporting the opposing candidate. This composition forces the audience to physically divide thus reflecting upon the dangerous and formidable face of the media’s propaganda. Ironically, the democracy of the nation that stands for freedom and equality is contorted into a form of tyranny that has fractured the nation. This face of politics (to different degrees) has survived since the dawn of civilisation and it continues to repeat itself; the fracture has only widened since the 2016 US election which deemed Donald Trump as the new president. Horowitz’s work is timeless as his art will continue to be relevant for years to come, as declared by Giorgio Agamben: “The contemporary is not only the one who, perceiving the darkness of the present, grasps a light that can never reach its destiny; he is also the one who, dividing and interpolating time, is capable of transforming it and putting it in relation with other times.”

Your Land/My Land: Election ’12, (2012) [Exhibition]. Houston, TX; Raleigh, NC; St Louis, MO; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Salt Lake City, UT; Savannah, GA.

Agamben, G. (2007) What is the Contemporary? In: (2009) What is an Apparatus? and Other Essays. (trans.) D. Kishik & S. Pedatella. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. pp. 39-54

Plato established two major art theories regarding Art in Imitation and Art being Divinely Inspired. For this task, I am particularly interested in exploring the theory of Religion in Art and whether this continues to exist in a Contemporary era with lesser numbers of religious individuals.

Throughout history, Religion has played a major factor contributing to the art world. From Paleolithic religion, cave paintings even suggested ‘hierarchical format’ between ‘humans and animal spirits’, preceding ‘the development of agriculture’ (Perlès, C. 2007)¹.

Unknown Artist and Year

Commonly the ‘Religion in Art’ theme is noticeably present in the Byzantine and Renaissance periods -including the infamous works of Michelangelo. However, from Baroque and Rococo Art we begin to see a shift from romanticised religious depictions in art and by Neoclassicism and Romanticism around the 18^th and 19^th Centuries, art became less inspired by Religion and centred more strongly around historical and contextual events. This was a slow and gradual change with many anomalies, but we can assume from this that approximately around the shift in 1534 due to the Act of Succession combining Church and State, the two largest Empires in the world were divided over religion.

Michelangelo- The Creation of Adam, 1508-1512

For the past two Centuries, religion and art have been growing slowly apart in the eyes of success; however, despite contrary belief, many still argue that ‘religion is alive and well in contemporary art’ (Plate, S. B. 2014)². Plate lists artists such as Shahzia Sikander, Andy Goldsworthy, Meredith Monk, and James Turrell as artists who continue to explore religion in their successful, yet contemporary, art careers.

Shahzia Sikander- Utopia, 2003

James Turrell is an artist I am particularly inspired by and have referenced many a time in my Contemporary Project. His use of experience and sensory experimentation within his performative installations suggest a divine manipulation, and are akin -in nature- to artists of the past.

James Turrell- The Light Inside, 1999

¹ Cortazar, R. Z. Harvard Gazette, 2007. Available at: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/04/scholar-cave-paintings-show-religious-sophistication/

² Plate, S. B. HuffPost, 2014. Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/s-brent-plate/religion-is-alive-and-wel_b_5676134.html

Jackson Pollock ( 1912- 1956) was born Paul Jackson Pollock and was an American abstract expressionist painter. (Coates, 1952). He was well known especially for his unique style of drip painting.
His Blue Poles painting is a very controversial painting with a history of its own. The actual Blue Poles are 8 blue pole like lines down the canvas at different angles to each other and really do dominate the painting. (Fitzsimmons, 1952).

So my theory would be to make the canvas smaller and less significant as we know it fills a wall with its memorable measurements. I then feel by simplifying it, I would remove the Blue poles, which would redefine the whole characteristic of the painting.

This wouldn’t make it to significant it would just look like another one of his work where he splatters different paint. The bold blue lines adds something to the painting and breaks it up, making it different form his other works. The effect of the removal would be astounding and would completely change the juxtaposition and features of the painting. I also felt that if the canvas was smaller he wouldn’t be able to be so gesturally with his art and his movements. Which is what he is best known for.

Bibliography

Coates, Robert M (1952) ‘From Ingres to Pollock’, Direct. New Yorker, p 179.

Fitzsimmons James, (1952), ‘Jackson Pollock’ Art Digest.15 p 17.

For this task, the works I have chosen are some images from my A6 primary research sketchbook in which I jot down quick sketches and ideas. These are immediate, undeveloped, initial responses to any visual stimulus that I find interesting or sparks ideas in any way. They serve as a means of processing any information – visual, textual or otherwise.

I use the materials that I have to hand – masking tape, PVC tape, paper scraps, occasionally pencils, but mostly fine liners and markers for their distinctive graphic qualities.

I was inspired by Peter Driver’s talk on his artistic practice and the way in which he expanded his upbeat, positive small-scale print work in a conceptual manner to create the ‘March For Optimism’ through Winchester in 2014. In a similar manner, rather than physically enlarge the drawings by simply scaling them up, I have developed this further and enlarged the drawings conceptually, by extending this into my manifesto project.

In order to up-scale this work, I integrated the ideas and imagery gathered in my A6 sketchbooks – this took the form of a collective consisting of myself, Lauren Culloty and Poppy Ash, formed as a rejection of the Manifesto project – the AMP movement, in which we created over 400 zines (40 designs) and distributed them across Winchester.

I was able to expand on the simple ideas I had captured in my A6 sketchbooks and through the collaboration, contribute to develop this to take on a life of its own.

My Art practice has been guided by themes which involve questioning the surface of subjects I do not understand, such as the human condition towards the theatrics of culture, religion and social intimacy. I would like to explore pathways in mediums other than 2 dimensional painting and drawing, I see the content which I illustrate in my art as expressive and the very embodiment of my emotions, often times involving intimate revelations, at times obscured and vulnerably becoming the subject of my own work as a means to continuously discover my identity. I would like to produce also performance pieces, with the aid of objects of significance in relation to my explored subject matter. Spoken words pieces as I have become fond of verbally narrating my work, incorporating visual art pieces with physical body performances accompanied by musical iterations or speaking might be an interesting direction to go towards.

My process of working and belief system towards the process of creating is explosive= provoked, ecstatic, spontaneous and unapologetic whilst swimming in a pool of ambiguity as they portray fragments of obscured elements of my personality. I view my work to be uncensored and censored as well, as it is influenced by aspects of my cultural heritage, family values and a vague mix of adulterated personal figments, during the thought process and also production.

Ideally a big warm open space would work best, a serene atmosphere which I can disrupt with my vivacious Afro beats music and the soulful listens of Neo-soul playlists. Surrounded by Afro- futuristic décor and lively warm colours on curtains and walls, and lastly a Wenzels hot chocolate machine in the corner.

Falling through into Bedos end
Tomi Olumide
2017
Mixed media
Painting
414 x 591mm

An uncertain, fulfilling, unapologetic space of ambiguous ecstasy and unconsciousness

Crowd Commotion
Olumide Onadipe
2016-2017
Plastic sachets and electric cable
153 x 174 cm

My first observation of the installation was the physical elements from which it was made of. The plastic- ball- like structures which had been time consumedly- combined together at the looks of it, as it appears that each fragment was placed together in such a meticulous manner which gave the impression of some sort of preciousness towards the process as a contrast to the actual appearance of the work, which is sits restless in its ambiguity.

When I did observe it further, I realised the multitude of structures were not of balls at all but the forms of spiralled sheets of folded and wrapped synthetic plastic sheets, kernelled and then tied in place with metal wire in a way which looks like the artist was cautious of revealing the process in production how they had worked to their audience, through the neat arrangement of the wire assembling. 

The story behind the artwork I think is about the climate of the city of Lagos. The artist grew up in Lagos Nigeria describes the street vibe and atmosphere of the busy city and its people as well, through the illustration of the subject by the multi repetitive plastic sculpted installation. I believe the artist’s production of the work best describes the phrase ‘hustle and bustle of Lagos’. 

The title ‘Crowd Commotion’ is about the disruption, restlessness and the uncertainty of the state and atmosphere of Lagosian (Inhabitants of Lagos state). Lagos is a metropolis city and so is very busy and greatly populated as well, with respects to that, the artist has symbolised that through the bold repetition of the plastic elements which I believe represent the multitude of various individuals. In my lifetime I have only known the appearance of the product ‘Pure Water’ to be in two shades of blue, (Sky blue and Dark blue). This I became become aware from a recollection of my childhood in Lagos, remembering that the brand of ‘Pure water’ has on its transparent nylon sachets colour fonts of either seen the light blue colour in my younger years while growing up in Lagos as well, but more recently I recall seeing the darker blue fronted labels and greyish transparent appearance.

I think the use of the plastic medium in its multi production illustrates population, and towards this the two colours represent the age brackets in the Lagos populous. I think the installation illustrates the age bracket in populous of the Lagos people, as we see it in two colours which distinctively in multiples almost cancel each other out, however the grey plastic does seem to wipe out the sky blue.

References 

1-54.com. (2017). 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. [online] Available at: http://1-54.com/london/artists/onadipe olumide/  [Accessed 4 Dec. 2017].

SMO Contemporary Art. (2017). Olumide Onadipe – SMO Contemporary Art. [online] Available at: http://www.smocontemporaryart.com/artist-details/olumide-onadipe/  [Accessed 4 Dec. 2017].

Smocontemporaryart.com. (2017). Cite a Website – Cite This For Me. [online] Available at: http://www.smocontemporaryart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Crowd-Commotion-20162017Plastic-sachets-Electric-cable-153-x-174-cm-1024×975.jpg  [Accessed 4 Dec. 2017].

Part (14)                                                                                  Nikki S. Lee
2002
[photograph]

At first, I am alarmed by the arm which rests across her back and unto her left shoulder, as the artists makes no facial expression of discomfort. But the gaze away from the character to her right, as well as the gap of space suggests another illusion in play.

Her facial expression, seems without care and unbothered, as though the arm around her is of someone she has no emotional ties too, however the hold looks as though he knows her, and she is unhinged by his endeavour for intimacy. The inexpression in her face could very much illustrate her being coerced into this pose with the embrace of this man/ person on her right, to accompany them to maybe a social event of some sort. Thus, suggesting that she is being made to be seated with him, therefore an involuntary expression of happiness or intimacy, but expression of subtle resentment and ambiguity.

Within the photo the symbol that suggest the uninterested expression towards the person on her right, are the elements of her ‘dolled up appearance’, stare away from the embracing character, facial expression of non-flattery and cold obligatory body expression. The lighting in the background also plays a role in the scenery, as its brightness stays in background contrasting the dark wears of the female subject, and her mood as well. An ironic turn of events like a person saying that she should smile, as random individuals do often tell moody looking people at times. The light acts as an influencing factor, portraying its self as the uncontrollable antics of society’s structural unwritten rules which we as individuals might bare at times, whilst the situation is out of our control.

In relation to this an article ‘The projects, parts, And Layers’’ Od Nikki S. Lee’, from website Creators Vice, written by Kyuhee Baik (2011)’, suggests ‘Miss Lee performs in this scene which describes the connections between performance and non-performance,’ which also translates my earlier idea of ‘the female subject being a participant of some coerced agenda,’ performing a particular role which she did not voluntarily agree to. However it could also be her current situation hence the non- performance element.

Reference                                                                                                                                                          Creators. (2017). The “Projects, Parts, And Layers” Of Nikki S. Lee. [online] Available at: https://creators.vice.com/en_au/article/z4y8zx/the-projects-parts-and-layers-of-nikki-s-lee  [Accessed 5 Dec. 2017].