Risky artists and their arts

This week's theme was Experimentalism and the Avant Garde. It was about artist who are ahead of their times, creating art that is edgy and taking risk with their art.

We first looked through some slides of artists 'creating their art'.

Most of the art i saw on the slides is not in any forms that can be seen, they are to be experienced. This concept is new to me, i have never tried this method in making art yet.

I found it interesting, as this method itself is risky and adventurouse. As i belive that everyone is different, and have our own different way to look at things. It's different with more visual subjects such as sculptures or paintings, where they are considered as 'art' universally. There's less potential for a sculpture/painting to be seen as boarder-line art.

However, Experimental art have the quality of taking the risk of playing with the idea around 'what is art', this method is indeed risky as it can be something that is viewed as art by one person, and concidered nonsense by another. It would not be an object to be touched, but more of an experience or a memory to grasp. So the 'art' is gone as the performance ends.

From the slides, what really struck my attention was the performaces, Rhythm by Marina Abramoovic and How to explain pictures to a dead hare by Joseph Beuys.

Beuys coated his head in honey, then covered his headwith gold leaf, hold a dead hare in his arms, walked around the gallery telling the hare about the consciousness of human and animals. He believes that a dead hare have more understanding and appreciation of the works than humans.

Tessa explained that this performance deals many symbolic connotations in the ways he presented himself.

So i did alittle research on the meanings behind his use of materials:

http://ezinearticles.com/?His-Most-Famous-Performance---How-to-Explain-Pictures-to-a-Dead-Hare---Joseph-Beuys&id=2592205

“In putting honey on my head I am clearly doing something that has to do with thinking. Human ability is not to produce honey, but to think, to produce ideas. In this way the deathlike character of thinking becomes lifelike again. For honey is undoubtedly a living substance. Human thinking can be lively too. But it can also be intellectualized to a deadly degree, and remain dead, and express its deadliness in, say, the political or pedagogic fields. “Gold and honey indicate a transformation of the head, and therefore, naturally and logically, the brain and our understanding of thought, consciousness and all the other levels necessary to explain pictures to a hare: the warm stool insulated with felt…and the iron sole with the magnet. I had to walk on this sole when I carried the hare round from picture to picture, so along with the strange limp came the clank of iron on the hard stone floor—that was all that broke the silence, since my explanations were mute… “This seems to have been the action that most captured people’s imaginations. On one level this must be because everyone consciously or unconsciously recognizes the problem of explaining things, particularly where art and creative work are concerned, or anything that involves a certain mystery or question. The idea of explaining to an animal conveys a sense of the secrecy of the world and of existence that appeals to the imagination. Then, as I said, even a dead animal preserves more powers of intuition than some human beings with their stubborn rationality. “The problem lies in the word ‘understanding’ and its many levels which cannot be restricted to rational analysis. Imagination, inspiration, and longing all lead people to sense that these other levels also play a part in understanding. This must be the root of reactions to this action, and is why my technique has been to try and seek out the energy points in the human power field, rather than demanding specific knowledge or reactions on then part of the public. I try to bring to light the complexity of creative areas.” - Beuys.

I thought it was very clever and logic with using the honey and the gold leaf, as well as the animal. However without research i would have no understood the symbolic meaning that his performance holds. Therefore i thought his work was really taking a risk with the audience, as many would not have comperhend his intensions, though i personally thought the performance would be intersting to witness in person regarless.

The performance by Marina Abramovic was greatly facinating as well as alittle disturbing.

It reminded me alot of the topic last week on woman being the 'submissive object'.
The artist allowed the audience to do whatever they liked to her with the 34 objects provided, as she stood there being the 'object'. This thought of mine was reinforced when Tessa told us that when the Abramovic stood up and started walking towards the audience, the crowd was immediately frightened. That backsup the point of women are often regarded as being passive, but she will be feared if she start to confront.

After the slides we headed for the Gallery in relation for our theme on Experimentalism art.

This is the 4th Auckland triennial and the theme is: Last ride in a hot air balloon. The theme reminded me of the movie 'Up', which is a movie about taking risks, going onto an adventure in a 'balloon house'

This theme itself is about taking risk and explore new ways to create an idea with art. Hot air balloon is a metaphor for adventure and freedom; and that is what this collection of arts are exploring.

I thought most of the art fitted into the theme rather well, as they are all bringing a new way to make a statement in their work.

The works i really enjoyed were The room with a bird by Bundith Phunsombatlert, the work dealed alot with the idea around freedom with the window being as part of the show, and Alicia Frankovich's Revolution (Martini Fountain), which was to show a visual metaphor for life.

I especailly liked Singing cloud by Shilpa Gupta. It's a large cloud shaped sculture that was made of 4000 microphones with audio of humming comming out of some selected microphones every now and then. The idea of the artwork was exploring the feeling of fear. I thought had brought forward the idea, as when i first saw the large black shape, i got the connotation of gloom/dark/fear. The artwork itself have direct link with the theme of the hot air balloon, as it's in the shape of a cloud. I thought the artwork is rather successful as it did inflict fear in me up on seeing it, however the other artwork Untitled (split flap display board) was alittle confusing for me. Words appeared on the board about deathes. I didn't quite understood what it meant, though the words that appear on the board was depressing.

Another work i liked was Revolution (martini fountain) by Alicia Frankovich. It's a pool of liquid mixure of water and martini with a hoses that circulates the liquid through the martini bottles hanging at the centre. This work is a metaphor presentation for blood circulation which symbolizes life. The hanging form of the bottles are reminders for a hospital IV. I didnt understood the idea upon seeing the work, but with explaination, i found the concept of the sculpture very clever.

The experimental art style is something i never came across before. And im not too sure if i fully understand the view on creating experimental art yet. But the concept seems interesting and it would creat more impact on people, I'l like to expand my ideas and try at some point.