Dion Hitchens- Interaction and collaboration

Blog question: Select at least 2 of the following terms and discuss in relation to Dion Hitchens's practice.

Interaction

Collaboration

Site

Cultural/history

technology (kinetic)

This week we had the lecture from Dion Hitchens about his life of sculptural practice. I have yet to have the opportunity of being in Dion's class, therefore it was very interesting to see what style his works are like. I am not familiar with 3D object making, and i have never done sculpture before, so the content of the talk was new to me. I found interaction, collaboration and site qualities very strong in his art works, and to me it is very effective. I would like to explore the above two elements relating to Dion's art making.

Dion began by explaining his inspiration for his practices, which is the Post modernism movement. This is especially important to him, as he said that he is 'thankful' that his works would be recognized and accepted by the public, which was not a thing in the past when there was alot of prejudice from western culture against non-white ethnics. Consequently Dion's works deal mainly on Maori history, in areas that he try to connect the audience physically, emotionally as well as spiritually.

I feel that there's alot of humor in Dion's sculptural installments, that allow the viewers to communicate with the work. The humorous nature of his art are often brought in by the use of technology, providing the work with unexpected movement that surprises the audience. Giving the first work he mentioned was shown in a window display. It was 3 pieces of steel forms in a glass case that oscillates while creating a soft humming sound as it moves. The way the work was installed in a window display, which in Dion's favor, was an excellent way to present the work. The audience does not need to be inside the gallery to respond to the installment. This creates a mix type of audiences: the archetype art critics/admirers that are the usual visitors of galleries and the people passing by in the street that might have never stepped in the doors of a gallery their whole life.

The work i liked the best out of all was the Patupaiarehe (faries of the forest)

Similar to the first piece he mentioned at the beginning of the lecture, this sculture also have movement. The motion done through the trigger of a sensor. As viewers walk into the room the sensor set off the figure in the photo to move. I thought it was funny when Dion told us that this work made some viewers jump, to a point that one of the other figures were knocked over by a viewer out of fright.

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/first-peoples-in-maori-tradition/5/3

Dion's techniques in using the 'unexpected movement' quality is really effective in making the audience react to the work, connecting the viewer with the art work.

Another element which i thought was very interesting was his way of making use of the location where the art gets displayed.

Like in the first work of the 3 steel pieces oscillating in a glass case, site plays a important role. Just as the piece of reading talked about the relation between the art and space, as well as art using the space as a form of enforcement, 'defined primarily as an agglometration of the actual physical attributes of a particular location...with architecture serving as a foil for the art work in many instances. '

This links to the work he have situated in G.I. A form that resembles a mountain made out of steel that connects the idea of the other cultures coming to live in the area and bringing their memories along with them to the new land. This deals with how the community interact with space as well as the artwork itself.
It is interesting that i thought how closely linked the element of interaction and site of Dion's works are, as each of the two qualities seem to present the other.

Additionally from the talk i really enjoyed the idea of having really good mates that would help me in the making of my artworks (not home works of cause) like Dion.

Many of his works are products that he made with his friends that is specified with a skill that would help with the materials he is constructing the artwork with. I also found that his collaboration with his friends also connects with the idea around interaction, in case with friends.

At the end of the talk, Tessa presented the work that she worked with a good friend artist which i liked alot. There was many thought and effort put into the constructing and the presentation of the work. Here the site is an important issue too, they decided to shield the work away from the public behind tall plants, however that rise another problem as many mischiefs takes place in that location as it is seemingly a popular place for drug addicts and homeless people. I hope that they would spare the artwork.

Although i know nothing of sculptures, as it is not part of my interest, Dion's ways of making his artworks seem very fun and also meaningful in context. I found it my weakness in writting about sculptures, espeically contemporary works. However I really like how he embrace his roots and getting his works that he made with his friends out there to the public through the interaction he have with the audience and the site. I feel that for scuptures especially, collaboration, interaction and site is the most assets and Dion's works are successful in bringing the togetherness of the community and connects it with the works with spiritual meanings and humor.