Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Participation in Contemporary Art
from
http://shamurai.com/sites/creativity/papers/7.roux.pdf
Participation in Contemporary Art
Abstract
This presentation aims at providing a better understanding of the role, origin and evolution of participation in contemporary art with a specific focus on technology and participation. It will also provide an overview of participative art models developed in the last decade and the trend they created.
Keywords
Participation, participative art, collaborative art, relational aesthetics, creativity, creative, process, models.
ACM Classification Keywords J4. Computer applications: Social and behavioral sciences.
Definitions Participation: All forms of arts require participation to some extend. After all, experiencing art (observing, listening, watching etc..) is also a kind of participation.
Artworks have very rarely been created not to be experienced by a public (ie, Antique Greek representation of Gods). During the second half of the 20th century the relation between artists and the public has profoundly changed. The public has become a component of the creative
Copyright is held by Xavier Roux.
Presented at: Supporting creative acts beyond dissemination. Creativity & Cognition 2007, June 13, 2007.
Washington DC, USA. Xavier Roux Redseeds Art Studio 244 West 22nd Street New York, NY 10011
process and participation has become a new territory to explore.
Participative art: It is important to distinguish between the concepts of participative art and participatory art projects. The latter describes artworks in which the artist uses participation as a component of art making. In participative art projects however, participation IS the project and the artist creates the framework allowing for participation with no preconceived ideas of the outcome. As in participative democracy or participative management it is not so much the fact that people participate that matters but rather the fact that participation is the main principle governing human interactions in such models.
Historical Context
To better understand the meaning, purpose and evolution of participative art models it is useful to replace them in the historical context of art creation. For a large part before the Quattro-Cento, art was dealing with the relation to God. The Renaissance created a new focus on the relation to the physical word – in other words to the Object. During the 20th century the focus of art has shifted and a new paradigm has emerged placing inter-human relations at the center of contemporary art creation (post-modern art) thus creating a fertile ground for participative art to blossom.
The Origins of Participation in Contemporary Art During the 60s, Conceptual Art has shown the way in freeing art from the object: “in conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work… all planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes the machine that makes art.” (Sol LeWitt).
As a result artists have focused on the modus operandi of artwork creation and invited non-artists to be part of the art making process. In that context participation has become as a new tool to give a form to the concept created by the artist. Some artists have explored participation further creating conceptual scripts as artwork. Spencer Tunick works can be included in such scripts – as well as “Dreams & possibilities” by the Praxis studio and many other works. The participants are asked to follow some guidelines resulting in the creation of the work. The artist acts as the director of the work process.
That latter form of participative art projects brings a new dimension to participative art through the blurring of the line between the participants and the artist. The artist is also a participant.
Participation and Technology
As defined by Nicolas Bourriaud, relational aesthetics refers to the 90’s art movement that focused on
creating projects based on inter-human relations. Because of the very nature of the Internet technology
rapidly grew as a new field of exploration for artists – 3 such as Net artists – to create projects based on virtual connections and adventuring in this new form of anonymous relation between humans.
Philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari have elaborated a complex analysis of rhizomic connections and multiple entry levels concepts which offers new ground to a better understanding of the rapport between technology and inter-human relations.
Typology of Contemporary Participative Models As often contemporary art trends are elusive and in order to better understand the models of participation in art creation used today by artists it is useful to study some examples of recent works. Using Nicolas Bourriaud’s work on relational aesthetics, it is possible to identify three main categories of participative models.
Connection and Networking Traditionally artworks last and can be seen or experienced at any time. Contemporary artists have explored time sensitive artworks that can only be experienced under specific conditions or at a specific date and time.
Robert Barry - Sent a message to let the public know that “This morning half a cubic meter of helium was released in the atmosphere”. The artwork only exists through that message and the connection it created. Christian Boltanski - Mail-art. Sent a vague and alarming letter to his friends and acquaintances and documented their reactions.
On Kawara - Sent numerous telegrams to inform his public that “he is still alive”. Liam Gillick - Designed a conference room in 1999 with geometric furniture and specific walls configuration. A real symposium was held in the room as part of the installation.
Karen Kilimnik - Created a series of drawings are based on her address book thus creating connections between people on many levels.
Meetings and Conviviality Artworks can also work as machines generating encounters or meetings of all kinds. Here are a few examples:
Braco Dimitrijevic - “Casual Passer-by” a series of giant advertising posters based on photos of anonymous
passer-by and giving the status of celebrity to unknown and unaware individuals.
Sophie Calle - Most of her work is based on meeting with people she doesn’t know: followed passer-by,
hired as a maid in a hotel she searched hotel rooms etc..
Philippe Parreno - Organized a party at the Consortium exhibition in Dijon France. His project aimed at using time rather that space during the art fair. The “party” generated meetings and conviviality.
Rirkrit Tiravanija - In one famous instance, in a Cologne gallery, Tiravanija re-created his East Village apartment, where he cooked and served food for 24 hours. In another instance he created a relaxation
space for artists during an art fair.
Contract and Collaboration Other contemporary artists have explored contractual relationship and collaborative art processes. Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster - “Welcome to what you believe you see” (1988) the artist documented his relationship with various gallery owners he worked with.
Noritoshi Hirakawa - Created forms based on chance encounter – for a show in Geneva (1994) he placed an ad in a newspaper seeking a travel companion to Greece. Documenting the travel was the material of his artwork.
Alix Lambert - Wedding piece (1992) – got married four times in six months as part of her exploring marriage relationships.
Maurizio Cattelan - Designed a costume of a rabbit for gallery owner Emmanuel Perrotin who had to wear the costume in his gallery as part of the project.
References
[1] Bourriaud, N., Esthetique Relationnelle. Les Presses du Reel, Paris, France,1998.
[2] Brayer, M.A., Domaines Publics. Editions HYX, Orleans, France, 1999.
[3] Chipp, H. B., Theories of Modern Art. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, USA, 1968.
[4] Danto, A.C., After the End of Art. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA, 1997.
[5] Harrison, C., Wood, P., Art in Theory – 1900-1990. Blackwell Publishers Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2002.
[6] Grosenick, U., Riemschnieder, B., Art Now. Taschen, New York, NY, USA, 2005.
[7] Marzona, D., Conceptual Art. Taschen, New York, NY, USA, 2005.
[8] Onfray, M., L’Archeologie du Present. Editions Grasset, Paris, France, 2003.
[9] Pradel, J.L., L’Art Comtemporain. Editions Larousse, Paris, France, 1999.
[10] Wallther, I.F, Art of the 20th Century. Taschen, New York, NY, USA, 2000.
[11] Wood, P., Conceptual Art. Delano Greenidge Editions, New York, NY, USA, 2002.
Participation in Contemporary Art
Abstract
This presentation aims at providing a better understanding of the role, origin and evolution of participation in contemporary art with a specific focus on technology and participation. It will also provide an overview of participative art models developed in the last decade and the trend they created.
Keywords
Participation, participative art, collaborative art, relational aesthetics, creativity, creative, process, models.
ACM Classification Keywords J4. Computer applications: Social and behavioral sciences.
Definitions Participation: All forms of arts require participation to some extend. After all, experiencing art (observing, listening, watching etc..) is also a kind of participation.
Artworks have very rarely been created not to be experienced by a public (ie, Antique Greek representation of Gods). During the second half of the 20th century the relation between artists and the public has profoundly changed. The public has become a component of the creative
Copyright is held by Xavier Roux.
Presented at: Supporting creative acts beyond dissemination. Creativity & Cognition 2007, June 13, 2007.
Washington DC, USA. Xavier Roux Redseeds Art Studio 244 West 22nd Street New York, NY 10011
process and participation has become a new territory to explore.
Participative art: It is important to distinguish between the concepts of participative art and participatory art projects. The latter describes artworks in which the artist uses participation as a component of art making. In participative art projects however, participation IS the project and the artist creates the framework allowing for participation with no preconceived ideas of the outcome. As in participative democracy or participative management it is not so much the fact that people participate that matters but rather the fact that participation is the main principle governing human interactions in such models.
Historical Context
To better understand the meaning, purpose and evolution of participative art models it is useful to replace them in the historical context of art creation. For a large part before the Quattro-Cento, art was dealing with the relation to God. The Renaissance created a new focus on the relation to the physical word – in other words to the Object. During the 20th century the focus of art has shifted and a new paradigm has emerged placing inter-human relations at the center of contemporary art creation (post-modern art) thus creating a fertile ground for participative art to blossom.
The Origins of Participation in Contemporary Art During the 60s, Conceptual Art has shown the way in freeing art from the object: “in conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work… all planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes the machine that makes art.” (Sol LeWitt).
As a result artists have focused on the modus operandi of artwork creation and invited non-artists to be part of the art making process. In that context participation has become as a new tool to give a form to the concept created by the artist. Some artists have explored participation further creating conceptual scripts as artwork. Spencer Tunick works can be included in such scripts – as well as “Dreams & possibilities” by the Praxis studio and many other works. The participants are asked to follow some guidelines resulting in the creation of the work. The artist acts as the director of the work process.
In the 80’s and 90’s artists such as Rirkrit Tiravanija have developed art projects using participation as medium. In that perspective the artist creates the conditions for the gathering of participants and documents the meeting or event as it unfold, often being a participant himself.
That latter form of participative art projects brings a new dimension to participative art through the blurring of the line between the participants and the artist. The artist is also a participant.
Participation and Technology
As defined by Nicolas Bourriaud, relational aesthetics refers to the 90’s art movement that focused on
creating projects based on inter-human relations. Because of the very nature of the Internet technology
rapidly grew as a new field of exploration for artists – 3 such as Net artists – to create projects based on virtual connections and adventuring in this new form of anonymous relation between humans.
Philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari have elaborated a complex analysis of rhizomic connections and multiple entry levels concepts which offers new ground to a better understanding of the rapport between technology and inter-human relations.
Typology of Contemporary Participative Models As often contemporary art trends are elusive and in order to better understand the models of participation in art creation used today by artists it is useful to study some examples of recent works. Using Nicolas Bourriaud’s work on relational aesthetics, it is possible to identify three main categories of participative models.
Connection and Networking Traditionally artworks last and can be seen or experienced at any time. Contemporary artists have explored time sensitive artworks that can only be experienced under specific conditions or at a specific date and time.
Robert Barry - Sent a message to let the public know that “This morning half a cubic meter of helium was released in the atmosphere”. The artwork only exists through that message and the connection it created. Christian Boltanski - Mail-art. Sent a vague and alarming letter to his friends and acquaintances and documented their reactions.
On Kawara - Sent numerous telegrams to inform his public that “he is still alive”. Liam Gillick - Designed a conference room in 1999 with geometric furniture and specific walls configuration. A real symposium was held in the room as part of the installation.
Karen Kilimnik - Created a series of drawings are based on her address book thus creating connections between people on many levels.
Meetings and Conviviality Artworks can also work as machines generating encounters or meetings of all kinds. Here are a few examples:
Braco Dimitrijevic - “Casual Passer-by” a series of giant advertising posters based on photos of anonymous
passer-by and giving the status of celebrity to unknown and unaware individuals.
Sophie Calle - Most of her work is based on meeting with people she doesn’t know: followed passer-by,
hired as a maid in a hotel she searched hotel rooms etc..
Philippe Parreno - Organized a party at the Consortium exhibition in Dijon France. His project aimed at using time rather that space during the art fair. The “party” generated meetings and conviviality.
Rirkrit Tiravanija - In one famous instance, in a Cologne gallery, Tiravanija re-created his East Village apartment, where he cooked and served food for 24 hours. In another instance he created a relaxation
space for artists during an art fair.
Contract and Collaboration Other contemporary artists have explored contractual relationship and collaborative art processes. Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster - “Welcome to what you believe you see” (1988) the artist documented his relationship with various gallery owners he worked with.
Noritoshi Hirakawa - Created forms based on chance encounter – for a show in Geneva (1994) he placed an ad in a newspaper seeking a travel companion to Greece. Documenting the travel was the material of his artwork.
Alix Lambert - Wedding piece (1992) – got married four times in six months as part of her exploring marriage relationships.
Maurizio Cattelan - Designed a costume of a rabbit for gallery owner Emmanuel Perrotin who had to wear the costume in his gallery as part of the project.
References
[1] Bourriaud, N., Esthetique Relationnelle. Les Presses du Reel, Paris, France,1998.
[2] Brayer, M.A., Domaines Publics. Editions HYX, Orleans, France, 1999.
[3] Chipp, H. B., Theories of Modern Art. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, USA, 1968.
[4] Danto, A.C., After the End of Art. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA, 1997.
[5] Harrison, C., Wood, P., Art in Theory – 1900-1990. Blackwell Publishers Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2002.
[6] Grosenick, U., Riemschnieder, B., Art Now. Taschen, New York, NY, USA, 2005.
[7] Marzona, D., Conceptual Art. Taschen, New York, NY, USA, 2005.
[8] Onfray, M., L’Archeologie du Present. Editions Grasset, Paris, France, 2003.
[9] Pradel, J.L., L’Art Comtemporain. Editions Larousse, Paris, France, 1999.
[10] Wallther, I.F, Art of the 20th Century. Taschen, New York, NY, USA, 2000.
[11] Wood, P., Conceptual Art. Delano Greenidge Editions, New York, NY, USA, 2002.
Forward from USE OR ORNAMENT? The social impact of participation in the arts
http://web.me.com/matarasso/one/research/Entries/2009/2/19_Use_or_Ornament_files/Use%20or%20Ornament.pdf
Evaluating the social impact of participating in the arts has long been a sort of terraincognita, a continent whose existence is known, but which remains unexplored. Travellers’ tales, where they existed, were full of mystery and menace, implying a land filled with dangers for the unwary. The sketchiness of the information encouraged some to argue that El Dorado lay there, while others asserted it was a desert, a wasteland best
avoided. Our research has sought to throw some light on this shadowy region by establishing a base for further exploration. We have cleared some ground and begun to open up routes to the interior, some of which may prove to be dead ends. If the flora and fauna are unfamiliar, we have at least encountered no monsters.
This report offers an account of the evidence we have found of social impacts arising from participation in the arts, and of some of the methods used in the research. It is the first large-scale attempt, in the UK at least, to come to grips with these issues, and our intention has not been to give definitive answers but, as Brian Eno put it in a similar context, to ask the questions more clearly (Eno 1996: 14). If others, and especially those who work in the field, are encouraged to take forward this general study into more specific areas, it will have succeeded in its purpose.
The study is primarily targeted at policy makers in the arts and social fields, though we hope that arts practitioners and the academic community will also find it useful. We have focused on areas of impact which relate to broad public policy objectives, and methods which are workable in everyday use. It was felt by members of the advisory group and by those involved in the arts projects that the outcomes of the study should include practical mechanisms through which the social impact of arts work could be assessed. We have therefore leaned towards simple evaluation models, and forms of evidence which provide acceptable guidance for public policy development and planning.
The study also reflects the perspectives and experiences of those involved: recognising the elusiveness of objectivity, it aspires to accuracy, balance and questioning. It has pursued understanding rather than ‘the truth’, and uncovered more questions for each one it has answered. Equally, each reader will bring his or her own values to bear on it: for one concerned for the integrity of the artist will be another who questions the
value of art in addressing social problems.
Use or Ornament? addresses the social impact of participation because it is to this area of the arts that social benefits are most commonly attributed in policy discussion. But participation is not a euphemism for community arts: the study interprets the word broadly, embracing work with many different values and motivations, but always with the active participation of non-professionals. The terms of engagement range from work controlled by arts professionals, such as the York Mystery Plays, to projects where there may be no professionals involved at all, as is the case with many fèis activities. This breadth of character is important not just to the study but to the communities involved.
That said, and perhaps unfashionably, we recognise the social and cultural value of community arts itself. There is nothing reprehensible in artists seeking to extend cultural democracy by opening their practice to others, by sharing their creativity and experience – even, perhaps, by learning from people uninitiated into the mysteries of contemporary cultural discourse. There is obviously bad community art: there is, after all,
no shortage of bad art, (or bad education, medicine or government, if it comes to that).
The argument that community art debases standards raises questions which lie at the heart of the present study: who defines quality, value, meaning? A refusal to engage with the ethical and political reality of such questions cannot help the arts community develop a healthy dialogue with the wider society on whose money it so often depends.
It should also be stressed that Use or Ornament? does not mark the end of Comedia’s interest in the social impact of the arts, only of the first stage. We are now addressing issues beyond participation, notably in a study of the relationship between arts and social policy in Glasgow, as well as looking at ways to address aspects such as training and employability. Work is also underway on a practical handbook of evaluation methods for the arts, and we would be very happy to hear from anyone with experience in this area. In short, this report is just the end of the beginning.
Finally, the co-operative nature of this project must be recognised. Literally thousands of people have contributed in one way or another – by completing questionnaires, by participating in discussion groups, by being interviewed or simply by allowing their work to be observed. Others have helped by opening doors, making arrangements and contributing ideas: as many as possible are recognised in the acknowledgements.
The study itself was undertaken by a team, and the contribution of Chris Burton, Timo Cantell, John Chell, Helen Denniston, Owen Kelly and Eva Wojdat was invaluable.
Without the help of Naseem Khan, who managed the Hounslow and digital technology studies, and Charles Landry who developed the original idea and gave unstinting support, the study would have been impossible. None the less, responsibility for the final report rests with the author.
François Matarasso May 1997
Evaluating the social impact of participating in the arts has long been a sort of terraincognita, a continent whose existence is known, but which remains unexplored. Travellers’ tales, where they existed, were full of mystery and menace, implying a land filled with dangers for the unwary. The sketchiness of the information encouraged some to argue that El Dorado lay there, while others asserted it was a desert, a wasteland best
avoided. Our research has sought to throw some light on this shadowy region by establishing a base for further exploration. We have cleared some ground and begun to open up routes to the interior, some of which may prove to be dead ends. If the flora and fauna are unfamiliar, we have at least encountered no monsters.
This report offers an account of the evidence we have found of social impacts arising from participation in the arts, and of some of the methods used in the research. It is the first large-scale attempt, in the UK at least, to come to grips with these issues, and our intention has not been to give definitive answers but, as Brian Eno put it in a similar context, to ask the questions more clearly (Eno 1996: 14). If others, and especially those who work in the field, are encouraged to take forward this general study into more specific areas, it will have succeeded in its purpose.
The study is primarily targeted at policy makers in the arts and social fields, though we hope that arts practitioners and the academic community will also find it useful. We have focused on areas of impact which relate to broad public policy objectives, and methods which are workable in everyday use. It was felt by members of the advisory group and by those involved in the arts projects that the outcomes of the study should include practical mechanisms through which the social impact of arts work could be assessed. We have therefore leaned towards simple evaluation models, and forms of evidence which provide acceptable guidance for public policy development and planning.
The study also reflects the perspectives and experiences of those involved: recognising the elusiveness of objectivity, it aspires to accuracy, balance and questioning. It has pursued understanding rather than ‘the truth’, and uncovered more questions for each one it has answered. Equally, each reader will bring his or her own values to bear on it: for one concerned for the integrity of the artist will be another who questions the
value of art in addressing social problems.
Use or Ornament? addresses the social impact of participation because it is to this area of the arts that social benefits are most commonly attributed in policy discussion. But participation is not a euphemism for community arts: the study interprets the word broadly, embracing work with many different values and motivations, but always with the active participation of non-professionals. The terms of engagement range from work controlled by arts professionals, such as the York Mystery Plays, to projects where there may be no professionals involved at all, as is the case with many fèis activities. This breadth of character is important not just to the study but to the communities involved.
That said, and perhaps unfashionably, we recognise the social and cultural value of community arts itself. There is nothing reprehensible in artists seeking to extend cultural democracy by opening their practice to others, by sharing their creativity and experience – even, perhaps, by learning from people uninitiated into the mysteries of contemporary cultural discourse. There is obviously bad community art: there is, after all,
no shortage of bad art, (or bad education, medicine or government, if it comes to that).
The argument that community art debases standards raises questions which lie at the heart of the present study: who defines quality, value, meaning? A refusal to engage with the ethical and political reality of such questions cannot help the arts community develop a healthy dialogue with the wider society on whose money it so often depends.
The election of a Government committed to tackling problems like youth unemployment, fear of crime and social exclusion is the right moment to start talking about what the arts can do for society, rather than what society can do for the arts. Unfettered by ideology, the new pragmatism can extend its principle of inclusiveness to the arts by embracing their creative approaches to problem-solving. Britain deserves
better than the exhausted prejudices of post-war debates over state support for the arts.
better than the exhausted prejudices of post-war debates over state support for the arts.
It should also be stressed that Use or Ornament? does not mark the end of Comedia’s interest in the social impact of the arts, only of the first stage. We are now addressing issues beyond participation, notably in a study of the relationship between arts and social policy in Glasgow, as well as looking at ways to address aspects such as training and employability. Work is also underway on a practical handbook of evaluation methods for the arts, and we would be very happy to hear from anyone with experience in this area. In short, this report is just the end of the beginning.
Finally, the co-operative nature of this project must be recognised. Literally thousands of people have contributed in one way or another – by completing questionnaires, by participating in discussion groups, by being interviewed or simply by allowing their work to be observed. Others have helped by opening doors, making arrangements and contributing ideas: as many as possible are recognised in the acknowledgements.
The study itself was undertaken by a team, and the contribution of Chris Burton, Timo Cantell, John Chell, Helen Denniston, Owen Kelly and Eva Wojdat was invaluable.
Without the help of Naseem Khan, who managed the Hounslow and digital technology studies, and Charles Landry who developed the original idea and gave unstinting support, the study would have been impossible. None the less, responsibility for the final report rests with the author.
François Matarasso May 1997
getting spoon obbessed
an article pointed out by a retuerning postcard from my project a while ago
Abstract
Objectives To determine the overall rate of loss of workplace teaspoons and whether attrition and displacement are correlated with the relative value of the teaspoons or type of tearoom.
Design Longitudinal cohort study.
Setting Research institute employing about 140 people.
Subjects 70 discreetly numbered teaspoons placed in tearooms around the institute and observed weekly over five months.
Main outcome measures Incidence of teaspoon loss per 100 teaspoon years and teaspoon half life.
Results 56 (80%) of the 70 teaspoons disappeared during the study. The half life of the teaspoons was 81 days. The half life of teaspoons in communal tearooms (42 days) was significantly shorter than for those in rooms associated with particular research groups (77 days). The rate of loss was not influenced by the teaspoons' value. The incidence of teaspoon loss over the period of observation was 360.62 per 100 teaspoon years. At this rate, an estimated 250 teaspoons would need to be purchased annually to maintain a practical institute-wide population of 70 teaspoons.
Conclusions The loss of workplace teaspoons was rapid, showing that their availability, and hence office culture in general, is constantly threatened.
Further: The case of disappearing spoons-Disposable spoons, stirrers/metal dectectors as another solution
18 January 2006
We read with interest the article (1) regarding the disappearance of
spoons from the work place. We assume the teaspoons were used for stirring
tea/coffee in the tearoom. Disposable stirrers/teaspoons would be an
ideal substitute for stainless steel teaspoons if the sole purpose was
stirring tea/coffee. It is possible that the teaspoons go missing because
of the attractiveness of the stainless steel teaspoons that have been
used.
We do not have much of a problem in this aspect in our work place,
perhaps owing to the use of disposable spoons/forks/stirrers. For the sole
purpose of stirring tea/coffee only stirrers are used. Perhaps the use of
disposable spoons/stirrers (some places use wooden stirrers) would be the
easiest solution to the mystery of disappearing spoons. This also reduces
the chore of washing and keeping a tab on them (five months spent to keep
track of the spoons is quite a lot of time). Even losses would not be as
much when disposable spoons are used.
Immobilization, by chaining teaspoons (Trevor Watts-Spoon Solutions,
BMJ.com, Dec 23rd, 2005), may not be very practical and actually may
become complicated when a number of users arrive at the same time (even
with multiple chained spoons)(we do not wish to disrupt Dr. Watts'
business plan of making chained teaspoons). Forcing staff to bring their
own (Trevor Watts-Spoon Solutions, Dec 23rd, 2005) is okay, but people
tend to forget often and the problem will tend to continue.
Or maybe the authors should find a way to use metal dectectors to
solve the case of the disappearing spoons.
Hope this is not too much of advice and we wish all future chain-
spoon manufacturing businesses all success.
Reference
1. Megan S C Lim, Margaret E Hellard, and Campbell K Aitken
BMJ 2005; 331: 1498-1500.
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Rod Maclachlan Artist Reasearch
I am a Bristol-based sculptor equally drawn to working with light and movement as I am to objects and architecture. This combination of media reflects by preoccupation with exploring the complementary relationships between mind and body, observation and the imagination, the physical and the ethereal. In some works kinetic assemblages takes the place of the body whereas in others, such as Exchange, the body of the audience member is the sculptural element. I have been using archaic projection techniques to playfully explore the dynamic between a physical object and its de-located luminous image where a lens is the only mediating factor.
My artistic and professional career to date has acted as research into the technologies and techniques of creating spectacle. Many spectacles lead to a gaze of detached awe and leave little room for the viewers‘ own reading and imagination. I believe visual wonder can trigger surprise and puzzlement that can interrupt habitual judgments thereby liberating the viewer’s imagination. It is important to me that the viewer is aware of and actively complicit in their suspension of disbelief; something far more empowering than passive dazzlement.
I am interested in this quality of interactive looking that can be both analytical and receptive; analogue projection is a medium with which I can explore these different ways of seeing. After many years working with digital production and projection I became disillusioned with the qualities of the image and light whilst the technologies involved clouded the process of production. Through researching into early optical instruments and pre-cinema techniques such as magic lanterns, camera obscura, phatasmogoria and Megascopes, I rediscovered direct projection methods that had the power to create images that transfix the audience without pretence. Looking at these devices, I can sense the wonder felt at the first use of optical and electrical processes that we now take so for granted. The complex evolution of these technologies and our familiarity with them has led to detachment from the fundamental optical and perceptual processes at work. Episcopic or Opaque Object projection is the most direct projection technique possible as the projections exist in the present time with no recording or representation. The alchemical qualities of magnification, repetitive movement and focused light can transform mundane materials into transcendent projections that encourage the viewer to re-access their visual perception.
My practice has evolved, in part, through an active involvement in collectives such as The Cube Cinema and Blackout Arts and through VJing, film and production design work.
My artistic and professional career to date has acted as research into the technologies and techniques of creating spectacle. Many spectacles lead to a gaze of detached awe and leave little room for the viewers‘ own reading and imagination. I believe visual wonder can trigger surprise and puzzlement that can interrupt habitual judgments thereby liberating the viewer’s imagination. It is important to me that the viewer is aware of and actively complicit in their suspension of disbelief; something far more empowering than passive dazzlement.
I am interested in this quality of interactive looking that can be both analytical and receptive; analogue projection is a medium with which I can explore these different ways of seeing. After many years working with digital production and projection I became disillusioned with the qualities of the image and light whilst the technologies involved clouded the process of production. Through researching into early optical instruments and pre-cinema techniques such as magic lanterns, camera obscura, phatasmogoria and Megascopes, I rediscovered direct projection methods that had the power to create images that transfix the audience without pretence. Looking at these devices, I can sense the wonder felt at the first use of optical and electrical processes that we now take so for granted. The complex evolution of these technologies and our familiarity with them has led to detachment from the fundamental optical and perceptual processes at work. Episcopic or Opaque Object projection is the most direct projection technique possible as the projections exist in the present time with no recording or representation. The alchemical qualities of magnification, repetitive movement and focused light can transform mundane materials into transcendent projections that encourage the viewer to re-access their visual perception.
My practice has evolved, in part, through an active involvement in collectives such as The Cube Cinema and Blackout Arts and through VJing, film and production design work.
Exchange, 2009
A Rules & Regs commission in conjunction with AND Festival and The Bluecoat.
Two gallery visitors / audience members come to the installation at a time and are invited to wear a belt around their diaphragm area. The belts are then calibrated to the extremes of their breath expansion and contraction. The visitors are asked to enter into the installation room where they will be unaccompanied. As the visitors move into the space they come to realise that their breathing patterns are each controlling the intensity of one of the lights. As they breathe in the corresponding light fades up, as they exhale the light fades to darkness. With natural breaths the lights simply glow up and down but with a deep breath the room is filled with bright light. If both participants breathe out simultaneously the room becomes totally dark.
The participants are simultaneously the Audience and the Performers.Like many human processes, Exchange may lead to an experience that is at once sublime and ridiculous. The sublime and the ridiculous are often so closely related, that it is difficult to class them separately.The reciprocal relationships of internal & external, light & dark, and me & you often inform my work. These are complementary opposites are relative. - darkness defines light; your position helps identify my own; observation cannot be separated from imagination.
The relationship between the physical and the ethereal is also a reciprocal one. Breath, body, air and energy are the exchanges that are vital for life. For Exchange I wish to explore the sense of stretch as the links between these internal sensations and external stimulation are expanded and amplified.
Artist Research Allison Lynn
process, 2011My work consists of a wide variety of ceramic and embroidery techniques. I make large installation concept pieces as well as a range of jewellery. I love the variation of both scale and technique and enjoy diverse projects. My main influences are age, decay and my own life experiences. I often use recycled materials and shapes from found objects.
Pressed flowers and pieces of polished shell are used to represent organic life and the fragility of nature. I want to question the way we look at nature and show its beauty in a different way. These parts are not the first thing noticeable, but encourage the viewer to look more closely at the piece.
I collect used fabrics and often combine these in my work. Hand dyed silks and organzas play a large part and I use shibori techniques to create shapes. I enjoy ageing fabric by burning and heat setting, these work particularly well with old coat linings that have already aged naturally. I combine these techniques with high-fired porcelain painted with lustre and silver to create a diverse collection of work.
artist research Anna Sherbany
In “Empty Gestures” the ritual becomes a visual marker of what remains common to all people.
The singularity of the gesture is poetic as well as powerful. The increasing value of water is measured by its absence.
The movement of the hands becomes a metaphor for human resilience.
The video is projected onto water in a bowl standing on a plinth. The viewer is encouraged to “disturb” the surface of the water.
Empty Gestures video installation 2009 Group exhibition “End Game – Blue Gold” Darb 1718 Gallery Cairo, Egypt.
Ruchika Wason Singh
My works deal with the human habitat and existence and its relation with the environment.
As a practicing artist living and working in the urban setting of Delhi, my work has been impacted by the daily life and the processes of consumption therein.
These have grown out of my gendered experiences and the interface with objects/commodities of consumption in the kitchen ,at the supermarket and at home. It interests me how every day, mundane activities can become sources of deeper meaning and self probation. In the choices of food and lifestyle lie our own location within the environment .For me commodities embody multiplicity of choices not only through their capacity to gratify but also to hoard, pollute and accumulate. In this sense I see consumption and its aftermath as a reflection of the environment-that which is physical as well as mental. This explains the expanse of my thought process and also the direction of exploration of my forms.
In my works though I reflect upon these situations, processes and patterns; generally there is an absence of the human body itself. It is apparent either in parts or through the objects and metaphorical symbols, as associated agents of acts of human life-those which have been, are being or will be performed. From reflection to anticipation, the objects become significant references of identities, choices, acceptance and resistance. As part of the creative process, at times even through their physical presence, they exist beyond their functionality as sources of probation and enquiry.
Working as an artist in a fast globalizing India, I find certain grounds common for all artistic and existential engagements beyond borders. These are the domains of creative dialogue and that of consciousness, through which we can connect with our own self and with each other.
Ruchika Wason Singh October 2011, Delhi.
As a practicing artist living and working in the urban setting of Delhi, my work has been impacted by the daily life and the processes of consumption therein.
These have grown out of my gendered experiences and the interface with objects/commodities of consumption in the kitchen ,at the supermarket and at home. It interests me how every day, mundane activities can become sources of deeper meaning and self probation. In the choices of food and lifestyle lie our own location within the environment .For me commodities embody multiplicity of choices not only through their capacity to gratify but also to hoard, pollute and accumulate. In this sense I see consumption and its aftermath as a reflection of the environment-that which is physical as well as mental. This explains the expanse of my thought process and also the direction of exploration of my forms.
In my works though I reflect upon these situations, processes and patterns; generally there is an absence of the human body itself. It is apparent either in parts or through the objects and metaphorical symbols, as associated agents of acts of human life-those which have been, are being or will be performed. From reflection to anticipation, the objects become significant references of identities, choices, acceptance and resistance. As part of the creative process, at times even through their physical presence, they exist beyond their functionality as sources of probation and enquiry.
Working as an artist in a fast globalizing India, I find certain grounds common for all artistic and existential engagements beyond borders. These are the domains of creative dialogue and that of consciousness, through which we can connect with our own self and with each other.
Ruchika Wason Singh October 2011, Delhi.
Deborah Gardner artist research
She states her concepts are: The sculptures relate strongly to the body, some in terms of memory of presence in the cast moulds of the head, fist and body within a pillow or bed and the subsequent evidence of a permanent presence these casts hold. Others are analogous to the body in terms of forms and reference to clothing or beds.
At the Close of the Day, 2011
-Storm Brewing alludes to common notions of Britishness, such as umbrellas and the rain or tea drinking but it also alludes to both an intimate and immense space; we can read both puddle and sea in one space. The tea cup sinks in the clear resin up to the rim of the cup; there remains a tension between submergence and buoyancy. The dynamic configuration of the umbrella and teacup implies that at any point the cup may be launched out of the umbrella. Comparisons could be made to Britain's current financial and political situation.
Mantelpose, 2010
-this work came about through an exploration of the domestic realm. Using the site of my home, I made a series of interventions using either members of my family or installations as a means of reconsidering or subverting familiar spaces and sites.
At the Close of the Day, 2011
-Storm Brewing alludes to common notions of Britishness, such as umbrellas and the rain or tea drinking but it also alludes to both an intimate and immense space; we can read both puddle and sea in one space. The tea cup sinks in the clear resin up to the rim of the cup; there remains a tension between submergence and buoyancy. The dynamic configuration of the umbrella and teacup implies that at any point the cup may be launched out of the umbrella. Comparisons could be made to Britain's current financial and political situation.
Mantelpose, 2010
-this work came about through an exploration of the domestic realm. Using the site of my home, I made a series of interventions using either members of my family or installations as a means of reconsidering or subverting familiar spaces and sites.
Artist research Abigail Duffty
The art work becomes less a 'work' than a process of meaning-making interactions.' Allan Kaprow
Since 2007 I have been working under the pseudonym of the Institution of Meaningful Interaction (IMI), which has been a platform for participatory live art. Creating events/happenings that set out to redefine the relationship between audience, object, space and performer through play. Using the observations of everyday situations to engage the audience into ritual activity that highlight our humanity.
Through out the last year I have become interested in the relationships between 'self' and the 'other', in relation to connecting through contemporary modes of communication such as the social networking sites and the use of technology as the extension of man. Which in turn highlights that we are defined by the 'other' and how we don't exist within a vacuum. Drawing inspiration from such works of the Happenings in the 1950s and 1960s IMI has set out to develop the idea of a contemporary Happening.
Flux, the state that the audience and the performer find themselves in during a performance has also become an important part of my researching area. Looking into how the performance space 'provides a sense of immediacy, feedback, and direct communication' as Lucy Lippard mentioned in Leaving Art: Writings on performance, politics, and publics, 1974-2007 by Suzanne Lacy.
By creating performative installations from low-fi materials such as cardboard, paper mache, paint and so on the audience is invited into the immersive world. Upon entering the performance space the audience take on the role of performer by interacting with the mechanical objects within the space. In doing this they begin to create a dialogue between objects, space, audience and performers. This dialogue creates this sense of immediacy and feedback that Lucy Lippard state, by a direct communication from one being the audience to the other being the object.
I use oversized everyday objects that have mechanical elements in order that when the audience interacting with them they enter into a state of play. The use of humour creates a comfortable environment for ritual tasks to take place. Allowing for the audience member to cross the threshold of reality into the hyper reality of the performance space, suspending their belief for the duration of the event/happening. In this process of play the audience begin to partake in meaning-making interaction through the use of direct communication with the objects and other members of the audience in the immersive world. This meaningful interaction is where I would like to continue my research and develop my practice.
Since 2007 I have been working under the pseudonym of the Institution of Meaningful Interaction (IMI), which has been a platform for participatory live art. Creating events/happenings that set out to redefine the relationship between audience, object, space and performer through play. Using the observations of everyday situations to engage the audience into ritual activity that highlight our humanity.
Through out the last year I have become interested in the relationships between 'self' and the 'other', in relation to connecting through contemporary modes of communication such as the social networking sites and the use of technology as the extension of man. Which in turn highlights that we are defined by the 'other' and how we don't exist within a vacuum. Drawing inspiration from such works of the Happenings in the 1950s and 1960s IMI has set out to develop the idea of a contemporary Happening.
Flux, the state that the audience and the performer find themselves in during a performance has also become an important part of my researching area. Looking into how the performance space 'provides a sense of immediacy, feedback, and direct communication' as Lucy Lippard mentioned in Leaving Art: Writings on performance, politics, and publics, 1974-2007 by Suzanne Lacy.
By creating performative installations from low-fi materials such as cardboard, paper mache, paint and so on the audience is invited into the immersive world. Upon entering the performance space the audience take on the role of performer by interacting with the mechanical objects within the space. In doing this they begin to create a dialogue between objects, space, audience and performers. This dialogue creates this sense of immediacy and feedback that Lucy Lippard state, by a direct communication from one being the audience to the other being the object.
I use oversized everyday objects that have mechanical elements in order that when the audience interacting with them they enter into a state of play. The use of humour creates a comfortable environment for ritual tasks to take place. Allowing for the audience member to cross the threshold of reality into the hyper reality of the performance space, suspending their belief for the duration of the event/happening. In this process of play the audience begin to partake in meaning-making interaction through the use of direct communication with the objects and other members of the audience in the immersive world. This meaningful interaction is where I would like to continue my research and develop my practice.
Manifesto of Existence, 2009
Performance based on the ritualised activities of everyday life. Using oversized objects to highlight the humour of the activities that give us structure and assurance. The performers repeated their given tasks whilst reciting the manifesto over and over again.
i like the humour n play with her work, the everyday nature and the oversizing
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)