James Turrell

I watched this Ted Talks podcast after class today, which inspired me to write about James Turrell, one of the artists that appeared in Rober Hughes American Visions: Age of Anxiety. The podcast was a presentation by lighting architect Rogier Van der Heide entitled "Why Light Needs Darkness." It was a really fascinating talk (and it can be watched for free through iTunes!). The point that Van der Heide makes is that one of the only reasons we as humans appreciate light is because of the presence of darkness. Because there is a contrast, we see the beauty in light. James Turrell really hones in on light in his artwork. What really caught my eye in the video we watched in class today was the Roden Crater in Arizona. From my knowledge, it isn't open, and from the research I've done, it sounds like it's under some strict supervision. Otherwise, I'd be planning a road-trip down to AZ to sneak into the Roden Crater because it sounds like a celestial experience. He transformed this crater into a gorgeous piece of art, focusing on light and observation of our skies. It looks truly beautiful and humbling. Here are some photos (from deputy-dog.com):

I want to go so badly! Anyway, we were given some questions to answer about the artist.

How does the artist utilize material/media/found object, in an art historical context, versus a contemporary context?

What's great about this piece is that he references history in the natural human desire to question our existence by looking to the skies. We often forget to look up, to gaze at stars, to appreciate the sun in our day-to-day lives. Humans have been building massive structures to do just that for hundreds of years. Look at Machu Picchu, look at the Great Pyramids; we just want to see the universe! Obviously, James Turrell is using products that were not available in previous times, but the message he's sending is universal across the life-span of homosapiens.

How do these materials inform the meaning of the piece?

The main "material" Turrell wants his visitors to focus on is the skies, and possibly the crater itself. The structure and what it's made of is not of focus, but the light and the view of the sky is. There is no painting, there is no work, and as was stated in the film we watched in class "the artwork takes place behind the viewer's eyes," which is such a beautiful concept.

What site was chosen for the artwork?

A volcanic crater in northern Arizona near Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. It is remote, and very difficult to find.

How does the site/place inform the meaning of the artwork?

Because it is so remote, it gives it a sense of being special and an extraordinary thing. The fact that it is in Arizona doesn't mean much, but this is the first time a volcanic crater has ever been transformed to this extent for any purpose, especially artistic. It sounds like it would be a heavenly experience to visit Roden Crater and I cannot wait to someday visit. He truly uses the form of the Earth to not only create meaning, but to intensify it. I'm really excited about this!

Livia Marin

Broken Things

Order and Similarity II
(~8,000 plastic seals from bottles)

Untitled (unhomely)
(rubber nipples)

"Fictions of a Use I"
(lipstick)
(all images from hompages.gold.ac.uk)

I think the title of Livia Marin's more recent exhibitions is perfectly fitting for her work as a whole: "Manuf®actured: The Conspicuous Transformation of Everyday Objects." What I like about Marin's artwork versus other transformation artists is that she definitely has a woman's touch, using things like lipstick, rubber nipples and pretty ceramic pieces. All of her work is clean, and very well crafted. She's from Chile, which I found interesting as she never makes any insinuation of race. Her work could be understood across many languages. She often uses consumer goods in her work, perhaps making a comment on humans and their relationship to material goods. I read an interview on itsnicethat.com and she says that she both uses objects that she's found and objects she's created, in reference to the "Broken Things" exhibit. She created some ceramic pieces, found some ceramic pieces, used old design patterns, and created new design patterns. It's impressive how cohesive and well-crafted it is, for being a jumble of original/used elements. 

transformation

In light of artists like Jeff Koons and Tom Friedman - we're doing a transformation project. Take an everyday object and change it. Make it art. Change the meaning. Make a comment.

The first idea that came to me involved tooth brushes (I have a thing with dental care...). I didn't know what kind of message I wanted to send with it though. I started by making these lists:

Formal Qualities:
Long
Skinny
Varied colors/designs
Plastic (able to melt and bend)
Bristles (grouped together at one end)

Function/Meaning/Associations:
Cleaning
Teeth/Mouths
Hygiene
Toothpaste, floss, mouthwash
Bathrooms
Dentists/Orthodontist

Then I scrapped this idea. Because I don't have a desirable number of toothbrushes lying around, and I really don't want to unnecessarily spend money when I know I can find something that I already have.
So what do I have a lot of? I asked myself. Crossword puzzles. Books. Glass bottles. 2 shoeboxes of Pez dispensers. Aha! Pez. Perfect.

Formal Qualities:
Reclining character head
Dispenser mechanism
About 5 in. long
Thin
Base (foot)
Varied colors
Hard plastic

Function/Meaning/Association:
Dispenses candy
Childhood
Uniformity
      - alternately, unique in the variety of dispensers
Playfulness
Collection
Sweet
Reward
Satisfaction (instant)
Proportion

The first thing that comes to people's minds when I tell them about my idea is pills. Dispensing pills. And that's what I thought of, too, at first, and that may be the path I end up taking. However, it just seems too easy. I was thinking of playing with the idea of collection a little bit. Since I have so many (and I don't mind sacrificing most of them), I was thinking I could put them all together and spray paint them - so they lose their value as collectible.

I haven't made any solid choices yet. I'm still playing.

Tom Friedman

9 cereal boxes cut into small squares, fashioned into one box.

(detail) Styrofoam cups. Painted.

Hole-punched text.

(all images from designboom.com)

Tom Friedman is meticulous. He is obsessive. He pays close attention to detail. Like Koons, he invites the viewer to question what makes art. What I like about Tom Friedman is that the value in his work comes not from the material it was made with, but by the obvious time, care and attention given to each piece. He pays close attention to craft and always has specific content behind his work.

Also, another thing to be said about Tom Friedman is that he definitely makes comments about today's world. He lives in the now. Hole punches, foam cups, toothpicks, bars of soap - all modern human products.

Some may say that he is taking the value away from art by using things that are readily available to the average man, but to say that is unfair. By seeing art in things that normally have no connections to the subject, I think, shows intelligence.