2-28-10 Artist Post, Neil Pardington

Neil Pardington

Neil Pardington's "The Vault" series is based off the idea behind 'The Radcliffe Camera' building. In Latin, a 'camera' is a vaulted room or chamber, closely linked to the camera obscura and illumination chambers. Pardington views the camera as a miniature room within itself in "The Vault," particularly a "storehouse of ideas and images (or as Kodak would have it, memories)."

"In a somewhat reflexive manner, this series focuses on the places we store those things that are most precious to us, and conversely those very similar spaces we store the obsolete and unwanted."

Pardinton visited archives, libraries, banks, museums and art spaces to photograph spaces of storage that visually "shrink and gleam in their dark stores."

"There is a redolence of a different kind- the collected clture and history of those things we deem important enough to keep, and those we too easily discard. And in the end we may wonder which tells us more about ourselves."

Ornithology Store #2, 2006

Land and Marine Mammal Store #3, 2006

Land and Marine Mammal Store #5, 2006

Land and Marine Mammal Store #1, 2006

neilpardington.com

2-24-10 Idea Post

Western culture is introduced to animal anthropomorphism at such a young age that upon reaching adulthood the notion becomes second nature (no pun intended). Children grow up in a world of animals whether they realize it or not. They are raised by animals. Stuffed animals, colors, nursery rhymes, the ABC's, and entertainment in which the main or all characters are animals have flooded child development, teaching children how to function through and with the domestication of animals on a daily basis. Western culture grows up with animals and naturally learns about life and death from animals.

With this growth comes "the small deaths of childhood innocence that occur on the road to becoming an adult" says Susan Worsham. susanworshamphotography.com

I can remember several of these childhood deaths coming from my relationships with animals.

Adulteration : To make impure by adding extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients; to pollute

For example:
Can you remember the first time you saw two animals mating on Discovery Chanel and were old enough to realize what they were doing? A piece of childhood innocence died at that moment (on your way to adulthood) as it learned about sex through animals.



Many children also learn about death through family pets or movies in which animal characters die.

Other examples of anthropomorphism familiar to children:

The snuggle bear looks nothing like a real bear. He walks on two legs (just like us) and has friendly facial features (eyes, smile). He's not hairy like a bear either.... he's lumpy looking, BUT very soft. If Snuggle fabric softener is so amazing it can turn a grizzly bear into a snuggly, giggling, soft teddy plush, it most certainly is soft enough for YOUR clothes!


Horse eyes aren't nearly this cute, but if we make them more human-like and give the pony rainbow hair and pastel skin, little girls want to brush the pony's hair. What does this teach children about ponies? What does the snuggle bear do to better human relationships with bears? Bears come off as friendly and soft when in reality, you should keep your distance should you come across one in the wild.

2-23-10 Individual Meeting with Tom

Today's meeting with Tom was very successful and much more fulfilling than the last. Instead of going in with insecurities/confusion concerning my work, I went in with a positive, confident attitude. I laid down my project's concept, aesthetic, and desires. I didn't give Tom any choice but to sit and listen.

The successful images produced last semester came from shooting at my grandparent's house in Staunton, Va. I found the lighting and conditions of the house pleasing to my concept, and this semester is no different. I showed Tom my images from the past week and a half (below) and stated that the more successful shots came from the Staunton residence. I realized this house and its contents are vital to my ideas. Shooting 'practice' shots at my apartment and polishing them in Staunton is my current plan of action.

We discussed achieving the same lighting quality at my apt as well. My images use natural light, and the color of natural light changes throughout the year. Natural light in the winter is much colder than warm natural light in the fall. Photoshop could be the answer to this color continuation.

I also brought up Susan Worsham's "Some Fox Trails in Virginia" series (my latest artist post). Her aesthetic is incredibly similar to mine and, her concerns with the death of family history pertaining to location is directly related to the impending loss of my grandparent's house. She says:
"My work has always been a metaphor for my own growing up, and the small deaths of childhood innocence that occur on the road to becoming an adult."

If you have been following my previous blogs or are familiar with my concept, you understand the relevance of the above quote to my work. It more or less is my work, only I approach these deaths as being brought about through anthropomorphism and the domestication of animals.


I do not plan to use this shot in my series. I was following Tom's "don't think, just shoot" method in which you follow through on any photo idea you may have. The shoot didn't go quite as planned. This image looked more grandiose in my mind. I do think it has the potential for a spin off project though...


Do you think it's strange that we put plants into designated containers? How is their domestication different from that of animals?


This is a strong image I do plan on expanding upon in my series. I like the idea, but don't know if the setting/color palette matches the rest of the photos in the series. I am planning on re-shooting this photo in Staunton.



These last two images were taken in Staunton. While both need work, I think the top image is closer to completion.

Can you relate to any of the above images? Which (if any) do you think connect most with the photographs I finished off with last semester? [The photos from last semester are hanging in the hallways in Pollack right now] Do you have any suggestions or comments on how you are personally relating to my work? What do I need to work on to relate more to you all as an audience?

2-22-10 Artist Post, Susan Worsham

Susan Worsham

Susan Worsham's series Some Fox Trails in Virginia is particularly relevant to the work I am developing now. Her photos were taken in and around where she grew up in Virginia. They "act as a metaphorical map of the rediscovered paths of my childhood home."

"At the age of 34, I came back to Virginia to care for my mother, who died shortly after my return. As the last of my family passed, I turned my lens to old friends, and their new families. I photographed the hosue in which I grew up... These photographs are not meant to be purely autobiographical, but rather representations of how I view things based on my own experiences and those of the people that I have met along the way. My work has always been a metaphor for my own growing up, and the small deaths of childhood innocence that occur on the road to becoming an adult."

Susan seeks, most of all, to bridge the gap between her past and present lives by photographing them both within the same frame. In some ways, this approach is very similar to mine. Most of my images are taken at my grandparent's house in Staunton, Va or with objects from their house. The house is a place of many childhood memories and a great influence on who I have become and the art I produce. That house is now a landscape of solitude and family history that gradually seeps into my photography. The condition of the house has been degrading for some time and it now stands empty of life as history is packed into boxes or distributed amongst family members.

Combining this aspect of family history with the influence of animal anthropomorphism is my main focus. Many of her images touch on this subject as well.

http://susanworshamphotography.com/home.html

Window Box Remains, 2008

Untitled, 2008

Lively Little Rabbit, 2008

The Beekeeper's Other Daughter, 2008

Idea Post/Visiting Artist Lecture: Hank Willis Thomas 2-16-10

Hank Willis Thomas

Willis Thompson describes his work as an examination of "off whiteness or pitch blackness" inspired predominantly by the murder of his cousin and advertising. He views "logos as our (Western Culture) generation's hieroglyphs" responsible for the documentation of our unfolding history of consumerism, language, and class as well as segregation and racism's permeation into our product dependency. His work uses the "language of advertising to talk about things advertising could never talk about."

With the death of his cousin, Willis Thompson produced "Winter in America" as a commentary on Western Culture's desensitization to violence starting in childhood. He became intrigued by the power objects have over people in similar ways to his cousin's murder. People were "getting killed over air jordans, triple down coats, gold chains, [etc]. Their lives are being equated to these objects."

Hank Willis Thompson continues to be inspired by his cousin, mother (also a photographer), and advertising. "We see so many ads in a day." He urges audiences to think critically about the images put in front of them by advertising companies and the power they may have over our culture.

Priceless, 2004
Absolute Power, 2003

Songha and Gun, 2005
Still from Winter in America

Then & Now T-Shirt, 2004

http://hankwillisthomas.com/

Visiting Artist Lecture: Paul Pfeiffer 2-15-10

Paul Pfeiffer

Mr. Pfeiffer (as apposed to some, but not all visiting artist at VCU) had a lot of great ideas that he was verbally able to communicate. It sounds weird when I put it that way, but sometimes I feel the visiting artists only talk about their existing work and tend to avoid discussing the ideas behind them.

"Art making is not just about making art objects. Art has a psychological central to it."

Pfeiffer described an abstract concept understood only through feelings that is hard to put into words or actions. There is an unseen code that is understood through art- sort of like subliminal feeling. "When you've made something (successful), you can feel it." This feeling is often shared with the viewer. Pfeiffer attributes some success of this 'code' to the amount of information included within artwork. A piece is just as much about what it include as it is about what is not included. He relates this amount of information to a scientific bell curve with the x axis describing the amount of information included and the y axis being the audience's interest level. There is a peak of interest in the middle of the graph that tapers off as more information is added. Too much or too little information leads to less interest. Behavioral studies (such as the bell curve) can lead artists to understand their viewers in a new light.

Pfeiffer works within several media. He is primarily a video artist, but also creates photographs and sculptures. Most of his projects would not fit into one medium, but blur the line between one, two, or all three. Paul enjoys the quality of still images because there is neither a beginning or an end. The viewer determines the length of time he/she spends with the piece. This idea is stretched into his video art. He uses loops, constant surveillance feed, and videos of such great time length they would be impossible to watch (ie: three months) to let his audience determine their interaction.

The works which I responded to most in his lecture were his extra-long videos, "Empire" and "Orpheus Descending." The amount of time put into such projects (recorded in real time of 2-3 months) blows my mind, especially when compared to the amount of reaction they got from audiences. Neither of these projects were ever displayed with an explanation or introduction. Some viewers (if you can call people passing by viewers) never realized their ongoing art exposure.

I'm glad the sculpture department brought Paul Pfeiffer to VCU. Departments should bring in more multimedia artists!


Installation of "Orpheus Descending" 2001
http://www.rochester.edu/in_visible_culture/Issue4-IVC/orpheus3.html


Still from "Empire" 2004


Still from "Live Evil" 2002

2-14-10: Artist Post, Kiki Smith

Kiki Smith


As instructed, I watched the Art:21 episode "stories" featuring Kiki Smith. We have several common interests and concepts of how to make art. "The more you manipulate it (art), the more actual life you put into it," she says. I too am a very hands-on person and feel that my strongest art is that in which physical manipulation can be seen. She goes on to explain that "90% of the time you physically work on the creation of your art." Artist may be 'inspired' and constantly creating, but creation is not momentary and there are many unseen hours. This isn't a concept that is new to me, particularly after I added a craft minor. I have begun to appreciate the amount of time and physical work I put into my art. My time has become more valuable. This physical ability is also very important to Kiki Smith.

We have other similar interests/beliefs such as domestic life, mythological stories, intuition, and the strength of expressing your work and ideas through different media.

I was somewhat disappointed in the short video. She explained some beliefs and ideas in her work, but I would have liked to hear more about the driving forces behind them. What does she want her viewers to take away from her work? I suppose the whole point of the video is to get people interested and inspire them to look her up.

Smith's upbringing in the Catholic Church is an obvious inspiration. Common themes are life, death, resurrection, mythology, folk tales, domestic objects, and animals.

"Born" 2002

"Friend" 2008

"Walking Pig" 2004

2-11-10: Individual Meeting with Tom

Today's meeting was interesting. Communication was trying, but in the end I think we were both understood.

I showed Tom my work over the past few weeks, including my scan/reprints from a copyright free animal illustration book.




Tom pushed me again to explain my work. His questions forced me to think about my work from a different point of view. He asked me to explain myself as an artist as if I were talking to someone I had never met before. I responded saying I like to work with my hands to create realistic representations of animals and death. He pointed out that my work contains "residue of animals." AKA representations of animals but never the real living thing. I need to push this residue into an area that my target audience can more readily comprehend and connect. For example, a fur or pelt may be beautiful in my eyes, but repulsive, dirty, or disgusting in another person's eyes. I need to find representations that everyone can connect to in the same manner. Representations like this:

http://disney-clipart.com/bambi/jpg/Thumper.php

Audiences see Disney's Thumper and think, "What a cute rabbit!" They have similar reactions in which they assign positive anthropomorphic characteristics to a representation of an animal. By first establishing this connection and then manipulating the animal representations, my audience will better understand my work.

Tom gave me artists to look up. I am required to watch the Art:21 episodes for Kiki Smith, Arturo Herrera, Kara Walker, and Walton Ford. I love it when research is assigned for me!

Questions: What are the first five words that come to mind when you think of fur (fur as in a pelt, not a fur coat)? Honesty is a must no matter how strange your reaction might be. How about meat?

Do you think you would respond more to my images if the animal representations were more mainstream, friendly, and recognizable? Do you think I should continue to use fur or physical remnants of animals in some of my images as well as animal representations understood by the masses? Suggestions? Artists? Thoughts? Reactions?

2-10-10 Idea Post

Last night I stopped by Tan A Grocery Store and picked up 2 squid, 2-3 different kinds of whole fresh fish, pork bones, and a frozen duck. Asking the attendant to weight and price everything for me was awkward. I'm pretty sure he thought my random combination was near insane. =) The good news is that all that great material was only around 20 dollars!

I really wish I had a photograph of their amazing seafood/meat spread in the back of the store. It's pretty intense... and so is the smell.


I am planning on executing the meat pile still life this weekend and visit Staunton, Va the following Friday.

During the 'snow storm' this past weekend, I spent several hours inside another Barne's and Noble searching for information. I came across a book filled with 19th century animal wood engraving reproductions. "Animals" (Jim Harter) is filled with over 1,000 species of copyright-free illustrations that I eagerly snatched up and brought home. I scanned over 160 pages of the book and plan to reprint and use as a collage wallpaper or place mat in some of my images. The choice of animals to include in the photographs must be considered carefully, of course. This is why I checked out Hope Werness' "The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art."




I also put in an order for several furs at Moscow Hide and Fur (hideandfur.com). I hope they arrive SOON! I have been feeling stunted on ideas as of late and hope these new materials will spark something.

2-7-10 Artist Post, Peter Gronquist

Does this font look familiar? I simply love that his home page is titled using the Disney font! Coincidence? I have been running into a lot of coincidences lately. The more research I do, the more interconnected different aspects of my life become.

Peter Gronquist

I found Peter's name in a magazine at Barnes and Noble: "Hi-Fructose". His sculptural work relies heavily on juxtaposition, particularly his Sculpture + Weapons series. Disabled grenades, chainsaws, and guns are embellished with designer fashion labels as humorous commentary on "our culture's [Western culture] glamorization of violence, rampant consumerism, [and] war profiteering."

"I really wanted to make something completely ridiculous. Then people gave me money for them. So, I made a ton of them because I'm a whore. I find that it's a parody of myself because I also like rediculous things sometimes for no logical reason. I'm a victim of the rampant consumerism that I parody. It's all very confusing."
http://lostinasupermarket.com/2009/08/sculpture-weapons-by-peter-gronquist/

Gronquist's weapons have become so popular that Louis Vuitton sent him a Cease and Desist. This doesn't stop his production.

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

I am also interested in another series in which he pairs animals with designer fashion labels and guns. One word: juxtaposition.

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

petergronquist.com

2-4-10 Idea Post

I have been doing so much research lately, I don't know where to start. All of the images I produced last semester were still lifes, so I thought it was imperative that I research still lifes. The most recent book I read was about the early history of still lifes ("Still Life" by Norbert Schneider). I was particularly interested in the use of dead game, meat, and the inclusion of live animals.

Still life: a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made in an artificial setting.

The abundance of game, fish, and meat in still lifes reflects the economy. Only royalty and aristocrats were permitted to hunt (15th century law) and only they could afford to overindulge, therefore large spreads of meat (particularly in kitchen settings) came to represent wealth. Dead animal flesh also represented the temptations of the flesh and a lack of sensibility known as "voluptas carnis."

"Kitchen Scene" Adriaen van Nieulandt, 1616

"Kitchen Scene" Joachim Antonisz Uytewael, 1605

16th/17th century representations of dead animals were also warnings to religious followers.

"You who with much pleasure
Slay a swine or calf,
Think how on the Lord's Day
You will stand before God's Judgment"
"Still Life," Norbert Schneider (pg 34-35)

"Butcher's Stall" Pierter Aertsen, 1551

Finally, paintings of dead game were forms of trophies. These trompe-l'oeil pictures were often hung in hunting lodges.

"Still Life with Dead Birds and Hunting Weapons" Willem van Aelst, 1660

I came across many Latin sayings or words that I find relevant and I have been considering incorporating them through title, artist statement, or in the photos.

"Vogelen" - 'to catch birds' AKA 'to have sexual intercourse' (pg 40)

"Sub specie aeternitatis" - in the face of death (pg 79)

"Vanitas" - emptiness, meaninglessness of life and the transient nature of vanity (pg 76-87)

"Omnia morte cadont" - everything decays with death (pg 77)

"Mors ultima linea rerum/sic transit gloria mundi" - death is the line that marks the end of all/thus passes the blory of the world ("Still Life" by Gian Casper Bott pg 14-15)

In conclusion, this reading, as well as several others, has given me an idea for a photograph. A pile of meat (whole fish, slabs of beef, uncooked crustaceans, and generally anything else I can find of a similar nature) rests on a large platter while two animal figurines (children's toys) appear to be engaged in sexual intercourse in the foreground. I was thinking of using horse figures because of human intervention with reproduction (breeding), even from the days of early still lifes- particularly for 'the hunt.'

Other ideas will branch off from my research on still lifes.

2-2-10 The Humane Society Photo Contest

Though this contest may not be as well respected as National Geographic's International Photography Contest, I thought I'd enter it just the same. I love my pet!

This is Sergeant Pepper, adopted through the Richmond Ferret Rescue League:


Support the Humane Society's International Spay Day here:

https://photocontest.humanesociety.org/contest.html?page=viewInd&id=59488&contestId=2

1-28-10: Individual Meeting with Tom

I brought both images from last semester and more recent photos to the meeting today. It was great to get more response to final images from last semester (since we all didn't see or talk about them) and to discuss my current research/ideas.

Images from fall semester:






The major breakthrough I experienced at the end of last semester was my realization that I had been using animals to represent myself. In "Still In Life," I had been projecting myself into stiff domestic landscapes in which I was forced to coexist with humanness and impermanence. Asking myself why I had made this animal-human relation, I found several great resources.

The most informative book I found was "The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation" that finally opened my mind to the realization of man's drive to domesticate nature AND anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings, material states, and abstract concepts. I was first introduced (as a child) to anthropomorphism through Disney's animations that used and continues to use animals (anthropomorphically) as totemic-devices. As the viewer, I associated myself with the animal's imagined capacities and values. Disney also used these animal totemic-devices to heal man's (or my) separation from wild nature (particularly in western culture). I had been feeding off this established relationship that had been subconsciously ingrained in my head since I was a child.

It all makes sense now, right?

Tom simply smiled at me as I read him this quote:

"If our only access to animals in the past is through documents written by humans, then we are never looking at the animals, only ever at the representation of the animals by Humans." -"Representing Animals, Erica Fudge, pg 6

From here I stated that I want to continue the work from last semester, but building off this recent research. I narrowed down that my work applies to Western Culture, that it originates in childhood (particularly mine) and that it is an exploration of innocence through my anthropomorphic relationship with animals.

Tom suggested that pop culture, neo spiritualism, and animal effigies are all subjects I need to continue to research and consider including in my work. He told me to focus on determining how my work is supposed to function (a commentary, political statement, narrative, etc) and how the creation of images will be driven (aesthetically, intelligently, etc). I have a lot to think about and even more to experiment and RESEARCH!

Several questions I posed during the meeting included: How does Western Culture (based on the above explanation of anthropomorphism) relate to dead animals? Does the anthropomorphic behavior continue to take place? Do you think the above works are more aesthetically based (in terms of composition, subject matter) or intelligent? What are particular responses you are having to any image above?