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.

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

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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