Luma Exhibitions

Octoroon- "Challenging expectations around representations of identity in contemporary Indigenous art, this exhibition tackles stereotypes and presuppositions head on. Interrogating, subverting and repurposing marginalising terminology, Octoroon raises questions about the compartmentalisation of aspects of identity and what the focus of a person's identity is or should be" (Latrobe University, 2015)

Week 2: Observations and discussions of the Luma exhibits:

Steven Rhall

-in the lecture I commented that the piece reminded me of the idea of reality TV, as it has the similar concept of capturing fragments of one's life

-the frames are of old television screens, photos are imperfect and don't fit the frame (which is like life itself), presenting a snapshot of the ordinary person's life (Australian middle class). This triggers my own interpretation of the artwork, making me notice small insignificant moments that this piece exhibits, that if you were to take a step back and see all the screens as a whole, you can begin to understand a persons lifestyle and ultimately their identity.

Eg. Geelong supporters appears to be an ongoing theme, which also suggests the culture/ identity of the subject matter

-the setting of the subject matter is approachable for the viewer, as it is more relatable to our own lives, as we live in a closer/ familiar life (Australian middle class, not necessarily Geelong supporters), as opposed to Takahiro Iwasaki's work, who identifies with the Japanese culture. 

Bindi Cole

-this instillation was my favourite of the works, as it allowed the viewer to quite literally walk into someone else's life and enter the thoughts of Bindi Cole

-the entire piece was extremely personal, set up like a bedroom (hence the feeling of walking into someone else's world)

-the themes are dark, however she told it like a dreamlike nighttime story on a screen above the bed, which seemed very performed and created a sense of a stage production. However, this did not detract from the traumatic themes, as I interpreted this 'dreamlike' effect to be a kind of denial and a way of coping with the brutal reality. The video could be to allow her to deal with that fact about her life, so to mediate it in such a soft way is more for her to process and come into acceptance within herself, which intensifies the personality of the piece; it is more of a journey for her which she happens to invite other people to encounter. 

-Cole is trapped inside the screen like how she was trapped behind bars, which I thought was a powerful decision. But this was also with her journals, being held in closed display cases and stuck on particular pages the forces the visitor to read her stream of thoughts over and over again, as if on a never ending cycle of torment

'On the edge of the unknown' Bindi Cole

Peta Clancy and Helen Pynor

-personally, I felt disconnected and confused by this collaborate piece, however maybe this was the artists' intention. The idea of organ transplant, is bluntly, the action of putting a alien object into a foreign landscape, so my feeling disconnected and confused may be like what an organ experiences when it enters a new body. 

-this piece raises ethical ideas, with the conflicting emotion of waiting for an organ transplant and the want to survive, but in order to do so, having the knowledge that usually in the process they have to wait for someone to die. The film of the people under water, could be about the feeling of being submerged with these emotions, in that moment of waiting, and then the relief of taking a breath of air when returning and rising to the surface

-the clip demonstration of the heart transplant seemed to me more like a documentary than anything else, however the whole process in itself is a work of art, being able to bring life.

References:

Cole, Bindi (September 2013), On the Edge of the Unknown (online) retrieved 19th March 2015 from http://bindicole.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/on-edge-of-unknown.html 

Latrobe University (2015), Luma Octoroon (information pamphlet), curated by Michael Brennan and Bindi Cole

Takahiro Iwasaki

Takahiro Iwasaki's reflection model of Itsukushima exhibited at the NGV

all photo's were taken by myself on my visit on the 6th March 2015

Initial observation notes:
-in room with light wooden floors, white walls
-suspended over a meter about the ground- which gives the impression of vastness and floating- by thin wires from the ceiling
-the gateway of the structure around four meters in front of the main building
-the mirror image gives the effect of a reflection on possibly a waters edge, or even a symbolic decision to inspire/ prompt the viewer into "reflecting" the sacredness of the subject and the Japanese culture- to think of the past
-despite the disrupting noise from other rooms of the gallery, the room is tranquil and there is a sense of serenity (like the floating model)
-Iwasaki displays intricate and meticulous attention to detail and looking through the miniature hallways, you get an understanding of the grandeur of the building
-Iwasaki has a spiritual connection with the shrine

Brief notes from the descriptions: (these descriptions are retrieved from the National Gallery of Victoria)
-"precise 3-D models, suspended in a way that combines the building with it's illusionary reflection to create a single unique form"
-"he incorporates the age-old Japanese concept of "durability founding flexibility"... fourteen parts of the sculpture nestle into each other that does not lock them into place but allows model to move without stress points and breakage... constructed from the traditional building material of untreated cypress wood..."
-(Itsukushima Shrine was established in 593, rebuilt and expanded by military ruler Tavia Kiyomori in 1169) "constructed over tidal flats, appears to float on waters surface... Nirvana interpreted as a floating world released from the confines of gravity..."
-Iwasaki "pays homage to historic architectural masterpieces, creating a dreamlike experience of weightlessness and paradise..." and sees this particular work as a "massive and important project."

Discussion notes after seeing exhibition:
-the reflection model was an extended replication of reality, allowing the viewer to not only reflect the building in the model, but of the actual building itself
-the religion of 'Shinto'- reflecting on the fact that things have happened in such a way and being thankful. Process of reflection is intrinsically woven in Japanese culture, which is evident in Iwasaki's model of this particular sacred shrine

References:

Itsukushima reflection model 2013, National Gallery of Victoria, Felton Bequest (2014) 

Visiting art exhibitions

When going to an art exhibition and not having already been familiar with the artist, I like to develop my own interpretation based on my initial observations. And it is only after I've seen the work and understand it with my own ignorant eyes, that I read about the artist and their work and discover what  were their intentions with a piece. And it is then that I see if I saw what they wanted me too, if I feel what they wanted me to- if yes, then they were able to achieve their goal and if not, well, that is what art is: in a constant state of flux because the individual viewer sees everything in their own unique way, with their own understandings of the world, their own background and social upbringing, etc. to determine their mindsets for analysing/ interpreting art and even day to day life.

This leads to the question of "what is art?" My personal response to that, is "art is an undetermined abstract thing that is whatever the individual perceives it to be." There are no two people who would interpret a work of art in the exactly the same way; art is a personal journey.

In class, we were advised to think about how you would encounter things as artists- what does work evoke, what you instinctively feel emotionally, physically and also try to understand what the artist was thinking throughout their entire process. Art doesn't tell us stories, it is to make you think and to allow you to make the links yourself- art is a prompt. 

'Versions' 2015: introduction

This year's continuation of creative arts is 'Versions' where we will learn what makes an artist an artist. The difference of being an artist and not begin one is doing it; it is easy to go to an art gallery and see a modern work of art and think "I could've down that" but the key point is that you didn't.  This course aims to teach us to think like an artist- to intuitively tune into our sensitivities, like the beauty and horror in everyday things, seeing patterns and making connections, observing things in an alternative way, and to learn to be persistent, committed, willing to take risks (art and fear) and pursue our creative interests with passion and intensity.

The first lecture was just an introduction to this, and particular phrases and ideas stood out to me:

-An artist attempts and makes art and acknowledges that failure is a large part of the endeavour.
-Artists have to be sensitive to things that people otherwise wouldn't be attuned to, for example, paying close attention to colour or light.
-We can paint things that appeal to the human eye and emotion, and because of this, art has gone further away from capturing a realistic interpretation (especially since we have the camera for that) and interpreting the subject matter is of the artists personal impression. When looking at the Impressionist movement with painting with light and colours rather than focussing on an actual representation of an object- the French impressionists for example, were able to capture the soft light of France.

retrieved from The Fitzwilliam Museum

-After the Impressionists (the artists capturing the impression of something) cam expressionism (more modern and rather than trying to show what they saw, it is the need to express and convey the emotions that you feel when you see the subject matter, for example Picasso)
-Children don't have preconceptions about the world, and saw what they know but they draw just expression. Picasso explained that he spent his childhood painting like an adult and spent his entire adult life trying to paint like a child, to regain that sense of childhood creative freedom- the expression. When we see 'Guernica' it presents an array of emotion and feeling for the viewer, for example, I would describe the painting with words such as: pain, broken, disorder, suffering, senselessness, chaos, disjointed, explosion, mutilation, sadness and stark- he is putting something on canvas that he cannot describe in any other kind of medium.

Picasso's 'Guernica' retrieved from pablopicasso.org

The conclusion of the lecture resonated out especially about art, of thinking outside standard structures like great artists of the past and present, to delve into our souls and not be afraid of confronting and dark subject matter, but also to see the lightness and joy of others. Art is revealing, with endless flexibility and freedom, making the role of the artist isn't to make nice things, but to create a version of whatever they wish to address and reflect on. 




References:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (University of Cambridge), French Impressionists: introduction (online), retrieved 4th March 2015 from http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/gallery/FrenchImpressionists/

Guernica, 1937 by Pablo Picasso (online), (2009), retrieved 4th March 2015 from http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp