We don't need another hero (1985)

Violence is an Illustration of a Pathetic Stereotype (1991)

American conceptual/pop artist Barbara Kruger is internationally renowned for her signature black, white and red poster-style works of art that convey in-your-face messages on women's rights and issues of power. Coming out of the magazine publishing industry, Kruger knows precisely how to capture the viewer's attention with her bold and witty photomurals displayed on billboards, bus stops and public transportation as well as in major museums and galleries wordwide. She has edited books on cultural theory, including Remaking History for the Dia Foundation, and has published articles in the New York Times, Artforum, and other periodicals. Monographs on her work include Love for Sale, We Won't Play Nature to Your Culture and others. She is represented in New York by Mary Boone Gallery. A major exhibition of her work will be presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles in fall 1999, and at the Whitney Museum in New York in 2000.

Research Kruger's work to find an example from the 1970s or 1980s to compare with a more recent work. How has Kruger's work changed with the developments in contemporary visual arts? Describe a recent work that moves away from the 'poster' type work of her early career.

Give me all you've got (1987)

Barbara Kruger is well known for her trademark monochrome layer of texts and images that creates 50’s and 60’s vintage style. Robecchi (2010) describes her style as “ These monochromes’ layer of text and found images are study on the relationship between two while delivering witty commentaries on subjects the artist either invented or borrowed.”

Between being born and dying (2009)

When I looked at her earlier work in 1970s or 1980’s she explores her idea just on the poster format. Most of times it is in monochrome or cool coloured with her trademarked red and white writings but there are exceptions. For example, “Give me all you’ve got (1987), look how bright the colour is but there is always apparent reason to use colours in her posters. Other than it, she was sincerely held on
to her monochromic, vintage style posters. But in 1991, she had done a 3 dimensional installation work called “All Violence is an Illustration of Pathetic Stereotype.” She did not adopt her traditional vintage type font to installation works she instead used bold graphical font that kicks away vintage-ness. After her new experiment work to 3 dimensional visual art, she still produces her trademark style posters on other hand she produces 3 dimensional works recently such as “Between being born and dying” (2009) and her new installation at the art gallery of Ontario (AGO).

Installation at AGO (2010)

Find 2-3 works by Kruger to add to your blog.


How does the audience experience a more spatial, installation artwork compared with a poster?

In my opinion, one thing that spatial art has advantage over 2 dimensional works is the way to better communication with audience. The audience can get more impression or impact by 3 dimensional works. When I looked at Kruger’s recent installations I felt that her use of texts, font, and its placement are giving more graphical impact due to sense of space than when it is on just a flat paper. I think installation is better way for her style to communicate audience.

What elements does Kruger use in her work to create a strong impact?
Firstly she uses vintage style pictures that are seem to be seen in black and white television. This gives her style uniqueness. Secondly Kruger is very good with her witty texts and place them at just the right place, this is very evident in her installations. Lastly she uses very suitable fonts in the right sizes in different works.

All of those things above create powerful visual images.

Comment on the development of her work over the last 30 years.
Kruger’s earlier works were usually stuck to her principles; simple, graphic picture in monochrome, witty vintage font texts that connect with picture well and little point bit of red in every posters. I think because she followed her own style, she had eventually creates big impacts on design that her style is now used and accepted as an own trademark.

Besides her aesthetic side of her works, I admire her and her work because of Barbara Kruger’s strong ideology of feminism and peace. Her works truly reflects her colour.

Reference List

Barbara Kruger (n.d.) Retrieved September 1, 2010 from http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kruger.html

Barbara Kruger: Between being born and dying (2009). Retrieved September 1, 2010 from http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/7933/barbara-kruger-between-being-born-and-dying.html

Barbara Kruger installation at AGO(2010). Retrieved September 1, 2010 from

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/10062/barbara-kruger-installation-at-the-ago.html

Robecchi, M (2010) Barbara Kruger. Flash Art, volume no. 270

Napoleon Crossing the Alps (also known as Napoleon at the Saint-Bernard Pass or Bonaparte Crossing the Alps)(1801) by the French artist Jacques-Louis David

Napoleon Leading the Army Over Alps (2005), oil on canvas, 9’x9’

In short, intertextuality suggests there is no brand-new text, literature or art that all the text exist in relation to others, according to Chandler (2003). There are no ideas, concept, art, text or literature that is not influenced by any other previous of ones.This is because people are inevitable of getting influenced by what we see and read.



When most artists regards intertexuality to create something different, Kahinde uses this idea to inherit old heritages to make his portrait paintings. He depicts black or brown people just like heroes in the past and the way he does this is he places the model in the similar to some famous paintings of past. The interesting part is that the models his painting are dressed in everyday casual that makes big atmospheric contrast to the originals (the paintings Kehinde makes parodies of). I think Kehinde is definetly making good connection to the ideas that originals have, for example, the courage and nobleness of portrayed figures. Also I think that connection gives his painting uniqueness.

Pluralism is post-modern movement that opposes modernism idea of domination of visual culture by single culture or society (European, high, middle class male). According to Caldwell (1999) “Pluralism in art refers to the nature of art forms and artists as diverse...Art can communicate multiple identities within one culture as well as make cross-cultural comparison.” As well as his paintings, Kehinder himself shows pluralism because of his race and sexuality. This is because modernist concept of art is priviledged to the white, high or middle class, educated male. However on the other hand, he is in the high position in this modernist hierarchy because he has high education (received his MFA in Yale University). Nevertheless, his works perfectly representing cross-cultural comparison like Napoleon and a black man who positioned very alike. I think his works are protesting against the past modernism thought which is still wide spread today
“That’s partly the success of my work—the ability to have a young black girl walk into the brooklyn museum and see paintings she recognizes not because of their art or historical influence but because of their inflection.”—Kehinde Wiley (from Interviewmagazine)
. Also he does this to narrow the gap between a different culture to culture.









Reference List


Caldwell, B (1999) Cultural context retrieved 16 Oct 2003 from http://www.public.iastate.edu/!design/ART/NAB.PluArt.html


Chandler, D (2003) Intertextuality. Retrieved October 9, 2003 from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem09.html


M.I.A . kehinde WIELY(n.d.) Retrieved September 1, 2010 from http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/kehinde-wiley/3/


Artist statement. (n.d.) Retrieved September 1, 2010 from http://www.kehindewiley.com/main.html

This week we will be visiting the Auckland Art Gallery to view, research and write about the artists selected for the Walters Prize 2010. Discuss the work in the gallery with your tutors and other students and answer the following questions.



1. What is the background to the Walters Prize?


Walters Prize is biennial award named in honour of artist Gordon Walters. It is award to New Zealand contemproray artists who made excellent comtribution to NZ contemporary art during recent 2 years. The prize includes $50,000 and an all expense paid trip to New York and to exhibit at Saatchi & Saatchi’s world headquarters. It is established by founding benefactors and principal donors Erika and Robin Congreve and Dame Jenny Gibbs to serve the purpose of encouraging NZ contemporary art.


2. List the 4 selected artists for 2010 and briefly describe their work.


2010 finalists are:


Dan Arps: Explaining Things shown at Gambia Castle, Auckland (7-24 December 2008). His work is mixed media and really it was mixed mixture of media that made me think about what he really was talking about and I found out the title of the work is “Expaining Things” then I realised that is what Arps really expected from the audience. This is some of his word in article “Artists with eyes on prize”(2010,Jul,24)The New Zealand Herald


"I've been thinking that these objects have all been divorced from their original purpose. As symbols they are kind of broken. So I guess they don't really make an easy sense, and in that they focus attention on our process of making sense of something."-Dan Arps


Fiona Connor: Something Transparent (please go round the back), 2009, glass, timber, metal and plastic fittings, acrylic, vinyl transfer shown at Michael Lett, Auckland. This work is a replica of the gallery ceiling but placed in ground. The white constructive object is sometimes looked too natural to be there that at first I did not notice that was the work. This is some description of her work presented at Michel Lett’s gallery space: from the article “Artists with eyes on prize”(2010,Jul,24)The New Zealand Herald


The gallery's front entrance was replicated, in both appearance and scale, 14 times throughout the gallery space. The installation filled the entire gallery space and (please go round the back) encouraged viewers to enter the gallery through the back entrance and see the work reversed.




Saskia Leek: Yellow is the Putty of the World shown at Ivan Anthony Gallery, Auckland (25 November - 23 December 2009) She has done a series of oil paintings that are in small size compare to rest of others works. She mainly used pastel colours and often layered them smartly in canvas to create such a pretty and tranquil picture. She depicts many subject matters from fruits to sailing ship. Here is her quote from the article “Artists with eyes on prize”(2010,Jul,24)The New Zealand Herald

"I never ever throw anything away. When I start a new show I sometimes put old paintings out that didn't work when I started them and I rework them. Often you can see this [reworking] in the background."-Saskia Leek



Alex Monteith: Passing Manoeuvre with Two Motorcycles and 584 Vehicles for Two-Channel Video shown at ST PAUL St, Auckland (19 June - 7 July 2008) It is a video installation where two screens playing simultaneously following two motorcycle at front view and at rear. It show dangerous ‘lane splitting’ and speed that makes audience feel the very sense of nervous and also excitement.


3. Who are the jury members for 2010?


The jury members for 2010 are Jon Bywater, Rhana Devenport, 
Leonhard Emmerling, and
Kate Montgomery

4. Who is the judge for 2010 and what is his position in the art world?



The Walters Prize judge for 2010 is Vicente Todoli. He was the Director for the British national museum of international modern art, Tate Modern, which is one of most prestige art museum, until just recently he resign.






5. Who would you nominate for this year’s Walter's Prize, and why? Substantiate you answer by outlining the strengths of the artists work. How does this relate to your interests in art? What aspect of their work is successful in your opinion,
in terms of ideas, materials and/or installation of the work?


I want to nominate Fiona Connor. To me her work is very interesting. Who would think to copy architectural structure of the gallery where the work will be located? I really like her witty name of the work Something Transparent (please go round the back). I am pleased of the craftsmanship of the installation also. I like this work because I like installation art that really communicates the audience and that anticipates audience.










Reference List


Artists with eyes on prize (2010, Jul 24). The New Zealand Herald, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10660949


Rawlins, J (2010), Fiona Connor, Flash Art, volume no. 267 p.102


The Walters Prize 2010. (2010). Retrieved August 31, 2010, from http://www.aucklandartgallery.com/whats-on/events/2010/july/the-walters-prize-2010.


Tamaki, T. Walters Prize 2010 (n.d.) Retrieved August 31, 2010 from http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2010/jul/auckland-cbd/walters-prize-2010

Saskia Leek

Fiona Connor

Dan Arps

Anish kapoor's stage design for ‘pelléas et mélisande’(2008)

image from www.designboom.com

Svayambh (2007)

image from http://ambush.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/svayambh-anish-kapoor/

Turning the world upside down, Jerusalem, (2010)

image from www.designboom.com



1.Research Kapoor's work in order to discuss the ideas behind 3 quite different works from countries outside New Zealand.

Turning the world upside down, Jerusalem, (2010) is 5m high and 5m wide hourglass shaped sculpture in ida crown plaza at the top of the carter promenade just before the upper entrance to Israel museum's main building. It is made with highly- polished stainless steel. It reflects sky and ground upside down as it seems like the ground is pulling the sky down towards it. This has significant meaning relevant to Israel; “the reversal of sky and earth also relates to the spiritual importance of jerusalem as seen in the concepts of earthly and celestial / heavenly jerusalem.” (http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/11236/anish-kapoor-turning-the-world-upside-down-jerusalem.html)

Anish Kapoor's stage design for ‘pelléas et mélisande’(2008) is a prop for opera pelléas et mélisande’ at brussels’ de munt theatre in Belgium. It is red organic shape object raised up from stage by stairs and has a gangboard across its width that enables actors to stand on. This work changed my preconception of Anish Kapoor that he only creates huge objects made for outside.

Svayambh, (2007) installation at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nantes and Munich’s Haus der Kunst. This doorway shaped sculpture goes across from one gallery to the other leaving its red track that made out of wax, paint and Vaseline. The red colour gives strong contrast to the white interior of building.

2.Discuss the large scale site specific work that has been installed on a private site in New Zealand.

“The Farm,” , PVC and steel, 25 × 25 x 84m, installation is at a 400ha (1,000 acre) private estate outdoor art gallery in Kaipara Bay, north of Auckland. The sculpture is made with” a custom deep red PVC-coated polyester fabric by Ferrari Textiles supported by two identical matching red structural steel ellipses that weigh 42,750kg each. The fabric alone weighs 7,200kg.” (http://fabricarchitecturemag.com/articles/0110_sk_sculpture.html)

3. Where is the Kapoor's work in New Zealand? What are its form and materials? What are the ideas behind the work?

It has 2 eclipses at its opposite ends. One is positioned in horizontal and the other in vertical.
The sculpture, which passes through a carefully cut hillside, provides a kaleidoscopic view of the beautiful Kaipara Harbor at the vertical ellipse end and the hand contoured rolling valleys and hills of “The Farm” from the horizontal ellipse. As I mentioned earlier it is made out of fabric to withstand strong Tasmanian wind. The sculpute also designed to fit the hillside in Kaipara Bay.

4. Comment on which work by Kapoor is your favourite, and why.

I like “turning up side down”(2010) because he is still playing on the reflection of sky and ground from his famous early work “Cloud Gate”(2004) Chicargo Millineum Park. I prefer “Turning up side down” because it does not have such a organic shape like “Cloud Gate”(2004) and the sculpture adds unique meaning to the land it stands as I mentioned in the first question.


Reference List

Anish Kapoor (n.d.) Retrieved September 1, 2010 from www.anishkapoor.com/works/

Anish Kapoor sculpture blends fabric and steel in New Zealand (2010). Retrieved September 1, 2010 from http://fabricarchitecturemag.com/articles/0110_sk_sculpture.html

Anish Kapoors stage design for pelleas et melisande (2008) Retrieved September 1, 2010 from http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/4244/anish-kapoors-stage-design-for-pelleas-et-melisande.html

Anish Kapoor turning the world upside down jerusalem (2010) Retrieved September 1, 2010 from
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/11236/anish-kapoor-turning-the-world-upside-down-jerusalem.html

“Svayambh” – Anish Kapoor (2007) Retrieved September 1, 2010 from http://ambush.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/svayambh-anish-kapoor/

Hussein Chalayan

(Top left) Readings (2008) s/s

(Below left) a chandelier for the swarovski crystal palace installation. it is an airplane wing, balancing against a wall.
when its large wing flap moves, a long strip of swarovski
crystals are illuminated by LEDs (2006).

Afterwords (2000) Afterwords (2000)

All images from www.designboom.com

Hussein Chalayan is an artist and designer, working in film, dress and installation art. Research Chalayan’s work, and then consider these questions in some thoughtful reflective writing.

1. Chalayan’s works in clothing, like Afterwords (2000) and Burka (1996) , are often challenging to both the viewer and the wearer. What are your personal responses to these works? Are Afterwords and Burka fashion, or are they art? What is the difference?

I think Afterwords(2000) is a great work. The idea of clothing changes to living room; chairs become suitcases and tables become skirts, is quite innovative and interesting. I admire his imagination and courage to create something new. I also love his work with LED lights on clothes in his 2008 s/s collection. However I do not like Burka(1996) it is just too radical for me. I understand enough that he is saying about women in Iran who are demanded to dress burqa, but I do not think that Iranian women would appreciate how Hussein Chalayan refers their custom.

I think both of his work, Burka and afterwords satisfy both categories of fashion and art but I think they are more close to fashion. In Britanica Consise Encyclopedia defines fashion as “Any mode of dressing or adornment that is popular during a particular time or in a particular place.” Burka(1996) and Afterwords(2000) collection are not for actual wear but they still consider human body in their work and they somehow enhance or show body.

Not all clothing is fashion, so what makes fashion fashion?

The key point for fashion is whether the dressing or adornment is popular for particular time or place. If a clothing is popular among a group of people in an area or during particular time then it is fashion, otherwise it is not.

2. Chalayan has strong links to industry. Pieces like The Level Tunnel (2006) and Repose (2006) are made in collaboration with, and paid for by, commercial business; in these cases, a vodka company and a crystal manufacturer. How does this impact on the nature of Chalayan’s work? Does the meaning of art change when it is used to sell products? Is it still art?

Those works mention above would have brought more attention and fame for Chalayan and therefore his repertoire would have gain more recognition. For example, due to The Level Tunnel (2006) he proved himself he can be as good in installation design field as he is in fashion. Also I think the collaboration is good thing. It promotes each other’s reputations like Swarovski and Hussein Chalayan. I think his works are still art because they are made to be aesthetically beautiful and made to be sake of art. I do not agree that the meaning of art change when it is used to sell product because its purpose for existence do not change, to be aesthetically pleasing. I also understand that due to the commercial purpose there could be lack of Chalayan’s personal idea or statement but it does not mean that the meaning of art in the work is gone because the purpose of being asthetically beautiful is not affected.

3. Chalayan’s film Absent Presence screened at the 2005 Venice Biennale. It features the process of caring for worn clothes, and retrieving and analysing the traces of the wearer, in the form of DNA. This work has been influenced by many different art movements; can you think of some, and in what ways they might have inspired Chalayan’s approach?

I think Chalayan is inspired by DNA art. “The world's original DNA Art portraits printed on canvas as personalized artwork from your DNA and fingerprints.” (www.dna11.com) But in Chalayan’s work he used DNA as the direct metaphor of identity and discuss the issue of certain identities adaption to a new environment.

It is very interesting that how he thought about the issue that are so common around us. This work also includes me when it talks about the adaption of new place as the same to my own experience. I admire his idea to talk about this in such a interesting way that uses fashion. This is some description for his work.
Chalayan opens the argument on how certain identities can or cannot adapt to new environments and generates a research based narration for his cross-disciplined installation with filmic images and sculptures. There is a serious research behind the end product displaying the interplay of the real and the imagined with a series of collected clothes and deformed crystallized garments. A DNA extraction process from the clothes collected from unknown people, an anthropological evaluation, and a 3 D manipulation all treated through the London sound-scape as the environment reveals the approach of Chalayan to the dilemma of identity. (http://www.e-flux.com/shows/view/2032)



Hussein Chalayan, still from Absent Presence, 2005 (motion picture)


4. Many of Chalayan’s pieces are physically designed and constructed by someone else; for example, sculptor Lone Sigurdsson made some works from Chalayan’s Echoform (1999) and Before Minus Now (2000) fashion ranges. In fashion design this is standard practice, but in art it remains unexpected. Work by artists such as Jackson Pollock hold their value in the fact that he personally made the painting. Contrastingly, Andy Warhol’s pop art was largely produced in a New York collective called The Factory, and many of his silk-screened works were produced by assistants. Contemporarily, Damien Hirst doesn’t personally build his vitrines or preserve the sharks himself. So when and why is it important that the artist personally made the piece?

Well I think the issue around is whether we should value craftsmanship in art or not anymore. I think the artists do not necessarily make their work by their own hands. The most important thing is the idea that brings out the final product and I think that is where the artists’ soul present. Nevertheless people still want the art made by its artist and sometimes value artists who create his own art solely by himself. I reckon this is because people still want to see some artisans and their spirit.



Reference List

Hussein Chalayan. (n.d.) Retrieved August 29,2010 from http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html

Hussein Chalayan at the design museum (2009). Retrieved August 29, 2010 from http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/5209/hussein-chalayan-at-the-design-museum.html

DNA art (n.d.) Retrieved August 29, 2010 from www.dna11.com

Pavilion of Turkey, 51st Venice Biennale (2005). Retrieved August 29, 2010 from
http://www.e-flux.com/shows/view/2032

Regine. (2005) Hussein Chalayan. Retrieved August 29, 2010 from http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2005/10/his-autumnwinte.php

Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'

images from http://www.lostateminor.com/2008/11/19/nathalie-djurberg/#more-10715

Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'.

Swedish artist Nathalie Djurberg's intricately constructed claymation films are both terrifyingly
disturbing and artlessly sweet.

The new works created for the Venice Biennale explore a surrealistic Garden of Eden in which all that is natural goes awry.

She exposes the innate fear of what is not understood and confronts viewers with the complexity of emotions.

Nathalie Djurberg was awarded the silver lion for a promising young artist at the Venice
Art Biennale 09.

(http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg)

Research Djurberg's work in order to answer the following questions;

1. What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?

Claymation is a type of stop- motion animation that uses clay as the main medium. The figures or settings are manipulated little by little after a shot and the shots are collected to make an animation. The successful example is “Pingu” by Otmar Gutmann and Herald Muecke.

2. What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes awry'?

‘Garden of Eden’ triggers image of perfect nature that is too beautiful for words. Djurberg’s work portrays similar concept of it but there is some kind of grotesque or eerie images (those similar to Tim Burton’s) added by the weird appearance of plants, gruesome claymations and the fantastical music. The statement 'surrealistic Garden of Eden' refers to the duality of the work that creates dreamy quality.

'all that is natural goes awry' means how her portrait of the garden has changed the nature image and its feelings to something eerie and disturbing.

3. What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?

she exposes the innate
fear of what is not understood and confronts viewers with the complexity of emotions.

(http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg-experiment-at-venice-art-biennale-09.html)

The complexity of emotions overwhelms the spectator as he sees the work.

The feelings such as disturbing, fear, disgust or surprise. I think the most common would be unexpectedness. The spectator has to puzzle up the situation in front of by looking for clues from weird looking plants and terrifying images from the claymation projection. This really challenges audience to step out from their pattern of thinking and emotions.

4. How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?

Her claymation comes friendly to audience at first but as you go just little longer in knowing it, there is no such thing as innocence to it. Reason for her claymation look innocent at first is because the fact it is a ‘claymation’ which makes wonderful parallels with the image of children and their innocence. If the story was carried out by film with human actors cast, there is no way that the film looked innocent even in the first sight.

One other that made innocent first impression of the work is that the clayed female character’s appearance. They look like a little girl’s doll however there is no dolly kind of character really in Djurberg’s work they are just poor victims. Maybe because of the first impression of the work is innocent and how it despise audience makes the work more disturbing and shocking.

5. There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?

I think the twisting innocent and sweet into something disturbing has come about because the artists or designer want to draw attentions by shattering people’s paradigm that tells the good is always good and the bad is always bad. By mixing and twisting the good with the bad people get often surprised or shocked so the work does this kind of thing get more impressions by audience. The classic example of the paradigm that I was talking about is the fairytales, where the good always triumphs over evil. However there is other side of fairytale for example the original Cinderella story is manipulated by Disney where the terrifying descriptions or happening about glass -slippers are edited out, presenting only the pretty and moral part of story. The designers or the artists who turns something good to bad maybe want to show us the true or the unknown side of things such as innocence, sweet or the good.

6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?

As I mentioned before, her work kind of breaks our frame of thinking or expecting. The garden and the claymation look innocent at first but as I watched them longer I felt disgusted, surprising and unexpected.

Also I found some beauty within the work despite it tells terrifying stories or creates eerie feelings. The colour, shape and size of flowers and plant installation overwhelm the audience and gives unique experience. I think her work is aesthetically beautiful and her theme is very strong and unique that deserves the award.

7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.

I really like her work in the Vienna Binnale 2009 because I love artistic style of Tim Burton’s that this work very resembles of. I like the installation more than the claymation movie just because it is too immoral that disturbs me and without the claymation from the installation, the work should not give so much of terrifying or disgust or both. The installation solely is very interesting and makes its own sense without the claymation, the installation work really gives feeling of otherworldly just like in the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ story. I find it aesthetically beautiful about the image of eerie and grotesque with big colourful flowers and plants.

However if I am just talking about her past works of claymation then I do not like it. There is no understandable story or reason behind those endless gruesome scenes shown and I just do not get the point of what she is really trying to say.

Reference

Nathalie Djurberg "Experiment" at Venice Art Biennale (2009). Retrieved August 29, 2010 from

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg-experiment-at-venice-art-biennale-09.html)

'Memorial Project Nha Trang, Vietnam: Towards the Complex—For the Courageous, the Curious, and the Cowards' (2001). Single-channel video projection. I

Nha Trang, Vietnam- 'Towards the

Complex-For the Courageous, the Curious and the Cowards', (2001) is a video project by Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba.

Research this project to identify the ideas behind the work. Can you connect some of the concepts and ideas from the renaissance, Enlightenment or Modernism with the work. Discuss your answer.

Discuss how do you think the title of the work reflects

the artists' intentions?

'Memorial Project Nha Trang, Vietnam: Towards the Complex—For the Courageous, the Curious, and the Cowards' (2001). Single-channel video projection. Image courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York and Mizuma Art Gallery, Tokyo.

This is some information about this project from the website http://www.nyartbeat.com/nyablog/2008/07/for-the-courageous-the-curious-and-the-cowards/

Progress is slow, due to the weight of the cyclos and the sheer volume of water impeding the fishermen. Often the men and carts alike bob and hover, suspended mid-stride like moon walkers. The cyclos bounce to the floor in eerie silence, the only sounds being that of bubbles from scuba-diving Nguyen-Hatsushiba, and the mix of ambient electronica, flute and bell sounds that put the viewer into a submarine trance. The calm does eventually break, however, and the music, composed by the artist himself, becomes darker, the sense of urgency stronger, and the pedaling and pulling faster and more desperate.

The need to breathe impedes the fishermen whose faces remain calm until the moment they must abandon their cyclos and kick to the surface for air. Changes in music reflect these dramatic moments of surrender when several men will swim up at once, while one pair shoots ahead. The consequences of the dire circumstances are clear: For some, getting ahead is only achieved by denying or transcending even the most vital human needs and physical limitations.

This work is concern with the cyclo, the bicycle-taxi, which was once represents Vietnam culture’s identity now are banned further production by the government. Cyclos were not only the icon of Vietnamese street but also the only source of income for the many unemployed. Cyclos are now considered as old-fashioned and slow in today’s modernized Vietnam. By using the cyclo, Nguyen-Hatsushiba wants to create the mode of good –old day’s things fading away.

This video work has shown the progress philosophy emerged in the Enlightenment.According to Hamilton,P. (1992), progress is the idea that the natural and social condition of human beings could be improved, by the application of science and reason, and would result in an ever-increasing level of happiness and well-being. The government's discouragement of cyclo is a social change to uplift Vietnamese city's conditions. However, paradoxically the progress the government proceeding can result side effects like loss of a mean of living for the poor. This suggested in video when the driver abandoning cyclo in the need for a breath.

I think the title "Towards the Complex- For the Courageous, the Curious and the Cowards" suggests the artist's intention of the different perspective towards the social change that Vietnam undergo now. The complex, the changes that will bring different complicated outcomes and our response can be courageous, facing the new without fear. The Curious, keeping eye on the change while thinking about some implications and the Cowards, who can not accept the new scared to step out from the comfort zone.

Reference

http://www.nyartbeat.com/nyablog/2008/07/for-the-courageous-the-curious-and-the-cowards/ Retrieved 24 May 2010

Hamilton,P(1992). The Enlightenment and the birth of social science, in Hall,S & Gieben B.(eds.) Formations of Modernity