Elam School Of Fine Arts

Preserve

Today we visited the prestigious Elam Library at the University of Auckland in Auckland City. The book "Preserve 'Des Moines Art Center'" by Ellen Gallagher immediately caught my eye. Edited by Sheila Schwartz, distributed by D.A.P, New York and Printed in Canada by AMCE Limited.

(All works courtesy of the artist and Anthony d'Offay Gallery, London)

Ellen Gallagher is known for her racial stereotypes of African Americans. Wide Lips, Large Eyes and 'Afro' like hair

The piece of work I looked into was:

'Falls and Flips'

Oil, pencil and plasticine with text on magazine page

131/8 x 10 Inches

What I like most about this piece of art was the grid like composition, even though i usually tend to like more organic feeling art work, the way the grid wasn't perfect but you could tell the piece was based on a grid, was really visually appealing.

Ellen Gallagher's work, Falls and Flips also features an extensive use of repetition and collage, this because it was a magazine cover that she had altered. The repetition of the glamourous black ladies, with their make-up and costume, was almost a stereotypical thing, which is something she is renowned for.

Also the blurb above here work reinforced the idea of racial stereotypes, and discrimination that was going on at the time of her making this piece of art

"Jack Johnson, first black heavyweight champion of the world, towers over a dazed Jim Jefferies, 'The great white hope', July 4 1910, Several persons were killed in race riots in American cities following the fight"

An interesting thing about Ellen Gallagher's piece, Falls and Flips, is that the ladies in the work, have no eyes, and there are no captions below their photos. Which were there before Gallagher altered it.

"Eyes are the windows to your soul"

If this statement were true then would these beautiful have no soul? Would they have no sense of feeling, belonging, wanting..?

How can we tell that these woman are everyday woman if they lack the natural instinctive qualities you and I possess today.

By Ellen Gallagher obliterating these pictures, the woman featured inthem go from being individuals, to be all the same.

Clones of one another.

When really, at the time of making this piece, Ellen gallagher and people of her colour, were going through one of the tougest times for African-Americans in America.

I found I could also relates this piece of work to my current art Studies.

As part of my studio brief I am required to present four photos, that are to be put up for exhibition, at our school of Visual Arts.

The Elegance of Boxing, which is my chosen topic, is one that pushes people out of their ordinary comfort zone, and are made to think outside the boundaries as to what their perception of boxing is. Similar to what Gallagher is doing with her magazine works.

With the use of collage and repitition, also taken from David Hockney, another artist who deals with collage, Gallaghers work can be shown through my recent works as a Year 1 Bachelor of Visual Arts Student.

Boxing is seen as a violent and masculine sport, and somewhat predominantly black, Stereotypically speaking. But with the use of Ellen Gallaghers work, "Falls and Flips", Which has a blurb about boxing at the top, I can try to break that stereotype, to bring in a new feel towards boxing.

Speak, Speaker, err, ah, a voice..

"Mediation's"

This piece of work 'Mediation's' by Gary Hill is based around three of our major senses, visual, oral and aural.

As you as you walk into the exhibition you are greeted with a huge black projector screen, with a continuous tape playing, this and a black chair are the only 3D objects in this room.

By only playing up three of our major senses, Gary Hill captures our attention 100%.

Visually attracting us in this piece of art, is the use of the artists hand. Something we an all identify as our own. We watch as the hand slowly drops handfuls of sand onto the sub woofer speaker, while he orally and aurally grasps our attention by speaking into a microphone, which makes the sub woofer speaker move. This connects the three senses, and together creates and interesting art piece.

When we see the sub-woofer, you expect to her a 'doof doof' noice that many associate with 'Boy racer cars'. However, this is not exactly the noice we hear.

So the idea of the sub-woofer and what humans connect it to (semiotics) plays with the viewers mind. If a different speaker were used, say a small car speaker, the same effect would not and colud not have been achieved.

The pressure behind the sub-woofer is what causes the sand to jump and vibrate.

Repetition also plays a major part in this piece. Orally, Visually and Aurally.

When the speaker speaks, we are told exactly what is happening, the word 'voice' is said repeatedly throughout the entire piece

"...buried voices underground, voices buried underground, a voice from the underground, a voice is noisy ground, a voice is lost and found underground, a bare voice lies in the sand. Barely a voice can be said to be heard. One heard of wild voices kicking up the ground."

Visually,we see his hand constantly bringing in handfuls of sand, and slowly releasing it onto the sub woofer.

As the sand mass get greater, the feedback on the voice becomes less, and slowly is drowned out until it is just a quiet voice in the background.

If there are no viewers in the room to receive the sound or to see the moving picture, the artwork still goes on. The artwork is not neccesarily just the projector screen, the artwork is the whole room which a viewer walks into and becomes part of.

vs.

If I compared this with my last blog entry on the short film 'O Tamaiti' the way the senses have been used in each piece are quite different. 'O Tamaiti' is predominately sound. No words are spoken (except for a few in Samoan tongue) and sounds such as combing of hair, and drinking are played up, rather than the usual sounds in movies/art work pieces. In contrast to Gary Hills 'Mediation's' where is is mostly oral and visual.

To me 'O Tamaiti' was used to portray the harsh life that Samoan Children are put through, by not speaking it almost seemed as though they were not permitted to do so, or they chose not to in fear of being scolded at or punished for saying something inappropriate or offensive. In 'Mediation's' however, the used of the oral and visual senses show tell us more of an abstract story about sand. How it is heavy and able to cover up many things, and in this example, voices.

"...barely a voice can be said to be heard..."

In this case the sub woofer speaker is the signifier. It stands for something else. The voice?

So if the sub woofer is the signifier for the voice, what is the voice? Is it the signifier for the person or is it simply just the voice

Oh Tino!

"O Tamaiti"

Directed by Sima Urale

Recently I watched the short film 'O Tamaiti' directed by New Zealands own Sima Urale, who just so happens to be the sister of the rapper 'King Kapisi'.

O Tamaiti AKA The Children is a short film about Samoan life through Tinos eyes, who is the eldest of five children.

O Tamaiti opens with a birth of another child, which is when we are introduced to Tino and his family, and realise this film is going to be dramatic and heart wrenching.

I couldn't help but notice how all adult figures in the film were shot without a head. This to me was really rather strange, not only did it cause you to be more intrigued as to whether you would actually ever see the face of the parents or any other adult for that matter, but it highlighted just how much responsibility was placed on Tino, as the eldest of five children

What is interesting about 'O Tamaiti', is that there is not one English spoken word throughout the entire film, everyday noises such as a comb through hair, the rustling of blankets and a babies cry have all be brought to the surface, which plays up your aural sense making you more aware of what is around Tino.

The film is all in black and white, which makes this Samoan life seem very simple and plain. Being in black and white, it allows us to see all that is going on around them, highlighting any major events throughout their day. It also allows us to get rid of any stereotypical thoughts we may have had about samoan culture, for example the colourful Lava lavas they traditionally wear, which are often hung up as art works in rooms.

The Black and White tones are very harsh, possibly to signify thae harsh reality, that is, growing up in the Samoan Culture? It seems very different to if you watched a movie about an upper class European family, which are usually in bright colours, with lots of laughter and happiness.

By having no racialally discrimiable ideas already in our minds, it enables us to have a clear conscience when viewing this film.

None of the adults in the film seem to realise just how much strain these responsibilities are putting on young Tino. The end of the film is also the ending of the new born babies life. Tino has washed, feed and cared for his youngest sibling. He puts her to bed, because his parents are not around to do so. We see Tino wake up like a strange feeling has overcome him. He rushes to the babies bassinet.

The baby is dead.

Tino's parents rush in to see what he is screaming about, when they find out, you see a very emotional family scrambling around trying to do all they can for their child, hoping their is some way they can save her.

While all this is going on, not one person checks to see if Tino is alright. No one thinks about Tino and all his hard work he has done for this baby. No one thinks to tell him it is okay, it is not his fault.

Desirable Exaggeration

"More Human than Human?"

When looking at Scarlett Johansson in the Louis Vuitton advertising campaign for the Spring/Summer collection of 2007, I could not help but notice the exaggeration of her features, making her more desirable to the viewer of the ad, which ultimately ends in the purchase of a Louis Vuitton product.

Extension of the legs and arms create the look of a lean tall body. Slim legs and elegantly posed arms are desirable to any human. In picture above and below, she (Scarlett) is wearing 1950's lingerie that accentuates her breasts and the curves of her body. Some may say that there is an attempt to pose the models figure to look like a 'Venus'- an idealistic portrayal of the female figure. Not necessarily realistic. Which gives a look of perfection, something the Louis Vuitton franchise would definately want when trying to market their product.


The cultural values that have been expressed in these pictures show a woman in her lingerie posing for public display. Usually this is deemed as politically and culturally incorrect throughout all cultures of the world. Just like it would be if a woman walked down the road in her bra and underwear. It is just really not right. However in today's society and the many diverse cultures we have here in this world, advertising can push the boundaries of many cultural values .

Joquain Alberto Vargas y Chávaz or Alberto Vargas as many know him, was a Peruian born artist, who studied Art in Europe prior to WWI before moving to the United States in 1916.

His work was usually a combination of Airbrush and Watercolours. His artwork was typically of, near-nude, elegantly dressed woman. Idealistic figures, with slim toes and fingernails, often painted red.

Albertos artwork of Pin-up girls, and erotic scenes were more directed to the male audience, in contrast with Louis Vuittons campaign being directed to women.

Is it possible that women in lingerie have always been accepted or was Alberto Vargas pushing the boundries some 70 years ago?

Exaggeration:

Describing of something and making it more than it really is.

Why do humans feel the need to make something as beautiful as the human body so perfect its imperfect?

....

Are we as humans, really that shallow?