O Superman: Postmodern and Performance Art

I've met a lot of people that don't like postmodern art. And that's okay. I know that sometimes its a little strange and hard to wrap your mind around. And there is work out there that I am a little wary to even call art...but in general I am a huge fan of postmodern art. I'll put in a good argument for it and have even converted my friend Jon in Virginia who now explains the beauty of postmodern art to other naysayers. Typically the work I write about and show here isn't too off the wall, mainly because a lot of postmodern art is something more to be experienced rather than cut and paste onto a website. But I wanted to share with you something that I love that you might not love...or maybe you will...

This video is by the performance artist Laurie Anderson. I've got a bit to say about this piece as a case and point for why I think postmodern and performance art needs some more consideration by the general public. Bear with me. Sometimes I can turn these kinds of posts into a mini thesis...I'll try to keep it as brief and focused as possible...(try is the key word here) but maybe it will make you think differently about an art form that tends to get the cold shoulder.

First, watch the video.



"What in the...?" might be your response. Or, "That was just a bunch on nonsense thrown together." Or "I could do that." Or if you're like me your response was to play this on repeat. Either way there is some background information that will probably change your perspective on this piece.

If you ever have that "Wha...?" response to this kind of art its usually because its heavily grounded in a concept (i.e. conceptual art) and cannot be fully understood by the viewer without this knowledge (however, its up to the individual artist as to whether or not they want to clue the viewer in...tricky artists). My personal belief is that if more people understood this about postmodern art they would be more inclined to accept it... and that is why I love this art form, it takes a bit of intellectual digging to get to the meat of the work. Sorry folks but there's no pretty paintings of a sunset to ooh and ahh over.

The Background:
Anderson created this piece as a cover of an aria from the 1885 opera Le Cid. The original first lines are "O Sovereign, O Judge, O Father," Anderson's version starts out as "O Superman, O Judge, O Mom and Dad." The performance addresses such themes as technology and communication as well as the controversial role of American planes and arms surrounding the Iran hostage crisis. Take another look and see if anything changes for you. Things to take into consideration or think about might be the use of her hand as a key visual element as well as the use of light to change or effect a mood.

So, in a rather long post, that is my opinion on the matter. I'd love to hear yours. If you made it this far.

p.s. I made some of the words bold for you skimmers out there 
p.p.s. although if you are a skimmer I should probably make this bold as well

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois is one of my favorite artists mainly because of her bold sculptures and her child-like stream of consciousness drawings. She produced amazing work right up to her death in 2010. I came across some of her work via My Love For You that I was unaware of and it reminded me of why I love her. She was truly a versatile artist, working in all sorts of media and exploring different ways to express herself and topics that were important to her,"My emotions are inappropriate to my size [...] the emotions are much too much for me to handle and that is why I transer the energy into sculpture [...] the subjects of the artist are emotions and ideas."

These sculptures are located in downtown Pittsburgh

[1, 2, 3, all others via google image search]

Lady With An Ermine

 

My roommate Heather is a talented photographer and recently she used me as a model for one of her school assignments. She interpreted Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, Lady With An Ermine, and then edited it to make it into a daguerreotype. Naturally we didn't have an ermine so we used a stuffed animal instead. I think it came out pretty well!

Monumenta 2011

I love anything that Anish Kapoor does. I just can't help but stare wide-eyed with my mouth agape whenever I see his work. So I was thrilled to discover that he was the artist of choice for this year's Monumenta in Paris. If you aren't familiar with Monumenta here is a description from their website:

"MONUMENTA is an ambitious artistic encounter unmatched anywhere in the world, organized by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.  Each year MONUMENTA invites an internationally renowned contemporary artist to appropriate the 13,500 m² of the Grand Palais Nave with an artwork specially created for the event." 


I love Anish Kapoor's interpretation of the space in the Grand Palais with his sculpture entitled Leviathan (a reference to a sea-creature). His sculpture, true to his style, is larger-than-life and creates a sense of awe, much in the same way the architecture of the Palais does. Best of all, viewers (if you are lucky enough to live in Paris or visit between now and June 23rd) are able to enter the sculptures to experience the artwork in a more intimate way. What do you think about it? Something I wasn't sure about at first was the color choice, it seems so heavy, but the more I think about it the more appropriate it seems. I can't imagine a sculpture this size in an overbearing color (like orange or green), I think it would be too much.  And the fact that it is red on the inside creates a kind of magical feeling. Here is what Kapoor says of the color: 


'it is a single object, a single shape, a single colour. the dense red reminds us of the colours we see in our eyes at night -
unstable and monochrome - red creates much more sombre shadows, psychologically and physically, than black or blue.'
[via Design Boom]




[video via Telegraph]
[photos via Design Boom]

Henrique Oliveira

If I had to work with one material for the rest of my life it would be wood. I just love the feel of it and the way that it can change over time. And if I could I would take a page out of Henrique Oliveira's book and make these fantastic wood sculptures.

[all images via Henrique Oliveira's website]

Caitlin Foster

I am not much of a drawer. But when the odd occasion strikes and I get in the mood to draw something it is always along the lines of something like Caitlin Foster's work. I love these kinds of little repetitious and organic looking forms. They are so intricate and beautiful!

[via The Jealous Curator]

Sketchbooks

I know artists that carry sketchbooks with them wherever they go. I am not such an artist. However, I have kept a few over the years, and throughout college it was the only way for me to flesh out a lot of my sculpture ideas (many of which never made it to "real life" and still remain trapped in 2-D). I think an artist's sketchbook is often more exciting and revealing than any of their finished work. There are no wrong or bad ideas in a sketchbook; there is no pressure on the image to look perfect or completed, it can simply be what it is. So, when I found the Sketchbook Series on Book By Its Cover I was thrilled to catch a glimpse into the sketchbooks of other artists. Take a look:

[Rachel Levit]

[Becca Stadtlander]

[Alison Worman]

[Yelena Bryksenkova]

[Lars Henkel]

[all images via Book By Its Cover]

Anna Garforth

 

Loving Anna Garforth's work.

Gabriel Dawe

The other day I came across the work of Gabriel Dawe via Design Sponge and was instantly captivated. Dawe works in fibers to create installation pieces that are intricately woven together. His designs are simple which allow the colors he uses to transform the space into an other-worldly experience. I'm amazed at his work because, as I am learning through my weaving class, working in fibers in not an easy thing. There are a lot of precise calculations and patterns involved which, in my case, lead to a lot of headaches and frustrations. But the great thing about weaving is the consistency and rhythm it affords you as you work. I'm slowly getting the hang of it...