Sophie Cowham
Complete with reference to Brett Whitely 'Alchemy' (+ another artwork) & Damien Hirst 'Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living' (+ another artwork)
How do contemporary artists redefine the boundaries of artmaking practice?
Artmaking practice has significantly evolved to reflect the changing nature of contemporary society. In the prescribed artists Brett Whitely and Damien Hirst, there is evidence of these contemporary artists redefying and challenging the boundaries of art-making practices. This being achieved by making very controversial artworks and using artmaking practices. The artists have used these to present the artworks in a manner that not only enables the audience to engage with it also lets the
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'Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living' speaks not just of death's subjective impossibility for us who are alive, but also of its objective inevitability, the fact that we all will die. Damien Hirst likes to redefine artmaking practices, When engaging with contemporary art, viewers are challenged to set aside questions such as, "Is the art-work good?". Conceptual art is about the self-conscious mind, which is what Hirst uses in 'The physical impossibility of death in the mind of someone living' using the theme of death to inspire the artwork. Damien Hirst is heavily criticised by the art world, being called a con artist, he has no talent, and even not an artist at all. The exhibit managed to enrage both animal rights groups who thought the work was inhumane and art critics who thought that the work wasn't art. The audience is concerned about the treatment of the animals and insects used in his artworks, as claims say that almost one million creatures have died "In the name of art", But in the end, it was explained that when Hirst receives the animals most are already dead, highlighting the fact that death is one of Hirst's greatest themes. 'Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone …show more content…
The multi-panelled artwork was made in early 1972-1973 in Sydney, 'Alchemy' was spread over eighteen panels, and should be read from right to left as a birth-to-death vision. 'Alchemy' has been influenced by his life, It wanders from darkly sexual surrealist forms through beautiful Australian landscapes with native animals and birds, to the flashing sun against a golden sky, it includes collages of texts, writings and various attachments of objects. Whitley was fascinated with the schizophrenic state of mind,in the sense of being split between good and evil and the artwork was born of a series of scepticism. Whitely destroyed his portrait of Yukio Mishima, joined the remaining panels, and Alchemy started growing from there, and the panels were created left to right, away from the Mishima panels. Although they move from birth to death the panels can be seen from any direction or even from the centre of the artwork. The artwork reflects Whitley's personal life at the time, the stress and tensions In his marriage during the making of 'Alchemy', lead him to alcohol abuse, However, Brett regarded 'Alchemy' as one of his best works, even though it had drained him physically and psychologically. Whitely set out to test the capacity for art to influence
Mike Parr, an Australian performance artist, creates shocking pieces that “...challenge the limits of body and mind, and question the nature of creativity itself.” (Bruce James - ABC Radio, 2001). His work is confronting, and often involves sensory depravation and/or self-mutilation. “His performance works have often tested the limits of the artist’s own body and often impact deeply on his audiences.” (Sherman Galleries, 2004). An example of this is his performance piece, Close the Concentration Camps, 2002, in which Parr had his face sewn together whilst in solitary confinement. Parr’s work often “...protests the inhumane treatment o...
Art has always been considered the effervescent universal tool of communication. Art does not require a concrete directive . One sculpture,drawing or written creative piece, can evoke a myriad of emotions and meaning . Artistic pieces can sometimes be considered the regurgitation of the artist's internal sanctum. In Richard Hooks graphic painting,Adoption of the Human Race, the effect of the imagery,symbols ,color and emotional content projects a profound unification of a spiritual edict.
It was January 13, 1995 when it happened. On that harsh winter evening there were multiple witnessess that claimed they saw a man dive into a body of freezing water to his death. The man’s body discovered a day later was ‘supposedly’ the last form of art performed by the late, estranged William Johnson. His death still remains a mystery today as no ever knew why he did it, there is only speculation. However, after a thorough investigation, the police found no answers and ruled his death as a suicide.
Reed, Peter. "The Artist." Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. Florida Altantic University, 1999. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
The mind is a very powerful tool when it is exploited to think about situations out of the ordinary. Describing in vivid detail the conditions of one after his, her, or its death associates the mind to a world that is filled with horrific elements of a dark nature.
What is ‘Art’? Does the term describe a tangible object, experiential event, process, technique, medium, or creative skill? Does it imply attractive decoration, pleasant arrangement, and sound financial investment - or can art provoke, be unattractive, make people uncomfortable, and be fleeting? Today, Art is subjective, open to interpretation and encompasses the spectrum of the visual, literary, dance, and musical humanities - often overlapping one another. As such, Art and its practice can be all of the above and more. Post World War II, Modernist theories were waning and a general dissatisfaction was building in the United States and other westernized countries that ultimately led up to the cultural and social revolution of the 1960’s. The period also parallels a rise in relative wealth and subsequent mass consumption of commodities, education, and cultural activities within all the socioeconomic classes. Personal expression became acceptable and art practice exploded to include multiple fields of activity that Rosalind Krauss likens to “an extraordinary practice in elasticity”. Interest in ecology, performance, process, alternative materials, a loosening of social mores and experimentation with altered states of reality contributed to the rise of what is now known amply as Postmodernism. Civil rights, the anti-war movement, rise of feminism, and a political movement left of center created egalitarian entrances for many into various fields of study including Art. Nevertheless, similar to the current state of Western Civilization, not everyone appreciates an open multiplicity of voices often differing in viewpoints from safer, more conservative ones. It is in this context that artists Robert Smithson and Richard Serra bega...
"Apology" and "Phaedo" Knowledge of Death versus Belief in a Soul In Plato’s "Apology," Socrates says that he knows nothing of death while in "Phaedo" he discusses many of his beliefs on death and its philosophical ramifications. From this simple perspective it may seem as though he is contradicting himself although he, after further investigation, is not. Philosophically, the idea of death and an afterlife can be looked at from multiple non-contradictory viewpoints. Socrates talks of his lack of knowledge of death in order to define, more so, his philosophy on life. While in "Phaedo," he talks explicitly about his philosophy on death. The two discussions of death are equally important in determining Socrates’ overall philosophical outlook on life and death although the have different emphasis. They both do help to define philosophy’s proper relationship to death. In Plato’s "Apology " Socrates announces that he is not afraid of death because he knows nothing of it. His lack of knowledge of death is relative to his knowledge of living and, in that manner, helps to define his knowledge of life. Socrates, at his trial, is faced with the death penalty unless he pleads with the judges for a different sentence. The sentences that he may be able to obtain instead of death are a fine, banishment from the city, or imprisonment. Socrates refuses and accepts death. His reasoning for this decision is that the other options are most certainly evils; owing money that he does not have to people he does not want to pay, being sent away from his friends, his family, his city and his home to go to a foreign land, or imprisonment. His beliefs, though, and his teachings seem most valuable to him and any inter...
Considering the arguments from Plato’s Phaedo argue: “Death is not the end and we ought not fear it.” Souls are immortal and continue to live after the body has died. The theories of recollection and opposites are sensible and Socrates can justify them.
My current project employs the concept of the Body w/o Organs as a model of artistic process to undermine social, scientific, and political hierarchies used in organizing our states of consciousness and embodiment. By arriving at a location of stillness, or “zero intensity” through this process of dislocating normative structures; new structures, configurations, and organizations will emerge that reflect local, emotional, or irrational consistencies. The project exists in several instantiations, including immersive virtual environments, networked art, 3-D modeling, and texts.
“Our sense of self, our sense of humor, our ability to think ahead — gone within the first 10 to 20 seconds” (Shaw, 2017). The afterlife has been questioned so much, especially throughout the thoughts of religion. “Theories abound from logical to irrational, yet there is no concrete evidence about the afterlife.” (Shaw, 2017). The idea of their being an afterlife maybe hard to grasp because it is based on having faith. Due to this, hoping there is a heavenly estate after death is not wrong but there is no significant evidence to supports this idea. Therefore, what waits after death maybe neither heaven nor hell due to the varies influential factors that can contribute to the idea of the afterlife.
People can have many different opinions depending on a topic, but what is truly difficult is getting a complete level of understanding from every opinion, or understanding the point of view of each opinion. Even accepting the points of view can be difficult for some people, who believe that their opinions are right. Luckily, people can learn about the other person’s frame of reference, and at the very least understand the topic or the person a little better. This particular topic is art, which is known for its multiple possible perceptions or its many different messages that it can send a person or group of people. In this way, people can learn more about the thought processes and feelings of others. Unfortunately, with differing opinions,
Throughout the history of , which is arguably the length of time held within the universe, not much has been distorted. Art, along with is an incredibly difficult subject to comprehend, due to the varying nature of themes, opinions, and judgments. Not to cite all the societies, time periods, ethnicities, age and gender biased opinions. It is neither a science, nor a philosophy. It is both. within itself is a beauty, which will forever perplex the minds of the world. Art, placed in the neighborhood of philosophy and science reveals its innate inclination, (although undefined) to forever intrigue and perplex both the scientific and philosophical minds.
As I enter the Gioconda and Joseph King Gallery at the Norton Museum of Art the first thing that Caught my attention was a painting measuring approximately at 4 ft. by 10 ft. on the side wall in a well- light area. As I further examine the painting the first thing I notice is that it has super realism. It also has color, texture, implied space, stopped time, and that it is a representational piece. The foreign man sitting on the chair next to a bed has a disturbed look on his face and is deep into his own thoughts. It’s as if someone he loved dearly just experienced a tragic and untimely death. He is in early depression. I could feel the pain depicted in his eyes. A book titled The Unquiet Grave lying open on the floor by the unmade bed suggesting something is left unresolved. The scattered photos and papers by the bedside cause redintegration. The picture of Medusa’s head screaming on the headboard is a silent scream filled with anger and pain, yet it cannot be heard. I feel as if I am in the one sitting in the chair and I can feel the anger, and regret.
“In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. Moreover, unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it.” This quote by Ernst Fischer, a German composer, means that truth in art exposes the parts of society, and of life, that no one wants to see. In order for art to change society, it must first reflect the fears and failures of its people. The artist can change how people think of themselves and the world by using less conventional methods of creating art. The artist, in doing this, introduces new ideas of human placement in time and space, new frontiers of thought, that are furthered by the disciplines of science and philosophy. The artist works to introduces unique- and sometimes offensive- ideas so that society will be exposed to new ways of thinking and understanding the world. The artist does this through experimentation with color, style, and form. Therefore, the purpose of the artist should be to challenge how individuals perceive themselves and the offensive aspects of society reflected in art to bring about innovations in the greater society.
Through these early stages of art discussed above, it shows how the foundation for today’s modern works was laid out. They show how art has developed from simple cave paintings, to the tremendous force in society that it is today.