Leigh Bowery

Leigh Bowery was an Australian artist that blew the doors off the art world in the 1980s and 90s. To call him just an artist would be the undersell of the year. He was a man of many talents that resonate and influence to this day. A lot of Bowery's work seems rooted in the idea of fashion. In the beginning, he just seemed like and advant-garde fashion designer that was taking shots from critics on the front lines for his progressive designs.

His area of effect was so large that he influenced a whole generation of people. These were called 'The New Romantics', which were a generation of young people/club kids that dressed in a crazy and expressive manner. They are kind of reminiscent of what some people might call "ravers", in the way that they dress in a seemingly bizarre way to portray their varying personalities.

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One of Leigh Bowery's most famous works is his performance at the Anthony d'Offay gallery. In this performance, he was the piece of art. From a surface perspective, he basically sat on an old slab of furniture whilst wearing regalia that expressed his signature style. He was behind a one-sided mirror that allowed the audience to view his actions, but not the other way around. He could be seen preening and primping.


For me, it seems like an odd exhibit, but I have to praise Bowery's dedication to character. He has such a distinct way of presenting himself, and he's very consistent. That's why I can view him as an artist. It reminds me of Orlan in the way that he is presenting this unique persona, but instead of using plastic surgery, he is using his forward thinking fashion sense. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1994 from AIDS, which he kept secret until his death. While he is physically gone, his body of work still inspires artists around the world.

Orlan

Orlan is a French artist who began her art legacy by introducing the idea that the artist can be the art work. Some of her earlier work showed her posing with a physical frame, where her face and body appeared to be the "art work". Later on she began wearing masks and posing as if she was a sculpture. There seemed to always be this underlying idea that changing some small details of the physicality of a human can lead to an interesting and artistic expression.

After this, she did a collection of works where she took on the appearance of a Nun, but it was not your typical nun. To me, it seemed like a sexualized Nun, with her breast exposed. This made me this she was starting to lean towards the idea of playing with beauty and vanity in regards to physical attributes.

This probably lead to her experiments in body modification by way of plastic surgery. I found myself so shocked by this area of her artistry. To paint of draw something is one thing, but to permanently change your physical landscape is something that kind of freaks me out! I laud Orlan for her commitment to her art, but there seems a point where it may be too much. If you look at pictures of her now, she looks like the bride of Frankenstein with small bumps on her forehead that are reminiscent of horns.

If anything, Orlan should be respected for her radical views on what's physically appealing, and what it means to be an artist. She has definitely blurred the lines between the artist and their art work, and she should definitely be heralded for her audacity in the face of criticism.

Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys is a performance artist from Germany. His body of work revolves around the idea of the human element, and those social issues that seem to stir his inner being. His work has influences in politics and society according to his Wikipedia page. Beuys' road to fame has been a controversial one, but today he is considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century.

One of Beuys's first, and most interesting performances was one titled, "How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare". In this piece, the artist had his face covered in honey and gold, and he had this heavy, metal boot on his one foot. In his hands was a dead hare, which he carried around trying to explain the works on the wall in his vicinity. This was observed by the audience through a windowed area that was devoid of sound, except for the clunking of his metal boot.

In his explanation of the work, he has said, “The problem lies in the word ‘understanding’ and its many levels which cannot be restricted to rational analysis. Imagination, inspiration, and longing all lead people to sense that these other levels also play a part in understanding. This must be the root of reactions to this action, and is why my technique has been to try and seek out the energy points in the human power field, rather than demanding specific knowledge or reactions on then part of the public. I try to bring to light the complexity of creative areas.”

With his penchant of almost ritualistic performance art that seems to transcend just a physical plane, Joseph Beuys has been regarded as one of the most unique personas in the art world.

Ginsberg's "Howl"

http://articles.sfgate.com/2007-10-03/news/17267083_1_interim-pacifica-foundation-broadcasters-and-free-speech-advocates-poem

Ginsberg's poem was one criticizing consumerism and conformity in the 1950's. It was deemed acceptable for children to hear in 1957. Over three decades later, radio stations are too scared to air the poem because of harsh fines that the FCC might impose on them. According to this story, for every obscenity, the station could be subjected to a $325,000, which in the current state of the radio business, could cripple the whole company.

So what does this say for free speech? It seems as though we have regressed in regards to what can be said in a public forum. This is very upsetting, especially since as citizens we should strive for progression in regards to social issues.

After reviewing the poem "Howl", I thought it was a little colorful, but nothing that should be deemed a leper in regards to public presentation. I could understand if it was just a vacuous piece, but it is actually very intelligible and forward thinking for the time. This piece should be publicly admired, not admonished.

Grid Art

For my grid art project I decided to recreate the famous Andy Warhol piece that was featured on the cover of the Velvet Revolver's album. Originally I wanted to use pushpins to make the piece, but after searching high and low i decided to use beads. The things about beads is the fact that you have to place each bead in a linear fashion, which can be frustrating if you happen to mess something up. In the beginning, I took a picture off Google images and lowered the resolution and zoomed in Photoshop to give me a general grid. Afterward, I wrote down how many white, black, and yellow beads there were in order to start building the banana. It took forever and there are many many beads, but the final work i something I'm proud of!

Flipbook Animation

For my flipbook, I tried to explore this idea of a world where creationism and evolution exist. Then there's a part where it shows the evolution of war projectiles. The process took a long time, and I am not the greatest artist, but it was still a pretty interesting experience. My favorite part was coloring with pastels. It gave the drawings this dusty look, which was different than I expected!

Here are some pics:

Marcel Duchamp

         Marcel Duchamp's Rotary Glass Plates piece is considered one of the first interactive pieces of art. My first experience with viewing this lead me to believe that it was a one dimensional art piece. At first sight, it looks like it's just a windmill with a wooden base. It wasn't until after I found a video that panned around the whole piece did I realize the true nature of the art work. 

Video Rendering of Piece: http://www.marcelduchamp.net/popup_roto.htm

         It can be considered as an interactive work because it's up to the viewer to decide how they want to experience it. If you walk around it, you come to realize that the circle is actually made up of several panes of glass that are sized to create a circle when viewed from a front orthogonal view. I think this adds another dimension of interactivity and interest because if you walk around the object, you get a totally different art piece.

         For me, it's kind of like a metaphor for life. Your view on it can change with different perspectives.