These works celebrate life and our interconnectedness - a serious subject- in an offhand manner. The duality of serious and whimsical are common threads in our lives. Humor often allows us to cope with the harsh aspects of our daily life. If there's no fun in life, why make the effort? And of course, the pieces speak of sexuality and femininity.
"I'm a believer"
"Materie"
Mona Hatoum
This work at first glance seems playful, childlike and has a game-like quality but a closer inspection makes viewers think about the futile, endless cycle of war that occupies humanity; how we imbue war with a game/contest-type quality to shield us from the horror of its cruelity.
This work is bronze so it is cold, hard, and heavy -- all adjectives that can be used to describe the emotions that war evokes.
"Round and Round"
Slava Mogutin
These images are very stark and portray a facet of human nature that few want to acknowledge -- we are often violent. The images force us to examination our selves. Their raw, gritty, physical nature are a direct contrast to the civil, polished, cerebral nature of a university. These images are reminders that: violence is a universal theme and undercurrent of all our lives, locally and globally; most violent crimes are committed by young men 18-30 - a significant part of the university population; and the "them" not "us" mindset is a fallacy.
"No Love, Pittsburg"
"Jesse AKA S
teven"
teven"(This one's a little graphic but I like the edginess. One element missing from the current collection.)
Jae Ko
These works will add diversity to the collection as the first sculputural works. They are sculptural and aesthetically pleasing so they will attract repeated attention. Viewers will be lured initially by the textural qualities and overall beauty of the works but the abstract nature will engage them mentally as they try to understand the works. Ko's technique has given the works ambiquity and created a juxtaposition of contrasts.
How does a filmsy media like paper become hard and impenetrable appearing?
"JK612"
How does a flat, non-plush media like paper become soft, pillow-like and inviting?
"JK231"
Michelle I like your choices
ReplyDeleteOne artist and body of work I am sort of questioning is Slava Mogutin. Your explanation is definitely true that we tend to think of crime as them not us, however I'm wondering if the pictures alone convey this message or if the artist is trying to convey that message. And looking at his work collectively I think he is trying to convey something else entirely. Look here at his artist statement.
/http://www.slavamogutin.com/info/info_AS.htm
I do like Mona Hatoum a lot, I think his work is insightful.
ReplyDeleteI'm concerned that you have just grown very attached to Jae Ko's work. I think they're beautiful, they certainly add sculpture to the collection, but I don't think they really deal with an issue that is one the students in the Stamp have to deal with. That's not to say their not good piece, but we should keep that in mind.