Wednesday 15 December 2010
Francesca Woodman at the Victoria Miro gallery
I love Woodman's work so a chance to see her work in the flesh was a treat. The photographs were all printed small which drew me close and created a more intimate feel which is perfect for her work as I think it is very sensitive & personal work. There were images in small series's, 2 or 3 that connected. The work went from her very first piece to the end of her life where she was starting to explore using colour (previous work was only in black & white). As I've previously said I'm interested in her work as she questions sexuality and uses her body as subject. I'm still questioning If she makes herself sexual object for the male viewer by being the female nude or, if by obscuring, blurring herself, especially her face, in a lot of the images, does she then de-sexialise herself? I think I might explore this in my next essay.
Tuesday 7 December 2010
'Art, fashion, identity' at The Royal Academy
Went to 'Art, fashion, identity' at The Royal Academy. This exhibition i found really exciting, have been waiting for ages for it to open and it didn't prove a let down. Yes i think there could have been a bit more, it felt a little bit craft orientated in parts? It challenged my mind as i walked from a very fashion based piece to a much more art based piece, my head was shifting from seeing fashion to art but i think a lot of the work successfully merged the two.
I was really drawn to the installation by fashion designer Hussain Chaylian in which he created a theatrical installation that was really eary but beautiful (cant find any better words!!???), it was very fashion orientated, much like a living photo shoot.
A really interesting video/performance and installation piece by Mella Jaarsma about homeless shelter caught my eye. The shelters were wearable and representational of their chinese/Indonesian surroundings.
Also there were works I've seen 2nd hand on the internet, like Yoko Ono's 'Cut Piece', Cindy Sherman's dress up dolls video (can't remember actual title) and Gillian Wearing's 'sixty minute silence'. I love the Wearing piece, the idea of a living photograph, the idea of endurance and subtle movement...a photo can be very formal but by making it time based takes this away as the subjects become uncomfortable. I want to look at the idea of living photos, the extension of the moment that is being captured as a still?
I obviously have a strong feeling when it comes to fashion, i worked as a stylist in the industry for over 10 years and it is still something i am passionate about but not in a commercial way anymore. I'm interested in the issues of the female in society, the fashion and beauty industry and the female form. Plus a love of the physical act of sewing and crafting, i have a love of fabric and form. I think this passion will work its way more and more into my practice.
I was really drawn to the installation by fashion designer Hussain Chaylian in which he created a theatrical installation that was really eary but beautiful (cant find any better words!!???), it was very fashion orientated, much like a living photo shoot.
A really interesting video/performance and installation piece by Mella Jaarsma about homeless shelter caught my eye. The shelters were wearable and representational of their chinese/Indonesian surroundings.
Also there were works I've seen 2nd hand on the internet, like Yoko Ono's 'Cut Piece', Cindy Sherman's dress up dolls video (can't remember actual title) and Gillian Wearing's 'sixty minute silence'. I love the Wearing piece, the idea of a living photograph, the idea of endurance and subtle movement...a photo can be very formal but by making it time based takes this away as the subjects become uncomfortable. I want to look at the idea of living photos, the extension of the moment that is being captured as a still?
I obviously have a strong feeling when it comes to fashion, i worked as a stylist in the industry for over 10 years and it is still something i am passionate about but not in a commercial way anymore. I'm interested in the issues of the female in society, the fashion and beauty industry and the female form. Plus a love of the physical act of sewing and crafting, i have a love of fabric and form. I think this passion will work its way more and more into my practice.
Stephen Farthing at the Royal Academy
Went to the Stephen Farthing exhibition at the Royal Academy, only went because my ticket from another exhibition allowed entrance to this one, so i wasn't going to waste it. Didn't like his work much but the was interested to see images of faceless women, again this relates to what im exploring in my practice at the moment, exploring the female form and weather hiding, distorting or disguising the face can make the female form less of an object or more of an object. How to de-sexualise a female nude especially.
V&A Shadow catchers
went to the V&A to see 'Shadow catchers' exhibiton. it really challenged me simply because of the technical process, i need to look into it more, its a shame that the technical side interferred with my viewing. I love the work of Floris Neususs (the image on the advertising is one of hers). The ghostly, floaty, blurred images remind me of Francessca Woodman. They are innocent, pure and although there is a female nude in the work, she is not objectified, not sexual, her identity is hidden, this is something i'm exploring at the moment.
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