Bonsai

Shen Shaomin is a contemporary chinese artist who works intensively with natural objects and plants within his art making. At the 2010 bienalle Shaomin exhibited a selection of his Bonsai series, a collection of bonsai trees that have been grown and manipulated through unnatural means such as iron and bolts. He began creating the works as a response to both ancient culture and tradition as well as contemporary ecological issues.

The works have grown and adapted to these unnatural conditions, appearing odd and bizarre. The juxtaposition of these plants intertwined within their cage like structures inspire mixed feelings of beauty and discomfort. They almost appear tortured and forced into these strange configurations. Using traditional cultivation means Shaomin grows the bonsai trees, methods like pruning and root reduction. However his introduction of his own industrial-esque techniques they become an exaggeration of their traditional selves. The works serve as a metaphor for human impact on the environment, allowing the audience to physically see the impact of the machines on these plants, and experience the unnatural and confronting results.

"While art is not subordinate to politics, they are both discrete fields that rest on the same terrain"

After last sessions lecture on Leibach I have been particularly interested in the music industry and how it is used as a vehicle for opinion. One particular example is the Canadian "post-rock" group 'Godspeed You! Black Emperor'. In relation to this weeks reading I was drawn back to exploring this terrain of sound art and music, and have particularly been looking at 'Godspeed...' as an example of an artist collective using political topics as a catalyst for the music they create.

The quote "While art is not subordinate to politics, they are both discrete fields that rest on the same terrain." triggered this link because I very much agree with this opinion on these two topics, and believe it is an accurate description of their similarities, but more importantly, their differences. In terms of art and politics being within the same terrain, i think they are both inextricable linked through their nature. Both these areas draw from one another, art acts as ones expression on issues (that may include, but certainly are not limited to, politics) and politics, specifically radical political based events such as 9/11 are also a result of ones expression, albeit of a different issue.

Referring back to the band "Godspeed You! Black Emperor", I have been looking at this example in relation to their third LP "Yanqui U.X.O" and the links they create between music and arts and politics. The back cover for example features a diagram exploring links between major music labels and various arms manufacturers. The title of the record has also been explained as Yanqui (Spanish for the word yankee) being referred to as a 'multinational corporate oligarchy', and the words U.X.O referring to 'Unexploded ordnance'.

Im not completely sure if this was entirely relevant, It was just a tangent inspired by the reading.

Leibach

The group Leibach produce a musical style that incorporates political agenda and viewpoints juxtaposed with iconography of such opposing perspectives as those of nazi germany. The group approach the subject of the relationship between the Slovenes and the Germans, a relationship which is often understood as traumatic and complex. The particular video, 'Leibach Tanz mit' or 'transmit' is a prime example of their confronting approach as it uses both imagery and lyrics that confront and act as a mode of expression for their views.

The song 'Tanz Mit Leibach' includes the lyrics:

we dance to Ado Hinkel

Benzino Napoloni

we dance to Schiekelgrueber

and dance with Maitreya

with Totalitarianism

and with democracy

we dance with Fascism

and red anarchy

Ado hinkel, Benzino Napolini, Schiekelgrueber and Maitreya are all in fact characters in the successful Charlie Chaplin film' The great dictator' and the song itself is a comment on the influence of America on Germany and specifically suggesting the significant impact that America has on German culture. The significance of these characters and their use in the song can be interpreted in many ways. Schiekelgreber is particularly important as it is Hitlers original family name, and it could be said that this was used in the song direct references to Nazism are still prohibited in Germany. It is also interesting to consider the name Maitreya as it is the Bhuddist name for the new Bhudda who is believed to be destined for arrival in the future.

The song also feature the reoccuring lyrics 'one, two, three, four' suggesting a link to military, it further re-enforces this idea through the strong imagery in the song and the nature of the drone- like structure of the music, the effect being that of a war march.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP4j-bJ6x7w

Institutions, critique, and institutional critique

Alberro brought up several interesting points in this weeks reading, highlighting the importance of the gallery space within the art world. I found it especially interesting because I had never thought to question the power of the institutions before, always have just accepted their place in the art world. The importance of the institution was brought up and dissected in a interesting way, specifically through the analysis of Burren and Rosler.

Such notions of the reciprocation of ideas about art between the institution, the audience and the work having justify the work as art, and the point when a work become art, whether that is when it is created or when it is viewed? Personally I disagree with the statement, I believe that art is art upon creation, become so simply because of the intention with which it was created.

There are several interesting points in the article, as well as many thought provoking to be built upon in the future readings.

Arty Party: Matt Vertley

Does art/culture reflect society or does art /culture produce it?

Art and culture is both a catalyst and a result of society. It forms and produces ideas that often have a base within some subculture of society, but through the ingenuity of the artists involved these ideas may easily become something beyond their foundational origins, they become new ideas in society and new threads of thought that may have otherwise remained non existant.

Art and Culture is a huge reflection of society, without a society full of ideas and references how can art reach any momentous potential? At this point in art and culture, any new forms and manifestations of art feed off what has come before it and what is around it, this notion of society will always be a major factor in the production of art.

That is not to say however, that all art is reflecting and feeding off society. There are many artists who envision reaching new plateaus with their art, influencing the culture and society that will form in the future. Society can definitely be said to draw from the art and culture before it, it could not grow without it.