The Hornsey Film - Patricia Holland

The Hornsey Film

Photos obtained from here

"A student revolt as re-lived by the students themselves, The Hornsey Film reconstructs the arguments and succession of events that led to the occupation of Hornsey College of Art between May and July 1968." - archive.org

I've always wanted to watch this film. I think it's a M U S T for all art students, and all students in general. An inside look at history, at people like us. These aren't just students making a fuss for no reason, as I think some of the general public like to think most of the time (and that's my own general statement). Like the events at the University of Auckland and the responces from the public. These students of Hornsey are intelligent and forward thinking, they're not "illiterate, mysterious artists" kicking up dust for a little bit of fun. 

watch this film guys. do it.

Photos obtained from here

How to Make A Happening - Allen Kuprow

How to Make A Happening (1968)

24:43 Minutes

Something Else Press

LISTEN HERE 

Pete Souza - Personal photographer to Barack Obama

Today I watched a documentary on the personal photographer of U.S President, Barack Obama. His portraits strike a chord with me as I relate these photos closely to the interest in portrait painting I have. It's these close personal moments Souza captures, moments of love with his family and moments of tension in congress, that are key to the recording of history. And that's a huge thing! History! President Nixon HATED being photographed and in his resignation speech he told his photographer Ollie to get out of the room as only the CBS crew were allowed to be there, on his command. The job of documenting these people, these Presidents, is massive and I couldn't imagine the pressure. I have a huge interest in portraits, not exactly posed portraits but just natural, unposed, mid baby kissing shot...

...like this one, only he's not kissing him cos the tiny baby's hair might take out his eye.

White House Photostream

...Holy crap, I die of cuteness.

White House Photostream

Tiny, running baby.

I suggest watching this doco if you so feel inclined!

American politics is not just a personal interest I have, I lived in Rochester, Minnesota in my younger years and my family continues to live there. American politics, the leaders, the people, the situation of the country is- whether I like it or not - close to my heart.

The Obama White House: Through The Lense

National Geographic

Produced, directed, and filmed by Peter Schnall

First Thursdays/Zinefest

Last week was First Thursday, clearly named by being the first Thursday of the month, where the galleries and spaces around Auckland bustle with exhibition openings and events. Some studio pals and I made our way around Auckland, up from Symonds Street to K Road to Ponsonby and down to Audio Foundation on Poynton Tce.

Ben Pyne had his solo exhibition, 'Axis' down at Audio Foundation;

"Ben Pyne is interested in forming work where the label ‘viewer’ becomes obsolete and is replaced by the term ‘participant’. The idea that one no longer simply views a work, but experiences it through multiple senses and modes of perception — from physical to conceptual, are activated in his immersive installation. His practice is concerned with the physicality of sound — the haptic qualities that sound and noise possess. Sound is created by physical contact between two surfaces — it is a synesthetic combination of radiance and contact. In his work, sound is amplified and abstracted, converted into unperceivable digital information and then re-converted into some other form of perceivable phenomena — how a sound feels rather that what it represents." - audiofoundation.org.nz

I may be a bit biased when it comes to Ben's work, but it's really is so engaging. At this exhibition he had small contraptions which rubbed two rods together, making a sound somewhat like chalk. He placed these contraptions in inconspicuous places in a stairwell. You hear them before you see them, therefore you're actively looking for the little things all the time, wondering whether there are more or less of them then you see or think, and where the hell they are. Inside the space, along with some videos works which I admittedly didn't spend much time with, was a massive circular, incredibly slow spinning rod that you could duck under and stand in the middle of. I want to talk to Ben more about this work as I wasn't sure exactly what was going on but it was fascinating just to watch people engage and engage myself with the contraction.

Here are some others we had a look at: (Click titles to visit the Gallery Sites)

BLACK ASTERISK

ART STATION

OBJECTSPACE



THE KEEP

At least the flu gives you time to study...

Kind of.

But I have found some great websites today, sitting on the couch, wrapped up like an eskimo.

1. Dasha Zhukova was awarded the Leo Award - The Leo award being given to someone who acheives greatly in curatorship and dedication to Contemporary Art. Zhukova being a Russian lady married to a rich guy called Abramovic (Coool) and who started up the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture.

With our Curate and Critique assignment coming up for Theory II, I thought I'd take a look at what makes her such a top curator... well have a look for yourself:

http://garageccc.com/en

Photograph of Dasha Zhukova from here

2. Wochenklausur - "The artist group WochenKlausur has been conducting social interventions since 1993. The concept of intervention, whose usage in art has undergone an inflationary trend in recent years, is often used for any form of change. In contrast, WochenKlausur, at the invitation of art institutions, develops and realizes proposals - small-scale but very concrete - for improving sociopolitical deficits...The core team of WochenKlausur conists of 8 artists who have all participated in multiple projects..."

Their projects are amazing, check it out here:

http://www.wochenklausur.at/methode.php?lang=en

  Photograph taken from here

The Bear That Wasn't

Check out the colour, and the imagery and the way it's used. I love this. It may be too "illustrative" for contemporary art conversations, but I ain't bothered. This furry fellow had me at hello.

Original book by Frank Tashlin
Short film directed by Chuck Jones

Antony Gormley - 'Field' (1989-2003)

Field for the British Isles, 1993
Terracotta, Variable size: approx. 40 000 elements, each 8-26 cm tall
Installation view, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland
Art Council Collection, England

Asian Field, 2003
Clay from Guangdong Province, China, 210,000 hand sized clay elements
Installation view, Warehouse of Former Shanghai No. 10 Steelworks, 2003
Photograph by Dai Wei

Work in Progress, 2003
Xiangshan, China
Photograph by Zhang Haier


Images and quotes sited from www.antonygormely.com 

This work by Antony Gormely reminds me of Ai Weiwei's Sunflower Seeds.   

VIDEO BELOW

But what I enjoy most about this work is his use of these tiny, peculiar characters. How they're completely filling the room leaving you no space to move or even contemplate getting around them, and they're all looking at you. I'd say staring but they're too simple and 'cute' (Yes, cute) to be angry. 

I enjoy the confrontation that would be experienced, assuming at first you'd be walking into a gallery or a space to view Gormely's work, instead, the work watches you as you figure out what to do with yourself in the doorway. 

A short film on Ai Weiwei's Sunflower Seeds, spot the similarities.