Life Models Article Response

Life models

http://www.frieze.com/issue/article/life-models/ 

What role does Art play in society?This is the big question  that many Artists of all disciplines agonise over.How is my work relevant? Is my work challenging enough or crazy enough?Will people understand what I am on about? Fundamentally there are many things that Artists and practitioners superficially glaze over and don't acknowledge in order to generate a bigger profit and as a result forfeit any truth or depth that would relate to the general public. The  article was very interesting in discussing the complications and contradictions of Art in terms of popularity,commerce and substance.

It was an interesting angle to discuss De Lillo's protagonist' stream of consciousness as he narrates  the connection between the reality and unreality of Douglas Gordon's 24hr Psycho installation.The protagonist represents an average viewer that occasionally wanders into an exhibition. De Lillo's novel discusses the departure from the departure or as he puts it making connections:'this film has the same relationship that the original movie had to real life experience'. Perhaps all Artist are silently obligated to create work that relates to the social,political and economic context of the present day. The sensibilities of the life model mirrors how an Artist would proactively find ways to connect with their intended audience so that they are able  to understand the perspectives applied by viewers own life experiences.

 Presumably Art is intended an accessible gift for all. To be used as a universal way of connecting and communicating thoughts and ideas and providing a platform and voice for future generations. Instead it seems that Art is an elitist ego boosting platform that refuses to reinforce the stars quo and is instead riddled with contradictions.Literary theorist Viktor Shkiovsky concludes that  Art is a aesthetic experience designed  to alienate people.He says Art 'makes objects "unfamiliar", it makes forms difficult and increases the difficulty and length of perception'.Interestingly, Damien Hirst is reported to be the wealthiest living Artist his approach to Art-making is a cynical one that indulges in appealing to Art Sellers,Collectors,Buyers and Curators. It seems that 'the gallery has become a global franchise and the Artist a luxury goods provider'.

The use of De Lillo's protagonist is further referenced in the article in order to explain that Art work can connect and have a place in society if the viewers  own personal experiences are evoked therefore building a relationship or interchange between the work and the viewer. Furthermore, Art works are social subjects in this way not simply aesthetic objects creating a meaningful relationship to a wider network of beliefs,practices,economies and exchanges. So how is Art truly perceived in society is it the current or the fixture?

1960's Exhibition Review: 'A Marriage of Styles'

Mascalls gallery hosts another exciting exhibition. This exhibition is curated as part of the celebrations around the 50th anniversary of the University of Kent. It looks at two movements in the 1960s (Pop Art and abstraction) and how British Artists mixed the two.  All of the selected works are paintings. The exhibition features works by major British Artists that gained acclaim around the year 1965 (the year the University of Kent opened). This includes: Allen Jones, Bridget Riley and David Hockney. The title of the exhibition - ‘A Marriage of Styles’, comes from Hockney’s wittily entitled work featured in the exhibition.  This exhibition hopes to capture the impulse and originality of British Art in reflection of Britain in 1960s. 

All the works featured in the exhibition truly embody the ‘swinging sixties’. This was a time that was fun, fast, fresh and new. This was the year that demanded change. Pop Culture became an intrinsic part of society. It was these changes that inspired Artists to create work that captured the very essence of a revolution.

Artist's such as Frank Bowling, playfully merge aspects of Abstract and Pop Art in order to create something new. His painting: ‘Swan II’, is featured in the exhibition. The transatlantic links established in the 60’s meant that many Artists, particularly in the exhibition, were influenced by Abstract expressionism. This movement gained recognition due to American Artists such as Jackson Pollock and William de Kooning. Pollock’s method of dripping and pouring paint captures the Artist’s personal psychological expression to create a visual monologue.

Op Art (or optical illusion) is an Abstraction term coined by Bridget Riley. It is a visual exploration that blurs the lines between reality and imagination. These works can be quite disorientating to look at. Riley’s’ ‘Crest’ in particular is a piece that you can only truly appreciate once you witness its compelling nature in person. The bold swerve of repetitive black lines create an overwhelming sense of space and movement.  The hard lines, the finely calibrated measurements and the sleek progression of black and white lines break done both sexual and aesthetic barriers. Contrastingly, Pollock’s rustic way of applying the paint creates a calming typically feminine aesthetic. The paint gyrates and dances around the canvas gracefully as it curves and loops around the canvas. Overall, there is an intentional tension created when viewing Riley’s ‘Crest’ it deludes the retina and dishevels the psyche in effect simulating the effect of being under the influence of drugs.

A visit to this exhibition is truly worthwhile. It is a remarkable visual showcase that demonstrates how the past became the future. Enjoy.

By Lalita Bailey(Curation intern)

‘A Marriage of Styles’ ends on the 6^th of June.

Letters Live Review

A bunch of actors reading letters might sound boring but trust me it was an outstanding event with a line-up of immensely talented actors such as: Benedict Cumberbatch, Louise Brealey (Sherlock co- star), Tobey Jones, Tom Hiddleston, and Juliet Stevenson. The event was held on the 3^rd February Freemasons hall, Covent Garden London. The show boasted of exquisite and captivating performances. The actors proceeded to read letters from famous people in the public eye and the correspondence from their recipients. This gave the audience personal insight into the lives of people that you wouldn't otherwise have access to. It was a rather unusual experience; I have never felt so connected to complete strangers.

Juliet Stevenson read a letter from Janice Joplin to her parents; the letter echoed the voice of a naïve young girl who shares the hype of success by exposing the empty shallowness that precedes it. Benedict Cumberbatch read Kurt Cobain’s suicide letter; it felt like he had been resurrected. You could empathise with the pain and desperation that had poisoned his soul. The letter was a desperate plea for support and a hope for something better. Cumberbatch recited the letter, echoing Cobain’s accent which was not only chilling but also powerfully moving. Tobey jones read a letter from Tom Hughes to his son which was inevitably humorous and witty as he described adults as being grownup children. Tom Hiddleston did a remarkable impersonation of Iggy Pop and Abraham Lincoln. All the actors acted as mediators from past to present; they created a channel that was deeply personal. Brealey and Cumberbatch read a love story in letters which was soppy at times, yet moving. It was about a woman named Bessie Moire during world war two and her lover Chris Barker (who she hadn't even met) expressing their undeniable love; through their letters their love was able to grow and blossom.

If literature isn't really your thing I can assure it was far from boring. The two hour show was so worth it. Not only was the venue set in an intimate setting doused in history, dripping in opulence and magnificence…………but Sherlock Holmes himself was there in the flesh. Musical entertainment was taken care of by Tom Odell. He introduced various sections of the show through his performances of music letters through song. His collaboration with a very female cellist was breath-taking and her solo performance of a letter through music written to a conductor’s student sounded haunting and stirred feelings of fear and obsession. What more could you ask for? The show definitely had variety!

I was terribly nostalgic while watching various performances. I remembered writing letters to my friends from my old home town and my cousins in Jamaica. There’s something terribly intimate when writing a letter. You take more time to consider condensing your life story, pouring out your feelings to the recipient. The whole process of letter writing is deeply touching. You seal the letter which indicates how private it is. It’s for that person on the other side’s eyes only. Sealing the letter represents the close bond you share with that close family member or friend. It’s exciting and stressful awaiting a reply as you watch the postman deliver the long overdue response. You tear it open and await the answer inside. Personally, I love to keep cards, postcards and letters from the past. The hand written messages are all deeply personal. When rereading them, each letter extends a snippet of what’s special in the development and demise of a relationship. Rereading old diary entries from my angst-ridden teenage years incites old feelings of fear and uncertainty. We take for the epistolary format for granted. They create a deep picture and impression of a person.

What a privilege it is to be allowed access into a person’s life. Fascinating. It is a shame that letter writing is considered to be old-fashioned. We no longer have time to sit down and tell someone how we really feel.  Instead feelings have been removed from keyboard to screen. This creates a barrier that causes us to isolate ourselves from one another. We don’t really get to know people. We’re all constantly rushing back and forth between typo ridden and careless text messages. This is why the epistolary format will always be the key that unlocks the door into pain, humour, love and loss. It creates inspiring artefacts of the human condition and there’s no better way to document this. To think that all this can be achieved simply with the everlasting power of a handwritten letter. Overall, the show was heart-warming, candid, intrusive, insightful and thoughtful. I have decided to share a letter below that I received from my late cousin when I was a child some years ago. I hope this will touch you as much as this has touched me. 

School prints:Art for the 1940's Classroom Review

The School Prints exhibition is currently on display at Mascalls gallery. What a lovely exhibition it is indeed. Art generally speaking is visual record of history a nostalgic visual sentiment. Likewise, the prints in this case represent 40's Post war life.  How varied, refreshing and jovial these prints are. The exhibition features works by acclaimed 20th century Artists such as: Henry Moore,   John Nash and Felix Kelly. What a treat that works from the European series also make an appearance in the exhibitions collection such Artists include: Matisse, Braque and Picasso. Just to be able to get a glimpse of these limited edition original prints is such a privilege. They are such rare and collectable works that have not been reproduced since the 40's. 

The School Prints were produced towards the end of the Second World War when Brenda Rawnsley and her husband Derek had the idea of bringing contemporary art to young children who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to see it. The idea  was brilliant and simple to  commission good artists to create original lithographs which would be produced  in very large numbers and sold cheaply to  schools who wanted  to subscribe to the scheme.

Interestingly enough  a submission made by Michael Ayrton depicting the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle-Diddle was rejected on the basis that its rather menacing depiction of the cat would be too frightening for children. This may seem amusing   to a modern audience when we think of how exposed children are today to entertainment centred on supernatural and ghastly fantastical and mythical creatures. Rather, the prints address subject matters which would have had an everyday familiarity to children of the period. Tractors, fairgrounds and busy town centres are shown. The use of particularly British subject matter meant that the representations would have been familiar, even if the style of execution and use of colour was not. The prints enlivened an otherwise dull classroom and filled children with the hope that their futures would be brighter and   Britain restored post war. There truly is a sense of optimism and enlightenment   radiating from each work.

Each Artist had criteria of being restricted to a palette of six colours. This made the works striking and accessible. The characteristics which made these works popular with primary schools also appealed to the general public. Gerald Cooper's, Striped Lily was one of the most popular prints among the adults who brought these works because of its conventional still life feel. The colour and affordability of these prints meant that by 1947 the prints had become popular in interior design. As a result they were featured in Vogue and several advertising campaigns.

This wonderful Art scheme is definitely something that should be revived into the modern classroom. Pop culture in the form of television, music and video games are instrumental tools that educate children in a warped and often inappropriate way. Recreating this scheme would not only educate children about Art but also about society around them. How exhilarating to feature imagery in schools once again that would be stimulating, interesting and relatable. Alas due to blundering budget cuts in the Arts this idea may simply remain as just that.

The collection was a wonderfully uplifting and moving collection. Each work captures the same joy and curiosity that naturally sparks a child's interests. Each of the works is visual narratives and tells a story either fictional and exciting or honest and relatable about everyday life. My personal favourite of the prints is Clarke Hutton’s Harlequinade which proves to be the liveliest in the series. It shows a scene from a harlequinade, an early form of slapstick pantomime. This piece although menacing on closer inspection would have caught children’s imagination due to the live action, bright colour and comic feel of the piece. It is urgent that you see this exhibition, it ends tomorrow!

By Lalita Bailey (Curation intern at Mascalls Gallery)

The School Prints  ends on the 14th of March 2015

The Theory of Everything Review

I finally watched the most acclaimed film of the year and to my surprise it far exceeded the hype. Before watching this I had my reservations. Films that are glorified by critics aren't often as popular with the masses. Since they are often pretentious, impersonal and banal. To be honest, this film has been plugged so much that I felt goaded into watching it. I must admit I had softened before watching the film, as I found out that all showcase cinemas discount the price of all tickets for films that have been nominated or won Baftas. So that was very pleasing.

Eddie Redmayne was truly terrific; he authentically captured Hawking's body language, quirks and jovial disposition. The way he was able to contort his body was fascinating. His performance was confident and unassuming. When portraying someone with a disability, there is a tendency to give a performance that can unfortunately come across as comical. Cumberbatch did just that, his portrayal of Hawking in 2004 came across as ignorant and discourteous.

The Theory of Everything is a biopic about Stephen Hawking - an astrophysicist who is diagnosed with Motor Neurone disease and falls in love with fellow Cambridge Student Jane. The film explores a balancing element of both Hawking's family life and his secular achievements. In actual fact, the film predominantly  celebrates Jane Hawking and explores the struggles and the devotion she gave to her husband, who was rapidly falling victim to a degenerative disease. Felicity Jones plays Jane Hawking,her performance was  mesmerising; she portrayed a diligent, brave and loving woman. My only qualm was that Jane and Stephen's discrepancies were glazed over to the point where there were moments in the film where it felt like the director was walking on eggshells. That being said on the whole, Redmayne and Jones' performances were  respectful, honest, and heartwarming. The pairing of both actors was truly enchanting and they are both very worthy of Oscars for their performances. I highly recommend this film.I am happy to say the film is insightful enchanting and  full of wit and humour despite its supposed depressing premise.

'Show off' exciting and original exhibition (exhibition highlight of 2014)

The Show Off exhibition held at Battersea was based in a chilled studio setup and was curated by Sarah Kate Wilson and Rose Davey. It was one of the most original exhibition concepts of 2014.Show off stems from a frustration with mundane private views and the tendency to socialise which draws the viewer's attention away from the work. The Artworks were presented in a theatrical catwalk like performance. This bold way of presenting the work was both provocative and engaging. The immediacy required in presenting work to a live audience allowed the audience to connect with the work that the Artist recreated.  This gave the Artists the platform to speak and truly Show Off their work making the Artists more vulnerable.

Often Art works are lost in translation and interpretation can drift away from the Artist's original intention. Also works displayed on a white wall can dilute the message and zap the energy and life force from the work. Human emotion is not prescribed and the dramatic dynamism of the show represents and triggers genuine feelings of excitement. While you are being entertained you feel like you have been personally invited to have an intimate share in the story and the message that is being conveyed.

Works that were showcased and mobilised varied in disciplines. There were paintings, sculptures, drawings and installation pieces. Also a range of exciting international Artists flocked to take part in this exciting project.  A real kaleidoscope of conversations were created. Paulina Michnowska's hilarious 'Splendour of The Peacock' depicted a roaring giant cat. Sarah Kate Wilson's ‘Zumba’ displayed flashing fabric under strobe lighting and an umbrella installation of rain chaotically cocooned the muse beneath. This created a resonating spiralling dance, a wrestling with feelings of pain and self-preservation. Overall, it was a truly refreshing experience.

Show-Off presented by LeandKateLouise,private viewing on the 7th of November 2014 and public viewing from 8-9 November 2014,Battersea London.
For more information and photographs of the exhibition check out this link: 
http://www.leandakatelouise.com/filter/showoff

Belle Review

Prior to watching this film, I had never heard of Dido Belle. It turns out she was not a mere fictitious character but a real human being and a significant part of British history. She is considered to be the first Black British aristocrat.The film is based on the painting of both Dido and Elizabeth Murray  in 1779. They are unusually portrayed as equals standing together side by side smiling.This juxtaposes against the stereotypical portrayal  in  Artworks during the renaissance period  of the vulnerable slave at the feet of their owner.

Dido Elizabeth Belle was born into slavery as the natural daughter of Maria Belle, an enslaved African woman in the West Indies. Her father was Captain John Lindsay, a British Naval officer that brazenly acknowledges his daughter. After her mother's death, he gave her the privilege and the life that she was entitled to. Evidently, this was not without the raised eyebrows from the rest of society and of her relatives who reluctantly adopted her as their own.The film is both enchanting and sinister as it pierces into the flesh behind the glamour. It features the sophistication, brutality, injustice and the struggles of race and equality. Moreover, the film is not merely a dark and gritty portrayal of the past. Instead, it is a love story about overcoming prejudice and fighting for what is right and just.

Gugu-Mbatha Raw gives a remarkable performance as Belle. A woman intelligent and defiant. She really gets to grips with a woman that was a victim of circumstance but at the same time refused to let the circumstance swallow her whole. She identifies the sensitivity of the division between class and culture but did not oppose the differences that made her an entire entity. Although 'she knew little of her mother other than the colour she had given her', she educated herself and questioned the inhumane circumstances of the people  she resembled. Tom Wilkinson's performance as Lord Mansfield (Dido's uncle) was also incredibly heartwarming. He painted a portrait of the man who was able to separate colour and distinguish the human being, despite his wrestling with social conditioning.

Belle was a truly enchanting and stirring melodrama. Unfortunately, the love story element was a bit mills and boon. All the key factors in terms of social and historical context are touched on but a real in depth discussion was not created. Perhaps to sooth the stomachs and consciences of  commercial viewers. It would have been interesting if there was some expansion into Belle's contextual background. What was her life like as a mixed-raced child born into slavery? What was her relationship like with the black maid servants? Surely there must have been contention even if it was just underlying. As for the white servants such as Joseph, who secretly drove Belle to meet her love interest. Was there hostility? Were they ambivalent about her position in society?  Overall, the film is a very enjoyable costume drama, think  Austen meets a diluted version of 'Amazing Grace'.