The abject body as a subject has been widely represented and explored in all periods of history of photography. From 19th century daguerreotypes (pictures of dead infants) to late 20th century works of Rudolf Shafer; from grotesque through diseases to death.
There are some interesting publications, which are worth taking into consideration:
Vile Bodiles: Photography and the Crisis of Looking, 1998. Towsend, C. Prestel
One of the most complex positions includes areas of death, pathological disorder, ageing or physical disability. Author tries to break a taboo that is fear about our own bodies and damaged bodies of others. The voice of artists forces us to re-think how we look at the photography and the body. One of the photographers – John Caplans says: “I am not dealing with the perfect body, I am dealing with another kind of truth, that is how the body really is and why don’t we accept it, because that’s our norm.”
The Dead”, 1995. Williams V; Hobson G. National Museum of Photography.
The book focused mainly on picturing of death in late 20th century. The main aim of the author was to examine the ways in which photographers and artists explore ideas of mortality and how they ask important questions about taboos, which surround picturing of death. Wide spectrum of photographers represented in this publication and vast area of interpretation give us possibility to renew our thinking about death.
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Politic Photography
'The Body' - William A Ewing
Quote :- ''The body is a highly contested site - it's flesh is both the recipient and source of desire, lust and hatred. As a pawn of technology, it is sacred and sacraficial, bearing the politics of soceity and state. The body is our common bond yet it sepeartes us in it's public display of identity, race and gender.'' Diana Augitis on the work of Helen Chadwick.
An image becomes political when it is used to sway our opinion, this can be relevant to the 1930's when the Nazi's used propaganda posters to try to change what people think.
Where as today, propaganda is still used in protests and demonstrations, such as a demonstration clled 'Pro Life', when photographs were held up of fetus's in the womb, this was to argue against abortion. I see that bringing more controversial subjects and photography together can make people look and listen to the issues raised, such as the abortion demonstration.
Not only do demonstrations and protests use this type of politic photography, but a clothing manufacturer used an image of a man dying of aids for an advertisement, even though this had nothing to do with the product, it still got people to look at the advertisement, as shock photography.
Another book i researched was 'Photography and the body' by John Pultz, a section in the book talks about taboo subjects, such as children and adolescents and also gay men, these are also controversial subjects to talk about, but when shown in a photographic image it has to been seen and spoken about as a subject of politic intrest. Sally Mann photographs of her children seemes more daring than a family photograph, this could be because she had them posed, this removes them from traditional photography and into politic.
Quote :- ''The body is a highly contested site - it's flesh is both the recipient and source of desire, lust and hatred. As a pawn of technology, it is sacred and sacraficial, bearing the politics of soceity and state. The body is our common bond yet it sepeartes us in it's public display of identity, race and gender.'' Diana Augitis on the work of Helen Chadwick.
An image becomes political when it is used to sway our opinion, this can be relevant to the 1930's when the Nazi's used propaganda posters to try to change what people think.
Where as today, propaganda is still used in protests and demonstrations, such as a demonstration clled 'Pro Life', when photographs were held up of fetus's in the womb, this was to argue against abortion. I see that bringing more controversial subjects and photography together can make people look and listen to the issues raised, such as the abortion demonstration.
Not only do demonstrations and protests use this type of politic photography, but a clothing manufacturer used an image of a man dying of aids for an advertisement, even though this had nothing to do with the product, it still got people to look at the advertisement, as shock photography.
Another book i researched was 'Photography and the body' by John Pultz, a section in the book talks about taboo subjects, such as children and adolescents and also gay men, these are also controversial subjects to talk about, but when shown in a photographic image it has to been seen and spoken about as a subject of politic intrest. Sally Mann photographs of her children seemes more daring than a family photograph, this could be because she had them posed, this removes them from traditional photography and into politic.
The Body in Abject Photography
Jeffrey Silverthorne - Morgue - Woman who died in her sleep 1972
When asked what influenced him to start shooting in the morgues Jeffrey Silverthorne responded -
"It was Vietnam time. People were being killed on the television screen as I ate supper. I had to do something and there was a general feeling of people not looking enough. I grew up safe in Conneticut> I thought the morgue was unsafe but it wasn't. Physically it was the safest place I could go> The streets were volitile. Psychologically, the morgue was transfomative, years later. Death is for the living, the dead are gone. Paying attention is the key to being alive.
British Photography Journal 24/31 / 12/08
Oxana Mazura digitally manipulated images of the body show a range of emotions and internal states of mind. Some use grotesque cuts and markings on the models back artistically shot in back and white in order to portray these feelings and emotions.
Antony Crossfield - Foreign BodiesAntony Crossfield uses photographic compositions which digitally combne multiple images of individual male bodies into multilimbed hybrids. Disturbing and distorted yet reconisable and human. The subjects look as if they are struggling like conjoined twins of control of the merged body. This collection explores masculine streotypes of physical strength and control, made vulnerable through decay, fleshyness and furthered through lack of clothing.
This photogrphers work is inspired by the fact that everyone in life is affected by health issues at some point. His unsettling images of distorted bodies use a range of techniques. Prosthetics, digital manipulation and straight portraiture. He is influenced by Joel Peter-Witkin and artist Otto Dix and his horrific injury paintings of WWI
The body as an aesthetic object
by Joe Light
Sam Taylor-Wood’s book - Contact - combines the body as a beautiful form mixed with images of disturbia. Using strong colours, particularly reds and blacks she objectifies her characters, presenting them as a contact sheet. This creates feelings of uneasiness with edgy compositions. As it is presented as contact sheets it seems to be unfinished. As a result this seems to offer the viewer a secretive look into the personal lives of the people photographed. They seem to be no more than objects trapped by the frames of the black contact sheet borders. In a way Taylor-Wood asks the question, what is beautiful? and tries to emphasise imperfect humanistic aesthetics rather than beautiful forms. This makes the subjects seem vulnerable as if they are objects being controlled.
Cindy Sherman, Photograohic work 1975-1995 - “Often, her photos present images of women who have dedicated themselves to the cliches of the fashion world and advertising. - Elisabeth Bronfen. I think this quote best sums up Sherman’s work. Using models shot in this style takes their esthetical beauty away, humanising them rather than recording them in compositions which grow more and more gruesome throughout. However, because we are told they are models, some viewers may still see the women photographed as objects of beauty. This adds a disturbing contrast to the book and i like how the photographer is challenging conformist views of the way people should look and be viewed.
Alex Kayser’s extensive archive of photographs entitled “Heads” looks deeply at the aesthetics of what must be hundreds of mens faces. The book is a great record of differences in face and is not a new idea. The way that victorian physiognomy looks into facial shape to determine a persons personality is made to seem absurd because under the images it tells you the persons name and occupation. Every man photographed is either naturally bald or shaves their head daily, this small insight shows what men sometimes do to be how they want to look and want to be seen.
What makes a human: Body Politics
As people, we all have a specific view on what we think humans should act like, be this our own personal opinion or that of the culture that we are part of. What happens when this idea is challeged and we are faced with something that we percieve as being wrong?
The idea of being human can vary throughout different cultures and classes. What would be acceptable and normal in some cultures would not be in others. This is discrimination.
This can take the form of racial discrimination and gender based discrimination, amongst others. Stereotypes often contribute to these views. The way we expect a person to behave, based on their looks, often influences what we think of them as a person or as a culture. This is often seen as a bad thing, however, some people use it to their advantage. Topics that would usually be dangerous territory can be turned into things that can be discussed freely.
A quick search of the internet showed nothing much of use, but after narrowing down my search keywords I found a book called 'Body Alchemy: Transsexual Portraits' by photographer Loren Cameron. Gender identification is always a big point of discussion because there is a grey area surrounding it. This book shows the journey that make transgender's take, from being male to being female, including a large section documenting his own journey.
I found a blog that explains an individual's experience at buying this book, being a trasgender himself. I found this quite useful in the way that it shows how even people who accept that they are transgender have issues with it themselves,
http://tranifesto.com/2009/05/04/body-alchemy-transexual-portraits-by-loren-cameron/
Some people might think that transgender imagery links to the post modernism movement. People who are transgender, whether male or female, could be interpreted as broken people. They are neither male or female, they are somewhere in between. Post modernism is the idea that our own experiences influence our relality. It denies the application of principles to groups of people, and supports the isea of individuals. Essentially the fragmented group of people.
Topics ranging from transgender, to eroticism to racism, all provoke reactions in people, depending on their own personal beliefs. If you dont agree or believe in something does that make you right and them wrong? Are the issues that people face with things like transgender today similar to the issues that gay couples and the balck civil rights movement faced years ago. Is it just waiting for people to expand their minds and accept things as normal?
The idea of being human can vary throughout different cultures and classes. What would be acceptable and normal in some cultures would not be in others. This is discrimination.
This can take the form of racial discrimination and gender based discrimination, amongst others. Stereotypes often contribute to these views. The way we expect a person to behave, based on their looks, often influences what we think of them as a person or as a culture. This is often seen as a bad thing, however, some people use it to their advantage. Topics that would usually be dangerous territory can be turned into things that can be discussed freely.
A quick search of the internet showed nothing much of use, but after narrowing down my search keywords I found a book called 'Body Alchemy: Transsexual Portraits' by photographer Loren Cameron. Gender identification is always a big point of discussion because there is a grey area surrounding it. This book shows the journey that make transgender's take, from being male to being female, including a large section documenting his own journey.
I found a blog that explains an individual's experience at buying this book, being a trasgender himself. I found this quite useful in the way that it shows how even people who accept that they are transgender have issues with it themselves,
http://tranifesto.com/2009/05/04/body-alchemy-transexual-portraits-by-loren-cameron/
Some people might think that transgender imagery links to the post modernism movement. People who are transgender, whether male or female, could be interpreted as broken people. They are neither male or female, they are somewhere in between. Post modernism is the idea that our own experiences influence our relality. It denies the application of principles to groups of people, and supports the isea of individuals. Essentially the fragmented group of people.
Topics ranging from transgender, to eroticism to racism, all provoke reactions in people, depending on their own personal beliefs. If you dont agree or believe in something does that make you right and them wrong? Are the issues that people face with things like transgender today similar to the issues that gay couples and the balck civil rights movement faced years ago. Is it just waiting for people to expand their minds and accept things as normal?
The body as an object of medical research: Athens
Immediate searches through the contents of Athens was found to be particularly dry, however looking into more depth there were a couple of interesting articles to be read.
Particular articles include:
http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e12b3db362ecdcfda98a1d29d69c0a4f6ddc098d29ffd7b19375574f260ec0730&fmt=P
Lee, C. Observing the body. Irish Arts Review (Dublin, Ireland) v. 27 no. 3 (Autumn 2010) p. 102-5
(You will have to log onto Athens to view these pages)
Observing the body begins to explore the comparisons between anatomists and artists. The article explains that:
‘Artists create, anatomists dissect. We anatomise or cut open and separate the parts of the body in order to understand its structure. Yet both artists and anatomists see and observe, both professions require manual dexterity and the histories of both are closely intertwined.’
Thinking about these points, I see that in the same sense an anatomist will study the body in detail, dissecting and observing; artists will observe and dissect a subject to visually represent it, in some cases, this may be the body. The article goes on to say that artists had actually started to begin studying the anatomy for medical purposes, having lessons on anatomical drawings in theatres.
The Osteology Lesson of Dr Sebastiaen Egbertsz, painted by Thomas de Keyser in 1619
Another relevant article is:
http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790e12b3db362ecdcfda98a1d29d69c0a4f68a69ffa49366baad0cff61169867bb24&fmt=P
Parks, J. A. Real World Anatomy: Andrew Gerndt at the School of Visual Arts. American Artist Drawing v. 7 no. 25 (Spring 2010) p. 78-85
Skeleton, Finished
Drawing
by Jeff Aritonucci,
graphite. 30 x 40.
Real world anatomy talks about a class at the school of visual arts, taken by Andrew Gernt. The article explains the process of learning to draw the human anatomy, starting with the skeleton and working up to a live model. I find this particularly interesting because it shows how the use of art in medicine has advanced in a way in which we can collectively learn the skills to become a part of this subject; therefore creating new job areas in medicine for the artistic. Using the body as a subject to medical research is now widely recognised and used in various mediums such as drawing, painting and photography.
It seems important to respond to this research with my own personal experience, since I believe I can relate to this subject. I experienced a week at work with a medical artist, researching and studying the human form and skeleton. I found the amount of attention to detail needed in this area to be quite daunting; however I gained a good amount of experience.
The Body As Aesthetic Object: Journals
The Body as an Aesthetic Object.
Within this small sub-title for ‘The Body’ woman are the dominant subjects. With the thoughts of ‘traditional’ men believing woman are ‘objects’ and believing they also own them. Also woman in a lot of the works I looked at were seen as sexual objects, like something to use over and over again for the viewers own pleasure.
Jean Straker was the founder of the Visual Arts Club in Soho (1950’s-60’s), photographing his models in provocative and sensual poses. He also was also sued for pornographic images, but won his case. One of this specialism’s was ‘Gynarcographic Studies’. The women do look playful and enjoyable within the images but the strong sexual representation for the male audience in noticeable.
The British Journal of Photography – 27/08/08 – pg 18-24.
Arno Rafael Minkkinen is a creative black and white photographer and portrays the body as part of the environment very well. His style is similar to Bill Brandt yet not as strong on the contrast. His images are beautifully taken and are all self-portraits, I am guess must be done on a timer.
Ag – Summer 2009
Paul & Paula’s work on the series More Beautiful Than God are portrayed to be such a laugh. They set up a series of rules for a game which was the subject for their portraits. Also the people within the images to me do not seem the main focus, but instead just a ‘pawn’ in the game.
Source – Autumn 2002 – pg 5-11
The Body As An Object Of Medical Research
http://listverse.com/2009/01/08/top-10-bizarre-medical-anomalies/
Above: this article is about rare medical disorders. It shows 10 images of rare diseases exploited to the world for their differences, labelled as freaks. some are normal well known diseases but on a large scale on the individual.
the iages are shocking and disturbing, they are quite hard to look at. It is also uncomforting to think this individual is suffering with this disease and they have to live with the bad publicity they must get for being diferent.
Because some of the mishapen body parts and growths they can appear quite unidentifiable they can look more like an object rather than a living part of the human body. when it comes to the actual research on the human body, the body does need to be treated as an object, if you treated the body as if it still had feelings there wouldnt have been half the medical break throughs there have been in medical history.
On the subject of not treating the body as an object, this way of medical research is quite a humanitarian aproch to thestudy as aposed to soe of the medical testing that happened in history where some of the patients were still alive when the study was taken and most of whom it was against their will.
http://insidevancouver.ca/2010/09/15/body-worlds-exhibit-opens-at-science-world-tomorrow/
This is an article about an exhibition that was held in museums all over the world. The exhibition presents real human bodys that have been preserved and displayed in positions such as hitting a ball. You can see from the photographs all the muscles and tissue that make up the human body. The body's seem to be exploited in front of hundreds of people as if this was never a person with feelings. As the only mammal to have conciousness it's a little unsettling to think they are now being observed as an object and as an unnatural form of the human body.
Obviously all the body in the exhibition have come from people who have given concent for their bodys to be used for medical research, but from a human point of view it is quite hard looking at them without them having a personality.
Above: this article is about rare medical disorders. It shows 10 images of rare diseases exploited to the world for their differences, labelled as freaks. some are normal well known diseases but on a large scale on the individual.
the iages are shocking and disturbing, they are quite hard to look at. It is also uncomforting to think this individual is suffering with this disease and they have to live with the bad publicity they must get for being diferent.
Because some of the mishapen body parts and growths they can appear quite unidentifiable they can look more like an object rather than a living part of the human body. when it comes to the actual research on the human body, the body does need to be treated as an object, if you treated the body as if it still had feelings there wouldnt have been half the medical break throughs there have been in medical history.
On the subject of not treating the body as an object, this way of medical research is quite a humanitarian aproch to thestudy as aposed to soe of the medical testing that happened in history where some of the patients were still alive when the study was taken and most of whom it was against their will.
http://insidevancouver.ca/2010/09/15/body-worlds-exhibit-opens-at-science-world-tomorrow/
This is an article about an exhibition that was held in museums all over the world. The exhibition presents real human bodys that have been preserved and displayed in positions such as hitting a ball. You can see from the photographs all the muscles and tissue that make up the human body. The body's seem to be exploited in front of hundreds of people as if this was never a person with feelings. As the only mammal to have conciousness it's a little unsettling to think they are now being observed as an object and as an unnatural form of the human body.
Obviously all the body in the exhibition have come from people who have given concent for their bodys to be used for medical research, but from a human point of view it is quite hard looking at them without them having a personality.
Monday, 31 January 2011
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer “Recorders”
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
“Recorders”
Manchester Art Gallery
25.01.2011
“Recorders”
Manchester Art Gallery
25.01.2011
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is 44 years old, Mexican born artist who lives and creates his artwork in Canada.
Lozano in his exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery tries to put attention on important issue of technology in our live. He, also, tries to ask some questions: how technology influences on people? How does it change our surrounding and us itself?
The whole exhibition and its individual parts seem to be planned and arranged deliberately. They form a logical sequence which harmonize with space and lead a viewer through a play to a very significant final end.
The author’s intention was to make us (throughout voice, image and pulse recording) observers to communicate and associate with technology which in some moments starts to be prolongation of our biological attributes. It is worth mentioning, as an example, the installations made of few hundred bulbs hanged down from a whole sealing. The bulbs flash with the rhythm of pulse of people who previously visited the exhibition. Apart from visual effects there is some irresistible impression of being connected with the installation, being an essential “working” part which brings a sense to it.
There is no doubt that in the first room viewer interacts with the installations based on biometric technologies. It shows a clear analogy to places where those techniques are used to control and monitor people’s traffic, access to institutions and services in real world. In the next sections spectator by using senses of touch, sight and hearing becomes integral part of the performance. But the most symbolic and significant is the last display which brings final conclusion to the whole. While walking into the last room observer is recorded and displayed in a large scale on the wall, in the next few steps he becomes a shadow with a number above. The shadow appears here as a symbol of human devoid of personality and voice, who exists only as a number, a segregated numeric function in the system.
Recorders by Raphael Lozano-Hemmer is an immersive show which invites the viewer to participate at the first opportunity, as soon as you walk through the door. The first piece, Pulse Index invites the viewer to insert their finger into a hole which photographs their fingerprint and records their pulse rate. The fingerprint is then displayed with all the previous participants and becomes part of the work. This immediately involves the viewer and they in turn become a part of something which could not exist without them. This also makes you think more closely about our fingerprints. How they are all unique to ourselves and how they are used to identify us, perhaps not always in a good way especially with talks about ID cards to increase security.
For me the most visually striking and involving work was the Pulse Room, at first the continuous flashing at the different rates is a bit of an assault on the eyes, but after spending a few minutes in there it becomes surprisingly soothing and relaxing. The flashes made me think of all the other participants and how even though they were set in a wide empty space the people who had contributed to the work seemed to be an invisible presence. This was because the pulse beats made me think of the one vital sign that people look for when determining if someone is alive or not. The difference in the intensities also made focus on the individuals and what was it about them that had made some lights so bright.
Overall i found Recorders very interesting as I have never been to see installation art that was so interactive and dependent on public participation and this has inspired me to think of ways that I could involve people in works and use space as part of a piece. I felt it raised interesting questions about the use of technology which permeates our lives and which we don't usually notice.
For me the most visually striking and involving work was the Pulse Room, at first the continuous flashing at the different rates is a bit of an assault on the eyes, but after spending a few minutes in there it becomes surprisingly soothing and relaxing. The flashes made me think of all the other participants and how even though they were set in a wide empty space the people who had contributed to the work seemed to be an invisible presence. This was because the pulse beats made me think of the one vital sign that people look for when determining if someone is alive or not. The difference in the intensities also made focus on the individuals and what was it about them that had made some lights so bright.
Overall i found Recorders very interesting as I have never been to see installation art that was so interactive and dependent on public participation and this has inspired me to think of ways that I could involve people in works and use space as part of a piece. I felt it raised interesting questions about the use of technology which permeates our lives and which we don't usually notice.
Recorders - Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
Out of the eight pieces In the exhibition some of them do not need a lot of space, but by no means does this make them less powerful.
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer sees technology as an inevitable part of our culture, but it also shows how technology can be misused.
The first piece Pulse Index recorded fingerprint images and heart rate by one person placing their finger onto a sensor and that then puts your fingerprint image in the catalogue with all the other prints that have been stored, from this it becomes a large collage of fingerprints.
Choosing this piece as the first to show to the public was I good idea I think because it gets the public involved straight away and makes them want to participate more with the other exhibitions.
After looking at the Pulse Index installation, I grew more curious about the other art pieces, when walking round I immediately was drawn to the Pulse Room, when you first walk into the room you are drawn straight to the lights above. So I immediately wanted to take part and see what it was about.
Although I didn’t know what was actually happening in the installation at first, I soon realized that the installation records your pulse beat using the lights that are above in the room. This has to have been my favourite out of all the installations, because it is recording not only your pulse but everyone else’s pulses that have been before. This brings back the subject of getting the public involved within Hemmers work.
After taking part in the exhibitions I felt like I had made a contribution to Hemmers artwork, but at no time does anyone think why or how this could be used for other sources. It shows how eager people can be to use technology without thinking. Could they be used for a predatory gathering of public information?.
Recorders - Rafael Lozano Hemmer - Manchester Art Gallery
Visitors to the exibition "sign in" via a small metal hole in the wall in which you put your index finger and a large image of your fingerprint is shown on screen in front of you and your p
ulse is measured.
As we continue into the main room we see a circle of vintage style microphones under a spotlight. Well positioned this piece is inviting and is almost like a stage in the centre of the room. When speaking into the microphones (as the artist has very surely predicted that every visitor will do) you hear your own voice back very faintly, followed by someone else's recorded voice - a previous visitor to the exhibition. This has a ghostly sense as you realise that in this silent and nearly empty room your input, just like the voices you can hear, will not be discovered until you are long gone.
Empty your pockets - this piece was very much like an airport baggage scanner except clean cut and brightly lit. Any item placed on the conveyor belt was scanned and appeared as a projection with all the other items that had previously been scanned by other visitors, appearing as a pile of objects on the belt.
I believe the most time was spent collectively playing and interacting on this piece as it was fascinating to see items from your own pockets suddenly and permanently become part of the exhibition.
The pulse room was for me personally although highly technological, the most like what i consider to be artwork in this exhibition.
This room was lit by hundreds of hanging light bulbs each pulsing and representing a heartbeat, all different visitors to the exhibition. You can hold on to two metal rods at the end of the room and record your pulse to add to the collection.
The room was literally filled with the hearts of every person to visit. It was a beautiful sight to be seen and incredibly calming in atmosphere. I could have sat there for hours.
In conclusion, I found this exhibition very interesting and fun to visit and interact with. However, with the exclusion of the pulse room I felt that these pieces were more like something I would expect to see in Manchester's Science and Industry museum and reminded me more of something I would have enjoyed when i was younger as part of a school trip.
When visiting an art gallery I hope to leave feeling inspired to try something new with my photography and top be full of new ideas, unfortunately this was not the case when visiting this exhibition. Nevertheless it was an enjoyable trip and a lot of fun.
Recorders...
Many pieces of work that are exhibited in the recorders exhibition require you to use the space around them. For example, 'Pulse Room' requires the long room to present the outcome of each person heart rate reading, as the reading is moved from one end of the room to the other as each heart rate is taken. The piece 'Please Empty Your Pockets' relates to the use of space around it, as it requires man kind to start and one end of it and then move down to the other end. This piece would not have worked if it had been displayed in the corner of the room.
The work re the references the human body as it plays on the five senses, none of the work presented would be classed as art without the presence of a person. For example, 'Please Empty your Pockets' requires humans to engage with the conveyor belt and use their possessions to create the artistic outcome, 'Microphones' requires the voice of a human to create a sound, 'Pulse Index' requires the human fingerprint and displays it in the television set on the wall, 'Autopoiesis' is the most simplistic of all the pieces as it works with the human reflection alone, Close Up' works with a photograph of a persona and presents in it in a mosaic on the television set on the wall, it also displays the persons pulse at the bottom of the screen, 'Pulse Room' uses the human heartbeat to create a glimmering light throughout the room made up of all the heartbeats that have been taken throughout the day, '33 Questions Per Minute' was a personal favourite of mine I felt the use of questioning the mind and portraying it as art. When the room has no people inside all the work will fall back into its non artistic category.
The exhibition suggests humans relate to technology better when they are connected with it. The fact that all Lozano-Hemmer's work needs human interference suggests humans and technology are closely related and work well together. If you look at society in present day, a persons life revolves around technology and technology is a man made thing, so their relationship is a very close one.
I found the work very inspiring art work that expresses the connection between man kind annd technology. I liked the fact that works meaning wasn't very obvious, you had to spend time with the work and interact with it to figure out what its meanign was.
Recorders By Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
When walking around the exhibition you notice that the art pieces are arranged in certain places to give you space to view and you can contribute by involving yourself within the exhibition.
There are two whole rooms containing just one of Rafael Lozano-Hemmers art pieces. It would be a distraction if there were other art exhibits within the same space in these rooms. The viewer can therefore better focus and interact with the pieces in a larger space.
I noticed that Rafael Lozano-Hemmer expresses the use of body within every art piece. But they are not complete as we are the ones to make them whole by contributing our senses and mind.
33 Questions Per Minute makes you use your mind by thinking of a question. By submitting your question, it is viewed on one of the 21 LCD screens on the wall. You can also say we also use are eyes to read other people's submissions. But mostly we are thinking either of a question or an answer.
http://manchestergalleries.org/whats-on/exhibitions/index.php?itemID=73
I noticed that Rafael Lozano-Hemmer expresses the use of body within every art piece. But they are not complete as we are the ones to make them whole by contributing our senses and mind.
33 Questions Per Minute makes you use your mind by thinking of a question. By submitting your question, it is viewed on one of the 21 LCD screens on the wall. You can also say we also use are eyes to read other people's submissions. But mostly we are thinking either of a question or an answer.
http://manchestergalleries.org/whats-on/exhibitions/index.php?itemID=73
Microphones uses two of our senses; speech and hearing. When you speak into the mircophone it records your voice. But you also hear it being played back together with all of the other participant's voices, who have previously used the microphone.
http://manchestergalleries.org/whats-on/exhibitions/index.php?itemID=73
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer uses a mix of technology and everyday objects throughtout his art pieces in this exhibition. This relates to the above sentence i.e. that technology is only half of the progress and we are the ones to make it a whole. But also the use of technology is expressed by the way he has used ordinary technological objects and turned them in to art, for example the microphones and light bulbs. Music and production industries use microphones to enable the singer or speaker to be heard by the audience. Everyone uses a light bulb at night to see in the dark. He has used these ordinary objects and expressed them so they have become interesting art pieces in a gallery.
Recorders: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
Recorders: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
The installation art exhibition was quite untraditional, a new form of cultural art. It shows what a big place technology takes in our civilization. Every piece of art had its own space, so nothing was covered by another piece. Rafael Lozano -Hemmer took normal objects and put them out of their normal environment, so the context changed and something new was created. For example the pulse room. In the pulse room are 100 light bulbs and cylindrical sensor handles. You have to keep holding the sensor for 15 seconds to read your pulse then your heart pulse will be transferred in to the light bulbs and the whole room will be lighted by your heartbeat.
I felt really engaged to this piece of art because it connects technology and my own body. To see how such a strong natural bodily function like a heartbeat is translated in to a simple electrical process. A whole room full of flashing lights recreating my heartbeat. Your heartbeat is something really personal hidden inside you which is usually only shared in intimate moments but in this piece you display it to who ever is in the room. It becomes public.
Another of Rafael Lozano-Hemmers pieces is called microphones. In a circle are standing 10 microphones when you speak in to a microphone your voice gets recorded and different voice answers, this other voice belongs to a previous participant. I could not really connect with this piece. The voice comes out of the microphones what is like listening to a voice without a body, which makes the microphone the body.
You can clearly see how influenced Rafael Lozano – Hemmer is by science. In one way he shows how close we are to technology and that we can‘t survive without it. The fact that he uses technology as art and we don't question if it is art or science shows how flowing the borders are between those two. In all of this work you are involved in the installation: without you there is nothing. You complete it by taking part in it.
The installation art exhibition was quite untraditional, a new form of cultural art. It shows what a big place technology takes in our civilization. Every piece of art had its own space, so nothing was covered by another piece. Rafael Lozano -Hemmer took normal objects and put them out of their normal environment, so the context changed and something new was created. For example the pulse room. In the pulse room are 100 light bulbs and cylindrical sensor handles. You have to keep holding the sensor for 15 seconds to read your pulse then your heart pulse will be transferred in to the light bulbs and the whole room will be lighted by your heartbeat.
I felt really engaged to this piece of art because it connects technology and my own body. To see how such a strong natural bodily function like a heartbeat is translated in to a simple electrical process. A whole room full of flashing lights recreating my heartbeat. Your heartbeat is something really personal hidden inside you which is usually only shared in intimate moments but in this piece you display it to who ever is in the room. It becomes public.
Another of Rafael Lozano-Hemmers pieces is called microphones. In a circle are standing 10 microphones when you speak in to a microphone your voice gets recorded and different voice answers, this other voice belongs to a previous participant. I could not really connect with this piece. The voice comes out of the microphones what is like listening to a voice without a body, which makes the microphone the body.
You can clearly see how influenced Rafael Lozano – Hemmer is by science. In one way he shows how close we are to technology and that we can‘t survive without it. The fact that he uses technology as art and we don't question if it is art or science shows how flowing the borders are between those two. In all of this work you are involved in the installation: without you there is nothing. You complete it by taking part in it.
Recorders
by Joe Light
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's exhibits encourage the viewer to take part, change and construct with varied methods. Many senses are appealed to and also used to experience each individual instillation. I found it intriguing how the eye becomes secondary in viewing the recordings of both yourself and others before you. The idea that a piece of work does not exist unless someone is experiencing it is very apparent here and the fact that the works are allowed to openly evolve brings in the 4th dimension of time. Space is also a key factor - most peoples reaction is to occupy the negative space in different ways as they are encouraged to by the exhibits. This means that it becomes less about the work and more about the reactions. The viewer becomes the viewed.
The recordings of pulse i found particularly interesting and is something i've never seen converted into such visual forms. The pulse of electricity flowing through the lights exhibit not only had a strong visual appearance because of their height over the viewer but also showed around 100 heartbeats in flashes of regularity. I found this to be quite an emotive piece because of this.
Identity - as a theme - also comes across strongly. As individuals experience the different ways that aspects of their personality are recorded, the thought that their information (finger prints, pulse, images of them) is being taken gets diluted. In a different scenario/context such things may seem intimidating, yet displayed in this way it becomes a fun, intuitive and a thought provoking place to be.
For me the paradox of this collection was the work involving shadows and enlargement. Where the other works focused on waiting for input, it seemed this was revealing an output of the human form - reflected through shadows. However, it too did encourage movement and was a good way to end the visit.
As a result of all such things Hemmer becomes less of a 3-D artist and more of a curator of human behaviour, movement and recordings.
"Recorders"
Recorders was a baffling exhibition, but with it's element of interactiveness eventually drew me in to open my own mind on Installation Art, which usually I do not like much. When first walking around the exhibition the art works seemed pointless in their being - with being interactive pieces I feel you can not consider them art with out your own personal contact. The exhibition also implies our increasing demand on technology and how on par we are increasingly becoming dependent on the use of technology in our lives, however, this can be flipped on the need of technology has on us - even tho not living, still need our interactions to exist.
"This exhibition is delightful, if you are not too serious about art or technology."
Run Paint Run Run: October 11, 2010
Pulse Room (2006):
After moving round the three rooms to interact and decipher my own opinion on the works within the exhibition, my mind was completely intrigued by the process and development of the huge installation Pulse Room. With the symmetrical lining ups of the one hundred lights, which flash to show the heart rate of the previous users, with a hand grip at the beginning to take your heart rate. This is also was beautiful just to watch the lights flash away and change patten with every new user.
Close up (2006)
Close up was such an interesting way to get the viewing interacting with the piece. With the bright colourful LCD screen displaying such small recordings of yourself, yet also being displayed in such away that it shows the small recordings making your actual size 'shadow'. This piece was very fun to play with and did make you feel like a sight idiot.
Close up was such an interesting way to get the viewing interacting with the piece. With the bright colourful LCD screen displaying such small recordings of yourself, yet also being displayed in such away that it shows the small recordings making your actual size 'shadow'. This piece was very fun to play with and did make you feel like a sight idiot.
Please empty your pockets (2010)
This work was technically brilliant. With the software behind it being custom made, but based round goverment technology. You can see this theme through all his work tho, with them all recording our feelings, thoughts and personal objects - this all relates back to the 'Big Borther' phenomenon that worries alot of people. Also with the projection element of this piece it leads you to believe you are creating the work, and not the artist - but it is his persuasion from his work that makes you want to join in.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Recorders: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
Pulse Index, 2010
Placing your finger on the censor automatically documents and creates an image of your fingerprint. Then, using the memory of previous visitor’s fingerprints the piece displays them as a catalogue on a large screen; A relevant introduction to Rafael’s exhibition, in which his work requires audience participation to generate results. Although we regard fingerprint documentation as a process often associated with sinister intentions, as it represents a digital copy of a person’s identity, I found this a more innocent/playful approach to the use of technology and did not think about any consequences.
Microphones, 2008
Microphones; another impressive piece of work programmed to respond to sound input, by recording your voice and playing back previous participants. Although taking myself slightly out of my comfort zone by having to increase my volume in a space full of strangers, I found this piece of work incredible to participate in; and indeed a humorous catalogue of recordings.
Pulse Room, 2006
Walking into the pulse room immediately sparks your attention with dazzling lights pulsing above your head. Although not initially obvious what is being recorded, the flickering of the lights electrifies the atmosphere in the room. This fascinating visual piece represents the recordings of past visitors pulses. In a similar fashion to his previous works, Pulse Room invites and requires the audience to become a part of his art on display.
Of all the pieces on display at the exhibition, Pulse Room is distinctively my favourite; bringing to light an inherent curiosity in the people around me. Even though they are complete strangers I find myself drawn into the event of a new added pulse.
“The pieces either depend on participation to exist or predatorily gather information on the public through surveillance and biometric technologies.”
I find the above quote wholly represents Rafael’s work since it does indeed require audience participation to exist, I find it hard to imagine the inactive work; being the first person to interact with the exhibition. Without realising it, after leaving the exhibition I have left a vast amount of information about my personal identity, which is a surreal prospect in the current social climate of information security. Knowing that the exhibition has recorded information such as finger prints, voice and other details; seems a potentially sinister prospect on what was actually a rather enjoyable exhibition.
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