In doing this assignment I have challenged myself to get out, visit of look at things that I probably wouldn't have before. I think it is good to challenge your thinking by looking at arty things and compare what you think about them to what others have said; I also think that looking at things gives you context, for instance when you view different forms of art you might find yourself quite confused if there is nothing you have seen before to compare it to, but when you have made an effort to include experiences with others art then you will start forming a base with which you can critique your own and others work more effectively.
I feel looking at others work has been quite helpful as when you start looking for what's on that you might be interested in reviewing, you realise their is a lot of art and culture out there and these events are usually free and an interesting use of time. I have however developed quite a dislike of traditional gallery spaces, there is this expected code of behaviour in these galleries that for me makes them quite awkward to be in, I think it is quite ironic that a lot of art is meant to e challenging or provocative yet it is shown in stiff galleries that are always these empty white rooms with wooden floors and seem to be virtually silent except for the clack of shoes on the floor.
Looking at a wide range of events there has been some common things pulling everything together. All works that I have viewed have simply been a medium to try and get the viewer to understand some greater ideas or concept. Art is quite a traditional way to try and make a statement, unfortunately most people will walk past a piece without engaging to a level in which they are understanding or learning something from the piece. The most available medium by far to get ideas out is film, people will sit down, watch and hopefully form some sort of emotional connection with the characters and hopefully understand some of the lessons and themes afterwards. The events that I enjoyed the most (thus probably came the closest to understanding) were the stage show 'Avenue Q' and the interactive installations at MIC. I feel that the uneducated critic will more likely understand something that is particularly enjoyable or memorable for some reason.
To me these events were not only about getting out and seeing what is around but also challenging yourself to find some meaning in what other people are doing and use these observations to inform our own work.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Clearing (Auckland Festival of Photgraphy 2010)
For my final review I made a trip to the OrexArt Gallery to see some photography from the Auckland Festival of Photography, on show was 'Clearing' by Ellie Smith.
For me the photographs are distinctly New Zealand without being focused on anything too 'kiwiana'. The work also evokes a sense of childhood, all works tend to be set beneath or around towering pines making you feel dwarfed and somewhat humbled by their presence, there is so much in the images that reminds me of family holidays and rural New Zealand, so much so that you find yourself trying to remember if you had been there before.
Below from left: A Clearing and Clearing, Whangarei Heads
In her statement Smith, recognises that pine forests are both "a symbol of colonial invasion" and also hold a great allure she remembers "ma[king] huts in the pine trees as a child". I can relate to both of these things, I especially think back to a camp we used to visit annually until one year we turned up and all the trees that we used to play under were gone. Viewed as an entire collection the images she portrays are very real, and hold a lot of impact. Smith has used a lot of contrasting images that are still closely linked and show the very changable landscape that surrounds us, because the images also seem so familiar we feel like the felled trees in some of the images could be anywhere which seems to the viewer quite close to home and sad.
Below from left: Unusual light, Urquharts Bay and Burnt pines, near Rototuna
I really enjoyed this exhibit and found that I do enjoy photography in comparison to a lot of other art forms. In this exhibit I found an emotional connection to the work, I felt protective of an environment that I recognised as my own backyard and the black and white prints were very powerful as was the balance between nature and urban influence in the shots. Smith seems to have consciously allowed a human element to enter a great many of her shots as if suggesting we are living so close with nature that our presence will ultimately be found every where, even more so as time progresses. The use of pine trees through this series is quite interesting and raises a good point, you don't often consider that the pine trees we are all so used to seeing are actually introduced to New Zealand, this could be interpreted as a warning to us settlers that we need to be aware of the impact we are having on our environment and to leave some of the past untouched so we can remember what the scenery used to look like.
For me the photographs are distinctly New Zealand without being focused on anything too 'kiwiana'. The work also evokes a sense of childhood, all works tend to be set beneath or around towering pines making you feel dwarfed and somewhat humbled by their presence, there is so much in the images that reminds me of family holidays and rural New Zealand, so much so that you find yourself trying to remember if you had been there before.
Below from left: A Clearing and Clearing, Whangarei Heads
In her statement Smith, recognises that pine forests are both "a symbol of colonial invasion" and also hold a great allure she remembers "ma[king] huts in the pine trees as a child". I can relate to both of these things, I especially think back to a camp we used to visit annually until one year we turned up and all the trees that we used to play under were gone. Viewed as an entire collection the images she portrays are very real, and hold a lot of impact. Smith has used a lot of contrasting images that are still closely linked and show the very changable landscape that surrounds us, because the images also seem so familiar we feel like the felled trees in some of the images could be anywhere which seems to the viewer quite close to home and sad.
Below from left: Unusual light, Urquharts Bay and Burnt pines, near Rototuna
I really enjoyed this exhibit and found that I do enjoy photography in comparison to a lot of other art forms. In this exhibit I found an emotional connection to the work, I felt protective of an environment that I recognised as my own backyard and the black and white prints were very powerful as was the balance between nature and urban influence in the shots. Smith seems to have consciously allowed a human element to enter a great many of her shots as if suggesting we are living so close with nature that our presence will ultimately be found every where, even more so as time progresses. The use of pine trees through this series is quite interesting and raises a good point, you don't often consider that the pine trees we are all so used to seeing are actually introduced to New Zealand, this could be interpreted as a warning to us settlers that we need to be aware of the impact we are having on our environment and to leave some of the past untouched so we can remember what the scenery used to look like.
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