Destroy Everything You Touch

Canadian photographer Jeff Wall's photograph entitled "The Destroyed Room" is one I instantly gravitated towards. Wall's photo is a reworking of a painting by Delacroix entitled 'The Death of Sardanapalus' where the subjectmatter centers around a "megalomanic king, determined to outlive all of his possessions. Aware of his impending death he orders all his possessions, horses and wives to be destroyed" (Whalecrow). It seems to me that the emotional response created from Delacroix's painting is channeled in Wall's work. When I first noticed the destroyed room, I took it to be a literal representation of deconstructionism. Since this picture was taken in 1979, I felt this was an appropriate timeframe for the deconstruction movement. With deconstructionism, everything is meant to fall apart.
An underlying connection between the two pieces would be the emotional response created through the colour red. Red represents "The manic and uncontrolled violence (as) told through the deep reds which pervade the whole image" (Whalecrow) as well as passion and raw sexual energy, as the giant rip in the bed seems to confirm. While the characteristics associated with red would imply a scene of utter chaos, I found the opposite holds true, red is the backdrop for an idealized moment of destroyed perfection. What once was beautiful has been shattered to create a space of possibility. Everything once loved is now gone, all that can be done is to start over again. The former materialist possessions that once adorned the room are now unrecognizeable. These objects have undergone a violent exorcism, and in turn have gained independence from the controlling hand of the King.
Another tenet of deconstructionism is that multiple meanings can be deduced from a given work. Sonic Youth even used the image as artwork for their album, strangely enough entitled "The Destroyed Room". Sonic Youth's sound has been described as "dense, dirty...guitar rock sound" (Rolling Stone). I wanted to include Sonic Youth as their music gives this room another added element. Their sound serves as the essential soundtrack for the destruction that took place. Their gritty sound gives the room immediacy; instead of perceiving the aftermath, I am handed a baseball bat and allowed to engage in the process of physically destroying everything in sight. The room is now an ideal snapshot for reckless abandonment.



Source:
Images and text: www.whalecrow.co.uk/whalec/2009/01/05/jeff-wall-the-destroyed-room-1978/
http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/12688283/review/12811345/the_destroyed_room
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OdSoKfTP1k

"Evil Dead the Musical: Inspiring Good or Evil?"

On the night of June 14th 2009, a friend and I went to watch a play in Vertigo theatre called "Evil Dead". The premise: a group of college students become trapped in a cottage in the woods where evil ensues; complete with song and dance numbers. As with any zombie musical, I was not certain what to expect. As I situated myself in the congested theatre, I thought rather superficially if this play would leave me feeling inspired. By inspired, I began to think of Jill Dolan's concept of the 'Utopian Performative', described as those “small but profound moments in which the performance calls the attention of the audience…and lifts everyone slightly above the present into a hopeful feeling of possibility"(Barry,92). Maybe this play will have an uplifting message of hope, redemption or perhaps resurrection? I'm still not certain if zombies can inspire feelings of hopefulness and possibility; cannibalism maybe. Dolan also believes that utopian performatives can only be achieved in a live environment, like a theatre production. Her concept of the utopian performative builds on Victor Turner's definition of "communitas: those moments in theater or ritual in which audiences or participants feel themselves to be a part of the whole in an organic, nearly spiritual way” (Barry, 247).
While these ideas are a bit hard for me to grasp, I decided to be open-minded. Maybe a collective cathartic moment is possible. As the room descended into a chilling darkness a sweltering burst of applause escaped into the room. The actors had yet to take to the stage. Clearly the crowd was excited, their enthusiasm was practically bleeding from the walls.
As the play began it became a visual feast. From the absurd cottage full of singing animatronic objects of singing beavers to a dancing moosehead, it was amazingly camp. As I recall the audience, there seemed to be a consistent level of energy throughout the evening.
As the play progressed, the visuals became more intensely surreal and the audiences reaction met this intensity. For instance, at the climax of the play, the lead character takes out his gun and the audience collectively chanted "Boomstick!" I was a bit surprised by this, and sure enough, the zombie bloodbath began. Blood came streaming from the ceiling straight into the audience and the zombies began their robots of the damned routine straight into the ecstatic crowd.
Was the cathartic moment I had been anticipating been harnessed into what appeared to be a zombie orgy? Sorta. I almost feel as if I can say for certain that the audiences reaction on the whole was one of absolute hysteria. The blood, the guts, the brains, could the excitement created by such things ever be translated into 'real life'? I would have to say no. While the audience was definitely uplifted in a way that only a theatre setting may allow, and even though the actors strongly encouraged the audience to donate blood, I don't think this falls under the utopian performative category. Despite this, it was a great feeling to be enclosed in a space with a group of people who all appreciated the sheer brilliance of a tap dancing zombie. Overall, I had a hell of a good time.

Source: Barry, Peter “Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory” Second Edition, Peter Barry and Helen Carr. Manchester University Press: New York: 2002. 92, 247.
Image: http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2008-05/evil-dead-the-musical-mamma-mia-ad.jpg

Which came first the Chicken or the McNugget?

Banksy

Rise Up!

" Any Advertisement in public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It belongs to you. It's yours to take, re-arrange and re-use" (Banksy, 196).


McDonald's is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and Banksy, a London graffiti artist, has distorted the golden M to read as a twisted W. Banksy has created an interactive work, where a young boy is carried away by a McDonald's balloon. Instead of moving, the balloon and the boy remain static. He is physically incapable of grounding himself. The question is: What would become of the boy if he were to gain a solid footing?
The child, innocent in his bliss, resonated with me, as it recalled the naivete of childhood. McDonald's embodies happiness, where Ronald McDonald's gang of friends delighted me with their television series and stickers and educated me with their toys. I too could pretend I worked at McDonald's flipping burgers! But what I really loved was the clothing; I was a McKid. I even recall wearing a Ronald McDonald pin; in McDonald's I trusted. As I got older, McDonald's lost that magical quality. I peeled my Grimace toothbrush holder from my bathroom wall, exposing the previous layer of paint and leaving a white outline. It was as if I had murdered my purple friend and with that, McDonald's would never be the same.
Banksy took my childhood love affair of the brand and began to unravel the controlled image Mcdonald's projects. Through a simple image of a boy floating in the air Banksy truly embodies Fletcher's notion that, "Symbols are open to hijack" (Fletcher,218). Banksy has brought a new perspecctive to the golden arch, where the gold is stripped away, coated and dipped into a boiling deepfryer.
When I first perceived this image the stereotypical McDonald's child, one full of zest and life, has been subsumed by a limp and lifeless body. A body that is moved and manipulated by a singular string. Personally, I would have liked to see a morbidly obese child attached to the string, but I doubt the balloon would float for very long. But the stillness of the child does evoke a feeling of unease, there is something pitiful about a child who cannot run and play like the other children.
The backlash against Mcdonald's has been tremendous over the years. Even prefacing words with a simple 'Mc' to create 'McMansion' and 'McJobs' for example, now makes them synonymous with being substandard. While I don't believe McDonald's is entirely unhealthy, I dislike their marketing tactics. When I think of how strong of an impression Mcdonald's made on my life as a child, it does make me somewhat resentful. Children do not have the ability to question Ronald McDonald or see him as a grinning menace. They should not be force fed corporate ideals. Funny enough, when Banksy's child descended towards the ground after 9 hours in the air, the child was hit by a bus. If only the entire franchise would follow suit.

Source: Banksy “Wall and Piece”. Century: London: 2006. 196,214
Fletcher, Alan “The Art of Looking Sideways”. Phaidon. 218
Inspired by Naomi Klein's "No Logo".

Globetrotting

After watching the 'Science of Sleep', directed by Michel Gondry, I was immediately reminded of my favourite music video of all time: Daft Punk's 'Around the World'. This video has everything on my check list for video do's, which includes: neon lights, bizarre dance number, kitchy costumes and an amazing beat. I also remember watching this video as a child, and it is truly a 'testament to awesome' by still arousing feelings of pure wonderment.
While this video has always intrigued me, I decided that there must be a deeper meaning aside from the glowing dance sequence. What was Gondry's creative process for conceiving the video? By rewatching the video with an open mind, this enabled me to break the video down into it's core components. The first thing that caught my attention was the minimalist chorus of 'around the world'. This repetition seemed to control the colourful cast of characters. These individuals moved like defiant wind up dolls, each dancing to their own synthetic beat.
Since the beat seemed to create a sense of unity, the costume choice was next for evaluation. I've never encountered martians, mummy's, or swimsuit models in my day to day life and I don't think they're necessarily any cultural staple. Maybe this is the point. By celebrating the eccentric we can move beyond the physical and instead become tuned into the spirit of our world. The chorus almost becomes a tribal chant of occult ecstacy, elevating everyone beyond their day to day appearances to instead release our inner sense of self. He has created a sphere of joy; an electric merry-go-round of perfect rhythm and harmony.
With my interpretation in mind, I decided to find Gondry's vision for the video.
Gondry's microcosm of weird was quite different from my interpretation. His initial inspiration was taken from the simplistic beat, where he had a vision of a man climbing a set of stairs. This image alone reminded me of a quote from Picasso "If it occurred to man to create his own images, it's because he discovered them all around him, almost formed already within the grasp" (Fletcher, 160). The ideas are already there, just waiting to be sculpted, which in Gondry's case involves a serious mound of playdough.
The enthusiasm inspired by the music translates to his characters who were each representations of the songs core beats, where "androids represent the singing robot voice; the physicality and small-minded rapidity of the athletes symbolizes the ascending/descending bass guitar; the femininity of the disco girls represents the high-pitched keyboard; the "itchy" skeletons serve for the guitars; the mummies represent the drum machine" (milkandcookies). Gondry's visual representation doesn't seem to reference any culture, or any firm grasp of reality. Rather, his work seems to represent the imagined possibilities that can be nurtured from even the simplest of images. It seems to be that the oddities make the world go round.

Source:
1.http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/94624/detail/
2.Fletcher, Alan. "The Art of Looking Sideways". Phaidon. 160.
Video: www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoaft8cw.html

Unfortunately for Dorothy, the Emerald City doesn't take to kindly to illegal aliens.

What's your Money Worth?

"Anything which can insinuate a sliver of individuality into a morass of bureaucratic systematization deserves a secret smile"(Fletcher, 512).

American artist J.S.G. Boggs's dollar bills are modifying the rules of a simple transaction. Bogg's creates bills, either hand drawn or digital prints that mimic real money. Bogg's then uses his bills for purchasing goods, and in a sense treats the bills like legal tender. However, he doesn't try to pass the bills off as being real, which is quite evident upon seeing the bill. His money only contains an image on the front, where the back has his green thumbprint. These bills are considered highly valuable by art dealers, and deemed illegal by various governments. Bogg's takes his bills to unsuspecting people and begins the transaction. Bogg's bill's in action would read something like: wanting to purchase a lamp for $8, and handing the clerk a $10 Bogg's bill, he would then expect to receive $2 in real currency back. After 24 hours have passed, Bogg's tips off art dealers who later contact the individual who received the bill, and a very generous offer is made. The art dealer is also given the change and the receipt from the transaction.
Bogg's has taken the monotony out of money through his sometimes slight or significant alterations to the appearance of a bill. Visually, money is quite stunning with all of the intricacies used to prevent counterfeit bills.
While money is assigned a fixed value, does money have the ability to change meaning as Bogg’s seems to have done with his unorthodox transactions? By accepting a Bogg's bill, the procurer of the bill obviously appreciated the witty artistic detail and the sense of humour of giving Bogg’s change from a seemingly valueless bill. Instead, his bills are not circulated, but take on a different role. The bill is a piece of art. The consumer obviously felt the same, but I wonder what goes through ones mind after making such a purchase? Would the person feel foolish; and even have buyer's remorse, as the bill is only given real value by the owner. However, the moment the person is contacted by an art dealer another phase of the transaction takes place: A moment of decision; to sell or to not sell this piece of art.
Often the Art dealer will offer a substantially higher sum for the bill. This evokes a sentiment from Bogg's himself who said: "In exchanging art for money, we exchange one abstraction for another"(Fortune Magazine). Money and Art have now become the antithesis for one another. The individual's values are called into question. Unlike money, Art’s value has a different quality. Bogg’s bills have the capacity to appreciate over time, and the bill is assigned a new face value. The transaction seems complete when the person decides what to do with the bill. Selling almost seems like compromising the original for the monotonous, while the money collected from selling the bill can surely buy more goods than a simple Bogg's bill. I think Bogg’s message is pretty clear. He forces ordinary people to engage with art on a day to day level. We might challenge our perceptions and become more open to experience, because who knows what gains, financial or otherwise can be made. His sentiment might even encourage people to draw a simple happy face, or sign their name on a bill as a means of giving money a sense of individuality. Who knows where in the world that bill might end up.

Source:Fletcher, Alan “The Art of Looking Sideways”. Phaidon. 512
http://web.ebscohost.com.elibrary.calgarypubliclibrary.com/ehost/detail?vid=6&
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1999/09/06/265312/index.htm

Hey Seurat, Seurat: The Future is Our's to Change

While reading Swerve magazine on an early Friday morning I encountered a familiar image, Georges-Pierre Seurat's "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grande Jatte". Except, something seemed different about the painting, the pointilist dots had instead been replaced by 106,000 aluminum cans. The culprit? Seattle based artist Chris Jordan. The cans represent the amount consumed in the U.S. every 30 seconds. This is a provocative commentary of our mindless consumerist tendencies. While this is a stunning feat, I couldn't help but be reminded of Seurat's original vision for the piece.
While Seurat's painting was created between 1884-1886, it was a reflective piece of the social climate of the day. Seurat's painting depicts a community of individuals who all appear to be deceptively equal. However, the woman harnessed to the monkey symboliozes prostitution. She is deceiving in her attire as she plays the role of a respectable woman, and the monkey is a physical manifestation of her shameful profession. No one is given an individual persona in this painting, instead everyone has the same blank stare. These people are living in a world where the social divide is there, but not always evident. Jordan's work seems to me almost like he's trying to call attention to the people in the painting. Jordan wants them to look towards him and become engaged members of their world. However, they are transfixed in a state of laziness and apathy. By acknowledging that we are a worldwide community; regardless of sex, age or class, changing and acknowledging our consumer habits is necessary in order to alter our shameful consumer habits.
Jordan has used his creative ability whereby "not to make strange things settled, so much as to make settled things strange" (Fletcher)by taking Seurat's calming luminous hues and replacing them with the oversaturated colours found on aluminum cans. Individually, cans are marketed to grab our attention, while collectively they create a grainy hue reminiscent of a cloud of smog, suffocating the people inside the piece.
Jordan's work is compelling as he has taken what would otherwise be discarded cans and transformed them into a useful work of art. This idea reminded me of our 'Invisible Cities' project. For me, it was a conscious reminder that creating a message, whether of awareness or social commentary can be an inspired way to affect change, if not for a community, than for myself.

Source:http://hopeeternal.wordpress.com/2007/07/08/chris-jordan-cans-seurat-2007-georges-seurat-sunday-afternoon-at-the-grande-jatte.
Fletcher, Alan “The Art of Looking Sideways”. Phaidon.