“Realism and its implications in the contemporary art world, today.�
In the last decade, contemporary art world has adopted and transformed into various disciplines, interpretations, medias, contexts etc. It has stripped art of its original state and being, and substituted it with conceptualizing and thinking. This artistic mutation has certainly brought more freedom in artistic expression and further explored the spectrum of artistic executions. It has opened gateways for artists whose thinking extended beyond the literal and realistic approach. It became a platform for new sub divisions of art such as installation art, performance art, digital art and so on. Most of these contemporary implications can be found in the Venice Biennial exhibition. Its rapid pace of changing has certainly enhanced conceptual thinking and the art world itself, but it has also brought on aspects
that do not necessarily fit the means and the creative processes of making art. The incorporation of found objects to create has become a common thread in contemporary art. Creating art by utilizing recycled or found materials to some extent still falls within what art stands for or has been known for. This type of artistic direction may even have a correlating relation to symbolism given to objects in the late 19th century. But when contemporary art reaches a point where the object are the artistic depiction, in other words, they speak for themselves and are represented in their original state without any hints of artistic alteration or makings, it is in this approach when art looses its quality, expressiveness, purpose and true definition. Art of this format has not only become a stylistic movement in contemporary art, but also became exclusive in how it is perceived by the audience. In some areas it has reached a point when the audience has trouble interpreting the message of the artwork. The use of real objects is certainly clever, since there is no easier way of creating a passage or a relation
between an artwork and a human mind. Its presence has become so prominent in art that it seems to set the standard format that art should take on? Anyone who knows the basis of contemporary art can create art, given that any object with a thoughtful context and a meaning can essentially be art itself. The question is then what happened to making art and its process? It appears as the remains of what it used to be art has now been substituted by real objects with well thought out meaning or message. Is this still art? Or has it only become a visual representation of artist’s expressive thinking and speech? Art is a way of expression when the expression is projected on the artwork itself, and does not only exist to support the thought behind it. Would this type of art remain a form of art if its conceptual context and thinking was eliminated or what would become a bunch of random objects lying around in a gallery space? Shouldn’t art exist on its own and be the dominant element of a piece and the state-
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The incorporation of found objects to create has become a common thread in contemporary art.
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ment or the thinking become a complementary component that enhances its meaning and beauty. The Illuminations essay written by the curator, Brice Curiger, reveals the research, the thinking and the concept behind this profound exhibition. The essay explains the links between the selected artists’ works and the Illumni (light) “of cognitive experience and the intercommunicative, intellectual understanding that accompanies moments of epiphany.” (Illuminations essay, Brice Curiger). The subtle meaning of the light in this exhibition is art that can create mutual understanding among people and at the same time be insightful and enlightening. Works where collective objects make the art piece can certainly bring mutual understanding, simple through its realistic, and materialistic approach.
The insightful part of the piece comes from the thought or the concept behind the art piece. This is how works that take such directions find their place in the Venice Biennale. Brice provides a better understanding of such works. An understanding that strengthens their meaning and sense for existence. In the essay Brice points to a similar connection made in the work of Urs Fisher, where objects incorporated in the piece of various social standing create a clear reference to the aides of light. “With Urs Fisher yet another monumental chapter of art history has been incorporated into La Biennale.”(Cruiger) The light can be found through the beautiful and historic sculpture by Giambologna called The Rape of the Sabine Women. The artistic incorporates this historic sculpture in a modernistic setting. The two
Urs Fisher “Untitled”
other objects that are part of this piece is a sleek office chair and Urs’s fellow artist Rudi Stingel, all the components are wax formed and throughout the span of the exhibition deplete and deform from their original state. Fisher’s work “represents a bewildering memento in which we witness a collision of eternal values”, the image of consummate perfection and utter waste, the process of consumption observed as absurdly dripping decay. Urs Fisher piece is a perfect example where a simple alteration of the media allows the process of making art happen. The existing objects the artist used do
not necessary correlate together on their own, what makes the piece come alive and eventually reveals the connection Urs wanted to make is the material that was use to create them, in this case wax. The depletion and deformation of each piece in this exhibition played a specific role that contributed to the overall meaning and concept of the piece. Brice’s understanding of art where everyday objects, materials, symbols or monuments are referenced is much more positive and explanatory. “The dissolution, reshaping, and fresh configuration of mixed
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The dissolution, reshaping, and fresh configuration of mixed forms is also linked to a search for shared basis of common interests from which new visions, fresh insights, and untested paths can be opened up. A large number of artists are now availing themselves of the vast pool of popular or mass cultural myths that have taken possession of us, whether to benign and insidious effect.
forms is also linked to a search for shared basis of common interests from which new visions, fresh insights, and untested paths can be opened up. A large number of artists are now availing themselves of the vast pool of popular or mass cultural myths that have taken possession of us, whether to benign and insidious effect. Maybe the same “materialistic, anthropological inspiration” that Walter Benjamin associated with “profane illumination” also comes to bear in the works of Katherina Fritsch,Loris Greaud, Peter Fischli/David Weiss, Cindy Sherman, Rashid Johnson, or Christian Marclay.” Many works at Venice Biennale exhibition take objects from daily life or as the quote refers to “myths that had taken possession of us”. The bases for making found object a form of art or even the bases for appropriation art feel far more legitimate and believable when read about in this essay. Katherina Fritsch is one
of the artists mentioned in the essay. Katherina, similarly as Urs uses existing object and as some may call it iconic representation in her artwork. The “6th Still life” piece she exhibited consists of five hand-finished casts of a snake, skull, egg, St. Nicholas and St. Katherina. Every sculpture is painted with one solid color. Her work brings realism accompanied by symbolism and the unconscious. In her work she chooses symbolic representations that do not make any sense when placed together. Her work focuses on “Archetypes, cultural memory, mortality and the relation of man and woman are among her main subjects. She plays with formal notions such as figure and ground. Her use of scale, continuity and repetition often give her works an eerie feeling, a touch of sarcastic humor” (Art 33 Basel). Katharina’s work falls in a similar majority with the work displayed at the Venice Biennale where
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Katherina Fritsch “The 6th Still Life”
realism seems to be strongly pursued by many contemporary artists. Another Illumination’s artist whose works cross the verge of hyperrealism is Maurizio Cattelan. The two thousand pigeons that were hovering over the people resting on the ledge of the Palace of Exhibitions are his creations. The birds were so realistically depicted, it looked alive. The idea behind Maurizio’s work was a reaction to the recent law that was passed in Italy that banns people from feeding the pigeons in St. Mark’s Square. The
law was passed due to the amount of money that was being spent on cleaning after these birds. Realistic interpretation in the context of social or political issues seem to have a big effect on the audience. The reaction that occurs when looking or experiencing a piece like Cattelan’s is related to the familiarity people have with these ideas or objects. These works get such reaction because they have been transformed into contemporary art. The artistic label with the addition of conceptual meaning is how they essentially become so successful. Stepping back and
thinking about these realistic depictions found in many works in the Illuminations exhibition, it seems that a lot of the objects, ideas, monuments, statute or icons when taken from the artistic context and placed in their true setting would not have the same reaction as they would when they were part of that artistic context. The question is why do people react to realism in art far more intensively then they do in real life? Is art being used as a platform that only exists to get people’s reaction and attention, rather than being a form of expression or the process of making art? Is contemporary art being misused and taken advantage of? There is a big difference
between the works of Maurizio and Katharina. Katharina’s work still holds a sense of artistic creation. The simple addition of one solid color to each of the statues brings it out of the realistic borderlines. Maurizio’s work on the other hand is realistic to the maximum. The artwork might have gone through some extreme art processes however it does not have that same visual spin as Katharina’ piece. It is solely based on the reasoning, the philosophy and the context of the piece. Do both of these realistic forms of expression still fit within the contemporary art world, is one more suitable then the other or should there not be any comparison made between
the two? Anything that holds a sense of creative thinking is art and it has been for many years. Creative thinking is the sole base for the existence of contemporary art. The use of realistic objects and iconic images or sculpture still falls within the artistic world due to conceptual thinking. Would this art exists without a given thought, is a simple image or sculpture of a landscape that has no thinking involved and is a replica of what our eye sees on daily bases, still art? What is art or what has art become? -Agnieszka Dziedzic
Cruiger, Brice. “Illuminations.” Essay. Art 33 Basel.” Cosmopolis Magazin Magazine Deutsch English Français. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. <http://www.cosmopolis.ch/english/cosmo27/art_33_basel.htm
Mauricio Cattelan Untitled 2011