Eko Nugroho at NGV

Eko Nugroho is a contemporary Indonesian artist from Yogyakarta. He recently became one of three people to paint a mural on the NGV water wall. The mural is painted in black against the rippling and constantly changing backdrop of the water wall. There is a cartoon or comic (book) like quality to the image that is almost childlike, but there is a deeper sense of despair or angst portrayed in the imagery of the eyes.

There is a sense of traditional Indonesian shadow puppets in the style of the painting, which indicates a story of some kind. I personally see in this mural a sense of change, in the robot like figure, and also a sense of war or violence, in the ripped flag, sword and other potentially weapon like objects floating around. There is also a sense of hiding or anticipation as the face like images all appear masked or covered.

Eko Nugroho NGV Water wall mural (2012)

I get the sense that Nugroho, is possibly making a statement about social change, that is not easy nor accepted by all, and he is considering the effect it is having on different people.

Eko Nugroho NGV Water wall mural (2012) (detail)

 

Eko Nugroho NGV Water wall mural (2012) (detail)

Japonism (NGV)

Japonism refers to the huge influence of Japanese art on European artists and designers in the later part of the nineteenth century. The European designers embraced the way Japanese art works conveyed an abstract approach to line and colour and the regard they had for the simple beauty of nature.

This pair of fireplace slabs was manufactured my Minton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, made in 1879. They are a part of the NGV's ceramic and glass collection. They use motifs that would have been drawn from nature or Japanese textiles. Such as the depiction of the cranes flying and the cherry blossom tree, both in the distinct centre 'panel' of the slab. The Japanese textile motifs are evident in the top and bottom sections of the slabs in the dark blue hexagons outline in gold, with a small flower in the centre of each. The slabs create a very peaceful composition, using a limited blue and gold colour palette. The eye is drawn to the centre image of the birds which is emphasised by the 'fold' which is patterned in blue stripes and gold swirls. The whole composition has a very graceful feel.

Minton Fireplace Slabs (1879)

Personal Statement

In my work I am motivated by a desire to be the best I can be and to continually push myself to be better. I enjoy problem solving and coming up with unique responses to situations; however I am sometimes held back by my hesitation to try things that I feel I can’t control or that are outside of my comfort zone. I am trying to continually push past this so that I do not limit myself to creating work that I feel safe with, when I could be pushing the boundaries and creating more interesting work.

I love design, in particular typography. I have a strong interest in learning how things work, not in an industrial design sense, but in the sense that I am always intrigued by how different people work and how they create the things they create. My strengths lie in design especially when it requires precision and patience. I enjoy creating using paper, both two dimensionally and three dimensionally. I also enjoy digital design.

Before coming to Brighton Bay I knew very little about the design world, and so far my best ‘introduction’ to contemporary designers was the AgIdeas Conference.  The designers, who inspired me most from AgIdeas, were MadeThought (Paul Austin and Ben Parker) and Dale Herigstad. I found MadeThought inspiring because I can see myself pursing a style of work similar to what they do in design (especially their branding and exhibition work). I like the way they focus on simplicity and the idea. Dale Herigstad’s presentation opened my mind up to the vast possibilities that working in design in the future can offer. I was fascinated by the possibilities that new interfaces offer and the way that new technology is changing the way design works.

I can see myself being a very varied designer. There are many areas that I would like to consider working in and that I would like to experience such as animation, graphic design, visual effects, wayfinding design, typography design, book cover design, and branding. I definitely want to further my education in design, and find a bit more direction as to where I want to go. I know that whatever path I decide to follow within design, I want to be able to incorporate travel. I have a fascination with other cultures and I would really love to be able to see more of the world.

Artist Book

My Artist Book is about my trip to China in January 2012 with my high school. 14 students and 3 teachers went on the trip. Our primary focus whilst in China was to volunteer at China Little Flower orphanage in Beijing, where they look after particularly sick babies and children from other orphanages in Beijing.  My specific point of interaction is the meals that we had in China, as this was when we would discuss what had happened throughout our day and how we were feeling especially after visiting the baby home (orphanage).

My book format is an album. The album format helps to communicate the passing of days, as it is similar to a photo album, or diary that is used to record a period of time. Within the book each set of three pages represents 2 days of the trip. The first page has the 2 Chinese characters for the number of these days. The second page has quotes and thoughts from the days, things that we found interesting or strange, the general discussion of the day. The third page is a collage of food that we ate or implements that we used. On this page surrounding the illustration are the more serious thoughts about the day, cut into the page, in particular thoughts about the baby home and how it effected us.

I chose collage as my illustration technique because it is an illustration technique that I am fairly confident in (now) and I wanted the book to have a tactile and hand-made quality about it, to connect with the content and the reader. Also because the content is very personal, I wanted the illustrations to be accessible to the reader and not alienate them, and I thought that collage would be an effective way of getting that across.

I chose to include text and so much of it because; when we were in China there was a constant discussion and conversation. The content of this varied from how freezing cold it was, to the strange things that we saw, to deeper discussions that we would have sometimes late into the night about how working in the baby home was effecting us and how we were feeling about the whole trip. In my book I wanted to convey this constant conversation and the different levels of conversation. On the second pages with text printed on acetate, the idea is to convey the crazy and strange things that we saw and the general surface discussion of the day, the weather, and the sights we saw. It is printed in an almost haphazard way, because that was how our conversations would go, and it was a crazy time with a lot to take in, and I am trying to illustrate that through the placement of the text. The more important text cut into the same page as the illustration because these are the more important thoughts that were always with us, no matter where we were, these are the things that have really stuck with me since the trip. I chose to the Chinese characters for the numbers of the days, because whilst in China we all learnt to count in Chinese, and when we were out at the tourist destinations we would count off as a group to make sure we were all together, and we decided early on that we should count in Chinese. It is a combination of that memory and the want to include the culture and language into my book.

Silk Printing

At the end of last term I participated in the silk printing workshop. Before this workshop I had never worked with printing on fabrics, or polychromatic monoprints (many coloured, single print). With this process we painted our designs onto the back of screens used for screen printing, using specific inks for silk printing. In a way this process in similar to water colour as there are many different techniques to put the ink on the screen. You can begin with a base colour and then proceed with your design immediately over the top, but then the design will bleed out and you will not get clear crisp lines. If you do want clear, crisp lines you must wait for each layer of ink to dry before adding another. This requires a lot of patience, and is easier on a warmer day, as you cannot use artificial heat to dry the inks (they react and discolour). The actual process of printing is very similar to that of screen printing. Once the screen is completely dry place the screen face down on the silk, (which has been attached to the backing sheet prior to printing), pour the release fluid at the top of the screen and pull it down with a squeegee. It is best to only do this once so that the ink pigments don't contaminate other parts of the design.

At the end of the workshop we ended up with one full size silk scarf and a smaller practice piece. I found this workshop really fun and it was nice to do something completely different that I wouldn't normally do.



Final design on the screen

Final printed scarf on backing sheet (the apples are on the backing sheet)

Kinetic Typography

I have recently been introduced to the concept of kinetic typography. Kinetic typography refers to the art and technique of expression with animated text. It essentially involves taking a passage of text or a recording (from a song or movie) and using the text to create an interesting video that (most often) illustrate (in some way) what is being said.

This clip is one of my favourite kinetic typography videos. It is illustrating a scene from V for Vendetta in which V introduces himself to Eevy, in a long rambling string of alliteration. It is very cleverly animated to keep up with the recording, but it also illustrates the feeling and the weight of what is being said. It also get across the madness of the alliteration and the 'craziness' of the whole scene.

Chess the Musical

Recently I saw the musical Chess at the State Theatre, performed by The Production Company. I found the way the whole musical was staged very interesting. The stage was very simple, a huge chess board set on an angle (the corner pointing towards the audience), took up most of the stage; from the far point of the board, was a runway leading backstage. Beside the runway were two large banners one on each side, these most often had projections of the USA and USSR flags, but changed at various points in the show to help with the story. The orchestra was on stage, split on either side of the chess board. The only major set changes throughout the whole show was a small chess table which was bought on and off for the different chess tournaments. The costumes were very dramatic; for most of the time the chorus and dancers wore dramatic costumes of black and white. The ladies wore a variety of skirts and dresses with differently patterned black and white tights (checked, striped, plain with one black leg and one white) and the men wore a variety of suits and jackets. At some points the chorus played the press and they simply added cream and grey trench coats and black hats to cover their other outfits. There were only two scenes with colourful costumes, firstly Merano (Italy) which involved red, white and green costumes and flags. The other was the one night in Bangkok scene, which had the cast in gold, pink and purple traditional dress and gold chain dancer outfits, with a variety of extravagant gold head pieces. It was a fantastic show with well thought out and clever design.

Rineke Dijkstra at ACCA

Rineke Dijkstra's three channel HD video I See a Woman Crying (Weeping Woman) (2009-2010) is currently part of ACCA and Melbourne Festival's exhibition 'Ourselves'. The 12 minute video records the reactions of nine school children as they look at and consider Picasso's Weeping Woman, at the TATE Liverpool. At first the three screens collectively show the group of children, throughout the video the screens change to show (generally) the child wo is speaking as a close up and all the others on the other screens. The children begin with basic observations about the actual painting and what they can literally see; a woman crying, the different colours and how the colours look like sad colours, the different shapes that make up the face and other general comments. As the video progresses, the children come up with various stories about the woman, reasons for why she is crying, where she is, and the situation she is in. For instance: she is at a funeral, she has seen a ghost, she regrets something she has done, she is lonely, she has a bad past, she is shunned by her town, she is 'just mental', her husband has died, they are actually tears of happiness. The video ends with the children looking at the painting, which is never shown on screen.

This is a very interesting video, as not only does the viewer get an insight into how these children perceive one of Picasso's most famous works, but the viewer also gains and insight into the dynamic of the group. It is interesting to watch how the group of childern interact with each other, how after a while you can pick up who is more likely to give their opinion straight away, and who gets spoken over more than others, and who speaks over others. It is a very interesting comment on social interaction of children in a different environment.

Rineke Dijkstra. I See a Woman Crying (Weeping Woman) (2009-2010)

David Rosetzky at ACCA

The current exhibition on at ACCA is 'Ourselves', which is part of Melbourne Festival. It is a collection of videos from a variety of artists, all investigating 'ourselves'. David Rosetzky's piece Portrait of Cate Blanchett (2008) is part of this exhibition. The film is filmed in a large open warehouse with a variety of wooden ladders and sheets of wood leaning against the walls. The film begins with a close-up shot of a pair of hands, held in front of the person, they are moving as if doing some sort of warm up or miming exercise. Slowly the camera zooms out to reveal that the hands belong to Cate Blanchett. This then cuts to a shot of her sitting in a chair, fairly close to the camera, after a few seconds she stands up picks up the chair moves it back and sits down. The shot blurs then focuses; this continues a couple of times. A voiceover begins as this is being shown. Blanchett speaks about wanting to be seen and not wanting to be seen and how playing a character has caused her to hide behind a mask. Up to this point she has been dressed in a simple outfit (grey pants and a black tank top) with minimal makeup and her hair roughly done. The film then cuts to a shot of the chair side on to the camera, with Blanchett standing in front of it. The chair has a number of outer garments laid over it. The voiceover continues and Blanchett begins to put on these other clothes. At this point she is speaking about becoming a character and forming the character, which is what she is doing in the film as she layers on the clothes; at points the film freezes and the voice continues, to give emphasis to what is being said. The voice over continues with Blanchett saying that most often she doesn't remember the characters; and that so many people have an opinion on her personality or who she is, that she doesn't even think about "who I am" any more. This then cuts to a shot of her lying on the floor of the warehouse, peaceful, and contemplating, the voiceover speaks about how who she is is constantly shifting, and she strives to achieve a state of openness, where all actions are instinct. Blanchett speaks about how people are contradictory and unpredictable. The voiceover finishes with the comment that what you think you are communicating is not always perceived by others the way you think or intend it to be perceived and you have to give this over and accept that. The film ends with a dance exercise to music that stops somewhat suddenly after about 15 seconds and she walks out; the film then fades to black.

I found this film very interesting and thought provoking, in that it has the viewer question several things about themselves. How they are seen, and who they are, whether or not they are open or unpredictable and how it is that they wish to be percieved and whether or not they are perceived that way.

David Rosetzky Portrait of Cate Blanchett (2008), video still (detail)

Loretta Lux at NGV

Loretta Lux's photograph The Drummer (2004) is currently part of the NGV's Confounding Contemporary Photography exhibition. At first glance it looks like an image of a porcelain doll and a tin drum, and it has an eerie feel that very realistic dolls often have, as if there is more to them than what is initially perceived. However, the photograph is actually of a young boy in a canvas shirt playing a tin drum. He appears frozen in time midway through the motion of hitting the drum. To get this highly surreal effect, Lux takes a photograph of the figure (the boy and drum) and then combines it with a painted backdrop, then finally digitally works the image to flawlessly meld the two images, creating a sense of hyper-reality.

Loretta Lux. The Drummer (2004)

It is a disconcerting image that looks at the seeming fragility of children, or rather a child's view of the world.

Thomas Demand at NGV

Thomas Demand's photograph Public Housing (2003) is currently part of NGV's exhibition Confounding Contemporary Photography. This photograph shows a set of apartment like buildings, with a seemingly abandoned playground in front. It has a very surreal feel to it as there are no people in the image, also the warn hues of red and brown give the photograph and eerie feel. Upon closer inspection there is a distinct lack of extra detail in the image, such as rubbish on the ground, or signs on the buildings; it appears almost too perfect. This is because the scene doesn't really exist. Demand has built this set out of paper and cardboard and then photographed the model. He often creates scenes based on photographs in the media; this specific housing complex is a drawing on the Singapore $10 dollar bill. It is a thought provoking photograph that gets the viewer to question what is real and surreal.

Thomas Demand. Public Housing (2003)

NGV Great Hall

The ceiling of the NGV's Great Hall is an artwork in itself, made of coloured glass and steel frames. Leonard French was commissioned by the NGV's chief architect Sir Roy Grounds to create  "a ceiling that is a work of art in itself". Having never worked in glass before French had a steep learning curve over the five years (1965-1970) it took him to create the ceiling. Along with three assistants, French learnt the art of glass; splitting 25mm thick slabs of French and Belgium glass to fit his design. The ceiling is 13.72 metres high, 15.24 metres wide and 60.9 metres long, and is so heavy with glass and metal, that the triangular dips in the ceiling need to be held up by a series of steel columns. There are 224 large steel triangles filled with glass and steel, and each of these weighs 300 kilograms.

Looking up at the ceiling from the floor is surreal, because of the vastness of the design and the way the light interacts with it. The combination of the bright primary colours, and the way the light shines through them creates a very peaceful safe atmosphere. Glancing up at the ceiling makes you want to lie down and contemplate the design and watch how the colours create patterns on the walls and floor.



NGV Great Hall ceiling



Peter Peryer at NGV

Peter Peryer's photography Home (1991) is currently a part of the NGV's Confounding Contemporary Photography exhibition. At first glance Home is a photograph of a picturesque cottage surrounded by a simple garden. However it does not seem quite right. When you look at the photograph for a bit longer the scale becomes ambiguous, and the cottage begins to look less 'real'. It is actually a photograph of a tiny house in the model village of Bekonscot in Beaconsfield, England. It is a puzzling image that uses elements of the surreal to draw in an audience.

This photograph was accompanied by The Meccano Bus (1994). Again this image initially seems like an ordinary bus going up a hill, but after closer inspection, it is actually a toy bus sitting in what could possibly be a crevice in a rock. Peryer again uses the surreal to draw in an audience and then question their perception of what is 'real'.

Peter Peryer. The Meccano Bus, 1994

Yuan Yao at NGV

At the NGV, I visited the newly redone Asian Art area. In the general area I was fascinated by Yuan Yao's Sublime Landscape (1770). This piece consists of 12 silk scrolls, hung in a row to create a large panoramic image. The landscape shows mountains rising from the sea. On the mountains amongst the trees are buildings and pavilions of traditional Chinese architecture. What first struck me about the images of the buildings was how similar they look to the buildings in the Summer Palace, (which I visited earlier this year). The landscape is said to be the realm of immortals, and the inscription translates to 'Mountain Peaks, Spring Blossoms'.

Yuan Yao was a professional artist inspired by the monumental landscapes of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), in particular the landscapes by Guo Xi, the most famous court academy artist of the Northern Song.

Yuan Yao. Sublime Landscape, 1770

What struck me most about this landscape was the peace and serenity that it portrays, whilst at the same time being a very busy, detailed and intricate landscape. There are several sets of people pictured throughout the landscape, in pavilions or on paths; there is clearly a story throughout the image that requires a deeper thought and knowledge of the times. The use of line is incredible; there is a very gestural use of line to create the sea and the mountains, which is contrasted with the very precise line of the pavilions and buildings. The buildings are designed very cleverly to meld into the landscape and consider their surroundings rather than stick up out of place. This is a very peaceful landscape to look at and contemplate both the skill of the artist as well as the actual landscape.