Week 2 Hussein Chalayan

1. Chalayan’s works in clothing, like Afterwords (2000) andBurka (1996) , are often challenging to both the viewer and the wearer. What are your personal responses to these works? AreAfterwords and Burka fashion, or are they art? What is the difference?

I personally believe that 'Burka' is more on the art side whereas 'Afterwords' is more fashion. I believe this because art has more of a meaning or message behind but fashion is more about pushing the limits rather than portraying an idea.

2. Chalayan has strong links to industry. Pieces like The Level Tunnel (2006) and Repose (2006) are made in collaboration with, and paid for by, commercial business; in these cases, a vodka company and a crystal manufacturer. How does this impact on the nature of Chalayan’s work? Does the meaning of art change when it is used to sell products? Is it still art?

It makes it more mainstream and almost makes the artist a sellout. Pure artists make work for themselves not others, by doing work for companies it constricts them to boundaries or demands made by that company so its not a true piece to Husseins full potential. It still would be art but now classified as commercial art.

3. Chalayan’s film Absent Presence screened at the 2005 Venice Biennale. It features the process of caring for worn clothes, and retrieving and analysing the traces of the wearer, in the form of DNA. This work has been influenced by many different art movements; can you think of some, and in what ways they might have inspired Chalayan’s approach?

I believe that fashion/wearable art would of been a major influence on 'Absent Presence' by Hussein because it shows how much people care for their clothes in the modern life and how much a few pieces of fabric can mean to a person.

4. Many of Chalayan’s pieces are physically designed and constructed by someone else; for example, sculptor Lone Sigurdsson made some works from Chalayan’s Echoform (1999) and Before Minus Now (2000) fashion ranges. In fashion design this is standard practice, but in art it remains unexpected. Work by artists such as Jackson Pollock hold their value in the fact that he personally made the painting. Contrastingly, Andy Warhol’s pop art was largely produced in a New York collective called The Factory, and many of his silk-screened works were produced by assistants. Contemporarily, Damien Hirst doesn’t personally build his vitrines or preserve the sharks himself. So when and why is it important that the artist personally made the piece?

It is important for the artist to produce a piece of work when its

Semester 2- Week One Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'

1. What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?

I understand the word claymation to mean animation using clay through the process of sculpting. This is the technique such movies like 'Lord of The Rings' and 'Wallace and Gromit' use.

2. What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes away'?

The term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden' means out of the ordinary plants and humans, ones that are unrealistic and have a disturbed and dark feel to them. The term 'all that is nature goes away' means that there is no greenery or any form of nature represented by these claymations.

3. What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?

I believe that Djurberg leaves us with a variety of emotions, such as confusion, fear and curiosity. Confusion because it leaves the audience confused as to why she would want to create such a piece like this and also confused because there is so much we cant understand about the work. Fear because the pieces are grim and have a dark, intimidating feel to them. And curiosity because we want to know what the plants really are.

4. How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?

She does this by using sculptured flowers and children within her works but she adds her own style to it and makes them look slightly deranged and twisted.

5. There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?

I think this has come about because the world is full darkness and misfortune and nobody is really happy. I also believe this because alot of the artwork up until now has had a happy feel toward it in the way other artists use colour and subject etc.

6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?

I think it was so interesting because there are very few artists of that style and it really sets her aside. Also because i feel that it could almost tell a story, the way the deformed plants almost talk to eachother with all the different textures and colours.

7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.

I personall really enjoy Djurbergs work as it something you dont see everyday and claymation is very uncommon. She also put a different spin on childrens stories.