Further artist research

Janine Antoni

Saddle, 2000

"Antoni’s works often focus on the body, as both a tool and a theme, although the end result is characterised precisely by the absence of a visible body. In Saddle she has used her own body as a casting mould under a wet cowhide. The transparent sculpture bears the imprint of this physical process. The work can be interpreted as demonstrating humiliation and oppression, but also as an expression of strength. This is Antoni’s approach to the problematic perception of women as the weaker sex."

http://afmuseet.no/en/samlingen/utvalgte-kunstnere/a/janine-antoni/saddle 

John Coplans 

Self-portraits, 1984-1994

Coplans' self-portrait photography beautifully captures the body at unconventional angles. The black and white effect enhances the contrast and shadow of the dips, grooves, bulges and textures. Some of the images are, at first, ambiguous as to what part of the body they come from - for example, the image of Coplans' very rectangular back with his fists above it. When the viewer thinks about it, he can figure out the position Coplan's is sitting in, but initially it seems abnormal. I particularly like how Coplans captures wrinkles, fat, creases, body hair, veins and more. It steers away from the typical imagery of perfect bodies with perfect skin, hair and camera angles. 

 

Yann Marussich 

Bleu Remix, 2007

Marussich's work relates perfectly to the creepy-but-intriguing effect I want to create in my project. He consumed a blue dye which would exit through his pores and via his bodily fluids when he became very hot. Sitting in a hot glass tank, he allowed himself to produce sweat, saliva and tears that appeared blue on the surface of his skin and streamed downwards. He blinked slowly and occasionally, but otherwise held a firm gaze that would make the viewer uncomfortable and unable to match it for long. The choice of colour "relates to wisdom, serenity and dreams. It is ever-present around us, and yet doesn’t exist inside our bodies." The performance also creates a sense of the supernatural. 

(Rochat, http://www.yannmarussich.ch/perfos.php?p=14) 

Installation artists:

Ilya Kabakov

The Man Who Flew Into Space From His Apartment, 1985

Kabakov's installation is inspiring because of the untidy, messy and chaotic effect which I would like to replicate in my work. I think it adds a story, making the viewer ponder the scene that took place before the preserved image in front of them. Although only an installation to be viewed and not physically interacted with, the use of levels, various materials, hanging features and light are all aspects that I find effective and would like to experiment with myself. 

Damian Ortega 

Skin, 2006

Ortega's use of leather to replicate skin is clearly interesting for my own work, and a material that it might be worth me playing with. The way the skin hangs, limp, from the ceiling adds a sense of morbidity, evoking discomfort, and is a technique I might like to copy to fix the walls of my installation in place. The multiple strips of 'skin', varying slightly in size and colour, are similar to the multiple sheets I am planning to use for my work. Ortega's art is very ambiguous and abstract, qualities that I am myself beginning to lean towards. 

 

Elena Fajt

This installation of hair by Elena Fajt is inspiring for my project because it surrounds it's audience, inviting them to feel curious to touch the hair, but simultaneously uncomfortable due to the unknown factor of where and who the hair has come from. The way the hair stretches from each side of the room, each strand slowly progressing at different angles, creates a sense of movement and distortion. I particularly like how the light on the floor shines through the strands on the right, seeming to thin them, making them look fragile and creating a harsh contrast with the thick density of the strands at the top left. Fajt's use of hair creates an effect that I would like to replicate with my use of 'skin' - it evokes intrigue but also discomfort.