Researching David Maisel’s Photographs of Open Pit Mines (2013) has made me more conscious over sustainable issues within contemporary- art. His images reveal the surreal and hidden truth behind the contentious territories of once stunning nature that have been impacted by water logging, reclamation, military tests, and chemical “disposal”. His works have been instrumental in defining the terms of landscape imagery and brining awareness to the lack of sustainable means taken by some of the most powerful and influential figures in the American west. It is the photographic horrors of Maisel that bring the ignorance of the blind to a higher consciousness regarding sustainable issues. When the system too narcissistic to instigate the immediate action it can be commended that artistic vision in many realms of creation and the collaborative efforts of contemporary artists bring the issues of sustainability into the forefront of modern-day awareness through creative outlets of tragic expression.

I also looked at the importance of identity in contemporary practice through African photographer Samuel Fosso. He is known for self-portraiture and adopting a diverse range of personas and identities to comment on his life and experiences growing up in Africa. In 1975, only thirteen, Samuel Fosso opened his own photography studio in Bangui. During the day, he made pictures for clients, but at night, to use up unfinished rolls of film, he turned the camera on himself and began creating expressive self-portraits. He created images opposed to the ethnographic visions of Africa and the commercial imperatives of studio portraiture, thus challenging the identities of himself, African culture, and portraiture in general. With his “African Spirits” project he focused on honouring influential figures in the black civil rights movement, challenging his own identity and that of black civil rights. In reference to this he states that it is a “homage to the leaders who have tried to liberate us, to give us back our identity as Africans and as blacks.”

Innovation becomes increasingly paramount in a contemporary world of art and Candy Cheng with her “Before I die” (2011) backboard prompt is just that. It reimagines how the walls of our cities can help us grapple with mortality and the significance of life before so. Anyone walking by could pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on death and life, and share their personal aspirations before such times. Before I Die walls have now been created by communities in over 75 countries. Perhaps its success lies in allowing the most private and contemplated feeling of your inner psyche reflected in a public realm. Society feels increasingly polarized, I believe our shared spaces can play a vital role in our emotional health. Perhaps seeing the inner workings of others in public installations such as this could be an aid to trying to decipher our own inner demons. It is the work of Cheng that shows the sheer strength of art and how she took an ordinary and overlooked object and turned it into an innovative tool for public peace of mind and self-expression.

When conveying clear ideas to a particular audience a logo that sits well is paramount. Orv Madden’s hot topic logo does just that…it is a retail chain specializing in counterculture-related clothing and licensed music. The stores are aimed towards those interested in rock music and video gaming. I think that the red on black is a competent choice for the target  audience as it looks strikingly similar to band logos like slipknot which would have been a popular band at the time of its rising success as a part of the “mall goth” style. I wanted to create something that would be an alternative clothing brand much like that of Hot Topic, However I wanted to take a lot of inspiration from that of death metal bands logos, I chose the image of the cross and the skulls along with the stylized lettering to tie together the whole alternative theme. I decided to use pink and black tones as a contrast to the traditional white and black logos that most high street brands use, in this way it would show the diversity of the store. Coven of Strangers has a witchy and inviting tone and makes for a safe family of unknown people who are all connected by a love of alternative fashion.

Gender equality has always been at the forefront of my mind therefore I chose an artistic mind much like my own, Elly Smallwood draws the viewer into a world where the human body and uninhibited sexuality are only the entryway. She is often seen to be provoking the long soiled  image of female anatomy in art and reimagining it in a way that strips it of all lust and appeal, perhaps in a stance of disgust over the hypertextualization of women in art on a large scale. Smallwood can acknowledge that her decision to paint the bodies of women is not revolutionary, it’s her chosen perspective that sets her apart from the predominantly male art cognoscenti that have fetishized it for centuries. The female form has been a battlefield in art history. Male painters painted it for pleasure; female painters painted it to reclaim its autonomy and give it agency. It is this that makes Feminist and female artists so paramount in the world of contemporary painting, the negative ties that the female body has to art is being challenged by the anti-misogyny standpoint of women who want to bask in the beauty of naturality and female sexuality as a whole. This is an area that id love to develop more on in coursework two.

Something that I had overlooked was the importance of place in art a great example would be cloud gate by sir Anish Kapoor (2006) The 110-ton elliptical sculpture forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect Chicago’s famous skyline and the clouds above. The “bean” shaped sculpture also serves as an entrance to Millennium Park hence the name ‘Cloud Gate’. On one side is the Midwest, the flat American plain over seemingly infinite distances, the other is Lake Michigan, Water goes to the horizon on one side and endless cornfields are on the other. This is a juxtaposition of location reflections in of itself which makes this placement perfect to accomplish a brief insight to the diversity of this city. It accomplishes verticality in this otherwise flat landscape, is an instrument that allows everyone to play with light and distortions, it’s a fresh perspective, with distortion and dilatation, this sculpture alters the elements of its surroundings around the viewer and changes their very perception.

References-

• Cameroonian, b. 1962; lives and works in Bangui and Paris, The Walther Collection

• Candy Chang, 2006, “Before I Die”, Candycheng.com

• Eva Recinos, 2018/09/06 [NSFW] Mythical Paintings of Our Most Intimate Moments, Vice

• International centre of photography, 2000, Samuel Fosso, ICP

• Joel Chevrier, August 29, 2018, Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud Gate”: playing with light and returning to Earth, our finite world, the conversation.

•  Katherine Brooks, 10/09/2013, “David Maisel’s Photographs of Open Pit Mines Are Eerily Beautiful”, HuffPost US.