AAD011_presentation slides Martha Still (1)

Presentation Script

In this short presentation, I want to consider the relationship between the body, the mind and the space it occupies; through the lens of fine art. Considering the consequences of occupying a space, whether it is physical or mental.

One artist who looks at this relationship very literally, is performance artist Willi Dorner. He invites the audience to follow along a trail of brightly coloured bodies as they insert themselves into the urban environment. There is an interesting duality presented to us, as the performers fit into their surroundings they become amalgamated into the buildings and into one another, there is a sort of dehumanisation that happens; seen in the hoods that they wear. They also invade and disrupt these spaces, standing out against the buildings due to their contrasting jumpsuits. 

This presents to us an interesting question about how we, both as individuals and as a society, are interacting with our urban environments. 

Another artist, Milena Naef, looks at the physical and mental relationship between the body and the space it occupies. She inserts herself into stone slabs, becoming fused together with the material she works with; resulting in unique, deeply personal sculptures that are made to fit her body, and hers alone. 

She comes from a long generation of artists who work with stone and these pieces seem to be questioning her place within that lineage, as she enters into an uneasy alliance with the material, her body is morphed into a questioning object, that seems to be asking ‘where do i belong, where do fit, where is my place?’

THinking about place, I would agree with human geographers who talk about the home as an intimate  personal space, considering the bedroom as the pinnacle of personal space. Tracey Emin’s 1998 piece ‘my bed’ presents to us a literal occupied space. It is an outward materialisation of inward stuggle; a literal, visual representation of how the mind can affect how a space is experienced, turing even the safest, most familiar places into a battlefield. 

Yayoi Kusama is another artist who releases the mind into a physical space, through the dots pattern; based on hallucinations she experienced as a child, where her body and surroundings become covered in millions of dots, becoming lost in her surroundings. She allows the viewer to experience this same feeling, through her large scale installation works, that often make use of mirrors to recreate the feeling of becoming lost in a repeated space – referencing obsessive, repeated thought within the mind. Her works ask the viewer to consider their place within the expansiveness of the universe, and even the expansiveness of their own minds.

Local artist Hannah Clegg is doing something quite similar through painting. She translates from internal to external feeling, with an incredible sensitivity to colour and figure. Her paintings materialise a place that allows for introspection and intimate emotion to happen, colour acts as a cradle, where figures pulsate in and out of vision, navigating through their hazy surroundings. There is a battle for prevalence between the figure and surroundings, whether you consider these surroundings to be a representation of the mind or a physical space. 

It is this battle and duality between subject and surroundings that draws me to this subject matter, and leads me to ask the question; how do you occupy your space?

Body & Mind – How to Occupy Space. (Rough Outline)

Intro 

In my studio work, I’ve been looking at introducing figures to a structured environment. Architectural vs organic material and how to marry these ideas together/ how come together/transformed through art/painting. 

In this short presentation, I want to consider the Relationship between the body/mind and the space it occupies. Considering the consequences of occupying a space, through the lens of fine art. 

Slide 1 – Willi Dorner

• Considering duality (architectural vs organic) materials
• Willi Dorner is An artist who takes this very literally Through mediums of performance art;

 ‘’Allows the viewer to perceive the same space or place in a new and different way’. 

• The viewer follows a trail of human sculptures, that contort their bodies from one place to the next, fitting themselves into dips and spaces within urban architecture – has been performed in many cities over the world.
• ‘’[bodies] follow, contradict, or mock the urban architecture and thus to disrupt its meaning’’ ( Haedicke, S. 2015)
• duality:bodies invade/disrupt but amalgamate/coexist spaces;

 contrast brightly coloured arms  protruding through sections of concrete.

briefly become part of the space they fit into; disappearing into the structure.

• (hoods brightly coloured clothes almost serve to dehumanise the performers, letting them be absorbed together (mass bodies) that fit into a solid space -> artist presents a very interesting contrast that seems to challenge how we fit into our surroundings.

Slide 2 – Milena Naef 

• Milena Naef creates work that questions the physical and mental relations between body and space.
• In Fleeting Parts, 2016. The artist inserts her own body into stone slabs; her body becomes fused with physical material.
• The result is a series of uniquely personal pieces that become part sculpture/ part performance. 
• I think also the remnants of these pieces are very interesting; each incision unique to the artist’s body 
• As the fourth generation of sculptors that work with stone, her work seems to encapsulate a search for her place within that lineage, each piece made to fit her body (and hers alone). 
• Her work marries together two opposing ideas together; 

Warm/Smooth flesh juxtaposed against hard/cold stone

Architetural vs organic. 

Her body is morphed into a searching thing – asking where is my place? Do i fit here?

Slide 3 – Tracey Emin

• The bed/the home For me, this is the pinnacle of personal space.’’The home is an initiate space where experience is particularly intense’’ (Cresswell, T. 2014)
• Quite literally presents to us, consequence/result occupied space; 
• In An outward materialisation of inward struggle; Emin allows us a glimpse into the most intimate of places. : the bed. 
• This presentation of Intimate space allows us a glimpse into an intimate mindset.
•  personal/unique; you look at your bed; there is an imprint>dip>rustled covers>pillows/result of you. 
• No figure but  it is lived in, through crumpled sheets and stains, becomes alive.(similar to Milena Naef -> subject and environment (it occupies) become intertwined. Tracey Emin becomes her Bed
• ‘’Emin’s bloodied bed suggests a battlefield’’ (Merck, M. 2002)
• Literal encapsulation so many things; sadness/solitude/intimacy/sex/ death/life damage/repair
• And visual representation of the mind
• I suppose I don’t have much to say because it speaks for itself. It bears its reality so clearly; this occupied space allows you to stare directly into the deepest parts of a person’s life.

Slide 4 – Yayoi Kusama 

• In a similar fashion, Yayoi Kusama materialises the mind into physical space; through dots; (based on visual/auditory hallucinations) where self/surroundings are covered in the same pattern.

‘’A dot Lost among a million other dots’’ (kusama) > lost in the space you occupy ( lost in the mind )

• The outward projection of this experience, transforms Kusama’s thoughts into Large scale installation works, allowing the viewer a similar experience, becoming 

Encompassed lost in space created by the mind ( space & body become one, obscured/ obliterated by the mind. 

• Her works have focused on a range of topics, each characterised by the same repeated pattern ; Works such as Phalli’s field exploring sex intimacy/ others exploring ideas of memory/consumerism/ ;> experiences of life that are given a physical place. 
• The mind projects itself into an obsessive,repeating, eternal, Infinite space; ( how much bigger the mind is than the body, how much bigger the space is than you)
• her installation pieces often include mirrors ( easy to feel lost in ) same idea > how do i fit into my space, how do i occupy my surroundings.  

Slide 5 – Hannah Clegg 

• [Hinterlands] Through painting, Hannah Clegg translates from internal to external. With an incredible sensitivity to colour and figure. ‘’Internal narratives translated into field of colour’’
• Her pieces materialise a physical place for introspection and intimacy to take place, allowing the viewer a glimpse on the inside. > the painting as place
• Colour cradles/envelops, sanctum – acts as a personal,intimate space. 
• Where (Sublte) Figures pulsate in/out vision, Navigating hazy landscapes (physicality of paint is almost mist like)
• As you spend time/stare – more details appear)( push their way through that mist)> (pink) woods – body on side – liken that to the mind, where thoughts push their way through the foggy mental space.

There seems to be a battle of prevalence ( surroundings/space vs. what occupies it/ figure)

It is ultimately that tension (battle) that is what i’m interested in (own work ) Pitting two very different ideas against one another, asking how do they come together/ how do they refuse to come together > interesting subject matter,isn’t limited to canvas; it calls into question > how do you occupy your space.

Bibliography

Cresswell, T. (2014) Place: An Introduction. London: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ulster/detail.action?docID=1780033 (Accessed 10 Apr. 2023)

‌Dorner, W. (2021) bodies in urban spaces – Willi Dorner Official Website. Available at: https://www.willidorner.com/project/bodies-in-urban-spaces/ (Accessed 11 Apr. 2023).

Haedicke, S. (2015) ‘Co-Performances of Bodies and Buildings: Compagnie Willi Dorner’s “Bodies in Urban Spaces” and “fitting” and Asphalt Piloten’s “Around the Block”.’ Theatre Journal, Vol. 67(4), pp. 643-661. doi: 10.1353/tj.2015.0120.

Kataoka, M. (2009) ‘Between the Microcosm and the Macrocosm’ in, (ed) Walking in My Mind. London: Hayward Gallery Publishing. Pp. 25 – 33.

Luckett, H. (2009) ‘Yayoi Kusama’ in Walking in My Mind. London: Hayward Gallery Publishing. Pp. 66 – 75.

Merck, M. (2002) ‘Bedtime’, in Merck, M and Townsend, C. (ed) The Art of Tracey Emin. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. pp. 119-133.

‌Naef, M. (2016) Milena Naef. Available at: http://milenanaef.com/fleetingparts/ (Accessed 10 Apr. 2023).

Queenstreetstudios.net. (2023). Hinterlands (Heart) – A Solo Exhibition by Hannah Clegg – QSS Studios & Gallery. Available at: https://www.queenstreetstudios.net/events/hinterlands-heart-a-solo-exhibition-by-hannah-clegg/ (Accessed 10 Apr. 2023)

‌Sverakova, S. (2023) HANNAH CLEGG – HINTERLAND, QSS, The Arches Centre, 11-13 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, March 2 – 30, 2023. Available at: https://slavkasverakova.blogspot.com/2023/03/hannah-clegg-hinterland-qss-arches.html (Accessed 10 Apr. 2023)