Week 6- Anish Kapoor Sculpture

1. Research Kapoor's work in order to discuss whether it is conceptual art or not. Explain your answer, using a definition of conceptual art.
            www.caroun.com defines conceptual art as:

"Conceptual Art" is a contemporary form of artistic representation, in which a specific concept or idea, often personal, complex and inclusive, takes shape in an abstract, nonconforming manner, based upon a negation of aesthetic principles.

            And The Free Dictionary says it is:

“Art that is intended to convey an idea or concept to the perceiver and need not involve the creation or appreciation of a traditional art object such as a painting or sculpture.”

            So conceptual art is art where the artist is not so interested in the aesthetics as much as the ideas behind it and the reasons for making the work. I think Kapoor is a conceptual artist because he is making statements about art. Although there is a visually pleasing aspect to his work, the emphasis is on the ideas rather than just making something pretty.

2. Research 3 quite different works by Kapoor from countries outside New Zealand to discuss the ideas behind the work. Include images of each work on your blog.

            The Leviathan [2011] is a work Kapoor constructed in the Grand Palais in Paris. It is 38m tall, 100m long and 70m wide. It has been made from ‘dried blood coloured’ red PVC. The building that contains it is in the shape of a cross and the sculpture loosely follows that. In Kapoor’s words, “the building itself dictates the proposition.” The leviathan was traditionally a large dragon that was the most feared animal. Kapoor wanted to capture the oversized feeling of a creature “too big for its own skin.” The sculpture fills the space with awe-inspiring scale. The shape is formless and blob-like adding to the curiosity and strangeness. Visitors can also go inside it where an eerie red glow shines through the PVC. Kapoor wanted the inside to feel like being inside a large animal and I think he captured that perfectly with the shape and colour.

            Shooting into the corner [2009] was a work Kapoor developed with a team of engineers. He built a pneumatic compression cannon that fires 11kg balls of red wax at a wall corner. Throughout the exhibition 20 tons of wax was fired. According to e-flux.com, “Loud aggression on the one hand and silent growth on the other give the piece tension, sensuality, and compelling power.” With this work he is challenging the definition of sculpture and the making process by actively having it make during the exhibiting.

            Yellow [1999] Is 6 square meters of fibreglass painted yellow. At first it appears flat, but then you realize that it is concave. Monumenta.com says, “The pure solar colour draws the eye, which basks in it. What seems a flat, yet mysteriously rounded surface proves to be concave: the eye dizzies and loses itself in this bottomless bath of colour.” This work is elegant and effective at confusing the eye and tricking the mind.

3. Discuss the large scale 'site specific' work that has been installed on a private site in New Zealand.

4. Where is the Kapoor's work in New Zealand? What are its form and materials? What are the ideas behind the work?

            The work simply titled, The Farm is an 84m long steel and fabric sculpture in rural Kaipara Bay. The fabric is a red PVC-coated polyester made by Ferrari Textiles and the steel is designed to withstand the strong North-west winds in that area. It was commissioned by “one of New Zealand’s wealthiest men and long time patron of the arts, Alan Gibbs.” [Julian Bickersteth 2009] He relied extensively on the skill of Arup and Bo Hightex for the fabrication and engineering of the work.  There are two oval forms connected by a shaft. One oval is horizontal and the other is vertical. The fabric is stretched over the steel frame and flaps in the wind. It has been designed in such a way that the form fits perfectly into the landscape and complements the natural rolling hills.

5. Comment on which work by Kapoor is your favourite, and explain why. Are you personally attracted more by the ideas or the aesthetics of the work?

             My favourite work my Kapoor would have to be Leviathan because of the sheer scale and the idea behind it. Its size is unimaginable, the people dwarfed by its purple curves. It is the giant filling the building, taking over it; the elephant in the room, impossible to ignore. I like how the inside looks like intestines and has the colour of blood making you feel like you really are inside a large animal, like you’ve been eaten by the Leviathan. I like how spatial he is, he is a sculptor who really works with the spaces he put his sculptures into. Rather than place a small sculpture in any old room, he made a work that fit the building exactly so it almost became a part of it.

http://www.anishkapoor.com/

http://thecreatorsproject.com/de/videos/richie-hawtin-anish-kapoor/media/richie-hawtin-anish-kapoor

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/anish-kapoor/about/

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/conceptual+art

http://www.caroun.com/art/conceptualart/conceptualart.html

http://www.e-flux.com/shows/view/6532

http://www.monumenta.com/en/2011/medias/view/19/yellow-1999

http://bickersteth.blogspot.com/2009/11/anish-kapoor.html

Week 5 - Pluralism and the Treat of Waitangi

1. Define the term 'pluralism' using APA referencing.

cultural pluralism

noun Sociology .

1.         a condition in which minority groups participate fully in the dominant society, yet maintain their cultural differences.

2.         a doctrine that a society benefits from such a condition

Retrieved on 30 August 2011. Retrieved from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cultural+pluralism

2. How would you describe New Zealand's current dominant culture?

Lake Wakatipu

New Zealand is dominantly European and Maori with a growing Asian influence and a significant Pacific culture. The European culture is based around family and sports, such as rugby, and the outdoors plays a large role with so much natural landscape in New Zealand.

3. Before 1840, what was New Zealand's dominant culture?

Before 1840, when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, Maori was the dominant culture. There were whalers and seal hunters who had permanent settlements in coastal areas as well as off-shore islands but they did not represent the majority at that time.

4. How does the Treaty of Waitangi relate to us all as artists and designers working
in New Zealand?

All art is made in a context so as New Zealand artists it is part of our larger cultural context. The relationship between the Maori and the British formed a large part the kiwi culture and effects everyone, even immigrants.

5. How can globalization be seen as having a negative effect on regional diversity in New Zealand in particular?

Although globalization has many positives such as accessibility to things on the other side of the world, more exposure to cultures we may have never been exposed to otherwise and the connection between people despite the distance between them, it can have a downside. Because people from all over the world can communicate instantly with each other it is creating a global culture that threatens to wipe out smaller, regional cultures. With everyone tapping into global media the regional diversity could be forgotten.

6. Shane Cotton's paintings are said to examine the cultural landscape. Research Cotton's work 'Welcome'(2004) and 'Forked Tongue' (2011) to analyze what he is saying about colonialization and the Treaty of Waitangi.

Cotton often uses his paintings to make a political statement or to express his opinion on the relationship between the Maoris and the Pakeha. In Welcome he place the head of Jesus next to Maori symbols to show the effect European colonisation had on the Maori culture. It’s a mixture of cultural symbols to emphasise the mixing of cultures.

The painting Forked Tongue has more subtle imagery. It depicts a landscape, exploring the ideas of land ownership and sharing the land with two cultures

Forked Tongue 2011

7. Tony Albert's installation 'Sorry' (2008) reflects the effects of colonization on the aboriginal people of Australia. Research the work and comment on what Albert is communicating through his work, and what he is referring to. Describe the materials that Albert uses on this installation and say what he hopes his work can achieve. Define the term 'kitsch'

On 13 February 2008, Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister of Australia made an official apology to the indigenous people of Australia and Albert’s work, Sorry, is in remembrance of that apology. The term kitsch is defined by Dictionary.com as:

something of tawdry design, appearance, or content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste.

Origin:
1925–30; < German, derivative of kitschen to throw together (a work of art)

The objects that are applied to the vinyl are stereotypical aboriginal portraits from when it was fashionable to collect them. They are kitsch because they are offensive and therefore tacky and tasteless. They have been used purposely to send a message about the validity of the apology.

8. Explain how the work of both artists work relates to pluralism.

The basis of pluralism is that there are more than one “right” way to do things and more than one culture, religion, practice etc. Both artists are raising the issues of inter-cultural interaction. Often two different cultures that live together don’t understand one another and both artists are looking to highlight that in different ways. Cotton is showing the religious differences and the different attitudes toward land ownership. Albert is highlighting the injustice done towards the aborigines by the crown.

 

http://socialreport.msd.govt.nz/people/ethnic-composition-population.html

http://www.gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz/editions/shanecotton.asp?artwork=1250

http://eyecontactsite.com/2010/07/pondering-the-marks-and-symbols-of-shane-cotton

http://qag.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/past/2008/optimism/artists/tony_albert

Week 4 - Kehinde Wiley and inter-textuality

1. Find a clear definition of Intertextuality and quote it accurately on your blog using the APA referencing system. Use your own words to explain the definition more thoroughly.

“Relating to or deriving meaning from the interdependent ways in which texts stand in relation to each other.” [The Free Dictionary, 2011]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin CompanyRetrieved 30 August 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/intertextual

I take intertextuality to mean the way in which everything that is created has been based on something else, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

2. Research Wiley's work and write a paragraph that analyzes how we might make sense of his work. Identify intertextuality in Wiley's work.

Prince Tonosso Francesco of Savoy-Carignano 2005

Wiley paints portraits of urban African American men in the style of well known 17^th century to 19^th century western painters. He clearly references the paintings by having his subjects in the same poses as the originals. He keeps them in their urban clothing and juxtaposes them with intricate, colourful and floral backgrounds. This contrast adds interest and almost gives it a comedic edge. At the same time he makes the point, who deserves to have their portrait painted? By placing people who are usually on a lower social standing in such an ornate setting, he celebrates them for what they are. He often brings out their strong, courageous side in his paintings.

St Francis 2007

3. Wiley's work relates to next weeks Postmodern theme "PLURALISM" . Read page 46 and discuss how the work relates to this theme.

Pluralism is the belief that all are equal and every belief is valid. Wiley’s work relates to pluralism because he is celebrating a social group that are not usually celebrated in this way. By celebrating the minority he is encouraging pluralism.

Triple Portrait of Charles I  2007

4. Comment on how Wiley's work raises questions around social/cultural hierarchies , colonisation, globalisation, stereotypes and the politics which govern a western worldview.

The Chancellor Seguier on Horseback 2005

His work raises the question, why was the white man so celebrated in grand paintings while those from different places with different skin colours were not. I think this has to do with colonisation and globalization in that the white man was the one travelling to other peoples and therefore saw himself as superior. They stereotypes have since developed from this, where the black man is seen as poor worker and, sadly, often associated with crime. The white man is seen as having a superiority complex and being racist toward those not like them. This view is predominant in a western society.

5. Add some reflective comments of your own, which may add more information that
you have read during your research.

 I find it interesting that he started out using this style because he was commissioned to paint portraits of a hip-hop team and used references to older portraits to give his legitimacy. I think it’s great that he is celebrating the African American culture but sometimes it feels as though is mocking them and robbing them of their masculinity, rather than strengthening them. I think this is because some of the poses and backgrounds are too far removed from that culture to be able to blend with it, instead they look separate and detached.

St Bartholomew 2007

Madonna of the Roasry II

http://www.artnet.com/awc/kehinde-wiley.html

http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/paintings.html

http://www.kehindewiley.com/

Week 3- Hussein Chalayan

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

Not all clothing is fashion, so what makes fashion fashion?

Burka 1996

I was quite challenged when I first saw Burka. I was shocked that a fashion designer would leave a model so exposed. But then I realized that they are wearing garments that are considered the least exposing garments possible, the burka. Chalayan is trying to challenge us on our standards of modesty and socially constructed morals. Our culture tells us that a certain level of modesty must be maintained but how exactly? It can’t be the amount of cloth we are wearing, clearly. I’ve seen bikinis with less material than the mask the final model is wearing which made me consider why we deem certain garment modest and immodest. I find Afterwords quite inventive and fun. He has created both furniture and garments in one piece which would take a great deal of skill and innovation. I think it falls under both fashion and art, as it pushes the boundaries yet also require a high level of sewing design and skill. Burka is not so much fashion as it is making a statement and challenging society norms.

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?

The Level Tunnel 2006

While the fact that it is an extraordinary piece of art doesn’t change, the creator’s relationship and the viewer’s relationship to it do change. The creator’s approach to it would be entirely different because he would be fulfilling a requirement rather than creating something all his own. The viewer’s approach is entirely changed because you know that the company wants something from you and I imagine it would taint your enjoyment of it as an art piece.

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?

Absent Presence appears to be inspired by humanism as it focuses on identity and human biology.

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?

Echoform 1999

It is nearly impossible for an artist to fully create their own work. Even painters buy their paints ready-made. It certainly adds to the impressiveness of a work if it was created all the artists but the creating isn’t the important part, it is the idea. If the artist had the idea it become their intellectual property and is credited to them no matter how much they personally crafted.

http://ilikecatsmorethanpeople.blogspot.com/2010/11/hussein-chalayan-burka-1996.html http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2009/hussein-chalayan

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/read.php?CATEGORY_PK=&TOPIC_PK=2858

http://www.husseinchalayan.com/blog/

http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html

http://fashiontecture.tumblr.com/page/12

Post-Modernism, Ai Weiwei and Banksy

1. Define Post-Modernism using 8-10 bullet points that include short quotes.

·         Post-Modernism developed as a reaction to Modernism

·         The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “of, relating to, or being a theory that involves a radical reappraisal of modern assumptions about culture, identity, history, or language”

·         All truth is subjective to personal viewpoint

·         A response to the believed certainty of scientific, or objective, efforts to make clear reality.

·         Witcombe in 2000 defined it as a, “A rejection of the doctrine of the supremacy of reason, the notion of truth, the belief in the perfectibility of man and the idea that he could be better, if not perfect in society.”

·         In Postmodernism: What is it, and what is wrong with it? in 2001, Saugstad said, “In Postmodernism, society is more fragmented. Belief in one Truth or universal criteria, has been substituted by a number of “small stories,” and a diversity of criteria”

·         The boundaries between different forms and genres of art are challenged under Post-Moderism. Postmodernism rejects all boundaries.

·         In 1999 Crouch said, “The ideology of post modern design is one of decoration and variety. In a great deal of post modern architecture the question of social function is still not addressed.”

2. Use a quote by Witcombe (2000) to define the Post-Modern artist.
“The post–modern artist is ‘reflexive’ in that he or she is self–aware and consciously involved in a process of thinking about his or her cultural self in history, in demasking his or her own pretensions, and promoting processes of self–consciousness.”

3. Use the grid on pages 42 and 43 to summarize the list of the features of Post-
Modernity.

  Post-Modernity shattered the utopian ideals of Modernity. It was a reaction against Modernity. It includes a belief in social Pluralism and the individual view or construction of reality. Those with a Post-Modern ideology believe in expressing their own thoughts and perceptions about philosophy, literature, social sciences, architecture and reality. Post modernity has many theories and beliefs, ‘no one grand narrative.’

4. Use this summary to answer the next two questions:

5. Research Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola logo'(1994)
in order to say what features of the work are Post-Modern.

Weiei challenges society’s values and priorities with his work. He paints advertising logos onto ancient urns or grinds them up into a powder and displays them in glass jars. He is asking whether tradition and history is more important to the Chinese than economic progress. This fits in with Post-Modern belief that values are subjective and therefore are to be challenged.

6. Research British artist Banksy's street art, and analyze the following two works by the artist
to discuss how each work can be defined at Post-Modern. (Use your list from point 6.)

'Flower Riot', Banksy

This image of a rioter throwing flowers instead of a bomb or a stone questions the motives behind our actions. The angry young man is obviously using his power to affect someone, most likely someone in a position of power over him. But he is not looking to inflict harm or injury as we would expect, instead he is throwing flowers, a symbol of beauty and fragility. What then is he directing if not hate? The bouquet alludes to lovers gifting flowers so ironically it appears to be love that is being thrust upon this unknown enemy. Banksy is challenging our use of power, the power to either do good or do harm. This aligns with Post-Modernism because basic morals are being put into question. In Post-Modernism there are no absolute truths or morals so anyone can question them.

Los Angeles (2008), Banksy

Banksy is challenging the idea of progress. The caveman with junkfood asks the question, how far have we really come? Sure, we have mass produced food but if we personally haven’t developed past cavemen, what is the point? Modernist ideals held that progress was going to ‘save’ the world and eventually built a perfect utopian life. Banksy is going with the Post-Modern concept and challenging the Modernist belief in progress.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/postmodern

Witcombe, C. (2000). Modernism and Postmodernism. Retrieved 29 January, 2004 from http://witcombe.sbc.edu/modernism/modpostmod/html

Saugstad, A. (2001). Postmodernism: What is it, and What is Wrong With It? Retrieved 9 October, 2007, from: http://goinside.com/01/1/postmod.html

http://arthistoryresources.net/modernism/modpostmod.html

http://gaodawei.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/哎艾未未博客收集，翻译艾未未的微博客文选/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2010/oct/11/aiwewei-sunflower-seeds-tate-modern

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8693717/Ai-Weiwei-was-subject-to-immense-psychological-pressure-in-Chinese-jail.html

www.contemporaryart.com/faurschou/ai-wei-wei/

http://www.americancraftmag.org/blog-post.php?id=10827

http://arnica.csustan.edu/carosella/banksystreetart/street_art_by_banksy.htm

Exit Through the Gift Shop [2010] Banksy

WEEK 1- Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'.

1.What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?
The art of claymation is a time consuming illustrative process used to make movies. It involves creating characters and objects out of clay or plasticine and making a stop motion video by moving them for each frame. This is done by hand and extra care must be taken to not smudge or create any inconsistencies. The moving pictures are used as short films, T.V. shows like Shaun the Sheep even full length films like Wallace and Gromit .

http://www.nicknz.co.nz/Shows/Shaun%20the%20Sheep/

2. What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes awry'?
Djurburg's sculptures are lush while the videos are harsh; this unnatural contrast makes it surreal while the plants and animals echo a garden setting. This 'garden' is in a basement and the lack of any real connection to nature or the sun also makes it surreal. The large size of the plants adds to it by confusing the senses and making the viewer feel small, as though something is off. The videos explore timeless themes of sexuality and violence in an unnatural way.

Experimentet, 2009

3. What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?
She confronts the viewer with things they know like fear, love, hate, pain and distrust. Through gruesome scenarios she brings foreword these issues for the viewer to face in their own life, much like psychoanalysis.


4. How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?
The video and sculptural installation, “I found myself alone” at first appears innocent. There is a giant table laid with sweets and set out for a tea party, every little girl’s dream. But it soon turns dark and nightmarish. Also, the media of claymation is usually reserved for children’s entertainment.

I found Myself Alone, 2008-09

 

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 that previously it was not socially unacceptable to show innocent things in a dark or evil light. But now it is becoming more accepted and more artist feel free to express fears and dark feelings in a way that are typically meant for children, like claymation.


6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?
I think that Djurberg’s work was chosen because of its evocative nature. It demands an emotional reaction from the viewer. She explores issues that are common to all people so it is relatable while at the same time being so strange and unpredictable that you are compelled to watch the videos and walk among her creations.

Experimentet, 2009

7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.
I find her work haunting and strange in a way that engages while also repulses and I like that. I like that she feels free to express emotions that are usually repressed. She taps into issues that all of humanity deals with in our subconsciouses. With her work she ‘says’ what everybody’s already thinking.

Experimentet, 2009

Tiger Licking Girl's Butt, 2004

Taylor, Richard. The Encyclopedia of Animation Techniques. Running Press, Philadelphia, 1996.
http://blog.art21.org/2009/06/16/nathalie-djurberg-and-paul-chan-making-weird-worlds-at-birnbaums-biennale/
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg-experiment-at-venice-art-biennale-09.html
http://we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2009/10/nathalie-djurberg-who-won-the.php

http://www.zachfeuer.com/artists/nathalie-djurberg/

Leigh Anne Miller, Art in America, Brant Publishing Inc. [1997]

http://www.likeyou.com/en/node/7962

Week 8-Industrialisation, Modernism and architecture.

Well before Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened its doors to the public on October 19, 1997, the new museum had people talking. The numerous artists, architects, journalists, politicians, filmmakers, and historians that visited the building site during its construction anticipated the success of the museum. It was called “the greatest building of our time” by architect Philip Johnson.
The Eiffel Tower was originally built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemoration the anniversary of the french revolution. Out of 700 proposals, Gustave Eiffel's was chosen, but a lot of people were opposed to the design.  The Guggenheim is made from limestone, titanium and glass, while the Eiffel Tower is made of steel and iron. Gustave was an engineer, building mostly iron lattice bridges. The industrial revolution made a big impact on Gustave's work as many more materials were becoming available to build with. He went on to help design the interior structure of the Statue of Liberty that was given as a gift to the people of the United States of America. Gehry's design was also chosen as a winner of an architectural competition. He designed the building with unorthodox materials, inventive forms, with sensitivity to the urban environment and proposed the site along the Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain. Although the Eiffel Tower was originally built for an exhibit, it was later used for a wide variety of things. In 1909 it had an antenna that was used for sending telegraphs, in 1918 it began to be used for radio and then for television in 1975. It is currently being utilised as a major tourist attraction and it's familiar shape symbolizes Paris. The Guggenheim was designed and built to be a museum and still is to this day. It is so well known that it had over one million visitors in 2010 alone!



Research:

http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao/history
http://www.parispages.com/Monuments/Eiffel/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Eiffel

Week 6-Landscape and the Sublime

1. What and when was the Enlightenment?
The Enlightenment was a movement in the 18th century that pulled art toward science and free thinking. Before this time, all art was commissioned by the church and rich people so the subject matter was either religious symbols or portraits. In the enlightenment still life paintings became popular, as did painting scenes that were mundane and 'every day'.

2. Define the concept of the Sublime.

The theory of the sublime was originally defined by theorist Edmund Burke [1729 - 1797] as experiencing an awe and fear of the divine. Around the same time, German philosophers were writing about experiencing God through the appreciation and awe of nature. This led German artists to try and convey this same divine experience through landscape paintings and people then began to see landscape as a valid genre of painting. As it developed, the sublime way of painting landscapes became an exercise in seeing nature as an experience rather than a background.

3. How did the concept of the Sublime come out of the Enlightenment thought?

In the enlightenment people were encouraged to think outside the box and past traditional painting. The Sublime is just an extension of that, breaking into the new concept of landscapes and their magnificence.

4. Discuss the subject matter, and aesthetic (look) of Misrach's work to identify the Sublime in his work. Add some more images of his work.

Richard Misrach photographs mainly the ocean and people. He also captures ice-shapes, deserts, jungles and ruins. His images of people at the beach are shot from above and the people are so tiny that it forces you to concentrate on the magnitude of the ocean or beach.
 It makes me feel as though I am looking down at a toy world. It makes me realize how vast our world is and how small we are in comparison.

5. Identify some other artists or designers that work with ideas around the Sublime, from the Enlightenment era as well as contemporary artists.

This painting, Capture of the Tripoli by the Enterprise [1806/12] by Thomas Birch shows the sublime very well. It captures the magnificence and beauty of the ocean.

This photograph by William Neill is quite simmilar to, Wanderer in the Mists [1818] by Caspar David Friedrich. The mist and rocky landscape make for a very sublime photo.

6. How does Misrach's photography make you feel? Does it appeal to your imagination?

Research:

http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2008/misrach/misrachinfo_fs.shtm
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/120163?search_id=25
http://www.williamneill.com/