Biennial Visit- Fact

Upon entering Fact I was struck by the enormous hanging sculpture constructed entirely from clothing. 

Kaarina Kaikonen's piece draws on her childhood memories, with the idea of her relationships with her parents and the smell of washed and unwashed clothes. 

My first thoughts on the work were that it reminded me of a boat/ship in the way that it was shaped. Almost Noah's Ark like. I love the idea that the clothes could represent people from all around the world joining together to create a huge boat sail.

I love the fact that the installation is created from second hand clothing donated from the public, the idea of recycling and also that each item of clothing has its own story and personality. To me the piece feels symbolic of tight-knit community. I like the idea that the artist has used these objects to reflect and symbolize a time in her childhood i.e. the smell of freshly washed clothes. I feel this is slightly similar to my own works in the way that I have collected objects which to me reflect home and my childhood.

Tehching Hsieh's 'One Year Performance' (1980-1981) consists of the artist taking a photograph of himself on the hour every hour for the duration of one year.

Hsieh shaved his head bald at the beginning of the performance and as the photographs progress you can see his hair growing back. From what I understand it seems the artist wanted to show clearly that he had not cheated in the performance and I suppose watching his hair grow back is a way of proving this.







The piece to me is clearly a form of endurance art. I cant imagine him being able to sleep properly or hold down a job throughout the year of making the performance.

I love the way he is getting the viewer to question time, whether we waste it or make the most of it. I really love the way the artist displayed his works. I really feel that by displaying all the components together that make up the 'film' piece really works. It allows the viewer to look at every frame, every hour and compare him from one to the next. I really like the idea of displaying in a grid-like format.

Biennial Visit- Renshaw Street

I love the idea of holding the exhibition in the disused hardware store formerly known as 'Rapid'. I often found myself more interested in the peeled wallpaper and exposed walls, than I was in some of the works because it relates to my current project.

My method in viewing work is to always view the pieces before reading about them, so that my initial reaction isn't hindered by what the artist has intended. Although in doing so I seem to have forgotten to take note of any of the artists and their works making this write-up impossible.

Tim Eitel's paintings appeared dark and sinister and the I love artists use of subtle light. The artist captures the lighting of the moon revealing what appears to be a homeless man pushing a shopping trolly with what could be perceived as his life's belongings. The use of subtle tones reflects the mood of the work I don't think would work as well if it wasn't for the sheer size of the work, I think it delivers a bigger impact as a result. Could it be the bigger the painting the bigger the point or problem the artist is trying to get across? Its as though he's saying take notice.

The film works found in the basement by Ryan Trecartin titled Trill-ogy Comp, made me feel uneasy and ill. The audio had been sped up to make the voices irritating and unbearable causing me to leave. On reflection was this what the artist intended? The idea of having the installation in the basement where there's only artificial lighting encourages feelings of claustrophobia and unease.

I found myself immersed into the artwork 'Sky Gazers' by NS Harsha. The work consisted of the floor painted with people looking up, and the ceiling was constructed out of mirrors. I loved the way the piece invites the viewer to become part of the artwork as when you look up you too become a 'sky gazer'.

I found the piece simple but overwhelming. The idea that you have these 2D paintings of figures beneath you, and its as though your erupting from the floor as a 3D figure - reminiscent of a pop-up book. Then the idea that your being transfered back into 2D with the use of the mirror. I left the work thinking 'I wish I'd thought of that...'