Anish Kapoors work can certainly be defined as conceptual art in the sense that it defies traditional artistic aesthetics. In fact it somewhat defies the definition of art itself, which is a common trait of conceptual art.
Conceptual art is generally defined as art where the idea or concept of the work is more important than the execution. Or more specifically, an artform where the objective is to present the viewer with an idea or concept which rejects the sensibilities of traditional art, such as a painting or sculpture, and the conventions which are expected of traditional art.
In other words, it's a really really vague term which describes any art which is abstract, without practical purpose, and experimental in some way. And Anish Kapoor's work fits neatly into this category because it is impossible to categorize.
In the case of Kapoor's work however, it looks like the execution and craftsmanship of his work is vitally important in conveying the impact of his ideas, and conceptual art is generally understood to place very little value on executuion. This makes Kapoor's work hard to define as strictly conceptual because his works seem to rely precisely on immaculate craftsmanship. 'Turning the World Upside Down' for example, probably wouldn't work nearly as well if it's surface wasn't immaculately crafted and polished from stainless steel.
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.
This work is Kapoor's foray into the world of macabre subject matter. It is an abstract representation of a mutilated female body (Joan of Arc in this case) spread across the floor of a Brighton warehouse. This is kind of a departure from his usual works up to that point, because its not visually pleasing for one thing, and also because it is less abstract in the sense that it is actually a literal representation of a figure. When asked about this, Kapoor replied:
"It's true, it's much less abstract. I'm not making a figure - and yet I am, of course. I'm at ease with that. But it doesn't feel different from my previous work: I've made red things for a long time; I've been engaged with this quality of rough and readiness for a while. There have long been certain preoccupations in my work - red, a certain implied and very overt sexuality - and this is part of that language."
With this work, Kapoor seems to delving into a more somber and reflective territory. Now well into his fifties, he might be starting to contemplate more on things like mortality and death or something like that.
"after years of looking for a kind of wholeness in my practice, I find myself, over the past couple of years, dealing with tragedy and anxiety - with things that are fragmented".
(qoutes taken from 'the Guardian' April 2009)
'Sky Mirror' is a fairly self explanatory work. It is literally a polished 35 foot stainless steel mirror which reflects the sky. It is interesting because despite being a massive 23 ton object, this work is actually designed to create the illusion of a void.
Since the mid 1990's, Kapoor has had an avid fascination with the dualities of volume and space, and the lack thereof. In other words he enjoys manipulating our perceptions of scale and distance and size by using mirrored surfaces, forced perspectives and things like that.
And the Sky Mirror does this very efectively because it changes from every angle, as well as with changing light, and by reflecting an image of what is not physically there, it becomes a 'Non Object', which seems to be one of Kapoor's favourite terms.
"I am really interested in the 'non-object' or the 'non-material.' I have made objects in which things are not what they at first seem to be. A stone may lose its weight or a mirrored object may so camouflage itself in its surroundings as to appear like a hole in space,"
(Kapoor quote taken from publicartfund.org)
'LEVIATHAN' 2011
With the 'Leviathan' Kapoor has truly had a chance to indulge his playful love of volume and space. He has created three conjoined enormous 35 foot high spheres covered in a very specific light sensitive fabric which is inflated in order to fill the vast space of the magnificent Grand Palais building. The Leviathan also features an airlock which allows visitors to go inside the first 'chamber', where they are confronted by the nauseating sensation of being inside the stomach of some vast creature..
"People will be invited to enter the artwor to immerse themselves in its colour and it will be I hope a contemplative, poetic experience" (Kapoor)
In a video interview for 'Monumenta' Kapoor said that the main intention behind the creation 'Leviathan' was to awe the viewer with the sheer scale of it, to the point of disorienting the viewer by literally overwhelming the physical perceptions of the eye and the mind.
He has also made in some Press releases some comments of a more esoteric nature, something along the lines of the Leviathan representing the sleeping giant monster of our internal fears bla bla and so forth, but after perusing numerous interviews it's clear that deeper subtext is not the main priority of this piece. It is simply Kapoo's love of space and volume and colours being exercised on its grandest scale yet, and Kapoor's enthusias shows clearly in his interviews.
"While Kapoor has stated that the work’s title. ‘Leviathan’, was inspired by the 17th century philosopher Thomas Hobbes’s idea of the state as an unwieldy, inchoate monster, he has advised against over-literal interpretations. First and foremost the piece is a play of structure and scale."
(Mark Hudson, Telegraph UK, art reviews)
3.Discuss the large scale 'site specific' work that has been installed on a private site in New Zealand.
This is a recent installation for 'The Farm', a 400 hectare private outdoor art gallery in Kaipara Bay, north of Auckland. The sculpture cosists of a sturdy steel frame covered in a PVC coated polyester fabric, and it is also called 'The Farm', or 'Dismemberment site 1' (It seems unclear which exactly). It is supported structurally by two matching red steel ellipses at either end. It was commisoned by New Zealand's wealthiest man, and patron of the arts, Alan Gibbs, who contacted Kapoor “to devise a form that was both freestanding and capable of surviving a constant arm-wrestle with the sky and the mercurial weather conditions."
As for the ideas or subtext behind this work, I really don't know, and am hesitant to speculate because I really cannot find any firsthand sources of Kapoor discussing this sculpture.
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?
For some reason, this one is absolutely my favourite piece of Kapoor's work so far, even though it probably seems very tame and boring compared to the more striking and bold sculptures that he is known for. But the thing I like about this is that this work evokes so many different ideas, or possibilities for ideas. Looking at this, it's easy to imagine all sorts of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' type scenarios where some kind of mystical artifact comes to life and tells an ancient story of sorts.
If I had to be specific though, it is probably the aesthetic of this piece that I like the most. Everything about this piece just works from a visual standpoint, and it's aesthetically very pleasing on the eye.
What makes this piece so different from Kapoor's usual work is the way this piece blends visually with it's surroundings. It looks like it belongs there, and could easily have been there for thousands of years, which is very out of character for Kapoor, who usually tends to create sculptures that appear very alien against their surroundings.
I can't really say if I am more attracted to the aesthetics of this piece or the idea behind it. I think I am actually attracted to this piece because the idea and the aesthetic execution seem to work perfectly together, almost like they're one and the same thing.
REFERENCES:
http://fabricarchitecturemag.com/articles/0110_sk_sculpture.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-reviews/8506594/Anish-Kapoor-Leviathan-Monumenta-2011-Grand-PalaisParis-review.html
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=16659
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385590/Anish-Kapoor-Leviathan-sculpture-unveiled-Grand-Palais-Paris.html#ixzz1WaKS4300
http://www.publicartfund.org/pafweb/projects/06/kapoor/kapoor-06.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/apr/29/anish-kapoor-artist-brighton
Kapoor’s “site specific” work is almost Dr Seuss like with its unusual, trumpet like form. The shape against the landscape creates such a huge contrast and the colour intensifies this. I like how he has made the sculpture to look like it fits into the landscape, how it is shaped over the hill. The piece was designed to withstand the wet NZ weather so Kapoor paid close attention to choosing the most appropriate materials for the job.
ReplyDeleteNoticeably his work is contructed out of one shade of colour. Whether it be vibrant in pieces such as 'the farm' or 'void' contracts the idea that simplicity is his strongest advantage. This is speaking for his large scale illusionistic sculptures made from waxy textures and mirrored sculptures. to even paintings depicting voids of space. Chris sculpture you present as your favorite is an example of Kapoor's distinguished yet so varied style. He varies his artwork tastefully; by moving from bizarrely shaped wax sculptures. I agree about his sculpture untitled,2007, it just shows the talent kapoor has to be an artist within more than one profession. That sculpture in particular gives of ideas that fashion stony sculptures out of history, but with a curious light that in a way makes it sparkle.
ReplyDeleteI am also like 'SKY MIRROR' 2007. He made a lot of like this mirror stuff. I think that is a quite good idea. Because that sculpture looks very interesting and mordern. It shold be get more people's attentions than other art form. Like painting, tranditional sculpture, visual art. Both of his work's ideas and aesthetics are quite good.Like you said:Anish Kapoors work can certainly be defined as conceptual art in the sense that it defies traditional artistic aesthetics. In fact it somewhat defies the definition of art itself, which is a common trait of conceptual art.
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