Reflective Statement

  

Universal Wound

The artwork that I have chosen to reinterpret from the Art Gallery of South Australia is Thomas Hirschhorn’s Twin-Subjecter. From researching more of his work I chose to recreate several elements which I found to be particularly successful. My piece explores consumerism which is also a strong theme in Hirschhorn’s work. I like many others struggle with personal battles against consumerism my artwork gives a view of the bigger picture, the inducement of the consumer, greed of corporations and venerable who suffer.  

The title of my work Universal Wound denotes that we are responsible for the injury that we produce to others. When we give into consumerism we are responsible for the effect that this might have on others, regardless of whether we see it or not. The documentary Fashion Victims recounts the horrific collapse of the Rana Plaza, a garment factory in Bangladesh. The thing that struck was the lack of responsibility taken by the multi-million dollar clothing brands. On my mannequin I made a collage of words and imagery relating to consumerism, this acts as an ethereal skin which my mannequin is trapped in. I included some of the brands that were connected to the sweat shops; this is my way of shaming them. These brands had no regards for the safety and well being of the sweat shop workers, it always comes down to the money.  I suspended the United States one-hundred dollar bill to rest on the mannequin. My research uncovered that the idea of consumerism first developed in the United States, I wanted to make reference to this.  Greed is an environment which causes suffering; this explains the condition that my mannequin is in. In Hirschhorn’s installations he is able to create environments for his subjects to become a part of and I wanted to recreate this in my work. I used metal triangles to create a garment which had the same enticing nature that attracted me to Twin-Subjecters. The depressions on my dress are also a note of caution to consumer, not to get sucked in.

I think that the strength of my piece is that it’s a strong visual and the symbology in my work allows the viewer to engage in it. Through the process of creating my artwork I found it challenging to create something that would capture the essence of consumerism in a meaningful way. By reflect on Hirschhorn’s work and what I found to be successful, I was able reinterpret this into my own. The main purpose of my piece is to ask the viewer to think about consumerism and to reflect on the injury that it causes and the role that they may play in it. My piece largely relies on the response of a viewer, as to whether or not I have successfully fulfilled this.   

Requiem for a dream

The film Requiem for a dream shows how four people  have been effected by addiction. The pain that they feel is emphasised through the use of repetitive imagery and sound which confront the viewer. This film is relate able to with Thomas Hirschhorn's Twin-Subjecter. At one point in the film The pain that they feel is so strong that it consumes their whole body, like nails piercing the flesh. The camera flashes from one character to the other as they go through pain, the root cause is the same but they experience it in different ways. Similarly in Hirschhorn's piece the nails and screws are clustered in certain parts of the body. I have felt pain before but on viewing Hirschhorn's piece I found it difficult to sympathize or relate to the figures. I think that by viewing this film it gave me a different perspective on  his piece.

Thomas Hirschhorn - Twin-Subjecter

     Twin-Subjecter, 2011, mannequins, nails, screws, plastic base, wood, 

225 x 155 x 56 cm, Art Gallery of South Australia

  

The  artwork from the Art Gallery of South Australia which I have chosen to reinterpret  is Thomas Hirschhorn's  Twin-Subjecter.  This piece was completed in Paris, France 2011 and later that year acquired through the Art Gallery of South Australia's donor foundation. My initial reaction when I saw this piece from a distance was one of awe. They looked like humans that had been mummified in crystalline forms, it’s not until you get closer that you can see each screw & nail individually.  What immediately drew my attention to this piece was the play on light, which has growing importance in my own practice, working with metal. Going by the name of this piece I’m guessing that it might be about people who have been subject to some kind of brutality and as a result their bodies have been altered. Although the idea of nails being put into the body isn't very pleasant the sculptures themselves are beautiful. This piece has underlying themes of pain and discomfort however my overall reaction to its physical appearance was one of intrigue and admiration.  The mannequins represent the human body hence I began questioning why I didn't have a strong sympathetic response towards them. 

When I spoke to others about their reaction to the sculpture, many of them had mixed emotions of discomfort and fascination, while others were purely horrified. For some the piece made them reflect on their own pain and the pain of others.  Perhaps I view the mannequins only as objects or maybe it's because I have seen a lot of pain and violence in media which has somehow deactivated my ability to sympathise. One of the reasons why this piece is so successful is because it is left up to the viewer to interpret for themselves. It allows the viewer to reflect on society as well as their own life. This piece gives no indication of time or place, it could have relevance 40 years ago or 40 years into the future, this is what makes this piece suitable for the AGSA's  permanent collection. His sculpture discusses the human condition, which further gives it a universal relevance. 

His pieces often have a rough appearance because of his use of everyday materials, this piece is slightly more refined. Some of his work is extremely confrontational in both their imaginary and subject matter, in particular his collages. The one below combines two images which are complete opposites than one another, one of beauty and vanity and the other of brutality and destruction. The piece Twin-Subjecter is more suitable for public view  in an article it shows a 5 year old girl encountering the piece. 

Collage - Truth  n 21, 2012, paper, prints, plastic sheet, tape, 26.5 x 42cm

This quote gives a good account of the motivation behind his collages. “A collage is an interpretation. An interpretation that wants to create something new. Doing collages means to create a new world with existing elements of this world. Everyone has once in his life made a collage and everybody is included in a collage. Collages possess the power to implicate the other immediately. I like the capacity of non-exclusion of collages and I like the fact that they are always suspiscious and not taken seriously. Collages still resist consumption, even if­­ - like everything - they have to fight against glamorousness and fashionability. I want to put together what cannot be put together, I think that’s the aim of a collage and it’s my mission as an artist.”