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.
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.”
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
No comments:
Post a Comment