For this discussion I would like to discuss the art of Mark Bradford and Aurora Robson. Mark Bradford’s installation present at about 7:15 in this videohttp://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/mark-bradford Uses collage literally and metaphorically. As the space is entered there is a feeling of being outside even though all participants are technically outside. To the left of this hallway-like space a collage of different black and yellow signs are pasted from floor to ceiling. On these signs are advertisements for services sought after by members of the black community in Southern California. They advertise: Indian hair for life, paternity tests, sober living facilities, licensed barbers, etc. On the opposite wall is a large mirror creating a reflection of this giant collage and the addition of the viewer itself. As participants round the corner two videos are projected on opposite walls; one of the MLK day parade in Southern California and the other of an Egyptian marked for Muslims. Both of these spaces are very different but are both very politically charged. Bradford points out in his interview the abundance of law enforcement present in the MLK parade and lack of them in the Muslim market.
This is a very powerful work that juxtaposes what is happening on the streets of Southern California with the happenings inside the gallery walls then goes on to compare and contrast two powerful happenings on different sides of the world. What does this work say about our society and the culture we live in?
Aurora Robson’s work is very different from Bradford’s in that it deals with environmental issues caused by globalization. She used materials taken from the North Pacific garbage patch ad waste stream to make beautiful installations that take something negative and make something positive. For her installation The Great Indoors she used 15000 recycled plastic bottles to create a structure reminiscent of the human body. Through a tunnel participants walk through “ribs” and look up at clusters of bottle bottoms made to look like cysts, pimples, and moles. Despite this grotesque description this installation is actually quite whimsical. I would describe it to look like an enchanted forest or a coral reef. This work can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_NS1pJQfVc&list=PLnuVcWWMzkB879Nm1UP72hRCkI-JLdqu_
My own work and art practice are different from both these artists. I mainly work in watercolor where I work in layers using highly exaggerated colors. Having grown up in a small town rich with regional culture I find myself appalled by areas in which no regional culture can be found. Landscapes filled with signs for McDonalds, kohls, petsmart, burger king, and other corporations are becoming the norm across America stripping locals of their history, customs, and way of life. With my work I try to glorify the scenic views outside these corporate wastelands where human interference has not yet come to pass. Mountainous vistas, thick dense forests, and crystal clear lakes are currently my main subjects and source of inspiration.
This is a very powerful work that juxtaposes what is happening on the streets of Southern California with the happenings inside the gallery walls then goes on to compare and contrast two powerful happenings on different sides of the world. What does this work say about our society and the culture we live in?
Aurora Robson’s work is very different from Bradford’s in that it deals with environmental issues caused by globalization. She used materials taken from the North Pacific garbage patch ad waste stream to make beautiful installations that take something negative and make something positive. For her installation The Great Indoors she used 15000 recycled plastic bottles to create a structure reminiscent of the human body. Through a tunnel participants walk through “ribs” and look up at clusters of bottle bottoms made to look like cysts, pimples, and moles. Despite this grotesque description this installation is actually quite whimsical. I would describe it to look like an enchanted forest or a coral reef. This work can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_NS1pJQfVc&list=PLnuVcWWMzkB879Nm1UP72hRCkI-JLdqu_
My own work and art practice are different from both these artists. I mainly work in watercolor where I work in layers using highly exaggerated colors. Having grown up in a small town rich with regional culture I find myself appalled by areas in which no regional culture can be found. Landscapes filled with signs for McDonalds, kohls, petsmart, burger king, and other corporations are becoming the norm across America stripping locals of their history, customs, and way of life. With my work I try to glorify the scenic views outside these corporate wastelands where human interference has not yet come to pass. Mountainous vistas, thick dense forests, and crystal clear lakes are currently my main subjects and source of inspiration.