Rachael McCallum's Unicorn Spew,

Rachael McCallum's UnicornSpew ~The online journal of Artness as-it-happens.


Saturday 23 March 2013

ridiculous world; "How to get a Life"- any ideas?

There is a new tv show called 'How To Get A Life' . Interesting that there is a market for this,  is this a common problem?
It must be, thus to be funded on a prime time Tele pay channel. But why?
 
Perhaps things are too easy .... 


Being without struggle leaves one hardship and history-less. There is a humble sense of comfortable boredom for the middle class . Ok, well maybe just me.
But surely when the worst problem is that your Facebook has been trolled with people winging about hot weather,  this new Tele show applies to you,  but you wouldn't know it because your best friend is eating a pretty dinner. 

The cynical people, the not confident and critical citisens would, could,  identify their lack of lifem if inded here was one. And to these people- my heart hears you!  
It's painful to feel what your doing everyday doesn't even matter to you.  

But once you find the problem,  next comes the solution!
Hurruh! , hope!
 
Unfortunately,  it goes against my current personal aims   ...
Turn off your computer and walk until you know what to do next.
It's not exciting sounding,  but it needs to be so that things can seem exciting again. Comparatively everything day to say because our shared virtual world is so glorious. .. there is hope,  just go simply again into the world,  device-less
Or you can start a blog and preach the solution. ..
I need to think more,  I'll be out walking
;)

Abstracts too disconnected?



So I have found this intriguing material on the interweb which greatly resembles ink on wet paint, an effective have only begun to explore on an undulating surface of foil...

 The video is here; Crosswaters Unique abstractsDemo

The artist called them abstracts, but is it?
I dont think so; 

My understanding is Abstract Art is a part of life considered in an objective manner, like trying to objectify emotion by using materials. Its a scientific manner of working, disjointed from representation where the materials are used, instead of representing an illusionary subject, they are the subject.

Here are a few definitions which I found interestingly different to my understanding;
Web definitions
  • 1; Abstractionism: an abstract genre of art; artistic content depends on internal form rather than pictorial representation
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
  • 2; Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_art

  • 3: Art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses color and form in a non-representational way
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/abstract_art

  • 4; Art that departs significantly from natural appearances. Forms are modified or changed to varying degrees in order to emphasize certain qualities or content. Recognizable references to original appearances may be slight. The term is also used to describe art that is nonrepresentational.
www.bas-art.com/index.php

  • 5; Any art in which the depiction of real objects has been subordinated or discarded in favor of patterns, lines and color.
www.rimrockart.com/custom-framing/art-glossary/


 From these definitions we are lead to believe that abstraction is a form of representing something in a non representational way.  A dislocated interpretation of a specific or general essence (essence in the philosophical Satre sense ). But perhaps that definition is changing to mean material represented as material, this Demo- video is a drop in the ocean of abstracts (Pun!) that are similar to just exhibit the material, myself probably included.
 Now just suppose these 'Demo' videos are more of the artwork than the final image, all of a sudden there is more interest because the excitement of the image coming of itself and seeing the chemical reaction take place is more linked to the music and does elicit a certain amount of joy and intrigue. 

I do think it is important for something to be abstract it should be abstracted from a form of reality; but if it is just materials being exhibited for their own magical element do need a title of their own, as I would like to build on such an idea in my own work. 
"Dasein" could be appropriate...

There is potential for great things with materials like these!  

But I suspect these materials are household items in bottles that don't reveal ingredients for mystifying purposes...
The expander, for example, could be detergent, as fat does the same kind of 'run away' reaction when it meets washing detergent. This I will have to experiment...


Look a Robert Hughes and contemplate now

After a few lectures on 'What is the Avant-garde today' I have been left wondering what will be the next phase of thought. Robert Hughes said in his Shock of The New, a 70s A.H.T documentary; "I wont prognosticate as to what will be, because I don't know" ...



Video; Robert Hughes; What Art Is


...Oh Robbie, you and your casual seating arrangements and flowy fashion hair, Talk to me!....
I do think that generally; Conceptual Art is behaving elitist and discriminative, which belittles the essence of visual language. Communication with visual language, as any communication, is lost if the public cannot understand it. That idea is pretty accepted among many.

Yet that was quite a few years ago and still I find myself going to galleries and;


-seeing videos which challenge my patience- (something I have less of the faster everything becomes) -imagery which upsets me because of its vague gore or violence in paintings, (something I don't need to be reminded of),

-text within imagery which shouts profanities (which I can hear frequently enough when I go on the train to the fringes of the city)

-references to a history which is out of my hands but claims I am linked and should feel guilt,

-installations which are so grand I feel I should hold my breath from the sheer expense of the items before me


-Photography which is ambiguous to the point of no interest because you have to read a short novel to understand the artists motivation which often leaves me wishing I saved my time and kept walking...


The list continues...

(When will art express the uncommunicable emotions of living in the now!? Facebook memes do such a good job of it for minute aspects of the inanites in life, perhaps they ARE Todays art of the people and Facebook is the modern gallery that we are unaware of its impact because the items are not commodified and measurable, but communal and non physical.) 

 
meme origin link;

thanks to: http://memeblender.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/close-enough-meme-thriller-dance.png




Ok  back to topic (see, short attention span!)
These experiences aren’t bad or good. It’s important for the work that I feel the way I do when I see them, I need to feel insignificant/guilty/challenged, its part of the piece. But its also uncomfortable, and I wonder if I were to apply these experiences to something more everyday and average; shopping for example. If, by removing my education in art history would these experiences exist to be seen as "an experience" or just annoying. That if I was not comfortable it would affect how I interacted with the work/items for sale.

I walk into a clothing store, and being middleclass; working and studying, I have some money, but it has to be rationed. Taking into account my knowledge of fashion preferences and awareness of the glamour of expensive items, I walk into an expensive store to look for inspiration. But quickly the intimidation tactics associated with these stores are large doors, sparsely arranged items and many people on hand to 'assist'/ stare at you with confusing smiling glares. Does this sound familiar? Its so similar to conceptual art shows- the only thing that is further debasing in the latter example is the items themselves that are being evaluated are a mystery in themselves. At least in a glossy store you can understand the purpose of the glorious goods.


In an expensive store, and a conceptual gallery show; I am already uncomfortable because I feel out of my depth, not confident enough to allow myself to interpret the work with out reading the blurb, or to look at it enough to make judgement. Quickly I will leave unsatisfied.




But if I was to walk into a store that had staff that I could identify with, perhaps the ones working there are students themselves in my particular case, and with stock that I could afford/understand and furnishings that allowed me to feel safe from judgement, I would want to stay and interact with the goods.

If I had the money to make a gallery, I would provide couches, so people could really rest and see the work for a long time, I would have work that was primitive, about the essence of humans, universal in its language and simple for my colleagues who don’t want to feel insignificant, I would have music because the work would probably be so impulsive and emotionally driven it would aid rather than hinder the meaning. ...And everyone would wear nice sneakers- comfy and cool.



No more high art, high heels and high brows!
Not to say that emotional visceral responses aren’t worth high class, but if the art can’t communicate to everyone then its not very good at communicating is it? 
It’s far harder to make a universal language, visual or other, than to stay within the premade playpen of contemporary art.




I don’t want to prognosticate, but if this is what I want, there is probably someone out there who wants it too...







haha I love that word,

prognosticate