Contemporary Art and Contextualised Practice Collaborative Practice Module (BA3 CA-CP) Brief No. 1 Collaborative Practice Portfolio In the form of sketchbook or digital presentation show at least 5 examples of collaborative partnerships and 2 examples of works resulting of each of them, within UK and world wide. Between artists as well as between artists and specialists from different fields e.g: sciences, humanities, technologies, business, architecture, etc. To do so you will need: Images: From the result of the collaboration and/or from the collaborative process. Notes: Gathering information related to the nature of the project, aims, strategies use by the collaborative partners, length of the project, type of collaboration put in place, how are they related to the context where it took place and to some of the theoretical strands within the 20th Century. Highlight the relevance to your collaborative projects potential routes. Reference texts: Sources used through out the research process, keeping track of your research findings and a wide variety of critical approaches to the projects in question. Essential: A critical awareness of different collaborative practices, both cultural collaboration and
Transcript
Contemporary Art and Contextualised Practice
Collaborative Practice Module (BA3 CA-CP)
Brief No. 1
Collaborative Practice Portfolio
In the form of sketchbook or digital presentation show at least 5 examples of collaborative
partnerships and 2 examples of works resulting of each of them, within UK and world wide.
Between artists as well as between artists and specialists from different fields e.g:
sciences, humanities, technologies, business, architecture, etc. To do so you will need:
Images:
From the result of the collaboration and/or from the collaborative process.
Notes:
Gathering information related to the nature of the project, aims, strategies use by the
collaborative partners, length of the project, type of collaboration put in place, how are they
related to the context where it took place and to some of the theoretical strands within the
20th Century. Highlight the relevance to your collaborative projects potential routes.
Reference texts:
Sources used through out the research process, keeping track of your research findings
and a wide variety of critical approaches to the projects in question.
Essential:
A critical awareness of different collaborative practices, both cultural collaboration and
Trans-disciplinary collaborations. Deep understanding of theories, concepts and
terminology related to collaboration processes, as well as wide knowledge and analysis
skills of different types of collaboration across fields and cultures.
Deadline:
7 of November 2016
Cornelia Parker is a conceptual artist that focuses on sculpture work which is installation art - born 1956. Parkers work was to reflect that matter is never destroyed, but merely transformed. Her work explores the transformation of seemingly long-lasting materials by violent means, such as bombing, lightning or fire. Once the materials have undergone drastic changes, Parker directs the viewer to meanings conveyed by these found objects in both their altered and unaltered states.
Cornelia Parkers ‘Thirty Pieces of Silver’ is an example of collaborative art work with a specialist. The piece itself is made up of a thousand flattened silver objects, including plates, spoons, candlesticks, trophies, cigarette cases, teapots, trombones and many more types of silverware. The specialist that Parker collaborated with was a steamroller.
Due to the time frame of Parker wanting to flatten the silverware which was during winter time in 1988, when steamroller was stripped down for the winter. This is where Parker faced the first dilemma of having to find someone who hadn’t done that. Parker then got into contact with the Steamroller Society to see if anyone had a straight concrete road and a working steamroller for the project to come through.
Parker was ‘lucky’ to find a man that could help her with this project, who had a steam roller and a road to flatten the silverware onto. This is where all the silverware objects were ceremoniously crushed by a steamroller. The sculptor itself consists of 1116 silver objects that were arranged in order by Parker to be flattened.
After the flattening of the silverware, parker then arranged the 1116 pieces of silverware into thirty disc-shaped groups. Which were then suspended about a foot from the floor by hundreds of thin copper wire. Each ‘disc’ is approximately ninety centimetres in diameter and they are always hung in orderly rows depending on where there displayed.
The aims behind the idea of ‘thirty silver pieces’ was to have a type of memorial to the objects in one’s life. Parker wanted to express different meanings, and there worth perceptibility, as a way to show fate. This is also why Parker wanted to name the title something meaningful, that’s why she refers to the biblical story of how the apostle Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus in return for thirty pieces of silver.
The function of the piece is a representation of cartoon deaths. Examples of cartoons; Roadrunner or Tom and Jerry. With their unusual endings such as falling off cliffs, things being run over, things being blown up and shot full of bullets.
Another collaboration done by Cornelia Parker was ‘Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View' 1991. The piece itself is basically a garden shed and contents blown up. the Mediums therefore used were; wood, metal, plastic, paper, textile and wire to suspend it in the air. The specialist that Parker worked with this time was the British Army at Banbury Army School of Ammunition. Parker contacted them for their help and they decided to co-operate with the idea of blowing up a shed.
Since Parker needed demolition grounds, she had to meet with Major Doug Hewitt was the senior instructor at the training school at the time for meeting to discuss the safety measures, what explosives to be used and the concept behind blowing up a shed. This also meant that the Major had to deal with the way the explosives in such a way as to achieve the disintegration of the shed but at the same time not fully destroying the items in the shed, which is considered very difficult.
During their co-operation Parker was invited to the Army School of Ammunition where there where experiments using different types of explosions to show Parker the various types and reactions when going ‘bomb’. This is where the main co-operation began as the Army showed what explosives could be used and gave Parker the choice of which to use. Parker therefore decided to use plastic explosives as they provided ‘the typical explosion’ effect without special effects added.
This was due to Parkers work revolving around cartoon deaths. Examples of cartoons; Roadrunner or Tom and Jerry. With their unusual endings such as falling off cliffs, things being run over, things being blown up and shot full of bullets. This was the reason the shed was blown up and then reconstructed. Also at the time The Army was a perfect institution for working with as there was a debate on who could and couldn’t an artist use to sponsor their work. Due to the army been unpopular at the time, Parker made a statement that artist can work with anyone.
The shed was chosen as the subject because it was to show the aspect of wanting to show something that we all identified with, so a garden shed. In order to crated the blown up shed, Parker actually went to Banbury Army School of Ammunition. This was so Parker could use their demolition grounds, where they do all these experiments with explosives.
Parker decided to suspend the piece in the air to show a sort of re-animation of the explosion, as she wanted to organise something that was totally beyond our physical control and emotional control. Another reason was due to the idea of the piece lying on the floor was depressing and showed a kind of tragedy, so that’s why she used wire to hand the piece in the air.
Jeff Koon’s-born 1955, is an American artist known for his explosive sculptures and drawings, that are of banal objects, an example is of stainless steel subcultures. The idea of using banal object is to focus on the status of the chosen object and to represent the human experiences such as; narrative of human history, our biological narrative and our DNA. Koon’s main explored themes for his work evolve around taste, consumerism, beauty, acceptance, mass culture and the role of the artist.
Jeff Koon’s collaboration with Lady GaGa and her stylist Brandon Maxwell can be considered working with specialists, as GaGa’s a fashion icon due to her stylist and a famous singer. The collaboration started in late spring 2013, as Koon was invited to do the collaboration by the stylist Brandon Maxwell via phone call for lady GaGa.
The collaboration was to create/ work on an album for ARTPOP. This then turned out to be a lot of work as Koon’s had to design the cover and the booklet for the album, but due to Koon’s work at the time which was sculpture he then decided to create a sculpture of Lady Gaga as a three-dimensional type of form to go along with the booklet and cover. The sculpture was to be made from plaster for the GaGa sculpture and glass for the ‘Gazing Ball’.
But before the creation of the sculpture, Koon’s needed to get some more research/ reference of lady GaGa’s body. So, Koon’s invited GaGa to his studio to photograph her with the "Gazing Ball" one of Koon’s most known art forms, in different poses for the sculpture. This was done as Lady GaGa liked the ‘Grazing Ball’ and Koon’s wanted it in the sculpture as a symbol of everything and as an aspect of reflection, so it was incorporated in the collaboration. The photographs were used in the booklet, which gave both parties attention publicly. The final album has a various of Jeff Koon’s work such as ‘women in tub’ and "Gazing Ball" series on the cover and booklet.
The collaboration was completed in New York City on November 10, 2013, when the sculpture was completed and presented at GaGa’s art rave in New York. But GaGa also used the ‘Gazing ball’ in her performance of ‘Applause’ at the VMA performance.
Another of Jeff Koon’s collaborations was with Dom Peringon, Champagne brand. Peringon is well known for doing collaborations with various types of artist and their mediums. Peringon wanted to do a collaboration with Koon’s that would draw in younger customers to their new Champagne, Rosé Vintage 2003.
The collaboration started after Peringon got in contact with Koon’s with the proposal to do a collaboration. The collaboration started in 2001 as the subject was created out of coloured polyurethane resin.
Koon’s created a hot pink chrome sculpture {that latter on inspired Koon’s to create a larger scale sculpture of it} called ‘Balloon Venus’. The design for the ‘Balloon Venus’ was achieved via 3d programs, this was a way to experiment with different designs and on how to incorporate the Rosé Champaign.
The idea behind the sculpture was that it was to hold a bottle of Dom Peringon Rosé Champaign 2003, within it, as if protecting it. ‘Balloon Venus’ was to represent sexual energy as the bottle was inside Venus, goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity, victory, and desire. It was also to propose a new 21st century idol, a modern-day love goddess embracing the viewer in the reflection of its form.
‘Balloon Venus’ became limited-edition bottle and gift box, at the first public uncorking event during New York Fashion Week after a two-year collaboration.
Tracey Emin – 1963, is a contemporary artist that works in various mediums and styles. Emin’s work can be linked to storytelling of her life, as Emin reveals personal details of her life in her artwork. Emin work is to engage the viewer with her terminologies of worldwide emotions, that connect to the viewers understanding.
Emin’s collaboration with Louise Bourgeois, an American sculptor, painter and printmaker of French heritage, to create a series of sixteen intimate figurative watercolour drawings. These drawings were named ‘Do Not Abandon Me’ and fallows the themes of identity, which consist of sexuality, fear of loss and abandonment through joint expression.
The collaboration started with Bourgeois, who began to create works by painting male and female torsos on paper, whilst mixing red, blue and black water colour to create subtle and smooth silhouettes. Then Bourgeois gave them to Emin to do as she wanted to them in her style.
This collaboration took 2 years to complete, as Emin was unsure on what to do with the images, as she travelled the world with them for 1 year debating what to do. But over time she began to overlay Bourgeois’s forms with fantasy drawings. The drawing consisted of smaller figures that involved with the torsos, enacting the body’s desires and anxieties. Emin also wrote on the images with a narrative, putting emotions into words.
The final images were then printed at Dye-namix studio in New York. Archival dyes were used to put on the cloth in an edition of 18 sets. This was done after the death of Bourgeois so setting up the exhibition was Emin’s doing and due to the death there was great publicity and self-promotion.
Another of Emin’s collaborations with a specialist was Stephen Webster a jeweller. The collaboration was that Webster would use designs from previous work of Emin’s. The main designs were references to Emin’s neon signs, that had meaningful quotes incorporated into them and animal sketches.
The "I Promise to Love You," collection is the final form of the collaboration between Emin and Webster. The collection of 18K gold created into Bracelets, pendants, ear cuffs, earrings and rings. The animal sketches consist of woodland creatures like a hare, owl, toad and a kitten, were used as charms for necklace or were to be collected onto a charm bracelet. Whilst the ‘neon signs’ were mainly used in in rings and necklaces.
To promote work and long lived relationship between Webster and Emin, this collaboration was to show the natural union of using art and jewellery. The work was also made in Valentine's Day gift heaven, as most of the jewellery has heart felt sayings such as; "With You I Breathe," "More Passion," and "Love" with hearts and kisses, which is perfect for Valentine's Day.
The collaboration continued into arranging prices for each and every piece of jewellery, which fell to Webster. Since Emin didn’t want their work to be just priced for her art collectors, so as they were cratering there piece they had a set price rage going through out the creation. They also decided to have a website for selling the jewellery before the new launching at Stephen Webster stores.
Neville Gabie- Born 1959, a world rewound sculpture, mostly known for working in response to specific locations or in the heat of the moment in different situations of change. Gabie’s work can range from been in developed areas and to remote areas, in response to the susceptibility of the place. Since Gabie is interested in space, he tends to work with particular community as a means to learn about the working relationship between its physical, cultural or emotional geography.
The collaboration with Neville Gabie, Marcus Coates, Cristina Lina and the community of Wellington Road in Liverpool, was commissioned by Metal, an organisation that works with various artist worldwide, to transformed buildings of historic significance that are empty into places with great art and ideas. The collaboration was later call ‘Meanwhile Space’.
The actual collaboration was to involve the local community groups into doing a project on Wellington Road, Liverpool. This project was to do something with an open area of ground, so research was done to understand how to use the green spaces to their fullest. Also how to keep the community pleased with the space, so they will adopt, use the pacific area.
The problems with the project was the area had no name and was mainly used as a place to walk dogs. This was where the artist began to involve to community with coming up with names for the green area and the fact that the City Council would be taking care of the area. This is when the artist did workshops with the community’s.
The workshops evolved around the younger people, mainly primary school but had some adult involvement. The community ended up having a vote and debate about the name of the green space. Therefore, the collaboration became protest broads with various names/words on it for the name of the green area.
The other collaboration was with Gabie, his wife Joan Gabie and Edward Wilson. The collaboration was named ‘Exploring Solitude: An Antarctic Commission’ and consisted of a collaborative book and various video pieces.
This collaboration was created as a way to explore Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum's Edward Wilson and Antarctic collections. This was done by Gabie using some of his earlier video work, that consists of a kite flying in the Antarctic, and developing it further into contrasting with some of Wilson’s famous expedition.
Then Gabie and his wife collaborated on creating a limited edition book, that was to be connected to 'Wilson Family' collection and issues of communication. This consisted of letters via email from Gabie to this wife from the Antarctic and his wife’s drawings in response. This is reflected in their work and in Wilson’s as he did the same thing with his wife. The project was completed in 2012 and presented at Gardens Gallery, Cheltenham.
Katy Dove- born 1970, was an artist and a musician. Doves work was well known for the vibrant, brightly coloured animations, that combined audio mixing, video and art together.
The first collaboration was between Katy Dove and Jamie Grier, it was commissioned by the drawing room and the mead gallery, university of Warwick.
The collaboration was of an animation and audio mix, that was named ‘Luna’ 2004. Dove did most of the work as she created the animation and audio mix by herself, but needed Grier to do the audio mastering of the audio mix. This was due to Dove not been a specialist in the field of audio mastering.
Another collaboration was between Dove and [Devotone] James Seenan. The project was to be an animation, that accompanied Seenan’s tune and for the VHS release based on their record label ‘Shadazz’s evil eyes source’. Dove created the animation and it was named ‘Motorhead’.
Most of Katy Doves collaborations were mainly in the music area and mainly consist of Dove doing most of the work.
