THING

SOCIAL ISSUES AND ETHICAL QUESTIONS

Casey Li

What’s going on with the world?

There are a ton of social and ethical issues debated in today’s society, can you think of a few?

Artists act as a social critic in our post-modern society

Artists have and continue to highlighting problematic issues in our society

What did they bring to the art world?

The goal being that public awareness can lead to change for the better

Some artists experiment with the ethical limits of art to get attention and shock the general observer

These artists want to put a spotlight on issues that many people might feel uncomfortable talking about, if they don’t grab your attention in a big way how else will they get you talking?

All the rejects

Pieces that talk about issues

Bold, daring ideas

Art with no purpose/ story

Liked Disliked

Their Muse

Social and ethical issues act as inspiration for many pieces, can you tell which ones?

Some Common Characteristics

All pieces of artwork have a message to convey, a major issue as a focal point.

58) Paddy Dhatangu and al. The Aboriginal Memorial. (1988)

Natural pigments on 200 logs.

The Aboriginal Memorial cont.

Created for the 200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia

For the aboriginals of Australia, it marked past tragedies and current inequality

Meant to symbolize the resilience and survival of Aboriginal peoples & their culture

Consists of 200 traditional coffins (hollowed logs – dupun) each decorated with unique clan designs and images.

59) Edward Burtynsky. Nickel Tailings #30 Sudbury, Ontario. (1996)

Photograph.

•The subjects are often torn between beauty and repulsion / attraction and fear

Main theme: nature transformed through industry

Nickel Tailings #30 cont.

•The art is meant to be open-ended in interpretation•Explores the dilemma of consuming materials to make our life better, but harming the earth and our own health in the process

Contemporary Canadian photographer

A quick breather

The next piece is by Damien Hirst is called Mother and Child Divided, what do you think it’s about?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNP4caHnknA

60) Damien Hirst. Mother and Child Divided. (1993)

Steel, GRP composites, glass, silicone sealants, cow, calf, formaldehyde solution •Plays with the

concept of what is art – his aim is to shock the viewer•Attempts to create attraction and repulsion towards his subject

Mother and Child Divided cont.

Tries to create metaphors to religious themes

Often accused of plagiarism by other artists

Contemporary British artist – believed to be one of the richest living artists

Believes that art is in the mind – often has assistants create his work

61) Judy Chicago. The Dinner Party. (1979)

Ceramic and hand woven cloth.

•The work is a massive ceremonial banquet on a triangular table with a total of 39 place settings – each commemorating an important woman from history•Each side of the table is 48 feet long

The Dinner Party cont.

Settings include embroidered runners, gold chalices and utensils, and painted porcelain plates with raised motifs (butterfly and female genitalia forms) that reflect each specific woman

Names of 999 other women are inscribed on the tile floor

Women featured from primordial times to Georgia O’Keefe (20th century)

Meant to highlight the fact that women are often overlooked in written history

62) Barbara Kruger. We Don’t Need Another Hero. (1987)

Photographic silkscreen / vinyl.

We Don’t Need Another Hero cont.

Appropriates two pop culture concepts: Norman Rockwell’s image of “Dick and Jane” and Tina Turner’s lyrics from the Mad Max movie set in a post-nuclear war future

Usually her works are somewhat ambiguous to allow for more than one interpretation

This piece questions concepts of heroism and the role of boys vs. girls in society

Kruger was chief designer at Mademoiselle at age 22 Uses advertising techniques to attract people’s attention

and make them aware of an issue From the mid 1970’s onward, belonged to Artists Meeting

for Social Change – wanted to create art with more intellectual challenge and political content

More by Barbara Kruger

Would you like to play a game?

TIME FOR A ROUSING GAME OF GUESS THAT CONTRAVERSY!

There are no wrong answers, kind of, give it your best!

A little something else

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o

MASS PRODUCTION & CONSUMPTION

Casey LiMASS PRODUCTION & CONSUMPTION

What’s going on with the world?

Remember pop art focused a lot on celebrities and brands.

Since pop art in the 1960’s, art gained an acceptable amount of selling qualities about it

What did they bring to the art world?

Fine art continues to be used for advertising and artists have come to use some advertising techniques in their artwork.

Art reflects the consumerist concepts of mass production and consumption that underlie our democratic society.

All the rejects

Artwork that talks about the subject of consumerism

Work/ads promoting consumerism

Liked Disliked

Their Muse

Some Common Characteristics

63) Takashi Murakami. Dob Flower and Tan Tan Bo (2001) Acrylic.

Greatly influenced by Pop artists as well as Japanese anime

Created his own style referred to as “superflat’ Tan Tan Bo

Dob Flower and Tan Tan Bo cont.

Worked on commission for Louis Vuitton of Paris – designs for bags, etc.

His work loosely relates back to Mickey Mouse – Dob is his own version of Mickey

His work is considered fine art but he also mass produces objects for the public to buy

Dob Flower

64) Jeff Koons. Rabbit. (1986) Stainless Steel.

Much of Jeff Koons work is familiar as he replicates forms that we are used to seeing (such as posters, balloon animals, cut hedges) in unusual materials

This piece resembles a balloon rabbit, but instead of being lightweight foil it is made of stainless steel – still appears lightweight

Rabbit cont.

His works resemble popular consumer items

Artist has stated that he intends no meaning in his works

•Some consider his work to be kitsch and self-merchandising•Used a factory-like studio like Warhol, considered to be Neo-Pop / Minimalist

65) Andy Warhol. Green Coca-Cola Bottles. (1962)

Synthetic polymer, silkscreen ink, and graphite on canvas.

Though well known for his Campbell Soup Cans, Warhol also created works based on Coca-Cola which continues to be a major worldwide brand today

His roots as a graphic designer and advertiser are evident in his approach

He used silkscreening techniques and replicated images in his studio called “The Factory” with the help of assistants – meant to mimic the use of mass production lines in manufacturing

A little something else

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUHJywgGBCE