1. Conceptual art can be singled out as “art designed to present an idea rather than to be appreciated for its creative skill or beauty.” Anish Kapoor has said to be “one of Britain’s leading talents in Conceptual Art.” “Kapoor combines thoughtfulness, creativity and a traditional respect for beauty.” I feel as though his work is more about thinking through the processes and ideas behind it as oppose to something which is solely about admiring the overall beauty. However, saying this I still find his works very interesting to admire. Just the shapes and material behind each of his pieces is so unique and pleasing to the eye.
-Words on Art and the Art of Words. (n.d) Retrieved 30 August, 2011 from http://www.nigelhalliday.org/anish-kapoor-ra-2009/
-Encarta World English Dictionary. (n.d) Retrieved 30 August, 2011 from http://www.bing.com/Dictionary/search?q=define+conceptual+art&FORM=DTPDIA
2. ‘Tall tree and the eye’ is a sculpture by Kapoor which was displayed in 2009 at “the courtyard of The Royal Academy of Arts” which is located in London. He has put together 76 very shiny spheres “which bubble up to the level of the surrounding Palladian buildings.” This concept of his was “inspired by the words of the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke.” “It is a conjunction of images I have always loved in his Sonnets to Orpheus and this work is, in a way, a kind of eye which is reflecting images endlessly," said Kapoor. Being 15 metres high it has an amazing effect due to the reflections on the spheres. The overall shape of it looks like a tower as it seems to be nearly as tall if not taller than the gallery. Though looking at it, straight away I am very intrigued as to how this was built so seamlessly.
- Guardian. (20 September, 2009). Retrieved August 27, 2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/sep/20/anish-kapoor-sculpture-royal-academy
Hive, by Kapoor dominates the central hall at The Royal Academy. This piece “invites the viewer to place their heads inside its internal space yet we are forbidden to do so in very strict terms.” The idea behind it is to spark the mind “to imagine the flight of the bee through some crevice into the obliterating darkness of that immense vessel, the hive: origin of both maker and honey.” However you also “see two colossal shapes like open thighs exposing a dark oval. Even innocents will see a vagina.” We start to put the two together and try figure out what the resemblance is and in what sense is the sculpture a ‘hive’. The piece itself triggers an anxious worry that it might burst through the ceiling and the doors as it may grow even bigger.
- Guardian. (27 September, 2009). Retrieved August 27, 2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/sep/27/anish-kapoor-royal-academy-cumming
- A World to Win. (11 December, 2009). Retrieved August 27, 2011 from http://www.aworldtowin.net/reviews/AnishKapoor.html
- The Economist. (24 September, 2009). Retrieved August 27, 2011 from http://www.economist.com/node/14492363
Another installation piece that Kapoor has done is ‘Dismemberment of Jeanne D'arc’ which was for the Brighton Festival in 2009 in UK. “Kapoor has turned the hedonistic seaside town into his personal playland. A dog-legged trail leads you around a series of sites in the city, and then takes you, in a last arduous pilgrimage, to the summit of the South Downs. On the way, you are free to devise a connective plot to link the disparate objects; you can also pause to have your head and shoulders massaged in a basement while you bathe in a blur of monochrome light designed by Kapoor.” He through this piece questions “the anaemia of the Christian myth in the chapel's stained-glass windows.” Also he plays with ideas such as where is the blood of the lamb which was supposedly meant to wash us clean?
- Guardian. (3 May, 2009). Retrieved August 27, 2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/sep/27/anish-kapoor-royal-academy-cumming
3. ‘The farm’ is site specific because it has simply been named after its site. On this site is Kapoor’s combination of fabric and steel. He tries to manipulate “the viewer into a specific relationship with both space and time” by stretching fabric and steel to manipulate “views of the New Zealand seascape.” Kapoor’s piece is “related to earlier temporary installations at the BALTIC and the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.” However this time it is in a different context as it is “conceived for a wild and unconfined landscape.” I find that the chosen site really elevates Kapoor’s work into view. In the artists own words he describes it to be “rather like a flayed skin.”
- Structurflex. (January, 2010). Retrieved August 28, 2011 from http://www.structurflex.co.nz/index.asp?s1=news&s3=Anish%20Kapoor%20sculpture%20blends%20fabric%20and%20steel%20in%20New%20Zealand
4. ‘The farm’ by Anish Kapoor is an installation located in a “private estate outdoor art gallery in Kaipara Bay, north of Auckland.” It is his first outdoor sculpture which has been made using fabric. The installation itself has been named after its site. This piece has been made to withstand the “high winds that blow inland from the Tasman Sea.” It has been made using a deep red PVC-coated polyester fabric made by Ferrari Textiles. This is supported by two very identical matching red structural steel ellipses that weigh 42,750kg each. The ellipses are orientated one horizontal, the other vertical. “The fabric alone weighs 7,200kg.” “The sculpture, which passes through a carefully cut hillside, provides a kaleidoscopic view of the beautiful Kaipara Harbour at the vertical ellipse end and the hand contoured rolling valleys and hills of “The Farm” from the horizontal ellipse.” The idea behind this piece is to flaunt the Kaipara Harbour to its visitors. The colour is so contrasting in comparison to the site itself which really helps the sculpture to stand out and dominate from a distance.
- Fabric Architecture. (January, 2010). Retrieved August 28, 2011 from http://fabricarchitecturemag.com/articles/0110_sk_sculpture.html
5. Every year the French ministry of culture and communication invites a leading artist to make a work that really responds to the architectural space of the grand palais in Paris. This year it was Anish Kapoor himself who was specifically chosen for this role. For the project assigned he created a “temporary, site-specific installation inside the nave of the glass-domed hall” which was to be viewed from May 11 to June 23rd, 2011. The space was also not easy to work with as it was an enormous 13,500 m2 space. It had been so time consuming that Kapoor stated it felt like he had “been working on it since almost 20 years.” The piece ‘Leviathan’ is my favourite because I find it visually appealing in terms of the structural shape and also the materials he has used for this piece. I find it so dynamic when Kapoor introduces P.V.C into his sculptures as it is such a unique material to use for an architectural sculpture. Another element that drew me to it was the fact that you can literally walk in it and really interact with the sculpture so you can get the full experience. I think interaction is the key when it comes to sculptural pieces.
I personally find that it is the aesthetics to this piece that really attract me to it. I truly appreciate the beauty behind this piece and also the attention to detail as you can walk up and really examine this sculpture and yet find it difficult to find a flaw.
- Design Boom. (n.d). Retrieved August 28, 2011 from http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/14562/anish-kapoor-monumenta-2011-leviathan.html
I like how you desribed the farm site and how it attracts alot of attention to the New Zealand landmark and by nhancing it, Anish makes the site become more visiting and worthwile. I like how Anish wants the viewer to see the relationship between time and space by stretching fabric and steel. Anish wants the viewer to be included in his work and to also make them experience the progress of how he created it and what he did to come across the art piece.
ReplyDeleteYou have shown some really fantastic other examples of Kapoors work. I'm really fascinated by the way he plays around with scale in his works, I believe its what makes the work dramatic. I really enjoy his stainless steel pieces of work as it's interesting to see how he also uses the idea of reflection in his work, therefore giving the idea of viewing the world in a totally different way. His works makes spectators want to walk up to the work and try walk around, or go under, this make the work interactive for it's viewers. One day I would really like to witness his works in real life. It's just amazing to see what one artist can do with his inner thoughts and creativity.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said with his outdoor sculpture "the farm", painted in the colour red, which is so contrasting in comparison to the site itself, I do feel that it does stands out of our nicely groomed green grass and stands out dominate from a distance.
ReplyDeletehow you described Leviathan was really good, this art work is really a beauty, the way how kapoor designed this large scale sculpture, enhanced the idea of showing how big grand palais is. I find the way how he gets his idea is not just for his own good, but also cooperate with the surrounding which would make a perfect match.
I find his work very interesting because it’s something I’ve never seen before and also because of his ideas. ‘Site specific’ is cool, not only because it’s in New Zealand, but also because of its unique design. The horn shape of it is amazing in a sense of its large scale and because it tunnels the wind through it as it’s blowing from the coast. I like the fact that his work is very cool in a sense of how it looks, both weird, yet it works as an idea. I would say Kapoor is one of my favourite artists.
ReplyDeletei agree with lene on one i like how he commented how the work is site specific specially in the work "the farm" as a hill side is purposely cut right through the middle to fit the installation. also i like how u commented on the colour RED a very statement colour and the contrast between the colour and its surroundings but the Tree sculpture would have to be my favorite one out of them all.
ReplyDeleteHey Cyndee :)
ReplyDeleteI personally really liked his work, The Farm, and I agree with you about how it flaunts the Kaipara harbour to its visitors, but I think there is a deeper meaning behind this work. I found that Kapoor was really interested in the way “the language of engineering can be turned into the language of the body.” He is using man made materials and the marvels of engineering to create this sculpture which I thing has an idea that is closer to heart. He is referring to the human body and human nature which is represented by the deep red colour of fabric he has used; as red means passion, blood, emotion and flesh. I believe he is trying to tell us to go back to nature as much as we can and try not to get too caught up in our mechanical lives. These days we are so obsessed with new technologies and machines that we forget where it all started, from Mother Nature. He cleverly does this by carefully cutting through the hillside with his enormous horn-like sculpture, as if calling out to all of humanity to come see and understand this artistic marvel.
I like your analysis of "Hive." I agree that at first glance, it looks very sexual. In my opinion, I don't think it is Kapoor's most aesthetically pleasing work, however, it's massive scale is nothing but phenomenal, I do like how it is a change from Highly polished metal, unlike a lot of Kapoor's other works. I like how in depth your explanaition and analysis of the work that Allan Gibb's Purchased for his Collection is. It truley gives me a better idea about the work.
ReplyDeleteI'm really fascinated by the way he plays around with scale in his works, I believe its what makes the work dramatic. I really enjoy his stainless steel pieces of work as it's interesting to see how he also uses the idea of reflection in his work, therefore giving the idea of viewing the world in a totally different way. this log is outstanding and is the far best of what i have read. well done
ReplyDelete