Idea: Nature

–noun

1.

the material world, esp. as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities.

2.

the natural world as it exists without human beings or civilization.

3.

the elements of the natural world, as mountains, trees, animals, or rivers.

4.

natural scenery.

5.

the universe, with all its phenomena.

6.

the sum total of the forces at work throughout the universe.

7.

reality, as distinguished from any effect of art: a portrait true to nature.

8.

the particular combination of qualities belonging to a person, animal, thing, or class by birth, origin, or constitution; native or inherent character: human nature.

9.

the instincts or inherent tendencies directing conduct: a man of good nature.

10.

character, kind, or sort: two books of the same nature.

11.

characteristic disposition; temperament: a self-willed nature; an evil nature.

12.

the original, natural, uncivilized condition of humankind.

13.

the biological functions or the urges to satisfy their requirements.

14.

a primitive, wild condition; an uncultivated state.

15.

a simple, uncluttered mode of life without the conveniences or distractions of civilization: a return to nature.

16.

( initial capital letter, italics ) a prose work (1836), by Ralph Waldo Emerson, expounding transcendentalism.

17.

Theology . the moral state as unaffected by grace.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nature

While it may seem like on obvious choice, seeing as how my pictures contain plants, I am currently trying to figure out what this word actually means, not only to me, but also to modern day society. With all the definitions present, it’s easy to see how vague this word is.  I found Mike Smith’s quote to be especially interesting.  It is now rare to see a horizon void of skyscrapers and billboards. It is now almost “natural” to not be in contact with “nature.” 

“Nature is a human invention.”

Smith, Mike Deri. "Forest for the Trees." November 17, 2008

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/forest_for_the_trees/

“With our attempts to cultivate nature, humankind causes the rising of a next nature, which is wild and unpredictable as ever. Wild systems, genetic surprises, autonomous machinery and splendidly beautiful black flowers. Nature changes along with us.”

Next Nature

http://www.nextnature.net/

“The dividing line between nature and culture is difficult to draw. When a bird builds a nest, we call it nature, but when a human puts up an apartment building, suddenly it’s culture. Some try to sidestep the problem by claiming that everything is nature, while others claim that nature is only a cultural construction. It’s tempting just to lump the two together and give up thinking about it.”

Koert Van Mensvoort

http://www.nextnature.net/2006/11/real-nature-isnt-green/

 Photos:

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/faketree.htm

Choate, Dave. “Opponents to fight fake-tree cell tower at Odiorne Point.” Seacoast

Online, 14 August 2010. Web.  <http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100814-NEWS-8140317>

Nowadays, cell phone companies are disguising their towers as trees. It is happening in various places in the country, with the artificial tree imitating those of that region.  In this case, Verizon plans on building a 105-foot fake pine tree at Odiorne State Park in New Hampshire. There is a small group fighting against this. The metal tree will stand 24 feet taller than the actual trees in the park.  The tower also requires an 11.5-by-30-foot storage facility, taking up additional room.  The tower also seems to go against the conditions of the land being used by the state. The land is supposed to remain for recreational and educational purposes, which don’t seem fit for a cell phone tower to be built. 

Artist: Ron Jude

Indianapolis, IN, 2007. Archival Ink jet print. 23.5 x 30 inches. Edition of 5.

 Pasadena, CA, 2004. Archival Ink jet print. 23.5 x 30 inches. Edition of 5.

 Gallup, NM, 2007. Archival Ink jet print. 23.5 x 30 inches. Edition of 5.

 Near Donnelly, ID, 1995. Chromogenic print. 30 x 38 inches. Edition of 5.

Golf Course Conominiums, McCall, ID, 1998. Chromogenic print. 30 x 38 inches. Edition of 5.

Bio:

“Ron Jude is a photographer and teacher whose work has been exhibited at venues such as the Photographers' Gallery in London, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Roth/Horowitz Gallery in New York, and San Francisco Camerawork. His photographs are in many permanent collections, including institutions such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the George Eastman House. Jude's work has been published in The New Yorker, Blind Spot and DoubleTake magazines, among others. In 2006, he published an artist's book entitled Alpine Star, which consists of appropriated images from his hometown newspaper in Central Idaho. An excerpt of this work was published in issue 35 of Blind Spot Magazine. 

Other Nature, a collection of photographs from 2001-2007, was recently published by The Ice Plant. For information on Other Nature, please visit The Ice Plant's website. A selection of Jude's recent work will be featured in a one-person exhibition at Gallery Luisotti from May 23rd through July 11th. 

Professor Jude has been teaching photography since 1993, and has been in his current position at Ithaca College since 1999. He is represented by Gallery Luisottii in Los Angeles.”

http://faculty.ithaca.edu/rjude/

Relation to my work:

Other Nature and 45th Parallel are two of Jude's series that really stuck out. I really enjoyed his shots of artificial wood grain and floral carpet patterns. This integration of nature, or artificial nature in this case, into everyday life directly relates to some of my newer images. What I found most interesting about this work is the Jude's intention. After I read the artist statement explaining Other Nature, I was very surprised to learn that I misread the images. The images don't have some underlying message. They are exactly what they are, and the viewer can take what they want from them. I think this "concept of Nothingness" is very important to look at seeing as how the subjects in the images are obvious. 

Inspirational Quotes:

“I had the idea that I would approach the landscape from a perspective that runs through most of my work, one that questions our capacity to “know” things, and addresses the limitations of rational thought.  I wanted to make images that pretend to fulfill the dubious empirical and narrative promise of a photograph, while quietly pulling out the epistemological rug.”

“Since there’s no clear narrative, no attempt at creating a sense of “place,” and no larger polemic being established, the photographs sort of stonewall you into looking for what else is there. And of course, there is nothing else there—just you.”

“There’s an unfulfilled suggestion of further meaning in my photographs, but in the final analysis, the only meaning in the picture is what’s in the picture. This is this, and that is that—there is nothing else. The frustration that comes with this realization is key to experiencing the photographs in Other Nature. So, “other” nature suggests that the physical world can act as a conduit for ideas about pure existence.”

“The concept of Nothingness may potentially lead to despair, but not necessarily. It can also lead to a sense of freedom.”

Interview and Quotes:

http://www.ahornmagazine.com/issue_4/interview6_jude/interview_jude.html

Artist Site:

http://www.ronjude.com

Gallery Representation:

http://www.galleryluisotti.com/

http://www.artnet.com/gallery/684/gallery-luisotti.html

Idea: Anthropomorphic

Anthropomorphic:

1.     described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes

2.     ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things

3.     attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthropomorphic

“It appears we give animal stories to children and encourage them to be interested in animals because we see children as inferior, mentally ‘primitive,’ not yet fully humanized, thus pets and zoo animal stories are ‘natural’ steps in the child’s way up to adult, exclusive humanity—rungs on the ladder from mindless, helpless babyhood to the full glory of intellectual maturity and mastery.”

Ursula K. LeGuin

http://www.articlemyriad.com/150.htm

The more I study nature and biology, the more I see that anthropomorphism gets in the way of understanding animals as well. Certain birds, cats, dogs, and even rodents are intelligent, but thinking of their intelligence merely as inferior to humans is not the whole story. Different forms of intelligence have to be understood on their own terms — not through starting with an archetype of human intelligence and making incremental modifications to that archetype. That sort of thinking can lead to anchoring.

Michael Anissimov

http://www.acceleratingfuture.com/michael/blog/2010/02/revisiting-beyond-anthropomorphism/

Cady, Jasmine, Ana Norenzayan, and Ian G. Hansen. “An Angry Volcano? Reminders of

            Death and Anthropomorphizing Nature.”Social Cognition Vol. 26, No. 2, 2008,

            pp. 190-197. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Sept. 2010.

This article explains that anthropomorphizing nature is a powerful and pervasive cognitive tendency. People see faces in clouds and hear voices in the wind. We name our automobiles and scream at electronics. Food items in the shapes of religious figures sell for thousands of dollars.

Anthropomorphism has been around for centuries and is closely tied to religion and mythology. In some aspects of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, nature is viewed as a separate realm from humans. Some Western religious cultures associate nature and the wilderness as sources of threat and uncertainty. In this study, religious and nonreligious participants were asked to assign human characteristics to two natural objects, one being a tree, and the other was a potentially threatening volcano. In the end, the volcano was anthropomorphized less than the tree. They concluded that death awareness reduced the tendency to assign human traits to natural objects and that this effect did not interact with religious background.

Silverstein, Shel. "The Giving Tree." New York: Harper and Row, 1964. 

In relation to my work, this concept has been brought up in my meetings. The subjects in the photos are obvious but the presentation can change everything. The light is “making” the tree and has the ability to make it otherworldly. Depending on how I use it, the plant can convey many different emotions. It can appear real or artificial. Loved or disregarded. Anthropomorphism is also closely related to religion so I feel it is necessary to keep researching in regards to the ritualistic qualities of the images. 

Artist: Ryan McLennan

Communion, 36" x 62", 2007, Acrylic on Graphite

Condo, 64" x 62", 2007, Acrylic on Graphite

Expecting, 44" x 30", 2007, Acrylic on Graphite

Haul, 26" x 40", 2007, Acrylic on Graphite

Perimeter, 52" x 68", 2007, Acrylic on Graphite

Bio:

“Ryan McLennan was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1980. In 2002 he received a BFA from the Painting and Printmaking Department of Virginia Commonwealth University. Since then he has exhibited work in Los Angeles, New York, Boston and Richmond, Virginia. He is a recipient of the 2008/2009 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship and was featured in the 2008 Mid-Atlantic issue of New American Paintings. Ryan currently lives and works in Richmond, VA.”

http://joshualinergallery.com/artists/ryan_mclennan/

Relation to My Work:

I have been trying to look at artists working in different mediums, rather than photography. Upon finding the work of Ryan McLennan, I was instantly excited. His images of animals in a “new nature” are beautifully dark. I love, and can relate to, how minimal the prints are. The all white background and limited color palette draw me in. I am also trying to work with titles in my new work and find his use to be very successful. I was also excited to see that McLennan graduated from VCU in 2002 and to see how he has gone about creating work since.

Inspirational Quotes:

“Growing up I would spend all my time looking for animals and setting up environments in aquariums for lizards and turtles or whatever I could catch. This lasted until I got interested in more grownup things like skateboards and girls and drinking beer with my friends. At that point spending time outside really meant hiding in the woods and smoking. Now, even more grown up, I'm going back to my childhood ways. I spend a lot of time outside looking for snakes and turtles, I just don't bring them home like I used to.”

“The world I've created is a reflection of our own. The bears represent what is lacking in the environment; they embody the growth and wildness that we are losing. The birds and mammals are in charge of their future, they have to manage what resources they have without exhausting them.”

Interview:

http://www.fecalface.com/SF/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1112&Itemid=92

Artist Website:

http://www.ryanmclennan.com/

Gallery:

http://joshualinergallery.com/artists/ryan_mclennan/

Idea: Unadulterated

Unadulterated

1. not diluted or made impure by adulterating; pure

2. utter; absolute

3.  not mingled or diluted with extraneous matter

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/unadulterated

Tom assigned my word for this week’s post during our meeting. We were talking of my work being visually minimal. With this, one small change in the information presented can change the overall meaning drastically. I have to know exactly what I want to say and how to say it. We also talked about the fact that in the past I detested shooting pictures of people and I only shot black and white film. He encouraged me to continue trying new things and not being afraid of breaking out of comfort. I chose an article about Hiroshi Sugimoto, an artist I feel exemplifies the word “unadulterated.” 

Turner, Christopher 2009. “Lightning Fields.” Modern Painters 21 no3 40-5 Ap 2009

Art Full Text. VCU Libraries. Virginia Commonwealth U., James Branch Cabell Lib.,Richmond, VA. 12 September 2010 <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/hww/results/results_single_fulltext.jhtml;hwwilsonid=VZKBYHPMQOOHXQA3DILCFF4ADUNGIIV0

This article describes a studio visit with Sugimoto. The cleanliness of his studio is pristine with assistants meticulously mounting prints. One of the walls in the studio is covered with pins, which keeps track of the distribution of his images. He says that, “Unlike a computer, this system never crashes.” Sugimoto then talks of his recent works. He explains that he likes to work only with natural light and his work focuses on time’s passing. Sugimoto recently purchased some of Henry Fox Talbot’s paper negatives and has been making prints in the same way that Talbot did in 1836. He explains "to be a good photographer you have to be a scientist as well." His most recent work called “Lightning Fields,” uses voltage to produce an image on film.

“Water and air. So very commonplace are these substances, they hardly attract attention-and yet they vouchsafe our very existence.”

-Sugimoto

http://www.sugimotohiroshi.com

“Abstract work loses narrative. Meaning remains but storyline is gone. There is no narrative left, no story line. In my earlier works I might have been more concerned with form but now, as you can see, even form has gone. Eighty to ninety percent of the work is pure color. So, 'pink' itself or 'orange' itself becomes my concern. I don't need to lend myself to any special form here. There's no need for any complex set up. So color alone rises to take over the canvas. Lines and forms fall away and leave me with a space of unadulterated color.”

-Artist Reza Nosratti

http://payvand.com/news/09/sep/1073.html

Wafaa Bilal Lecture Question/Response

Question 1:

With your piece “Domestic Tension,” those that may not normally engage in political discussion through normal means are targeted. Do you think that some of these participants may have completely missed the point and the piece only furthered their obsession with violence and hate, especially against Iraqis?

Question 2:

 Often times, people will get tattooed to help cope with the loss of a loved one. Did “…and Counting” offer you any serenity in dealing with the death of your brother or the thousands of other casualties? Was the decision to permanently alter your body for the piece difficult? 

Wafaa Bilal Lecture Response

I thoroughly enjoyed Bilal’s lecture about his work. I feel he was a good public speaker and was very charismatic. Hearing him speak of his work in person helped me to understand his work better than looking at descriptions online. The quote that I found most interesting was, “I think all art is political, it just depends on which politics you choose to engage. Even making art not about politics, is a political statement.” I guess I had never thought of art making this way and assumed “political art” was just a category or style. This does make sense though.  No matter where you are, or if it was intentional, there was to be some sort of political statement in the work. Things are constantly affecting us and we are constantly reacting, whether intentional or not. Some of this force has to slip into the work being made. It’s inevitable.

Three words to define Bilal’s practice and artwork

1.  Tension

2. Engagement

3. Reality

The most interesting thing I learned about Bilal was that he spent two years in a refugee camp before getting kicked out of his country. It shows how much he really cares about making art and how dedicated he is to spreading his message. It seems as though he is constantly in danger of being injured or killed by those who call his art “terrorism,” yet he doesn’t seem to be afraid. He continues to take huge risks to produce his art.

Both of my questions were pretty much answered during the lecture.

Question 1: Bilal talked about one individual named Lucas. This person was constantly shooting, day after day. Bilal finally one day looked into the camera and talked directly to this person telling him he was going to eat and the shooting stopped. This stopped the “fun” aspect of the violence when he communicated on a human level with the shooter. Bilal often talked about instances where people hacked the system so the gun became automatic and how one hacker made an entire town’s computers fire the gun.

Question 2: From what he said about this piece it sounded as though it didn’t take him long to decide to go through with it. He mentioned something about resenting doing something on his back based on things that will change soon (the number of deaths in Iraq). He also mentioned one of his new projects will deal with his body, so it doesn’t sound like he has too much hesitation toward using his body as art.

The piece that I found the most compelling and powerful was “Dog or Iraqi.” The project was shut down because of so much protest, yet he still went through with having himself water-boarded. The footage was pretty terrifying. He wasn’t afraid to go through with this to see what pain people actually face. It was just extremely courageous of him and strengthens all that he is saying. I also found it shocking that Bilal stated that after “Domestic Tension,” he went almost a year without being able to sleep for more than a few hours because of post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Artist: Amy Stein

In Between - 24 x 30 inches, Edition of 12 - 30 x 40 inches, Edition of 3

Watering Hole - 24 x 30 inches, Edition of 12 - 30 x 40 inches, Edition of 3

Predator - 24 x 30 inches, Edition of 12 - 30 x 40 inches, Edition of 3

Howl - 24 x 30 inches, Edition of 12 - 30 x 40 inches, Edition of 3

BIO:

“Amy Stein (b. 1970) is a photographer and teacher based in New York City. Her work explores our evolving isolation from community, culture and the environment. She has been exhibited nationally and internationally and her work is featured in many private and public collections such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Nevada Museum of Art, SMoCA and the West Collection.

In 2006, Amy was a winner of the Saatchi Gallery/Guardian Prize for her Domesticated series. In 2007, she was named one of the top fifteen emerging photographers in the world by American Photo magazine and she won the Critical Mass Book Award. Amy's first book, Domesticated, was released in fall 2008. It won the best book award at the 2008 New York Photo Festival.

Amy was raised in Washington, DC, and Karachi, Pakistan. She holds a BS in Political Science from James Madison University and a MS in Political Science from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In 2006, Amy received her MFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Stein teaches photography at Parsons The New School for Design and the School of Visual Arts in New York City."

Relation to my work:

Amy Stein’s series “Domesticated” is an amazing look at the interaction between people and wild animals; animals whose habitat has been overtaken by highways, houses and businesses. We rarely see these wild animals, but sometimes our paths randomly cross and, in this series, she portrays these strange encounters. This concept of human interaction with nature directly relates to my work. Her series focuses on animals coming into contact with humans, whereas my photos show humans leaving their comfort zone and seeking nature. Her photographs make me feel many different things at once. I like that some make me feel sorry for the animals yet also bring up feelings of fear seeing these potentially dangerous animals so close to humans. The message isn’t so straightforward which I think makes the series very strong. I also really enjoy her models in these pictures. The people’s emotions and body language aren’t too over the top. They get the feeling across without being too obvious or appearing staged. Lastly, the titles of her work are something I noticed. Titles such as “Predator,” “Threat,” and “Disturbance” make the viewer question which party, animal or man, these words pertain to. 

Inspirational Quotes:

“We consciously insulate ourselves from the wild around us and the wild within us and then we subconsciously long to reconnect with the natural world.”

Risk, Davin. "Amy Stein Interview." Making Room Magazine, 2008. 

http://www.makingroom.com/feature_astein.php

“All of the Domesticated work tries to capture a moment where we are drawn away from our comfort zone and forced to confront the ‘wild.’”

Hunter, Lisa. "An Interview with Photographer Amy Stein." The Intrepid Art Collector, December 12, 2006.

http://howtobuyart.blogspot.com/2006/12/interview-with-photographer-amy-stein.html

“My photographs serve as modern dioramas of our new natural history. Within these scenes I explore our paradoxical relationship with the "wild" and how our conflicting impulses continue to evolve and alter the behavior of both humans and animals. We at once seek connection with the mystery and freedom of the natural world, yet we continually strive to tame the wild around us and compulsively control the wild within our own nature.“

www.amysteinphoto.com

Interviews:

http://www.makingroom.com/feature_astein.php

http://howtobuyart.blogspot.com/2006/12/interview-with-photographer-amy-stein.html

http://www.fecalface.com/SF/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1007

Gallery Links:

http://www.pool-gallery.com/

http://www.kochgallery.com/

http://www.clampart.com

Artist Site:

http://www.amysteinphoto.com

Idea: Rituals

-My work contains multiple figures gathered around an object or idol (trees) behaving in a set manner (isolating the tree with blasts of light).

This word has come up before in relation to my current project. I believe there is a ritualistic quality about these that might always be apparent, or mentioned, so I have been thinking about if I want this quality more apparent or to keep it subdued. I think I can enhance this ritualistic feeling by adding more people to the photographs and to also do something with the clothing choices, whether it be uniformity, or a complete lack of clothing. Incorporating props would also be another way to enhance the ritualism but I would have to be very careful in choosing them, as to not make this work take a wrong turn.

-Maria-Gabriele’s book, “Sacred Dance,” explores the use of dance as a form of spiritual expression, both historically and in modern times. Although focusing mainly on dance, there was plenty information on other aspects of rituals. She explains body movements used to “awaken” a sacred space and how a single object, or symbol, is most commonly placed in the middle of a congregation.

“All mythologies contain the idea of the gradual running-down of the universe, and of the cataclysm at the end of time; nature requires renewal, and the perennial function of ritual is to release life, to compensate for the work of time. Thus the historical situation is brought in touch with timeless, primordial reality, the essential truth of which is periodically manifested through the enactment of ritual.”

Wosien, Maria-Gabriele. Sacred Dance. Great Britain: Avon Publishing, 1974. 

         Print. 

-Estan Cabigas’ photojournalistic piece entitled, “A Ritual of Faith,” deals with people in various parts of the Philippines that practice self-flagellation. This act has been in practice for over 400 years, yet only a small number of men still performing this ritual. For this particular ritual, the men wear costumes made from dried banana leaves, wood and flowers. The costumes are then buried to help with harvests.

“Self-flagellation is intended for the healing of a sick relative or a member of the family or, in many instances, as a spirtitual investment in hope that God will grant grace or blessing for the family as well as protection from harm and misfortune.”

Cabigas, Estan. "A Ritual of Faith." 2009. http://estancabigas.com/faith/a-ritual-of-faith/

Artist: Myoung Ho Lee

Tree # 1, Archival Ink-jet print on paper, 125x100cm, 2006

Tree # 2, Archival Ink-jet print on paper, 125x100cm, 2006

Tree # 5, Archival Ink-jet print on paper, 100x240cm, 2007

Tree # 8, Archival Ink-jet print on paper, 62.5x50cm, 2007

Tree # 12, Archival Ink-jet print on paper, 75x60cm, 2008

Bio: 

Myoung Ho Lee has his BFA, MFA, and Ph. D. from Joong-Ang University and is currently working in Seoul, Korea.

 

“This Korean photographer’s U.S. solo debut includes eight color images in sizes that range from ten inches square to seven feet wide; the overall effect is modest and elegantly restrained. Lee’s subjects are trees native to his country, photographed as if they were fashion models, before white canvas backdrops that isolate them from their natural setting without entirely obscuring it. The stretched vancas emphasizes the trees’ graphic quality-each branch, each leaf is thrown into high relief- so they appear both hyper-real and as large-scale drawings in the landscape. Lee coaxes nature into posing for a portrait, then returns it to quiet anonymity.’’

Relation to my work:

I can relate in many ways to the work of Myoung Ho Lee. Trees have always seemed to subconsciously slip into my work. Now I am analyzing my own work, thoughts, and ideas and including them with a much stronger message and intent. I have often looked at normal things in nature and thought of them as beautiful works of art, rather than just a plant that happened to have grown there. I am drawn to the negative space and simple compositions of these works. They are so beautifully minimal; I feel that they are perfect. Another aspect I can draw inspiration from is the isolation of the tree from its surroundings. He uses the backdrops to present these trees as works of art, whereas I am attempting to do this with light.

Inspirational Quotes:

“It’s a performance to take this picture.”

Donoghue, Katie. "Myoung Ho Lee: Tree." March 27, 2009

http://www.whitewallmag.com/2009/03/27/myoung-ho-lee-at-yossi-milo/

"But too often, we don’t recognize the value of ordinary mundane objects around us. Seeing trees in a refreshing way or restoring the value of trees is to awaken all beings on earth in my work."

Smith, Mike Deri. "Forest for the Trees." November 17, 2008

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/forest_for_the_trees/

“Nature is a human invention.”

Smith, Mike Deri. "Forest for the Trees." November 17, 2008

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/forest_for_the_trees/

Interview:

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/forest_for_the_trees/

Gallery Link:

http://www.yossimilo.com/

Artist Link:

http://www.yossimilo.com/artists/myou_ho_lee/