This week's WOW looks at a wide selection of Artists and creative figures. Yesterday was Enrichment Day so I wanted to reflect the experience we had in Art and your own experiences. The week started with my discovery of The Blaze's DJ set at the highest building in France. An awe inspiring setting, which made me think about striving to achieve to the best of your ability. The Sky's the limit. So I have selected creatives who challenge authority and the norms of society, to put themselves into uncomfortable situations to get the best work they can. Many of this work can be seen now in Manchester or from the comfort of your own home by Youtube. I have also linked the current job opportunities at a couple of world renowned studios so you can see what you need to do to get jobs at these places in the future. Someone has to work there, why not you. So enjoy the work, it's all very different, so something should resonate with all of you. Enjoy!
ARTIST: NIKHIL CHOPRA
Nikhil Chopra is another influence artist who is based in Goa, India. He produces large scale landscape art that is based around his memory of being in the space. Where he his different to other artists is, he makes the making of the work, a performance, dressing in different clothes and makeup to explores issues relating to identity, politics, history, and the body. It's rteally interesting stuff. He has been the artist in residence at MoMA in New York and is internationally acclaimed. There is plenty to find on line.
Could you make your work into a performance? Have you considered the making of the work, part of the work? how could you use memory to develop your ideas?
See their performance below
Having watched the performance above, I can't see anything inappropriate in the content. It's a video of Chopra drawing, then putting on makeup, in a pair of tights/ leggings? Not sure why it is age restricted. It is a bit weird, I suppose.
EXHIBITION: THE ART OF BANKSY, SALFORD QUAYS
For the Enrichment day we took a number of students to see the Banksy Exhibtion that is currently on display at Salford Quays. The exhibition has hundreds of pieces by Banksy. Much of the works are screen printed editions of the more famous Graffiti work. I liked the work shown in his Film Exit Through the Gift Shop (see below) as I had more of a connection to it. Also in the show was some of Banksy's sketchbook work which was nice to see.
Banksy is a graffiti artist and his work is often displayed in places that help develop the story of the work. This show has none of that and it is very commercial. However, if you like the work of Banksy it's a good place to see loads of it and it's in Manchester until the new year.
I would highly recommend watching the film, Exit Through the gift shop, a great documentation of some of the best street art at the time, which then turns into a tale of how someone becomes famous, more out of luck than talent.
PHOTOGRAPHER: ANASTASIA TAYLOR-LIND
Anatasia Taylor Lind has a small but important show on at the Imperial War Museum North in Salford Quays which is totally free and runs until January 2nd 2023. The images, from this photo-journalist show the effects of the Ukrainian conflicts of the recent past and the current war. Some photos on display are only months old, something you would never usual see in a gallery space.
The images show the war from a personal perspective and really hits home as to how it effects normal people like me and you. Follow this link to hear Anatasia discuss the work and introduce the exhibition.
Could you document your life? you might not have the huge world changing events but the events in your life could be significant in your life?
Here is a Ted talk where she talks about her work.
ARCHITECT: PAULO TAVARES
Brazilian architect, writer, and educator Paulo Tavares’s research into his project, Trees, Palms, Vines and Other Architectural Monuments, traces the archeology of the ancient villages from which the Xavante people were displaced during the Brazilian military regime’s brutal campaign of forced removals to open space for plantation farms. Tavares’s work asks what is an architectural monument, who creates them, who preserves them, for whom and why.
This is a video presentation of his findings, hosted by The World Around. Great one for UAL Data project and any other students interested in the environment and how it develops, both for bad and good reasons.
The World Around Say... "Architecture and design are disciplines through which pressing urgent contemporary issues can be addressed: climate change, racial and social equity, ecology, indigenous rights, new technologies and possible utopias. Designers are equipped to tackle these issues in a practical and propositive approach, each project bringing us a step closer to the future.
The aim of The World Around is to create a network of contemporary thinkers and creators who share this approach. “We try to use The World Around as a way to speak about design as current affairs, not just describing objects or buildings."
Are you thinking about Architecture as a potential career path? Here is a link to currently available jobs with RIBA, to help you specialise in your choices. Do your ideas have broader thoughts? Do your designs work to solve problems? if not, could they?
FILM: CORALINE
Coraline is a book by Neil Gaiman that was developed into a stop motion animation by Laika Studios.
It is a visual treat and at times quite uncomfortable viewing. A story of being careful what you wish for.
Laika Studios have produced a series of videos about the making of Coraline, it's why I'm sharing it so you can watch the film and then see the work that goes into the work, you could join a studio making costumes/ storyboarding, animating etc. 100s of people and jobs go into making the films, so you could be part of the team, if you wanted to get into this industry. Follow this link to see what jobs are currently available at Laika, could be worth looking as you make your University choices.
PERFORMANCE: THE BLAZE (live at Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix)
As a final MUST WATCH this is a a performance by the Lo Fi dance outfit The Blaze. (I hadn't heard of them before seeing this) The set is from the top of a Mountain (Aiguille du Midi) in France and it makes for a series of absolutely incredible visuals. I shared this with my friends too, as it is so impressive. My friend Bob told us he has been up to Aiguille du Midi on the cable car (see image) he said he got mild altitude sickness, to give you some idea of how high they are, it is not a camera trick.
The music is very good too. Amazing what people can do with a couple of synths. The setting certainly making it sound much more epic.
Watch the set as the sun goes down in the background. A truely awe inspiring spectacle.