Academic Writing 1: Tate Modern - Review

Energy and Process: Homeworkers

Tate Modern

Level 4

Free

Fig. 1 The Pikes by Annette Messager. Examples to show artwork. (Authors own, 2013)

Fig. 2 Hate and Power Can be a Terrible Thing by Tracey Emin. Examples to show artwork. (Authors own, 2013) 

Fig. 3 Homeworkers by Margret Harrison. Examples to show artwork. (Authors own, 2013)

Homeworkers is an exhibition where the work is based around materials 'traditionally associated with feminine craft and domestic work' Ravaglia, 2013, http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks?rid=8920&ws=date&wv=grid is currently being displayed at the Tate Modern. The exhibition contains work from Margret Harris, Tracey Emin and Annette Messager which have been made over four decades all using textiles and narrating women’s identifies as housekeepers, family carers, makers and workers.

When first walking into the Homeworkers exhibition the work displayed appears to be light hearted feminine work but when the viewer takes a look at each piece in more detail you are struck with the realisation that there is a dark story behind each of these art pieces. Margret Harrison’s mixed media piece, Homeworkers, 1977 covers advocated actions and strong political discourse in the means of fighting for workers and women’s rights. Tracey Emin’s textile piece, Hate and Power Can be a Terrible Thing, 2004 is a tapestry quilt that has had slogans such as ‘You Cruel Heartless Bitch’ and ‘Rot in Hell’ stitched onto it. Emin has also stitched inscribed patches her handwriting referring to stories from the Falkland war. 

 Fig. 4 & 5 The Pikes by Annette Messager. Examples to show detail. (Authors own, 2013)

The biggest art piece in the exhibition is Annette Messager’s piece The Pikes, 1992-3. The installation is of several soft figures and small drawings mounted up on steel rods. Initially these soft figures appear to be makeshift toys and playful pastel drawings but on closer inspection a darker nature is revealed. At first makeshift toys transform into severed heads and limbs and the pastel drawings mutate into images of traumatic events from history and the mass media. Influenced by Surrealism and the Fluxus movement, Messager’s work explores the power in relationship between male and female, nature and culture and vulnerability and aggression. The drawings emotion is really displayed through the texture of the image. Messager manages to capture every traumatic events through hard lines, block colours and grainy texture through her drawing materials.

I personally found Homeworkers exhibition an eye opening view on women’s identities and views during the last couple of decades through the skill of female associated craft. If you are interested in a mixture of textile based work and feminism I would recommend visiting this exhibition.

Shantelle Hyslop
2013

Valentina Ravaglia (2013) Homewrokers (Room 8). [online] London, The Schmidheiny Gallery. Available at http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks?rid=8920&ws=date&wv=grid (Accessed 04/10/2013

Academic Writing 1: Tate Modern (Sketchbook Notes)

Academic Writing 1: Tate Modern

Russia Revolutionary Posters

'The ideals and illusions of the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union being reflected in this display of street posters' 

Arte Poveral Anti- Form
'In the late 1960s, may sculptors emphasised the process of making, and explored ideas energy in their work'

Seung- Taek Lee, Godret Stone, 1958.

Mario Merz, Lingotto, 1968

Lynda Beglis, Quartered Meteor, 1967/75

Gilberto Zorio, Terracotta Circle, 1969

Robert Morris,  Unititled, 1967-8

William Eggleston
'Known for his rich and complex images of the American South, Willam Eggleston is largely credited with establishments the acceptance of colour in fine art photography'

Homeworkers
'The works in this room subvert materials traditionally associated with feminine craft and the domestic sphere to address gender division and political terms'

Annette Messager, The Pikes, 1992-3

Tracy Emin, Hate and power can be a Terrible Thing, 2004

Margret Harrison, Homeworkers, 1977

Minimalism

'During the 1960s a number of artist began to make distinctive and original work which appeared to share an aesthetic sensibility remarkable for its austerity ad restraint'

Hans Haccke, Condensation Cube, 1963-5

Ellsworth Kelly, Gironde (formrly Yellow White), 1951

Thomas Hirschhorn and Germaine Richier

'Opening the Transformed Visions wing are two sculpture that explore the hybridisation of the body' 

Thomas Hirschhorn, Candelabra with Heads, 2006

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Fashion & Textiles Week

Overall this weeks task was great, I think I got on really well with Fashion and Textiles as I did it for GCSE and it always came easier to me than other subjects. I feel like the work I achieved this week was an overall success. This week my sketchbook also seeming to be going in the right direction as before I felt a bit lost. I feel as though the sketchbook work from my other pathways I have been doing over the last few weeks hasn't really reflected my understanding of the subjects, although I have been trying really hard. That's my personal opinion though. I did speak to Sarah Thomas one of the textile teachers and she said my sketchbook looked great and especially for what career I want to go down. I was looking forward to fashion & textile but I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. It's going to be a tough choice to pick between this and Graphics!

Tuesday - I think the work (image 1 & 2) I produced on Tuesday was satisfactory, the five samples we had to make were good it tested our time management as we had an hour and a half to complete them. I finished just under an hour and half, I'm usually quite quick with work as I set myself time limits for each and I get bit a restless if I have to complete something with too much time. For the next task we had to produce 20 of one of our chosen samples, I also managed to finish that under an hour and a half. I think my time management is overall a good thing but I know it is also good to spend extra time on things to produce the best thing. I chose the first sample picture in image 1 as it was aesthetically pleasing but it was also quick to make as we had a set time. as After lunch we had to go in pairs and make garment with other peoples paper samples in my group. At first I liked this task as I produced nice garments but I think the task went on for a bit too long. I'm starting to realise I can be a bit impatient when I don't enjoy something a lot, I really need to improve on that! Overall I found Tuesday's task easy as I find creating things within fashion & textiles easier than other things.

Wednesday - I loved Wednesday's lesson, this has been one of my favourite days out of the whole course so far! I got on with all the task really well as it was magazine and collage based and I love both of those things. The first task (image 3) we had to do was incorporate are sample onto models we had to find prior to lesson. I think this task was successful as I created new and interesting garments and accessories for my models. I also didn't just copy and paste my samples onto my work but I photocopied their patterns and colours and created new things with them. The second task (image 4) was to incorporate illustration at first I wasn't really sure how much illustration to add so I just thought about designing a magazine layout or a fashion advert and adding slight accents around the model to still display the model. Suzanne gave me some constructive criticism on my typography especially on my other piece of work that not pictured. I found it helpful as I know I'm pretty bad at typography as I discussed during my Graphics week. Although on image 4 I liked my type being in a casual handwritten style as it was intended and was inspired by a layouts I have seen in fashion magazines e.g. Asos, Topshop, Company ect. I am always trying bearing in mind page layouts in most of the things I do especially in sketchbooks and collages. I wouldn't say I found anything challenging from today as I loved all the task.

Thursday - Thursdays task were to make our garments, model and photograph them. I thought my overall garment went well it turned out how I illustrated it in my sketchbook which is good. I liked the overall look of my statement necklace (image 5 & 6) although I think if I had to develop it I would make I slightly smaller and maybe add more cut outs. I didn't really take in consideration how I was going to attach all the pieces together in my plan which I know to do next time. So it was a bit of trial and error. I mostly used staples and double sided sticky tape and thread. After we finished our garments we had to pair up and model each others garments. I think my photographs turned out really well as Unissa was a great model!

Contextual Studies Lecture: Tine Bech

Thursday evening we had a lecture with Tine Bech and Visual and Research Artist from Denmark who is based in London. 

Some note I took during the lecture:

Here are some of her work she showed us:

Catch Me Now

Catch Me Now was an interactive light installation which a audience would have to catch the spot light and the when caught the spot light would grow in size and change colours until bored and would start the chasing process again.

Tracking You

 Tracking You  was an interactive sound installation where when  the augmented capes with RIFD was worn and moved around would make a variety of sounds depending how the model moves.

LightPot

The Big Swim