The Chapman Brothers

After a visit to Tate Britain I became interested in the controversial work of the Chapman Brothers: Jake and Dinos Chapman. I feel I can draw a lot of inspiration from their work for my current project as both mine and their work has links with intervention and merging old with new. Therefore I decided to research their work in more depth.

The Chapman Brother Family Collection (Tate Britain)...

 My own photos of two particular pieces that I liked...

I found their work fascinating as when I first entered the dark room, I was met by an assemblage of illuminated pseudo-African totems, masks and carvings. However upon closer inspection the inauthenticity of the objects gradually became apparent, with the distinct identity of the fast food chain McDonalds emerging as a key theme among the work. 
The brothers have reconciled ethnographic art and fused it with modernism, the result being a timeless collection of work that speaks a universal language, bringing global culture together.
The juxtaposition between the ancient aesthetic of the sculptures yet the modern fast food brand really drew me in and has influenced my work on this project, inspiring me to explore mixing historical work with contemporary themes, which can be seen in my cave drawing experiments in which I converted modern scenes and brands into cave drawings.
This style of juxtaposition can communicate different messages to different people, which is something I have found intriguing throughout every project I have completed. However what I find most intriguing about the work is how it willfully resists straightforward interpretation, fooling the viewer to begin with before forcing them to reconsider their first interpretation and judgement of the work. However a straightforward explanation is very hard to find.

Even the sources of these supposed treasures are in place to fool the viewer, with the named sources Cambig, Seirf, and Ekoc revealing much more when read backwards! 

However despite all of the simplistic Mcdonalds references, the brothers have skillfully made cultural trespass the broader issue addressed here, making overt references to the history of modern art ( e.g. minature version of Endless Column by Constantin Brancusi with a red haired mask). The work also comments on how museums drain the sociological and religious meanings from ethnographic artifacts, instead focusing on presenting them as aesthetic objects. This makes me wonder whether the main focus of museums/galleries has become the aesthetic of a piece of work? Have the brothers placed an extremely popular brand on traditionally meaningful objects just to satisfy the public? Or by doing this are they proving that people are mainly drawn in by aesthetic at this current time, which makes the meaning behind these ethnographic objects pointless?

Once I had viewed a couple of the figures, I found that I wanted to explore the whole collection, searching for the clever trickery and hidden Mcdonalds references. The technique of creating discrete references for viewers to search for is very effective as it encourages the viewer to really engage with the work and explore it in much more detail. I would like to explore using this technique in the Church with my own work, maybe by presenting the viewers with a map instructing them to find my work and explore what it portrays/connotes for themselves. This will make the work interactive and engaging for the viewers, like the Chapman brothers' work.


I particularly like this piece of work due to the juxtaposition between the pseudo African sculpture and the very modern items it is holding. I feel it portrays how the extremely popular fast food chain has now infiltrated the most remote corners of the Earth, and so it could be suggesting how this is ruining traditional cultures and damaging these places (through deforestation, colonialism, capitalism etc.) This led me to think about how we overlook these problems when we think about the fast food chain. The common negative thought is on the subject of health: how bad the food is for us. Yet many of us never spare a thought for the real problems caused by the chain, we simply overlook these problems. Maybe the work was made to encourage us to think about this?
Yet despite all of this the beauty of the work remains intact and infectious, which is what appeals to people. 


No critique or political statement is offered by the brothers, however it has been said that their aim is to unearth the contradictions and hypocrisies present in contemporary culture, posing questions but providing no answers (source can be found in my research folder). This sense of mystery that leaves the viewer to interpret the work in their own way is very interesting to me, and is also what Antony Gormley aimed to do in some of his work, although he achieved this by creating work that could be viewed differently depending on a range of factors. I am hoping to create work that achieves this effect as I feel it helps the viewer engage with the work and make personal links with it.

The brothers mentioned in an interview (found in my research folder) that 'The effect is more interesting than the object'. This suggests they aim to provoke a reaction, which could actually be more important than the artwork itself. This is something I am going to explore with my intervention work. With some pieces I may aim to create something that provokes a reaction from the viewers, maybe just the shock that the item isn't first what it appeared to be, or possibly something more shocking. This will hopefully make my work a lot more engaging.
This effect also makes the Chapman Brothers' work similar to the work of Charles Bronson, as he also aimed to provoke a reaction with his work. However the methods used are very contrasting; Bronson opted for a very straightforward, brutally honest approach; whereas the Chapman brothers provoke a reaction through confusion, and the possible suggestions of their work, but nothing is certain like it is in Bronson's work. I feel the discrete method of the Chapman brothers will be most effective in my work as I need to consider the environment in which I will be displaying my work- The church, and so I feel that shocking and controversial work like Bronson's may not be appropriate here.


Leading on from this I aim to create site specific work for the Church (in which our exhibition is being held) that will hopefully deceive viewers when they first view the work, with the intervention/manipulation gradually becoming clear under further inspection. I am also going to explore giving my interventions more modern twists like the Chapman brothers do as this causes controversy and excitement.
I may also consider displaying some of my work on shelves or plinths as the Chapman brothers have, as it highlights the objects as pieces of art without revealing their inauthenticity right away, and so this is something I will need to explore.

Intervention scenes experiment

Leading on from the last experiment I wanted to explore creating a scene containing an almost unnoticeable intervention. I focused on a normal household room- the kitchen.
To aid me with my work, I used a regular overlooked object from the kitchen- cling film.
Using acrylic paint I painted overlooked artwork (from my primary research) onto the cling film. This enabled me to stick the cling film onto objects, with the paint appearing to be directly on the object. I used acrylic paint as I knew from experience that it would successfully stick to the cling film, whereas other paints wouldn't. I also knew that permanent markers would be successful, however these would be too bright and vivid, whereas with the paint I could create more accurate colours and a greater range of colours.
Once painted, I stuck the cling film to various places within the kitchen and photographed the scene.

I feel this has been successful as you have to search the photo for the intervention, however it doesn't take too long to find. When viewing the photo without being aware there is a hidden piece of artwork within it, it is almost unnoticeable, with the scene appearing normal. Therefore I feel I have achieved my aim.
If I were to do this experiment again I would create a larger number of interventions and select the most successful ones. With more time I could do this, and print out the scenes as a piece of work. Another route I could explore is to place interventions in public places (without causing any damage), and maybe explore whether people notice them/how they react.

Plant experiment

For this experiment I focused on manipulating something natural (a plant), as I think viewers would least expect to find an intervention on a natural object. I selected one of my primary research photos that  I felt was a successful piece of overlooked art with a natural aesthetic, and so therefore would fit in with the plant.
I carefully removed a leaf from the plant and carved the selected drawing out of it using a scalpel. This was an effective piece of equipment to use as it cleanly and easily cut through the leaf, and so made the process a lot quicker.
I then placed the leaf back into the plant pot in a position in which it appeared natural, as if it had never been removed.

What I find interesting about this piece is that it is quite hard to notice the intervention at first without looking at the plant properly, however as the damaged leaf inevitably dies, it changes colour and begins to stand out, gradually drawing increased attention to the intervention.
This could also connote a comment on how public artwork often causes damage. Here the leaf has been damaged by the artwork (as it has been removed from the plant and then carved into). This relates to how public artwork can damage its surroundings and the environment. Examples of this are graffiti on walls, bus stops, doodles on windows, tables, chairs. The product can be skilful and aesthetically pleasing however damage may have been caused to these 'canvases' (objects). Is this right?

Stones Intervention Experiment

Leading on from my cave drawing experiment I wanted to explore and develop the technique of intervention. I aimed to create work that would make the viewer look twice at it; overlooking it at first but then realising that something isn't quite right.
I started with the simple idea of taking a stone, modifying it using my primary research photos, and then placing it back where I found it. At a quick glance the modified stones were quite unnoticeable. However on more careful observation they stood out against the regular stones surrounding them. 
I find this concept very intriguing and so will develop it further. I will do this by conducting more experiments, perhaps experimenting with the subject matter, style of intervention, or the environment in which I conduct the experiments.

I used a range of techniques to decorate the stones so that I could explore which proved most effective.

I started by using a 5B pencil. This was soft enough to be noticeable on the stone, however at certain angles the pencil drawing reflected the light preventing the drawing from being noticeable. This could be viewed as a pro or con. If I wanted to create an intervention that was bold and always noticeable when viewed closely enough then the pencil wouldn't be an effective material. However if I wanted the stone to blend in more and not always be noticeable then the pencil would prove an effective material. 

I next used a black permanent marker pen. This proved bolder than the pencil however when placed amongst the stones, blended in effectively. This could be due to the simplicity of the design, as a complex design may have appeared a lot more bold and prominent. Although bold, the black pen still appeared quite natural among the stones.

Leading on from the black pen I used coloured permanent marker pens. These created dynamic, eye catching, bold drawings that appeared a lot more artificial than the pencil and black pen drawings. If I wanted my intervention to be fairly quick and easy to find, this would be an effective material to use.

 


Lastly I experimented with acrylic paint. I chose acrylic as I knew this would be the most effective paint I had available to me at sticking to the stone (watercolour paint may have run off). The red paint, similar to the coloured marker pens, dried bold and eye catching, yet harboured a more natural appearance than the pens. This would be an effective material to use if I were aiming to create a colourful yet natural aesthetic for the stone.

I feel this was a successful experiment as I gained knowledge on the best materials to use for this type of intervention, and produced effective intervention based work. I think it was effective as it was only noticeable when looked at closely, which was my aim. 
I could develop this idea further, perhaps buying a plant in a pot that has stones in, and placing a small modified stone in this. I could also transfer the idea into other areas, perhaps intervening with nature, everyday scenes, public places, etc.

If I had more time I would take a collection of modified stones and shells to the beach, recording the reactions of the public, and exploring the types of people that noticed the artwork, what they did with it, how they reacted, etc.

 

Trips- Cornwall

The photos I collected in Cornwall greatly contrasted my previous results from Lee on Solent, Eastleigh, and college, and also reflected the environment I was in.
The environment was much more rural and natural as opposed to the places I had already visited, and the results appeared much more natural and much less damaging as a result of this.
Taking into account all of my planned journeys I feel that the environment greatly effects the style and quantity of  the overlooked artwork found there, however different forms of overlooked art can be found anywhere if you look closely enough and open your mind.

Trips- Eastleigh

For my next trip I went to Eastleigh. I chose this destination as I have never been there before and so the environment would be new to me, and I wouldn't be able to predict the results I would find. I travelled by train in the hopes of finding overlooked artwork on the train itself and on the journey.
As opposed to planning the walking part of my journey beforehand like I did in the previous experiment, I took the journey as it came, searching for interesting looking roads, alleyways, car parks, etc. whilst recording the route I was taking. This produced much more interesting results as there were no restrictions within the journey, and so I found a larger quantity of overlooked art.
As I had already explored photography as a method of recording, I decided this time I would explore drawing. I organised my time to allow for this, however set myself a 5 minute limit on each drawing in the hope that this would give assemblage of art a greater sense of movement rather than it being a static set of drawings.

I would like to have collected more results as I feel this would have made a more dynamic piece of work. I could have done this by extending the journey and giving myself more time. I feel I should have also photographed my findings alongside drawing them to record with the rest of my primary research.

 

 

My findings in Eastleigh greatly contrasted my findings in Lee on Solent. Eastleigh is a much more suburban place in comparison, with a more diverse range of inhabitants. This appeared to reflect within my findings, as the styles and forms of artwork I found were very broad, however much more urban. Stencils and graffiti appeared much more popular, perhaps due to the larger quantity of the younger generation living here. This also suggests the artwork was slightly more planned rather than created in a spontaneous moment of creativity.

I found it interesting that I discovered artwork on the train itself, as in my previous journey I had found nothing on my chosen method of transport (the bus). The train was travelling all the way to London Waterloo, stopping at a wide range of places on the way. This made me wonder when exactly on the journey the artwork had been created, what location, where the creator was from, and what this information could suggest.

 

 For my next journey I will explore a much more rural place to see the effect this has on the artwork created and found there. I will revert back to using photography as my chosen method of recording, as this proved quick, easy, and reliable, and this will enable me to add my findings into my archive of overlooked/unnoticed art.

 

 

Trips- The Beach

To collect primary research I organised a trip to the beach, as I thought I may find different forms of unnoticed and overlooked art here.
I took photos throughout the entire journey to record my findings, as I knew this would be the most efficient method of recording whilst on the move.

From my journey I found that the most typical forms of overlooked art that I found around college and town were very scarce at the beach. I think this is due to the environment and the people that live there. Lee on Solent is a very popular place to live with the older generations, and so this could suggest there is a link between the inhabitants of an environment and the overlooked artwork created/found there. Maybe the younger generation are more creative, or open to expressing their creativity in public? Or have we become more tolerant to public forms of creativity as opposed to the older generation? This could be an interesting concept to explore.

If I were to take this journey again I would spend more time exploring overlooked places (alleyways, small streets, car parks, etc.) as I feel I may have found more results here. I would ensure when planning my journey that I would have time to do this. I am going to plan another journey to a different place so I can compare and contrast results.

Modern Day Cave Painting Experiment

After researching cave paintings and petroglyphs (research folder) and then conducting the college creativity experiment previously (where I left sheets of paper on walls around college for students to 'leave their mark') this led on to these cave painting/petroglyph experiments.

Firstly I decided to experiment with joining my research and previous experiment together, and so aimed to create modern day cave paintings.
To create a rock like effect I used soft pastels as these are great for building up layers and recreating textures. It is likely that the artists of cave paintings used naturally found materials such as chalk, and pastels are very similar to this material. I also tried to remain close to the dark brown colours they were found to commonly use.
I then used my primary research photos to create drawings, with a few modern day symbols also thrown in to give a contemporary theme. I felt a twist on some common cave painting themes would be effective, to show how times have changed and basic situations/thoughts/priorities have evolved. I felt this work could be improved to look more similar aesthetically to real cave paintings, and to really show how times have changed in a clearer way. Therefore i developed this idea into creating modern day petroglyphs.

 Using a piece of mdf as my base (which in itself shows how the production of materials has changed over time) I drew out some designs based on the common subjects of cave paintings and petroglyphs. In my research I found that people were inspired by their surroundings, painting/carving large animals, powerful beasts, risky hunting scenes, and human figures(Africa). Particularly in India, the paintings depict the lives and times of the people that lived in the caves, including scenes of childbirth, communal drinking and dancing, religious rites and burials as well as indigenous animals. I decided to modify these themes, with drawings still based around communal drinking and dancing, huntings, animals, etc. but depicting our modern day versions. 
This could suggest how we need to remember where our lives and techniques originated from, and provoke us to reflect on how times have changed and how far we've come. It could also suggest how we will always stick to the same basic things in life no matter how much we develop, such as hunting/gathering food, having communal gatherings/traditions etc.

In my research I found that Neolithic painting was schematic, reduced to basic strokes. Therefore I used a scalpel to create simple lines and curves, using my research as a guide on how to draw in a cave painting/petroglyph style. The MDF was very  quick and easy to cut into and the lines showed through well, and so this proved to be a successful choice of material.

I felt that the aesthetic of the piece wasn't similar enough to the photos of cave paintings/petroglyphs in my research folder, and so decided to use soft pastels once again to give texture and a more visually interesting aesthetic to the work, as this was successful in the above sketchbook experiment.

 I am pleased with my outcome as I feel I have achieved my aim of creating modern day petroglyphs.The pastels have given a rock like effect whilst also filling the carved lines and giving them a more dominant appearance that grabs peoples attention. The carvings are thought provoking and open to interpretation, allowing different people to take different messages/comments/statements from the piece.
If I were to do this experiment again I would draw out a range of designs for the carvings and select the best ones to ensure they were effective. I would also spend more time recreating a rock style aesthetic, and would study petroglyphs in more detail to recreate the style as effectively as possible.

Bricolage experiment

 After researching bricolage (found in my research folder) I decided to experiment with this technique myself. From local knowledge I know that the alleyways further down my road are very long and full of a range of discarded objects, some of which could be of some interest to me in relation to this project. Therefore I planned a visit to one of these alleyways, with the aim to create something 3 dimensional there and then with whatever materials I could find around me. This proved very difficult as I had limited objects to use and nothing to join them together with apart from the very small amount of string I found. Therefore if I were to do this experiment again I would maybe take something like sellotape or glue to aid me, and I would pick an area with more interesting objects available.

 This is my outcome...

The inspiration for this idea came from a thought I had whilst searching for the items. I realised how confined the experiment was, as I had limited materials and techniques available to me. The idea of confinement then developed into me confining the objects I found, and so they now reflected the environment and the nature of the experiment.
Once I had completed the experiment I realised I had contained my message within a bottle, which is ironic in regards to the literal item of a message in a bottle.
I feel the outcome is successful as it is quite engaging and makes you wonder what the message is. Its a very simple object that could easily be overlooked, however at a closer glance the viewer is able to explore each individual item that makes up the piece and see that the simple looking object has  a lot more depth than it first appears to.

Charles Bronson

Charles Bronson is a man branded Britain's most violent prisoner, however since being in jail has become a prolific artist. He has caused a large amount of controversy, with some of his works being displayed in galleries and tube stations across London, fetching up to £1000.

Bronson describes sketching and painting as his ‘greatest pleasure’, creating hundreds of artworks of which a large number depict his life ‘inside a cage’. Many of the works are cartoons that tell the story of his numerous crimes, whilst injecting a sense of humour.

I find his very upfront yet humorous approach fascinating, but particularly like how he appears to use art as a form of therapy and release. My primary research appears to support this as I have found a range of different forms of art, by a diverse range of people, in a diverse range of places. It seems anyone is capable of having a little creative outburst, and some people use this more than others as a way of releasing emotions, thoughts, and feelings, whilst also communicating a small amount of their personality. Bronson is a great example of this.  Whilst researching him and his work I found that he seems to channel a wide range of his emotions through his work. For example his restraint and forced drug depictions portray his dark side, full of anger, frustration, bleakness and negativity, whilst his delicate animal drawings of cartoon creatures portray his much more unseen softer side, perhaps full of love, kindness, and guilt? The humorous work takes away the brutality of the darker sketches/paintings, possibly to enable people on the outside world to connect with Bronson’s work, and therefore connect with him, and see the slightly more light hearted and pragmatic approach he has adopted on the subject. Or maybe the light heartedness is a trick to pull people in, and only once they are immersed in the work they realise the cold hard truth of what is being depicted and its connotations. 

Something I found interesting about Bronson’s work is that there were objections to work being put up in tube stations and galleries. However this isn’t because of the nature of the work, this is because of the artist. There may never have been any criticism if viewers were oblivious to the creator of the work, yet upon discovering it was created by an outsider artist there was a large amount of criticism. This shows there is still a divide between people considered outsider artists, and the likes of fine artists, which could also suggest there is still a divide between high and low art.

I find it fascinating how a lot of Bronson’s work questions the viewer through the bold statements and drawings used. Usually we would be unlikely to listen to a prisoner who wants our attention to consider his views and opinions. Yet his work quickly and clearly makes us think about whatever subject he is broaching, and sometimes question the message he is putting across. Whilst researching Bronson I found that he draws inspirations on a daily basis from anything around him. This approach is similar to the Paul Smith quote – “You can find inspiration in everything. And if you can’t, look again”. Bronson is a great ambassador for this quote. He is in a very closed off and confined space yet constantly finds inspiration to create great pieces of work. Finding inspiration in whatever surrounds us encourages us to be creative, and therefore create overlooked pieces of artwork wherever we are.

Leading on from this I am going to explore whether people are expressing themselves (as Bronson does but not necessarily in the same way) when they create unnoticed or overlooked pieces of art, and if so what they could be expressing/why. I will do this by collecting primary research and analysing selected pieces.

College creativity experiment

For this experiment I placed A1 sheets of paper in 4 locations around my college- The wall near North Hall, a childcare corridor, a uniformed services corridor, and a wall near the canteen. I chose these locations as I often see people waiting around in them, and so knew people wouldn't just walk past the sheet of paper and would possibly have time to take part in the activity. I felt the locations would also produce very different results due to the contrast in subject areas.

My initial thoughts were that the North Hall sheet would have more creative, skilful drawings due to being placed in a creative area, the uniformed services sheet would include big bold drawings and tags, the childcare sheet would be full of personality and slightly more feminine than the others, and the canteen sheet would include a real mixture, possibly with some more immature drawings and writing.
(what I was exploring)

Uniformed services-

As I predicted this included big bold drawings, which reflect the bold personalities commonly found in uniformed services students. They utilized a fairly physical way of leaving their mark (drawing around body parts, leaving lipstick marks), which is interesting as physicality is required in the uniformed services. Therefore I feel these students effectively left their mark by reflecting their personality and traits through their drawings. I like the way the instruction has been twisted on this sheet, and someone has drawn 'Mark'. This demonstrates the persons ability to think outside the box.



Childcare-

Similar to the sheet above, this sheet also included very bold confident drawings/text. However there is a much more feminine nature about this one, communicated through the feminine writing, love hearts, and quotes. I found it amusing how a hand print had been left on this sheet as well as the one above, however this drawing appeared to have nail varnish added! This small detail changes the drawing into something a lot more feminine, fitting in with the rest of the sheet. As found in my research, stick men are often drawn by people who are in control of their emotions and focused on their goals in life, which is a description that I think would fit the stereotypical childcare student (as i don't know any of them myself). These particular stick men also appear to communicate a lot of personality, which is a helpful trait for people who want to work with children and so a trait that these students will most likely have.

Canteen-

As expected this sheet shows a wide range of drawings and text. The writing appears to be mainly by males, with a doodle in the top right that looks more feminine and so is probably the work of a female. Unlike the others this sheet has been dominantly used as a way of communicating with people.

North Hall-

This sheet included some quite skillful drawings, however the pencil was broken early on and so the quantity of responses here is very low. However the quality is high, and as found in my research intricate drawings often reflect a very driven being who will not let go of their ambitions or loved ones.