Term 2: Judging a Book by its Cover [2]

After the success of choosing books randomly, James asked the group to all go and try this method of selecting books from the library. My purposeful selection was ‘Mirrors in Mind’ by Richard Gregory. However, it is more a history of the mirror rather than artists who work using mirror. I have been, as of yet, unable to find artists who paint onto mirrors, or use mirrors within paintings.

My random choice was ‘Flor Garduno bestiarium’ by U. Bar Verlag, chosen due to the title, ‘Beastiarium’, and the cover photograph; a man sat beneath a constructed model bull.

Whilst this book portrays animals being used or depicted in a manner of ways, I am unable to understand why or what is happening, as all the text is in German. This leaves me guessing as to what the photographs are about. This lack of understanding incites curiosity and intrigue. It feels as if the photographs are contradictory; some show people with their horses or cows, or making models of animals as hats etc. This implies a level of respect for their fellow creatures. However, other photographs depict disembodied hooves strung up on the wall or miniature crocodiles tied together and held up by a young woman. In contrast; a lack of care for animal life.

Such a contrast is confusing, and intriguing – it makes me want to translate the text in order to further understand the photographs. I am trying to create this kind of compulsion to learn more by painting isolated, distorted animals which make the viewer think and contemplate.

Term 2: Judging a Book by its Cover

After a tutorial with James Green, it was suggested that we go to the library and choose some books randomly. He suggested that sometimes, on choosing books randomly, you find topics or artworks by chance that you would never normally look for. I decided to go to the library and choose some books based on a premise which is frowned upon; judging them solely by their cover. I found two books: ‘Carnivalesque’ by National Touring Exhibitions, and Oleg Kulik’s ‘Art Animal’. Both possessed covers which intrigued me.

‘Carnivalesque’ initially caught my attention due to its distortion of the face; the portrayal of a normal person in an abnormal way. On reading the book, distortion and exaggeration seem to be a large part of the carnival scene. This book portrays carnival artworks or depictions of carnival activities; most of which are macabre, disturbing, vulgar and primitive. These are qualities I am trying to capture in my art work, and thus the artworks portrayed in this book may be of great value. What makes something ‘disturbing’ or ‘vulgar’? And why are we drawn to such things out of macabre interest? Carnivalesque implies that confusion and strange imagery creates the feeling of unease; we are not familiar with these images, and unfamiliarity is a scary thing.

‘Art Animal’ caught my attention mainly due to the comparison of man and animal; an integral part of many animal welfare campaigns, and thus a necessary and worthwhile area of research. Kulik portrays himself as a wild dog on a leash within many performances, including one where he is naked and chained in an empty room, and one member of the ‘audience’ is allowed in to interact with him. Despite knowing he is a normal man acting as a dog, there is a nervous tension as Kulik seems unpredictable. He is reconnecting with wild instinctual aspects of ourselves we have long forgotten. This wild and erratic performance does not make the audience favourable toward wild animals. It does, however, portray what animals really are; wild and free, rather than tamed and caged to be used by us.

However, this book has also made me question where animal cruelty and abuse actually begins. Two performances of Kulik’s brought this point to my attention during group tutorial discussion.

‘Deep into Russia’

‘Meet my Boyfriend Charles’

‘Deep Into Russia’ shows Kulik with his head in the vagina of a cow, apparently in an attempt to be ‘born anew’. Is this animal abuse? The cow may or may not have been in discomfort, but in comparison to mechanical artificial insemination, meat production, etc. is this on the same level? Equally, ‘Meet my boyfriend Charles’ depicts Kulik in bed, kissing a goat. The goat has no real choice in this matter, therefore is this abuse?

Term 2: Red Dragon (Film)

The ‘mirror eyes’ concept I am exploring reminded me of the film ‘Red Dragon’ in which a serial killer places mirrors in the eyes of his victims.

Still from ‘Red Dragon’

In the film, the killer smashes up all mirrors in the house in order not to see his own deformities, and uses the pieces ‘to make the eyes look alive’; he wanted an audience for his twisted actions.

Similarly, in my work, I want the animals eyes in my paintings to seem alive, and so reflecting the viewer’s own eyes back at them gives it this realism. It also forces comparison to be drawn between animal and person.

Term 2: The Chapman Brothers

Jake and Dinos Chapman are known for their dark, shocking and controversial art work. These are all elements which could be utilised effectively within my own art work.

‘J’appelle un Chat une Chatte’, 2001

In this piece, and variations of the same theme, characteristics are distorted and replaced with human features. This combination and comparison of characters makes the cat more human; the nose, ears and mouth becoming more relate-able.

‘Like a Dog Returns to its Vomit’, 2005

This piece is one from a collection of the same title. I find it quite disturbing; the excessively wide, staring eyes seem almost ‘sweet’ but combined with a maniacal toothy grin, it takes on a more unpredictable turn. The creatures seem untrustworthy and distorted, which leaves the viewer feeling uneasy.

‘One Day You Will No Longer Be Loved, No. 3’

From the series ‘One Day You Will No Longer Be Loved’

These two paintings from the same series also portray qualities I would like to capture: distortion of the faces makes the viewer think more about the concept; the degradation of the self until we no longer exist. Wide staring eyes in the second painting also implies the subject is crazed, it is disturbing and unblinking – unnaturally open.

I hope to create pieces that unsettle the viewer enough to think more in depth about the work.

Term 2: Sue Coe ‘Dead Meat’

Having decided to completely change the path of my art pieces and produce paintings, I decided to try and find famous animal rights artists. When writing my dissertation, I read ‘Dead Meat’ by Sue Coe. It turned out not to be relevant to the dissertation as such, but her art works are certainly relevant to my work.

Sue Coe traveled across the US gaining access to slaughterhouses and painting her own depictions of what she saw there.

‘Egg Machines’

‘Gassing hogs, 6 at a time, instead of one at a time, more profitable for the industry’

Coe’s illustrations are dark and macabre; usually a grim swathe of grey. Faces of people are unemotional and blank. There is real tension in these paintings and effectively portray mass, inhumane killing in a bleak and depressing environment.

I intend to try and capture a level of morbidity of the reality of life for a lab animal in my paintings, but I am not sure how to do this. Perhaps monotone, grayscale, with just a hint of colour would be more effective than bright paintings.