Louise Bourgeois: Blood
The artwork; ‘The destruction of Father’ is an installation piece which conveys a physical manifestation of a psychological trauma. A trauma which is fuelled by the infidelity of her father and its effect upon her family. Therefore the form of the studio becomes a movement, a wave of emotion as it leans away, alluding to the sense of separation within her family. The word which immediately triggers this form is the recurring motif of blood within her works which she associates with pain, and is also revealed through the chaotic and jumbled placement of triangulating structures which are jagged and sharp in appearance to create a space that is a manifestation of her own chaotic trauma she presents through her work. The idea of blood creates a sense of identity and fluidity which is suggested in the upper studio’s form, and the interesting dialogue between the internal and external space is seen through the gaps in the structure which allow the audience to look into/outside and feel a sense of insecurity and uncertainty by a lack of refuge.
I tried to heavily relate my stairs to the form of the studio in an attempt to keep the same motif relevant throughout the entire space. The stairs belong to the idea of blood as a fluid and cascading form which is in constant motion. Hence the waterfall like composition of stairs connects the idea of 'Louise Bourgeois' studio as a place of blood, gore and psychological trauma as evident through the work 'Destruction of the Father' to the studio space below.
Ai Wei Wei: Marching
Contrastingly, the political allusions to Ai Wei Wei's work 'Sunflower seeds' echoes the memories of marching footsteps as one steps over the installation. The idea of movement and warfare are constantly recalled within the work and that is why I used the word: 'marching'. Step #3 is sharp, regimented and strict in its form as it travels down to Ai Wei Wei's studio. It is the downward motion which forces audiences to 'march' down to the bottom and experience an environment which is chaotic and loud; much like warfare.
The space is also plays upon the psychological hoax upon those who enter, as they expect to enter a space which is vast, and bulbous, but instead taken on a journey of small intimate walk ways which ultimately lead to the open space of the artist.
The studio most importantly juxtaposes the sharp and the smooth. It’s elongated sides enforce a movement which resembles marching as the inhabitants to walk down the suspenseful and unknown space below ground.
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