Ephemera
Politics
Found Object
50.8 cm x 25.4 cm x 33.0 cm
November 2016
50.8 cm x 25.4 cm x 33.0 cm
November 2016
Exhibition Text
Politics is a reactionary ephemeral piece utilizing water and food dyes to depict the United States of America, a nation claiming to be indivisible being divided by identities and ideologies. Inspired by Cai Guo-Qiang's Elegy, the mixing dyes in the water tell the story of recent conflict brought on by people showing their true colors.
Politics is a reactionary ephemeral piece utilizing water and food dyes to depict the United States of America, a nation claiming to be indivisible being divided by identities and ideologies. Inspired by Cai Guo-Qiang's Elegy, the mixing dyes in the water tell the story of recent conflict brought on by people showing their true colors.
Planning
Inspiration
Politics was inspired by Elegy: Explosion Event for the opening of Cai Guo-Qiang: The Ninth Wave, realized on the riverfront of the Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China, 5:00 p.m., August 8th, 2014, approximately 8 minutes. I also drew inspiration from conflicts emerging in the United States, including but not limited to, sexism, racism, and the oppression of the LGBTQA+ community. From Cai Guo-Qiang's colorful explosions, I had the idea to create something similar. His use of color to tell the story of nature enduring China's worsening pollution inspired me to try and communicate the current situation of America through symbolic colors and movement. I enjoyed looking at the images created by the smoke and knew I wanted to tell a story like Guo-Qiang did, but also let the subject of the art flow freely allowing for people to interpret the message in more than just one way. |
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Critical Investigation
Cai Guo-Qiang is a New York based contemporary artist from China who is well know for his "explosion events," in which he creates a piece of art from fireworks which will only last a short period of time. His spectacles often utilize gunpowder and some sort of harmless dye (like food coloring) in an organized and well executed manner to allude to another idea. His explosion events are often metaphorical and symbolic of nature, culture, life, and death. The appearance of the fireworks also reflect the artist and his culture by alluding to classical brush painting. The mix of new and old art "signifies his [Guo-Qiang] deep traditionalism and his modernism all at once." (Public Delivery)
Elegy was the Explosion Event for the Opening of Cai Guo-Qiang: The Ninth Wave which was a ship laid with ninety-nine fabricated animals which appear to be sick and abused. It was inspired by Ivan Aivazovsky’s 1850 painting depicting survivors of a shipwreck holding on to their lives. The animals are intended to express nature's helplessness in the face of mankind’s unforgiving forces. Elegy preceded the opening of this piece and served as somewhat of a metaphorical buffer. The smoke from the explosions "projects an image of nature in decline" in three stages--Elegy, Remembrance, and Consolation. (Studio Blog)
Explanation of Elegy
Cai Guo-Qiang is a New York based contemporary artist from China who is well know for his "explosion events," in which he creates a piece of art from fireworks which will only last a short period of time. His spectacles often utilize gunpowder and some sort of harmless dye (like food coloring) in an organized and well executed manner to allude to another idea. His explosion events are often metaphorical and symbolic of nature, culture, life, and death. The appearance of the fireworks also reflect the artist and his culture by alluding to classical brush painting. The mix of new and old art "signifies his [Guo-Qiang] deep traditionalism and his modernism all at once." (Public Delivery)
Elegy was the Explosion Event for the Opening of Cai Guo-Qiang: The Ninth Wave which was a ship laid with ninety-nine fabricated animals which appear to be sick and abused. It was inspired by Ivan Aivazovsky’s 1850 painting depicting survivors of a shipwreck holding on to their lives. The animals are intended to express nature's helplessness in the face of mankind’s unforgiving forces. Elegy preceded the opening of this piece and served as somewhat of a metaphorical buffer. The smoke from the explosions "projects an image of nature in decline" in three stages--Elegy, Remembrance, and Consolation. (Studio Blog)
Explanation of Elegy
- Chapter One: Elegy
- "opened with dramatic black and white smoke mines and cascade effects. Reminiscent of a funerary parade, black smoke “crows” with flapping wings represent the joys and sorrows in life. The scene then ended with green smoke, or “grass and weeds,” resembling an exhale, or a mournful sigh."
- Chapter Two: Remembrance
- "colored smoke effects splashed across the sky, as though nostalgically recalling past events and friendships throughout the years."
- Chapter Three: Consolation
- "brought warmth to the living; short, powerful spurts of aerials shells formed colored and white chrysanthemums in the sky, gaining speed for the finale. Yellow willows filled the horizon slowly, drawing the explosion event to a close."
Planning Sketches
The three sketches below are the evolution of my ideas more or less. One of the imortant aspects of planning is finding an idea to communicate and figuring out how to communicate it. Click on an image to enlarge it and read more specific details.
The three sketches below are the evolution of my ideas more or less. One of the imortant aspects of planning is finding an idea to communicate and figuring out how to communicate it. Click on an image to enlarge it and read more specific details.
Experimentation
This is the experiment from the third sketch. I had an idea to put the ice in a bag so I could pop it underwater causing dye to flow out, but it didn't work. There was nothing forcing the dye out of the bag. This is when I tried putting the ice cubes in the water. I thought this would be more successful, but the dye must have been more dense than the water because it seemed to only travel downwards. The dye also wasn't concentrated enough to be visible at first glance.
The last two pictures were testing camera angle and how the dyed water should be poured. It seemed like a better idea to test location and height before soiling the clear water. I found that the best place to take photos from was sitting on the ground looking up at the rippling of the water. The best way to pour the water was slightly off to the side from the center so the dyes would colide in the middle. A distance of about one to two feet is necessary for the pouring to make a deep enough impact in the tank.
This is the experiment from the third sketch. I had an idea to put the ice in a bag so I could pop it underwater causing dye to flow out, but it didn't work. There was nothing forcing the dye out of the bag. This is when I tried putting the ice cubes in the water. I thought this would be more successful, but the dye must have been more dense than the water because it seemed to only travel downwards. The dye also wasn't concentrated enough to be visible at first glance.
The last two pictures were testing camera angle and how the dyed water should be poured. It seemed like a better idea to test location and height before soiling the clear water. I found that the best place to take photos from was sitting on the ground looking up at the rippling of the water. The best way to pour the water was slightly off to the side from the center so the dyes would colide in the middle. A distance of about one to two feet is necessary for the pouring to make a deep enough impact in the tank.
Process
Click on the photos to read more about that step.
Steps:
- Back a tank with a solid color to eliminate a noisy background.
- Place the tank on a table so photos can be taken from below.
- Fill the tank with water leaving enough room to add about another gallon or two of water.
- Use a large sheet of poster board or a wall to minimize reflections off the tank.
- Volunteers are needed to pour the dye into the tank as images are being captured.
Evaluation
My Work:
Politics was successful in communicating a story divided America. The use of widely known symbols steers people to thing about politics and stances on issues. The timing of the piece also allows people to understand the why there is conflict and what it's about. The connection to the artist is also relevant when looking at symbolism. Cai Guo-Qiang used colors as a metaphorical vessel for the meaning of his piece. The colors invoke emotion and certain feelings, as do the colors in Politics. |
"This Massive 8 Minutes Explosive Performance Made Concerned Citizens Call the Police." Public Delivery. N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.
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Elegy by Cai Guo-Qiang
Elegy in its entirety (all three chapters) was successful in communicating the theme of nature in decline. The three chapters together tell the story of nature being destroyed, remembered, and replaced. The color choices influenced viewers to feel how that artist wanted them to. For example, The black smoke and fire rising in chapter one was intended to elicit emotions of sadness from the sight of death and destruction. |
Reflection
Eventually, I was successful at communicating the idea of a divided nation, although it took tampering. Finding a unique way to combine the two colors sending them into a swirling battle proved to be difficult. I attempted slow release, ice, and pouring. The first two methods absolutly failed, but I think that was only because I didn't concentrate the colors enough. It was too light to see. Once that problem was solved, the only other issue was with the reflection from the glass. I couldn't seem to get around it and it somewhat showed on the photos. I responded by cropping the bottom portion of all the photos becase that was where the camera was visible.
Another success was in producing meaning. I feel as if the symbols alone were enough to make the viewer thing of politics, opposition, and/or division. Blue and red have a long history of being opposites, whether it is in battle or politics. With the U.S. presidential election just passing, people will be familiar with the colors and have things or feelings they associate with them. I think the swirling and clashing of the colors could remind the viewer of recent conflicts, both in and out of the United States.
Calling attention to issues is also what Cai Guo-Qiang does with his "explosion events." His use of color as symbolism and his attitude toward current issues is what lead me to my idea. The relevant issue in the United States, where I live, is the ever going battle between blue and red, black and white, man and woman, etc. The two colors I chose classify people and idea making people aware of their differences from one another. Guo-Qiang chose colors that appealed to his issue, such as the smoky grey plumes of Elegy. Like Guo-Qiang, I was trying to elicit a strong emotional response and opinions from the viewer and make them aware of the issue at hand.
Another success was in producing meaning. I feel as if the symbols alone were enough to make the viewer thing of politics, opposition, and/or division. Blue and red have a long history of being opposites, whether it is in battle or politics. With the U.S. presidential election just passing, people will be familiar with the colors and have things or feelings they associate with them. I think the swirling and clashing of the colors could remind the viewer of recent conflicts, both in and out of the United States.
Calling attention to issues is also what Cai Guo-Qiang does with his "explosion events." His use of color as symbolism and his attitude toward current issues is what lead me to my idea. The relevant issue in the United States, where I live, is the ever going battle between blue and red, black and white, man and woman, etc. The two colors I chose classify people and idea making people aware of their differences from one another. Guo-Qiang chose colors that appealed to his issue, such as the smoky grey plumes of Elegy. Like Guo-Qiang, I was trying to elicit a strong emotional response and opinions from the viewer and make them aware of the issue at hand.
ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
Cai Guo-Qiang's artwork used color both symbolically and metaphorically to bring people's attention to an issue which lead to my piece concerning the separation of people, using color to represent them as a group.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The authors of my sources feel that Guo-Qiang's work is making an impact by bringing attention to pressing issues. By blowing them out of proportion, he is showing the community that something has to be done.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I discovered that people are not aware of an issue until it is right in front of them. Guo-Qiang is making an effort to show people that they are hurting nature by putting on large spectacles such as explosion events.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my research was understanding the context and culture in which heads were turned away from the obvious decline in nature.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The conclusion I came to while reading was that culture sometimes defines the symbols you understand an the colors that you associate with idea or feelings.
Cai Guo-Qiang's artwork used color both symbolically and metaphorically to bring people's attention to an issue which lead to my piece concerning the separation of people, using color to represent them as a group.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The authors of my sources feel that Guo-Qiang's work is making an impact by bringing attention to pressing issues. By blowing them out of proportion, he is showing the community that something has to be done.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I discovered that people are not aware of an issue until it is right in front of them. Guo-Qiang is making an effort to show people that they are hurting nature by putting on large spectacles such as explosion events.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my research was understanding the context and culture in which heads were turned away from the obvious decline in nature.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The conclusion I came to while reading was that culture sometimes defines the symbols you understand an the colors that you associate with idea or feelings.
Bibliography
"Elegy: Explosion Event for the Opening of Cai Guo-Qiang: The Ninth Wave." Cai Guo-Qiang Studio Blog. N.p., 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.
"Elegy: Explosion Event for the Opening of Cai Guo-Qiang: The Ninth Wave | Cai Guo-Qiang." Elegy: Explosion Event for the Opening of Cai Guo-Qiang: The Ninth Wave | Cai Guo-Qiang. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.
"This Massive 8 Minutes Explosive Performance Made Concerned Citizens Call the Police." Public Delivery. N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.
"Elegy: Explosion Event for the Opening of Cai Guo-Qiang: The Ninth Wave | Cai Guo-Qiang." Elegy: Explosion Event for the Opening of Cai Guo-Qiang: The Ninth Wave | Cai Guo-Qiang. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.
"This Massive 8 Minutes Explosive Performance Made Concerned Citizens Call the Police." Public Delivery. N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.