Yuken Teruya

Yuken Teruya is another artist who I feel my work relates to.

"Yuken Teruya manipulates everyday objects, transforming their meanings to reflect on contemporary society and culture. Cutting trees out of paper bags and cardboard toilet paper rolls, he creates meticulous and intricate art works, small and enchanting worlds, which relate to broader concerns. In each bag and roll, the shape of a tree is created without adding or removing anything, just by cutting out and folding the paper from the bag itself. Teruya’s works explore issues such as the growing consumerism of contemporary society, depleting natural resources and other problems associated with globalism, including the threat it poses to localized cultural traditions and identities. " -Yuken Teruya homepage

His works are pretty damn stunning. He made a forest out of the toilet paper roll trees by placing them on rods of different lengths attached to the walls! It's awesome, but what I'm also really relating to is the photographical element to his sculptural practise. I think the photographic documentation of most of my works this year has really added to the impact of the objects, and I'm working on displaying both photograph and object together for my end of year show.

Nele Azevedo

Brazillian Artist Nele Azevedo has been making little ice men since 2005. Xtiaan told me about this about a month ago, and but couldn't remember the name of the artist.
The above photos came from an installtion in Berlin Square, and were used to highlight climate change. Interestingly, Azevedo had no initial interest in the environmental side of the work. When asked in an interview on greenmuze.com if she was a climate change activist she replied,

"No. I'm an artist, master of visual arts from the University of Sao Paulo (UNESP). This work was conceived as a critical view of the official historical monuments. As the reading and interpretation of an art piece is open, I'm glad it can also speak of urgent matters that threaten our existence on this planet."

Well that's interesting, I know what that's like. I know that I'm creating work that speaks to global environmental issues, but I'm an artist first and formost....

Greenmuze.com is a pretty sweet site though, and will be duely added to the links bar.

Waikato National Youth Award 2009

Went to Hamilton for the National Youth Awards last night, I was one of 42 finalists. There was a wide range of entries, in lots of different media, which was nice to see. There was a good selection of artists from the earliest begginnings at the youngest age (15), right through to the established ones who were closer to the cut off age (27).

I was really pleased my One Bad Apple was right by the entrance, and will be viewed even when the gallery is closed. Having perused the other entries, I'd made up my mind that Ben Pearce's
Great Grandfather Clock was the clearly the overall winner. But it was nice to hear people saying that it was between my piece and his. Excitement in the first ten minutes, my print SOLD! was the first to get a red sticker. Joy!

Award speeches were short and sweet, I picked the winner, and rightly so, but was chuffed to get the best 2D prize. :)

The 'robot band' The Trons was quite impressive, and provided nice aural wallpaper. Also managed to nip down to the opening of Lizzy's gallery , Aesthete, to catch up with her.

Been down the markets this morning with 3rd year crew, we made about $500 towards our end of year show, so that was pretty damn sweet :D A good start to the weekend.

Videos

Placing my art in contemporary/art historical context:
A friend of mine, Em, suggested I look up Sam Taylor Wood after seeing my apple print. She hasn't seen the video yet, but these videos, and the text by Ossian Ward are really awesomely relevant to my work. Especially my Opposite of Green Video which I'm working on for pattillo.

"Two earlier films, Still Life of 2001 and A Little Death of 2002, similarly employ the distortion of time – except by speeding it up rather than by stopping it – in order to reveal the extant drama in the banality of the everyday. They also draw on the history of art, specifically from still life painting, long considered the lowliest and most insignificant among subjects for art. The camera records the rotting and putrefaction of, in the first instance, an arrangement of fruit in a bowl, and in the second, a freshly hung hare, both table settings commonly depicted in traditional still life painting. While the 17th-century Dutch or Spanish still life painters captured a peach at its moment of perfect ripeness or a flower in full bloom, Taylor-Wood’s films brings this ordinary genre of foodstuff to life, albeit through the very process of its degeneration. In a further irony, the whole image is magically renewed once the video loops back to the beginning, enacting an “eternal return”, as Nietzsche would have it, denying “Time’s thievish progress to eternity” as Shakespeare would have preferred it." - Ossian Ward, White Cube - Sam Taylor Wood

Got into the Waikato Youth Art Awards Finals :) Now to get the work to Hamilton, it might be too long to courier... Sadface.

Intersect Young New Zealand Artist 2009

Waiora

The launch of my New Zealand Pure art work is this Friday. I'm anxious, I have to give a speech.
Had a critique today. Everyone loved my Venus for the 21st Century lionel suggested making sure I can quote off the top of my head artists that have been influencial.
I'm gonna have to do a lot of printing etc in the holidays. I'm just too tired to do it now. I also printed out my portfolio for Friday, and wrote my statement etc.
Got my application for the Waikato Youth Art Awards sent off, and they recieved it in time which was also good. Just waiting to hear if I got in or not now, although am a little worried as the A4 format required for judging does not really do a 22x150cm print any justice at all, and cutting it in half is kind of distracting, sadly.
Had a serious migraine Monday/Tuesday, that is lingering today, hoping I'll be sweet for Friday.
Not much else to say, no time for research this week.