view since May. There was some things I liked and others that I just had to scratch my head at and say, "This is shit." Ken Price's fired ceramic pieces were beautiful in their curvaceous, colorful aesthetic. Some of them, including Zigzag (1999) give the impression that they are going to slide ride off the pedestal, thus reinforcing the concept the curator offered of an ever shifting, metamorphic city and culture that Los Angeles is. They reminded me of Jean Arp's sculpture but even more amoeba-like. The single, constricted opening at the end of a protrusion acts as an eye, observing, investigating, and even sizing up its viewer. By adding extremely detailed painting on the surface, Price gives his pieces a look that seems viral, ready to infect and spread. Are these pieces benign or hostile?Monica Majoli's watercolor and gouache paintings also captured my attention. Her figural works deal with a subculture that is very real. All her figures are of isolated, anonymous men either involved in an overtly sexual act or bound. Her Rubbermen Series captures the fetish world of sadism/masochism/bondage/domination (SMBD). By removing all details of identification, 
these figures are no longer individuals. They are objects to be gawked at, looked at in awe. Their masculinity is reinforced in their display of erect penises and the full figures are phallic as well. The Rubbermen are controlled by an unseen figure, the artist, and the viewer alike. Majoli expertly applies the paint in layers of washes to give visual depth to the figures. Her control of the medium allows for subtle changes in value and thus controls the outcome of the figure. The viewer manipulates each figure in his imagination, creating his own story of the act these men are engaged in.
these figures are no longer individuals. They are objects to be gawked at, looked at in awe. Their masculinity is reinforced in their display of erect penises and the full figures are phallic as well. The Rubbermen are controlled by an unseen figure, the artist, and the viewer alike. Majoli expertly applies the paint in layers of washes to give visual depth to the figures. Her control of the medium allows for subtle changes in value and thus controls the outcome of the figure. The viewer manipulates each figure in his imagination, creating his own story of the act these men are engaged in.The work I was most impressed by though, was not part of the Eden's Edge exhibit, but ,+2002.jpg)
Raymond Pettibon's work in the Hammer Contemporary Collection, Part II exhibit. At first I associated his ink on paper drawings with that of Pop Art because of the structure that they take on. His comic-like pieces are not humorous, but rather provocative and jarring. Often containing social commentary that is narrative, the drawings came off as sarcastic and cynical. This was my first exposure to his work and it definitely won't be my last!
,+2002.jpg)
Raymond Pettibon's work in the Hammer Contemporary Collection, Part II exhibit. At first I associated his ink on paper drawings with that of Pop Art because of the structure that they take on. His comic-like pieces are not humorous, but rather provocative and jarring. Often containing social commentary that is narrative, the drawings came off as sarcastic and cynical. This was my first exposure to his work and it definitely won't be my last!
2 comments:
BDSM, bb, BDSM. Great post. You manage to step outside of the artwork as a whole and look at the exhibit's curatorial format in ways I am unable to. Raymond Pettibon is one of my favorite artists. I think he just has a way of having these clever conversations with viewers that jar you just a touch...almost like a little nudge or shove by a sarcastic, curmudgeonly and intelligent friend. Monica Majoli was brought to my attention a while back when I made some work based in BDSM culture (bed of nails for a bus stop, etc.)...I appreciate the forms in her work...the way she conveys the ever-shifting power plays in BDSM via a shifting, uncontrollable media like watercolor. I also appreciate a woman who is able to take BDSM outside of its arena and portray it no longer as an activity, but as art object. So many have tried what she does, and so few manage to do it in a way that separates the original activity from the imagery and transforms it into action relating to the work and the act of viewing. I am never sure if I make sense when I talk about art. Ugh.
I must say, the ceramic piece you've posted is just bizarre...I keep staring at that little hole in it, waiting for something to spurt out. Very disturbing, indeed.
Post a Comment