Damien Hirst
- An English Artist. - A prominent member of the (YBA) Young British Artists. - DEATH is a central theme in his work.
I chose him because he does very ‘weird’ work. It sometimes shocks you that a person can be so ruthless and kill an innocent creature just in the name of art.
This particular piece “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” is somewhat bizarre.
This was a Tiger Shark. The shark was caught off Hervey Bay in Queensland, Australia by a fisherman commissioned to do so.
Hirst wanted something "big enough to eat you"
Louise Bourgeois
-A renowned French -American artist & sculptor - Nicknamed "Spider woman"
Though her work is abstract, they are suggestive of the human figure & express themselves of betrayal, anxiety & loneliness. Her work was wholly autobiographical, inspired by her childhood trauma of discovering that her English governess was her father's mistress.
"Maman" french for mother depicts a spider.
Louise Bourgeois said " The spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration & my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders have a friendly presence that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So spiders are helpful and protective like my mother"
I thought this was a very interesting object to remember her mother by but none the less interesting. I think the design of the spider is also so cool!
Ai WeiWei
- A Chinese contemporary artist active in Installation, sculpture & architecture.
- As a political activist, he has been highly & openly critical of the Chinese Govt. on human rights & democracy.
I am a great fan of his work. Everything that he makes has such a deep meaning.
" Sunflower Seeds" is not what you see, and what you see is not what it means.
These appear to be millions of sunflower seed husks.
But in reality each seed is made out of porcelain and hand painted to look like the seed.
Porcelain is one of China's prized exports. This combination of mass production & traditional craftsmanship invites us to look closely at the "Made in China" phenomenon.
WeiWei remembers the sharing of sunflower seeds as a gesture of human compassion, providing a space of pleasure, friendship during a time of extreme poverty, repression & uncertainty.
Yayoi Kusama
- A Japanese artist.
- Has an interest in psychedelic colours, repetition & Pattern
- From room sized installations to sculptures of pumpkin, dogs & flowers, she covered almost everything in brightly painted polka dots.
- Polka dots are her trademark.
"Ascension of Polka dots on Trees"
Kusama says " Polka Dots has the form of the sun- symbol of energy of the whole world & our living life and form of moon which is calm.
Round, soft, colourful,senseless & unknowing. Polka Dots become movement. Polka Dots are a way to infinity.
I love her style in every way possible. I love patterns and was obsessed with what she does. Just simple polka dots can look so pretty.
Robert Irwin
- An American installation artist.
- Lives and works in San Diego.
- Specialises in "Light & Space" installations.
"Light & Space II"
115 Fluorescent lights in the basement gallery mounted at right angles in a non-repeating, grid like formation. With no fixed focal point, the visual field resonates with geometric patterns, drawn by luminous lines which redefine the character of space.
I've never seen an installation made out of lights. I thought this was a very pretty one. I unfortunately never heard of this artist until i did this assignment.
