The line is where everything starts and ends
Line divide everything
<The Way Things Go> (1986-1987), film clips of a number of vernacular objects have been spliced together, including candles burning, wheels spinning, and balloons deflating, creating an absurd relationship between each object. “The unpleasant and pleasant should inexplicably overlap in a sort of beautiful, feverish madness, in the end imploding under an overwhelming number of interpretive possibilities,” Fischli said of creating art. <http://www.artnet.com/artists/peter-fischli-and-david-weiss/>
Reflection:
Objects of different forms are connected together in wonderful forms and drive the whole event, like dominoes. The intricate design of the two artists behind the less exquisite production also shows the artist's thinking about life and art. This makes me wonder whether to promote the development of new things with the sacrifice of a previous item as a price?
Posted on 29 September , 2020
Francis Alÿs in collaboration with Felipe SanabriaThe
Collector (Colector) Mexico City 1990–2
Private collection © Francis Alÿs Photo: Ian Dryden
Francis Alÿs
Paradox of Praxis I
Mexico City 1997
Private collection © Francis Alÿs Photo: Enrique Huerta
1990-2: Alÿs has maintained a studio in the Historical Centre of Mexico City since the early 1990s, and has made a series of works 'within walking distance' of this studio examining everyday life in the megalopolis, some of which are brought together here. The Collectors 1990–2 were magnetised 'dogs' which he walked around the city so that metallic detritus stuck to their surfaces.
1997: Paradox of Praxis I shows an absurd expenditure of effort, as Alÿs pushed a block of ice around the 'Centre' until it melted. The subtitle of the work is 'Sometimes Doing Something Leads to Nothing', an idea which speaks to the frustrated efforts of everyday Mexico City residents to improve their living conditions.<https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/francis-alys/francis-alys-story-deception-room-guide/francis-alys-0>
Reflection:
Among the two most famous works of him, 1997 was the first one I learned about him. He still continues his poetic expression, and the author's intention is obvious to a certain extent. But very cleverly, he said in his explanation: "you do not need to witness this action in order to imagine it," and that "you can immediately assimilate the narrative.Perhaps my goal has always been to strip down my scenarios to a few words only, so they can be liberated from the burden of documentation, of its physical weight." In the most obvious way, let anyone have something to say, I think this is his success. <http://www.artnet.com/artists/francis-al%C3%BFs/>
On the other hand, look at the two works in contrast. The same is that they are all based on the reflection of the current situation of the city. This shows the artist's concern about the living conditions of Mexican residents. These events come from life and go back to life through the artist.
The difference is that one is about collecting and the other is about disappearing. They shouldn't be compared. What's interesting is that the artist walks in the city with a magnetized dog. Although the incident has disappeared, people are still discussing the incident frantically. This brings up the topic of existence and disappearance. Ice cubes also left traces on the ground. It once existed. What are the traces? This point has a strong resonance with the ideas in my recent video work. I tried to capture the traces of clouds on paper, but in the end I got nothing.
This raises my question, that is, why do we do this and what is its significance? If one thing will be classified as nothingness, do we still insist on it?
（Tagged ：an act which functioned as performance art ， history of Minimalism， concerns about city life）
（Related artists： Richard Long ， Hamish Fulton）
Posted on 17 September , 2020
Posted before September
Francis Alÿs – The Green Line
Jerusalem 2004, 17:41min
In collaboration with Philippe Bellaiche, Rachel Leah Jones, and Julien Devaux.
"Sometimes doing something poetic can become political and sometimes doing something political can become poetic." <http://francisalys.com/the-green-line/ >
In the summer of 1995, Francis performed a walk with a leaking can of blue paint in the city of São Paulo.The walk was then read as a poetic gesture of sorts. Most importantly Alÿs wanted to ask what the role of poetic acts could be in highly charged political situations, while acknowledging that the relation of poetics to politics is always contingent.
Reflection： How do we define and divide things, is there an invisible line? How wide is that line?
In his work, a single walking action is used to awaken people's memories of the green line, forming a poetic picture. How to combine art and people to generate interaction, and then cause people to reflect is my recent research topic. The individual action and incompetence discussed in his work are also the parts that resonate with me. I will continue to explore the early works of Francis alys.
In his work, a single walking action is used to awaken people's memories of the green line, forming a poetic picture. How to combine art and people to generate interaction, and then cause people to reflect is my recent research topic. The individual action and incompetence discussed in his work are also the parts that resonate with me. I will continue to explore the early works of Francis alys.
Posted on August 20, 2020
South Bank Circle by Richard Long, Tate Liverpool 4,320×3,240
Richard Long explains, “you could say that my work is … a balance between the patterns of nature and formalism of human, abstract ideas of lines and circles. It is where my human characteristics meet the natural forces and patterns of the world, and that is really the kind of subject of my work.
"I guess I'm an opportunist, really. I go out into the world with an open mind, and I rely to a degree on intuition and chance.The idea of making art out of nothing, I've got a lot of time for that."--Richard Long
I was very inspired by his words "My art is the essence of my experience, not a representation of it."<https://www.theartstory.org/artist/long-richard/life-and-legacy/#:~:text=You%20could%20say%20that%20my,of%20subject%20of%20my%20work.>
Follow our own experience to find the essence of it, instead of using things to represent it. What's more, we can't escape our own limitations. Everything is based on the existence . Other things are just references or comparisons.
What I should admit is that my knowledge of philosophy is still on the surface. But in the recent framework class, I began to learn about dualism and the relationship between the body and the mind. Following this clue, I think I will learn more deeply.
What I should admit is that my knowledge of philosophy is still on the surface. But in the recent framework class, I began to learn about dualism and the relationship between the body and the mind. Following this clue, I think I will learn more deeply.
Posted on August 14, 2020
<The trembling of the diagonal>
Reflection: This is an article about visual experience that discusses the basic elements of visual perception. I analyzed this issue from the artist and the scientist separately. The article pointed out that visually, the brain's visual input needs to be processed by the nerves, and their experiments on cats led to cats' paralysis (which is obviously cruel). It turns out that Hubel and Wiesel wanted to study the cat's response to transparent shadows. Yes, when looking at the diagonal, even if it's just a fuzzy diagonal, the brain's interaction is much more complicated. Just like the artistic essence of abstractists Mondrian and Kazimir Malevich, "simplified immutable elements" and "simple energy". Regarding the colours of abstract expressionism, lines and brushstrokes are necessary components of painting.
Neault, M 2013, "The trembling of the diagonal", Art21 Magazine, January 17, watched on July 12, 2020, <https://magazine.art21.org/2013/01/17/the-teetering- of-the-diagonal/#. XuNK42oza3L>.
"A Line Made by Walking" is Richard Long's 1967 formative work. When Long walked into a piece of grass in Wiltshire, England, he shot and done the work. This artwork is called to his "best-know early piece" and is additionally considered an essential work of land art and conceptual art.
The process of the work stems from the fact that he appeared on a grass field between his home and school in Bristol, and then walked in a straight line repeatedly. He finally took it as a black and white photo.<https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/long-a-line-made-by-walking-p07149>
Reflection: This work was undoubtedly considered pioneering at the time, using hands as well as feet to create an innovative system. It is a form of performance on the surface. Still, it challenges the traditional sculpture, which reflects the artist's view and fascination with traces and trajectories as mapped history. They imply also indicates Long's future career and performance. The visual language of artistic practice, my concerns for this semester has also started.
Posted on August 12, 2020