The art activity for this week is taking a photo of myself as a "corpse" to image how you want to die. At first, I didn't have no sympathy or pleasant in doing this activity since I consider death is a serious matter. However, after a while learning more information about this type of art, I change my mind as it is not what I imagined. In fact, the photos appeared more like an elaborate performance art. The photographs literally take us as viewers closer to the scene of the death. Japanese photographer, Izima Kaoru, are the one who first began this kind of photography in 1995. He combines the subject of death and fashion in a hauntingly beautiful manner. Here are some of my favorite ones in this collections: Looking at these photos makes me rethink about death: we should not avoid death because we are scared of it as a taboo but take it as something more peaceful and beautiful or a matter that everyone will experience at some point in life. To whom you first heard about the phrase "corpse", it can be thought to be a tragic or something disgusting or to feel sorry for; however, the spirit of the body is most likely already free from the physical pain and is free and in peace.
I started to take myself in the shoes of these models as I would be the "corpse". It was an interesting experience when you build up the scene where you will die. I acted like I died because of falling down the stairs. I asked my mother to help me take the photos, and these are the results:
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Ai Weiwei was born in Beijing, China in 1957. He is is a Chinese Contemporary artist and activist. As an activist, he calls attention to human rights violations on an epic scale; as an artist, he expands the definition of art to include new forms of social engagement. His artistic education started in 1978, when he enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. Then, from 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States and studied English at the University of Pennsylvania and Berkeley. Later, he moved to New York City where he studied briefly at Parsons School of Design. Ai attended the Art Students League of New York from 1983 to 1986. In 1993, Ai returned to China after his father became ill. At there, he realized that "China and the U.S. are two societies with very different attitudes towards opinion and criticism." That is why he started to be an activist and an artist who actually put his life on the line to defend freedom of expression. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and an unresponsive legal system, Ai expresses himself and organizes people through art and social media. In response, Chinese authorities arrested him in April 2011 and held incommunicado for three months. Upon his release, he was prohibited from traveling abroad, engaging in public speech, and was subjected to continued government surveillance. Moreover, they also have shut down his blog, beat him up, and bulldozed his newly built studio. He infuses his sculptures, photographs, and public artworks with political conviction and personal poetry, often making use of recognizable and historic Chinese art forms in critical examinations of a host of contemporary Chinese political and social issues. For example, one of his most famous artworks is Sunflower Seeds which includes over 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds that cover a 1,000 square meter floor with a depth of 10cm in the Tate Modern's Turbine Hall. The entire artwork weighs around 150 tons. Each seed went through a 30 step procedure, hand painted and fired at 1,300 degrees. This process required more than 1,600 workers over a span of two and a half years. About the meaning of this work, he states that sunflower seeds were a common theme in the Chinese Communist Party's political propaganda during Weiwei's childhood. Leader Mao Zedong would often represent himself as the sun, and the people of China as seeds on sunflowers in artworks. Weiwei also explains that when he was growing up, even the poorest families in China could share the seeds as a treat. The seeds represent optimism during difficult times. However, the Sunflower Seeds is not my favorite one. When I look for his artworks, the one that stood out and caught my attention at first sight is the Colored Vase. Here are the photos of this collection: In this series which began in the mid-1990s, Ai Weiwei takes Neolithic and Han dynasty ceramics and coats them in brightly colored industrial paint, often allowing small areas to remain uncovered so that they act as windows to the historic artefact sitting below. In these fascinating works, Chinese historical artefacts are placed in direct conflict with components of enveloping modernism, causing one’s thoughts to move swiftly to the effects of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the difficult relationship China still holds with its past today. Since this series seem to reflect the connection between cultural art and the modern one, I like the message it brings. I'm an Asian; therefore, when looking at these vases, it reminds me of my culture since making vase is one of the most famous Asian handicraft. Moreover, I'm also impressed by the way he mixed the colors as it is totally in tune with each other. Because of its beauty, it was sold for $735,296 at Sotheby’s London in 2014.
In brief, Ai is a talent artist and a brave activities. His artworks are beautiful through their outlooking but also in the meaning they give. To be honest, he was true about the politics in China; however, this issue not only happens in China but also in most of Asian countries where the system of politicians all follow communism. I admire him of his braveness since he was dare to speak out and fight for freedom of citizens and observing the law. Maybe, in order to help a country develop, it needs some people like him who never conceal ugly deeds but fight to change them. |