Industrialisation and Cao Feis RMB City

1. What and when was the industrial Revolution?

It was the period from 18^th to the 19^th centruey where major change in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportations, and technology had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions of the time. It marks a major turning point in human history and also bought huge consequences to society where factory owners had to use children and women to run the machines.

2. Research both Modernist paintings in order to comment on the subject matter, form and style used to celebrate the machine and motion in each painting. Answer the question in 2 parts for each painting.

Umberto Boccionis 'The City Rises' (1910)

Boccionis ‘The City Rises’ shows speed and movement. It feels like he is trying to capture the indivisible flux of life through his drawings. The buildings in the backgrouns can be seen but as it gets closer to the middle focusing on “horses and men” it gets more futuristic.

Giacomo Bailias ‘Dynamisn of a Dog on a Leash’ (1912)

‘Dynamisn of a Dog on a Leash’ conveys a sense of speed and urgency that puts his paintings in a line with Futurism’s fascination and with the energy of modern life. The image almost shows a frame-to-frame woman walking a dog on a boulevard. 

3. Research Cao Fei's RMB City (2007-9)  in order to comment on this work in more depth.
i.e what images has she used in her digital collage that refer to China's present and history, and why has she used these.

RMB City shows a preserve view of Beijing – a blend of communism, socialism, and capitalism. Like Beijing it is always under construction. Candy-striped smoke stacks suggest continuous industrial production. Missiles make unremitting pre-emptive strikes, and ships more goods swiftly in and out of port. A giant cart, tilled with skyscrapers and religious monuments, floats and nearby.

Feis work responds to Chinas rapid urbanization and pace of social and economic development. She depicts states of transformation within a youth culture heavily influenced within manga and played out against an ever-expanding cityscape.  

4. RMB City is described as a utopia/dystopia. Comment on what these terms mean, and how they can be applied to the work.

Utopia is where people dress as manga and movie characters and play out fantasy lives. Then there is dystopia where it is a society characterized by human misery. I think that RMB City is exactly like Utopia; it is a world where people can dress up as different characters and live a fantasy life.

5. Although the Modernist paintings and the contemporary digital work have emerged from different contexts, there are also many similarities. Comment on the similarities that you can see in the work.

Although ‘The City Rises’ and ‘Dynamism on a Leash’ are very different pieces and use different mediums there are many similarities.  They both show a similarity in movement and motion. They are all also very eye captivating in how she has used all the different mediums.

www.artspace.org.nz/exhibitons/2009/caoleiutopia.asp
www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/dystopia
www.artchive.com/artchive/B/balla/html

Science and Reason-Video Art by Pipilotti Rist.

1. Define the 17th century 'Scientific Revolution', and say how it changed European thought and world view.


17th century 'Scientific Revolution' is a series of changes in structure of European thought itself: systematic doubt, empirical and sensory verification, the abstraction of human knowledge into seperate functions like a machine. It is the period when new ideas in physics, astronomy, biology, human anatomy, chemistry and other sciences led to a rejection of doctries. 


2. Give examples of how we can we still see evidence of the 'Scientific Revolution' in the world today.


Everything we use these days is with technology and the way we live today is revolved around computers. It helps Artists try new things they have never been able to try. Our generation is very lazy and technology makes things easier and faster for humans. 

3. From your research, do you think that the contemporary art world values art work that uses new media/technology over traditional media?

I think it can be seen in many ways and people have different opinions but my opinion on this is that we dont try and value contemporary work over traditional media it is just that there are many ways that new media/technology can be shown. Technology  is a massive park of our lives and I think our generation finds it more interesting and eye catching. 

4. How has Pipilotti Rist used new media/technology to enhance the audience's experience of her work.

Rist has used two different films along side of each other that totally does not relate to each other but she has made them link. They are also interactive with the audience and when looking at these you need to take time to think about what she is showing. She also uses sounds to help the audience understand the concept and helps relate both films to each other. 

5. Comment on how the installation, sound and scale of 'Ever is Over All' (1997) could impact on the audience's experience of the work.

The installation is almost life size and could feel very real while watching this. You could almost feel like you are walking along with this women on the walkway. The colour of the installation captures your attention and stands out in the dark space. The sounds are very soft and relaxing but when something smashes and breaks the volume increases and brings the audiences attention closer. 

6. Comment on the notion of 'reason' within the content of the video. Is the woman's behaviour reasonable or unreasonable?

I feel her behaviour at first was unreasonable but then as the film went on i understood her feeling of wanting to get all your anger out and felt it was reasonable. The sign from the police officer and everyone walkign around made things look normal. 

7. Comment on your 'reading' (understanding) of the work by discussion the aesthetic (look), experience and the ideologies (ideas, theories) of the work.

I feel in this installation it shows a feminist statement with the female police officer. Also, with the parked car she is showing the male domination and how we try and be stronger than men. With the soft voices it almost makes it feel like a dream but still overpowering when she smashes the car. 

www.hausenwirth.com/artists/25/pipilotti/rist/images-clips/81