Idea one - 'Red'.
A theatre script which explores the cultural phenomenon of rape culture, and how it affects our day to day society. One of the most striking elements of the piece is the use of vibrant red. Red, culturally, had many complex connotations; It can be a symbol of lust and desire, but additionally be a symbol of chaos and danger. The juxtaposition of such symbolism reminds me of the representation of women, in particular how through a patriarchal lens women can be perceived as both desired sexually, but considered dangerous.
I think the comedy element which Coral herself explained could definitely contribute to the development of this idea. I would love to explore the idea of stereotypes and subversion of gender roles through a comedic lens.
Additionally, thinking in terms of how I would engage with this project practically, I think it would be interesting to collborate though a process of devised Theatre rather then strictly a script that I would write. Collating different interpretations of such a wide topic is extremely important in order to add authenticity, which in my opinion, resonates completely with Disobedient Objects, where a lot of the art is made from personal, primary experiences, not responses to wider circles - A lot of it is made on a personal level.
Idea two - 'Samson'.
For my second idea I considered the semantics of the piece, in addition to the composition. Considering the art is made in response to University cuts, I thought a lot about how that particular word can be interpreted. It triggered me to think about potential lovers who have to ''cut'' off from each other, and upon researching, I discovered the story of Samson and Delilah. The visual of Samson's imagery in the bible is extremely intriguing, and I would love to explore the potentiality of a costume for a 'fictional version' of Samson.
Saturday, 31 January 2015
Friday, 30 January 2015
Interview with Coral Stoakes
On reflection of finding the 2011 ''I Wish My Boyfriend'' piece, it made me think a lot about social identity and representation within art. Being a female university student from a low class background, immediately I gravitated towards this piece. It lead me to think about Coral's own intentions with what she was was aiming to portray.
I was lucky enough to be able to contact Coral Stokes via email and interview her regarding her social identity and how it relates to the art she was making. Through this research, I extended my knowledge of how the inception of the idea came about, the process of building this object, and the ideology behind the V&A's exhibition more thoroughly.
Q) What is the relationship between you, the maker, and the subject of your
art?
A) 1) The subject of my art is twofold, it is a double barrelled gun at
authority and the status quo. It addresses firstly the tripling of student
fees and the austerity economics of the coalition. I detest neo-liberalism
and the influence of Hayek on our lives. Secondly, it raises the issue that
women today are being presented by the media, advertising, the pornography
industry and others as passive to the point of perversion, objects rather
than people. It was loudly saying women can fuck too, not just be fucked
without using language that could offend and distance people. Children
don't understand the joke.
If you dress the truth up in humour it makes it easier for others to engage
with, it starts conversations that may not have been started. The chuckle
after they read it is participation in a dialogue. The truth - that these
policies will devastate the opportunities available for generations to come
and multi-media representations of women are damaging human interactions -
is difficult to admit, but most ordinary people can laugh at a joke which
puts them at ease to ask a question. The subjects - fees and feminism -
were and are very personal to me, I was and am a female student.
Q) Who, in your opinion, was the art made for?
A) I made the art for myself - to satisfy a need to oppose what I viewed as
terrible policies but I also made the art for others, the students who were
going to be directly hindered by the proposed fee hikes, the generations to
come who will either never aspire to further learning or will be locked in
shackles of debt and punished for their hard work. I made it for ordinary
people to engage with, it contains a joke which I hoped would connect with
people and get people to question the nature of the government's policies.
It is made of simple materials - cardboard, old pallet wood from a skip,
staples, and paint - which I hoped would make it accessible because it is
easy for people to make their own, suggesting that they should.
Did you social identity affect the way you made it?
A) My social identity affected the way I made it in terms of the materials
I had access to. I was an undergraduate student at the time and the placard
is made from a cardboard box given to me by the local co-op, wood I found
discarded in a skip, staples and cheap children's poster paint. If I had
the choice to make it again I would do it exactly the same as it brings the
message into clearer focus and the speed with which it was made serves as a
warning that I, and others, can organise and move quickly to oppose bad
government policies. I chose the colours as I wanted the message to stand
out in stark contrast to the background and the red seemed appropriate for
a warning sign.
I was lucky enough to be able to contact Coral Stokes via email and interview her regarding her social identity and how it relates to the art she was making. Through this research, I extended my knowledge of how the inception of the idea came about, the process of building this object, and the ideology behind the V&A's exhibition more thoroughly.
Q) What is the relationship between you, the maker, and the subject of your
art?
A) 1) The subject of my art is twofold, it is a double barrelled gun at
authority and the status quo. It addresses firstly the tripling of student
fees and the austerity economics of the coalition. I detest neo-liberalism
and the influence of Hayek on our lives. Secondly, it raises the issue that
women today are being presented by the media, advertising, the pornography
industry and others as passive to the point of perversion, objects rather
than people. It was loudly saying women can fuck too, not just be fucked
without using language that could offend and distance people. Children
don't understand the joke.
If you dress the truth up in humour it makes it easier for others to engage
with, it starts conversations that may not have been started. The chuckle
after they read it is participation in a dialogue. The truth - that these
policies will devastate the opportunities available for generations to come
and multi-media representations of women are damaging human interactions -
is difficult to admit, but most ordinary people can laugh at a joke which
puts them at ease to ask a question. The subjects - fees and feminism -
were and are very personal to me, I was and am a female student.
Q) Who, in your opinion, was the art made for?
A) I made the art for myself - to satisfy a need to oppose what I viewed as
terrible policies but I also made the art for others, the students who were
going to be directly hindered by the proposed fee hikes, the generations to
come who will either never aspire to further learning or will be locked in
shackles of debt and punished for their hard work. I made it for ordinary
people to engage with, it contains a joke which I hoped would connect with
people and get people to question the nature of the government's policies.
It is made of simple materials - cardboard, old pallet wood from a skip,
staples, and paint - which I hoped would make it accessible because it is
easy for people to make their own, suggesting that they should.
Did you social identity affect the way you made it?
A) My social identity affected the way I made it in terms of the materials
I had access to. I was an undergraduate student at the time and the placard
is made from a cardboard box given to me by the local co-op, wood I found
discarded in a skip, staples and cheap children's poster paint. If I had
the choice to make it again I would do it exactly the same as it brings the
message into clearer focus and the speed with which it was made serves as a
warning that I, and others, can organise and move quickly to oppose bad
government policies. I chose the colours as I wanted the message to stand
out in stark contrast to the background and the red seemed appropriate for
a warning sign.
Monday, 26 January 2015
Disobedient Objects at V&A
Disobedient Objects at the V&A tackles the relationship between art and activism. It seeks to expose how the simplicity in banners, buttons, and all random objects that can be found in the cracks of protests, newspapers and propaganda can tell a thousand and one narratives about human's ability to resist. Whether that be resisting police brutality, class conflict, ableism or homophobia - The act of defiance is personally crafted in every piece of material hung for display. The exhibition its self is hidden in the corner of the main entrance of the museum, barely noticeable at first glance, but once you have walked through the entrance, it feels like the entrance to a new world. It is like walking into a microcosmic dystopia; There is rich, booming sounds of marches being played from a projector, large banners hung carelessly from the ceiling, and various videos playing over one and other, giving you the sensory impression of being among a protest or a march. It is chaotic, but in an extremely charming way. There were several pieces which struck me both aesthetically and emotionally, but one in particular that could be developed into a further project was Coral stokes piece which I will further explore below:
''I Wish Your Boyfriend Was As Dirty As Your Policies'' Coral Stoakes, 2011
The object is composed entirely from cardboard, with the exception of a wooden stick to form the basis of the banner. It is painted red, and on original glance, I gathered it could be painted with oil paints, as it has a very washed out look. What initially struck me about this piece was the careless nature of the painting - there isn't much attention to detail to making the paint work look smooth, nor the lettering the same size, and in my interpretation this could signify the artist's frustrations; or possibly that ''banner making'' is not the usual medium for Coral Stoakes - that this piece is a sheer, raw response. I think there is great power in making art without having to worry about the precision, more thinking about the message, and for that reason this piece really resonated with me. Furthermore, the social identity between the maker and the object also is really fascinating - The piece is described to be in response to the University fees being raised
in 2011. This provides a huge scope for development; The topic of University becoming elitist is one which is becoming more and more prevalent in the UK and internationally, and a theme I would love to explore. Additionally, I find the sexual connection between politics and sex potential theme I would explore.
Another aspect which interests me about this piece is how it engages with the title of the exhibition: ''disobedient objects''. The notion of being disobidient is extremely complex to me: One one hand, it is failing to obey and carries negatives connotations, but there is additional semantics present that one is defying authority in the name of rebellion, and that is exactly how I think this piece reacts as a 'disobedient object'. The imagery of it being used as a war object, as rebellious weaponry, as comedic relief, all is very exciting.
Bibliography:
Eliçabe, O. (2014). Coral Stoakes, I wish my boyfriend was as dirty as your policies, 2011. [image].
''I Wish Your Boyfriend Was As Dirty As Your Policies'' Coral Stoakes, 2011
The object is composed entirely from cardboard, with the exception of a wooden stick to form the basis of the banner. It is painted red, and on original glance, I gathered it could be painted with oil paints, as it has a very washed out look. What initially struck me about this piece was the careless nature of the painting - there isn't much attention to detail to making the paint work look smooth, nor the lettering the same size, and in my interpretation this could signify the artist's frustrations; or possibly that ''banner making'' is not the usual medium for Coral Stoakes - that this piece is a sheer, raw response. I think there is great power in making art without having to worry about the precision, more thinking about the message, and for that reason this piece really resonated with me. Furthermore, the social identity between the maker and the object also is really fascinating - The piece is described to be in response to the University fees being raised
in 2011. This provides a huge scope for development; The topic of University becoming elitist is one which is becoming more and more prevalent in the UK and internationally, and a theme I would love to explore. Additionally, I find the sexual connection between politics and sex potential theme I would explore.
Another aspect which interests me about this piece is how it engages with the title of the exhibition: ''disobedient objects''. The notion of being disobidient is extremely complex to me: One one hand, it is failing to obey and carries negatives connotations, but there is additional semantics present that one is defying authority in the name of rebellion, and that is exactly how I think this piece reacts as a 'disobedient object'. The imagery of it being used as a war object, as rebellious weaponry, as comedic relief, all is very exciting.
Bibliography:
Eliçabe, O. (2014). Coral Stoakes, I wish my boyfriend was as dirty as your policies, 2011. [image].
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