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Marissa Merz, Untitled (Little Shoe), 1968, nylon and paraffin, 60 x 195 x 135 mm, Tate
This small scale sculpture was achieved in 1969. The artist, Marissa Merz, was interested in exploring the boundaries between everyday life and art. Here, she used unconventional materials which is a typical idea of modern artists who want to reject the past and create new. By using knit nylon, Merz creates geometric form which she then covers in paraffin. This allows for a secure structure which is important for the purpose of the piece. The shoe like sculpture is not only meant for display but also to be worn creating an extension of the human body.
This work of art is part of the Art Povera movement meaning poor art in Italian. The Italian artists that were part of this movement believed in reflecting the pre-industrial age through their work of art. By using non-conventiral materials, artists challenged and reject previous ideas of art and what art should be. This modern thinking was typical of the time. Another key idea is that artists used materials that were seen as cheap making art seem more accessible and placing more value on the fact that the idea itself is art rather than what it represents. This was especially achieved by using every day items as an art form but rejecting their original function.
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Doris Salcedo, Untitled, 1987, steel cot, steel shelving, rubber, 10 plastic dolls and pig intestine, Tate
This work by Doris Salcedo was achieved in 1987. The structure consists of the following materials: steel cot, steel shelving, rubber, 10 plastic dolls and pig intestine. The frame of the structure is an old hospital bed which has been painted in chipped white enamel. The hospital bed has been bonded together with a black steel shelving unit. The surface of the piece was achieved by treating it with acid and the steel amateurs are covered in wax. Furthermore, one can see ten tiny plastic dolls which are attached using pig intestine to the structure’s joints.
The dolls in the piece have a symbolic piece. Doris Salcedo has stated that, “[she] took those dolls and threw them in very hot casting wax so that they become swollen and begin to melt. At that point [she] gave them different shapes”. The dolls symbolise the darkness of human life, more specifically the many lives that were also to the drug trade industry in Columbia.
The artist who is originally from Columbia was highly influenced by her country’s drug crisis. She uses thrown away hospital furniture to convey and meditate on the cycle of life and that death is inevitable.
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Susumu Koshimizu, From Surface to Surface, 1971 remade 1986, wood, 3000 x 8100 x 100 mm, Tate
The last work from the Tate Britain I will be discussing is Susumu Koshimizu ‘From Surface to Surface’ achieved in 1971 but remade in 1986. These sculptures experiment with wood’s materiality by carving and cutting each wood piece differently. The different shapes were achieving from sawing by hand and are a response against the use of technology and photoshop that was recognised with mid-1960s Japanese art.
During the time of the creation of this piece, Koshimizu was part of the Mono Ha movement meaning School of Things. This movement emerged in Tokyo and was focused on creating art which explored materials and their properties. This was done in order to reject Japan’s industrialisation as they saw it as damaging to human kind.
Although I enjoyed looking at these three art works, I found it hard to relate them to my own work. This is perhaps because of the materiality. However, Doris Salcedo’s work did lead me to question how one can recycle furniture pieces. Over the last couple of years, it has been extremely fashionable to mix antique with the contemporary. Re-using old furnitures pieces in a new, modern setting is not only adds charm and history to the space but is also sustainable. As an emerging designer, sustainability is something I need to think about. Wooden furniture is especially damaging art increases deforestation. This could be hindered by re-using old wooden pieces or even taking apart old furniture and using the wood to create something new. These are great environmentally friendly ideas that will help contribute to the protection of our forests, our Earth’s lungs.