Andreas Gursky
Andreas Gursky seeks to find the sublime within the complex dynamic of globalisation. The intricate layers of transaction that occur prior to our purchase of a cheap mobile phone for example. The images are not ‘of nature’ in the traditional Burkean sense but show an environment that we have created that has a vastness and seemingly infinite quality.
“The “virtiginous dynamic” of globalisation, the subject of Gursky’s work, is the contemporary locus of the sublime: a grand power in the face of which we feel our own smallness. We are, in Burke’s term, “annihilated.””
(Ohlin, 2002)
Gursky freely manipulates his images creating repartitions and increasing the grandness/vastness of scale. The image below, “Annual General Meeting’ Diptych” was created by photographing thirty different meetings of corporations and stitching them together against the backdrop of a cliff.
“The result is as direct a picture of globalisation as Gursky has ever made. It is an extremely jarring image, at once sober and surreal. Nature has become a boardroom where men in suits meet to hatch unknown plans.”
(Ohlin, 2002)
There’s something ridiculous about this image. The stages that the men are sitting in seem in some ways flimsy in comparison to the large rock face behind. Humans here appear like ants which has been a feature in other works. There’s something very familiar about the scene even though it is entirely fictional, it almost reminds me of scenes in James Bond movies.
Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter has had a long varied career and is considered one of the most important artists of our time, so much so that some of his work has been sold for record breaking prices. He’s quoted as saying “Art is still sublime” (interview in the Wall street journal). He considers art to be a substitute for religion.
Richter’s work ranges from ‘photo-realistic’ paintings, overpainted photographs to purely abstract pieces. He’s notoriously enigmatic about his work.
Anastasia Samoylova
“Floodzone” is a photobook by Anastasia Samoylova which documents the effects of global warming and rising sea levels in Miami. She contrasts plush buildings, swimming pool, yachts against the encroaching ‘nature’. Whilst there’s a sense of irony, these scenes (should) invoke a sense of terror.
“We see commercial aesthetics that promise visions of utopia, contrasted by records of rusted infrastructure and industrial-stricken animal habitats.”
(LensCulture, 2020)
Mark Rothko
Rothko, a painter of the Expressionist movement sought to use the emotional aspect of colour using a technique called ‘Colour field painting’. All colours have connotations that are virtually universally accepted (with some geographical variations). Red almost always suggest a dynamic energy. It can be associated with anger, blood or passion whereas blue might be seen as calming.
“Rothko considered color to be a mere instrument that served a greater purpose. He believed his fields of color were spiritual planes that could tap into our most basic human emotions. For Rothko, color evoked emotion.”
(The Art Story, 2020)
Rothko’s extensive works sought to create spiritual transcendence through the use of colour and it’s associations.
Hiroshi Sugimoto
“Water and air. So very commonplace are these substances, they hardly attract attention―and yet they vouchsafe our very existence. The beginnings of life are shrouded in myth: Let there water and air. Living phenomena spontaneously generated from water and air in the presence of light, though that could just as easily suggest random coincidence as a Deity. Let’s just say that t here happened to be a planet with water and air in our solar system, and moreover at precisely the right distance from the sun for the temperatures required to coax forth life. While hardly inconceivable that at least one such planet should exist in the vast reaches of universe, we search in vain for another similar example. Mystery of mysteries, water and air are right there before us in the sea. Every time I view the sea, I feel a calming sense of security, as if visiting my ancestral home; I embark on a voyage of seeing.”
(Hiroshi Sugimoto, 2020)
Hiroshi Sugimoto’s work “Seascapes” is a collection of over 200 images taken over a period of time, of sea and sky around the world. The images stick to the same format with the horizon placed centrally. I must admit, I feel the same way about the sea as Sugimoto. It has a calming effect. There is a sense of eternity and balance particularly in the Yin-Yang reference of sea and sky.
References and Bibliography
- Ohlin, Alix. “Andreas Gursky and the Contemporary Sublime.” Art Journal, vol. 61, no. 4, 2002, pp. 22–35. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/778148. Accessed 14 Jan. 2020.
- 100 Photographs | The Most Influential Images of All Time. (2020). How a Photo of a 99 Cent Store Became One of the Most Expensive Prints in the World. [online] Available at: http://100photos.time.com/photos/andreas-gursky-99-cent [Accessed 14 Jan. 2020].
- Andreasgursky.com. (2020). Andreas Gursky | works – Annual General Meeting, Diptych. [online] Available at: https://www.andreasgursky.com/en/works/2001/hauptversammlung-diptychon/zoom:1 [Accessed 14 Jan. 2020].
- LensCulture, A. (2020). There is No Ark – Photographs by Anastasia Samoylova | Book review by Gregory Eddi Jones | LensCulture. [online] LensCulture. Available at: https://www.lensculture.com/articles/anastasia-samoylova-there-is-no-ark [Accessed 14 Jan. 2020].
- Artnet.com. (2020). Light earth and blue by MarkRothko. [online] Available at: http://www.artnet.com/artists/mark-rothko/light-earth-and-blue-2vUFO0rZxKoz1LKf0ncy4g2 [Accessed 14 Jan. 2020].
- The Art Story. (2020). Color Field Painting Movement Overview. [online] Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/movement/color-field-painting/ [Accessed 14 Jan. 2020].
- Hiroshi Sugimoto. (2020). Seascapes — Hiroshi Sugimoto. [online] Available at: https://www.sugimotohiroshi.com/seascapes-1/ [Accessed 14 Jan. 2020].
- Lane, M. (2020). Gerhard Richter at 82: Art Is Still ‘Sublime’. [online] WSJ. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/gerhard-richter-at-82-art-is-still-sublime-1413395231 [Accessed 14 Jan. 2020].
- Gerhard-richter.com. (2020). Panorama » Exhibitions » Gerhard Richter. [online] Available at: https://www.gerhard-richter.com/en/exhibitions/gerhard-richter-panorama-1711/?tab=artworks-tabs&p=1&sp=32#tabs [Accessed 14 Jan. 2020].
Landscape, Place and Environment 