Almost every moment of everyday we are seeing everyday objects. How we interpret these objects is all dependable on each person's exposure and experience in life. Although, we do see things and have usually one instant point of view. Gabriel Orozco and Justin Novak are two artists that challenge you to see those everyday objects in a new light. Orozco uses these everyday objects "...to twist conventional notions of reality and engage the imagination of the viewer." (Biography) He sees the value of using these objects as a way to more easily connect with his audience, since the everyday objects are familiar to him and to the majority of others. "My influence is more in connection with everyday cultural objects that I am encountering and that are part of my life." (Games: Ping Pong, Billiards, and Chess interview) I really enjoy his choice of materials, because it produces an awareness to where you are, what you are surrounded by, and making a more authentic effort to acknowledge. "I concentrate on reality in terms of what is happening to me and I try to revolutionize that and try to rethink it and transform it. I try to transform reality with it's own rules, with the things I found there." (Games: Ping Pong, Billiards, and Chess interview) Justin Novak, also tends to take what has been and redirect the meaning. He takes what has been, either as an idea or of physical form and spins it. His 'Disfigurines' are a good example. "The ceramic figurine has historically embodied mainstream, bougeois ideology, and for this reason, I have employed it in the presentation of an alternative version, an ironic anti-figurine, or disfigurine... physical wounds such as bruises and lacerations serve as metaphors for psychological harm. Whereas the figurine has historically represented the dominant culture's norms and ideals, the disfigurines speak of the damage inflicted by those very same expectations." (Disfigurines) The physical appearance is usually a reflection of the state of mind one is in. To have your flesh torn or bruised could happen out of lack of attention. Distracted by an unstable psychological place, one will easily harm the physical body. I thought Novak presented this beautifully. History is a big element in how we function presently.The pains and joys through out shape our universal and individual psyche .Orozco is aware of the powers of history and tradition in his own work as well. "A pot is a very complex instrument and we see plenty in human history... it can be related with everybody in the world because pottery is just part of history in general." (Thinking with Clay interview) The 'Confessional Sinks' ceramic project that Novak was involved in plays into history as well, but yet again puts a spin on the meaning of the object. "Confessional sinks enclosed existing Kohler sinks within latticed ceramic panels that quatrefoil pattern of a Catholic confessional screen. Sinks were thus transformed into sites of atonement, of both spiritual and physical cleansing. The effect of the work is to draw a very pointed connection between religious and secular ritual, and to reflect on societal propensities to seek redemption through consumer products." (Confessional Sinks) And yes, sadly through out history, the dominate religions and large corporations have been almost one of the same. What a better way to confess and construct your sins then being a consumer.
Brian Gillis, our guest speaker this week, gave a lecture on the subject of multiples. 'What is a multiple?" he asked, could it be "... a three-dimensional object that is intended to exist not as a unique work of art, but as an edition original." (Linda Albright) or could it be a stack of the same printed poster. Both and much more. For Marchel Duchamp, he claimed that, "...one was unique, two was a pair and tree was 'many'. To make three was to mass-produce." Duchamp brought the idea of multiples as 'Readymades', 'Assisted Readymades', and 'Rectified Readymades'. They were all multiples in the sense that by taking an object out of its original or traditional environment (kitchen, bathroom, etc.) and placing it in a gallery with a new meaning behind it, it would stand as a multiple. Also to add to
or reshape the object would be a multiple. Orozco in this sense has made multiples himself; His 'Ping Pong Table' has been taken from its original environment, changed and placed in a gallery. This would be an example of an assisted readymade. Novak's work is a good example of multiples as well. His 'Disfigurines' and '21c Bunny' series are all multiples in the case of repetitive forms, colors and designs.
Multiples can be seen in lots of ways. Here are some images of what multiples we generally see most often or not...
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