During my visit to the Museum of Modern Art and the PS1 exhibit
I saw many pieces of art. There were a few, however, that caught my attention
and forced me to dig deeper into the meaning behind the work. There are three separate
pieces that specifically activated something in my mind. Each piece has its own
form of identity, whether it is cultural, personal, or historical. Pieces
discussed in this post cover three aspects of identity.
Rosmarie Trockel’s piece titled “Untitled”
caught my attention immediately upon entering the exhibit. The piece appears nothing more than a blob of
blackness from afar. However upon further inspection, one can see the detailed
letters knitted into the woolen fabric. The letters spell out “Made in Western
Germany.” The aspect of the piece that captured me was the medium. Most of the
other pieces in the exhibit were either paintings or ink pictures. I believe
this piece demonstrates a strong cultural identity for women artists in Germany
during the 1980s. Trockel’s decision to use wool comments on the male dominance
of the art world. By knitting the piece, Trockel makes the statement that women
have great potential to be artists. The text of the piece also describes the internal
divide of Germany. This piece, executed in 1987, came before the falling of the
Berlin Wall. Germany was still divided into two parts, with the western of the
two having NATO as an ally. The piece speaks directly to East Germany, saying
that a woman can grow and succeed in non-socialist West Germany.
Robert
Longo’s piece titled “Pressure” demonstrates a strong sense of personal
identity. The piece consists of two parts. The upper is a depiction of a
building, which protrudes from the canvas. The bottom is an ink print of a man
wearing a white tee with clown paint on his face. The building casts a shadow
over the ink print. I believe Longo feels to be in the shadows compared to the
effort that is put into technology and structures. The sad clown paint shows
the anger of one beneath the advances of technology. This is all speculation,
but I believe Longo is also commenting on a generation that has fallen behind
the times. The white tee shows that the problem is common, for most men would
have had a similar tee shirt during this time. The face paint comments on the
indifference of technology towards one person. The face paint hides facial
features, making it difficult to recognize the person.
Margaret
Lee’s piece titled “Eggplant Phone” shows strong historical identity. The
piece, although manufactured in 2012, uses an old turn-dial telephone as the
main focus of the work. The eggplant in the piece was created from plaster and
paint. The piece comments on the long durability of the eggplant as a fruit.
The turn-dial telephone, although outdated, has technology and parts that make
it still useful in today’s world. Through the combination of both the eggplant
and the telephone, Lee makes the connection between modern technology and
nature. Interestingly enough, if she were to use a real eggplant the piece
would decompose. The phone, however, is made from plastic parts that would take
thousands of years to wear away. This fuels the piece, depicting how the image
of something can change. Eggplants are used in everyday meals around the world.
Turn-dial telephones, however, are not the commonplace in most American
households. The piece shows the clash between trending times and the stability
of nature.
These
three pieces demonstrate strong depictions of identity in art. However, most of
the pieces will overlap. Rosemarie Trockel’s piece covered the identity of
women in Western Germany during the divide between east and west. Trockel’s
piece also shows the personal identity of herself as a woman during this time
period. Robert Longo’s piece covered a personal experience in a growing
technological environment, but also described the cultural identity of others
during the same time. Margaret Lee’s piece showed the historical identity of
both an eggplant and a turn-dial telephone. However, she also acknowledges the
durability of herself as a living organism, something that will not remain
constant for hundreds of years after creation.
Rosemarie Trockel
“Untitled”
Wool
1987
Robert Longo
“Pressure”
Lacquer on wood; charcoal, graphite, and ink on paper
1982-1983
Margaret Lee
“Eggplant Phone”
Plaster, acrylic paint, phone parts
2012
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