A Tower with a View: Rundetaarn

View from the Rundetaarn, Copenhagen

Photograph by: Amanda Chain

Every time I make a trip to the Nordic/ Scandinavian countries I am never disappointed. On my recent stay in Copenhagen, I unsurprisingly found myself looking for jobs that would allow me to stay in the gorgeous town indefinitely. It's impossible not to fall in love with this city.

One of my favorite stops was the Rundetaarn. Luckily we stayed across the road, and it was fairly impossible to miss, but this unsuspecting tower in the heart of the city is one of the best-known structures in Denmark. Since 1642 people have been visiting to enjoy the incredible view from above. A number of lofts along the way up make the tower a great spot to visit and learn about the history of Copenhagen. Their is a Library Hall which once served as the university library, and now hosts a number of exhibitions. When I visited it was an exhibition of tattoos.

The building unsurprisingly seems to be an extension of this part of the city. It was designed y King Christian IV himself, and the interior spiral ramp is equally as timeless. The tower is open to all 362 days a year which makes it a staple for those visiting the city. Even if you don't plan on staying long, it's worth it for the view alone.

What Do We Remember?: Commemorating the First World War Centenary and British Identity

"ANZAC Day War Memorial"

London, United Kingdom

Photograph Courtesy of: BBC

War, and particularly the First World War, has made a cultural, economic, and physical impact on the landscape of Britain. After the final soldier passed, Britons choose to continue to honor the legacy of those who fought through memorializing. This choice to remember, to observe the centenary, 2 minutes silence, to wear poppies, and to attend services, speaks to the British national identity.

When we imagine the First World War, we do so in a context of mythology and metaphor. No longer do we conjure specific dates and battles as easily as we do mud, gore, and death, or I should say most importantly death. The Great War has become so because of the cultural impact it created on its time, and the legacy of that impact on the generations that followed. Upon the centenary we are compelled by some ardent desire to come to grips with what this legacy has become and what it means in Britain today.

"The Futility of War"

Imperial War Museum Archives, London

Photograph Courtesy of: IWM

Although there are a number of mythologies and metaphors that can be used to look at how and why we choose to remember the War, however grim it may be will be through the mythologizing of death. Death is the primary way in which the war is mythologized and remembered. Through the topic of death we are able to ask questions about purpose, tragedy, legacy. When we imagine the First World War, we evoke images of trench warfare, mud, but also the horrendous scale of casualties that resulted. The numbers are physically hard to take in and so through poetry, novels, memoirs, documentaries and film we are able to in some ways comprehend the scale of violence.

"Mud"

Imperial War Museum Archives, London

Photograph Courtesy of: IWM

It is less easy to remember the monotony of trench life, shuffling supply lines, digging, waiting and sleeping that took place. We focus on the Western Front Battles despite the ones fought throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Even the Western Front was not constant fighting. Long periods of stalemate meant soldiers more commonly waited for orders than living in constant bombardment and attack. 

That is not to say there wasn’t tragedy. Although the numbers change with every new study, it is safe to say that Britain and nearly every other primary combatant suffered numbers on a scale that had never occurred before or since the war. Mythologizing the war in terms of death allows the nation to accept the tragedy and move forward. Applying myth theory of Roland Barthes, the myths we have of the dead and dying take on a significance that is not necessarily tied to exactness of numbers of dead and the means of death, but rather allows for a focusing to transform history into nature, and the ambiguity of what took place falls into a narrative. This is all part of a process of remembering, but also forgetting. What we are left with is the simple myth “the War was won, and many died during it.”

In commemorating the war we allow ourselves to place the destruction and unpleasantness behind us and move forward. The war although a major moment in British culture and history, is allowed to move further and further into the past. This is evident by which the war since its ending has been remembered.

In the years after the first Armistice Day up until the 1960s the focus of commemoration was fixated on an audience of bereaved family members. It was possible to see parents in mourning clothes for public services until Second World War. The incorporation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier offered a focal point for families who were unable to have the consolation of burying their relatives for reasons related to absence of body parts and that the War Commission was incapable of fulfilling the requests of many families to bring bodies home, the majority of whom remained abroad in proximity to where they fell.

Because of this public services and war memorials became a tangible means of mourning for relatives. War memorials sprang up in every town and village to mark the mourning of neighbors and friends. National services and public memorials have become to be part of the heritage landscape. The cenotaph was particularly popular and remained a focal point of fpublic services. Originally a temporary structure, it was so beloved that when it fell into disrepair the general public demanded the creation of this permanent one.

"War Cloister at Winchester College"

Winchester, United Kingdom

Photograph by: Amanda Chain

Public Schools like Winchester College shown here created incredible monuments. After the Second World War rather than build new monuments, many like this one were incorporated into the First and codified commemoration of the World Wars took place, but it is important to note that in remembering the WWII by no means meant the end of the commemoration of the WWI.

The language of memorializing identifies the successful completion of the mourning process. Mike Rowlands’ essay in The Art of Forgetting summarizes how War Memorials are able to mediate between memories of brutal, tragic events involving death on a massive scale with ideals that these were not in vain. They become symbols of national identity because they appropriate values of sacrifice made in benefit of the nation.

      

The notion of language is incredibly important. Since the 1960s, and the rapid decline of living memory, the rhetoric of remembrance changed. The focus of “remembering” rather than just commemorating began to take stage. The audience of public services for the formerly Armistice Day turned into Remembrance Sunday, had the feel of duty to memorial in general rather than remembering specific people.

Since 1968, the service structure for the Church of England a program for Remembrance Sunday is uniform and to be carried out throughout all the Anglican Churches of the United Kingdom. It requires 2 minutes of silence and Acts of Remembrance and Prayer of Commemoration. The program for the part of Remembrance Day services that reflect a clear emphasis on Memory and loss of life of the soldiers. The choice in calling it “The Remembering” is not coincidence. Interestingly, since the Two minutes of silence was introduced, it elicited nearly full participation since it became part of the public program in the 1920s.

It is followed by the prayer of commemoration, which invokes Thanksgiving for the sacrifice of those who lost their lives in military services. So again we see the choice repetition of sacrifice and mourning of loss of life.

The 17^th of July 2014 marked the official beginning of the centenary as it was the 100^th anniversary of the initial involvement of British Troops, specifically the British Expeditionary Forces in the First World War. This centenary marks more than just a war, but illustrates a national collective of Britain. In the 100 years since, Britain has solidified how it chooses to remember the war. Commemorating the huge number of losses with a continued rhetoric of “Lest We Forget” and sacrificial honoring, the War is remembered and life continues.

The Tower of London embarked on a public remembrance project to commemorate the event entitled “The Tower of London Remembers Project.” Although the most visual stunning feature has been the 888,246 ceramic poppies on display by artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Thomas Piper in the exhibition entitled “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red.” This display highlighted the staggering number of fatalities from the War.

"Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" by Paul Cummins and Thomas Piper

Tower of London, London

Photograph by: Amanda Chain

Of the Historic Royal Palaces, the Tower of London receives nearly ¾ of the visitors to its sites. Taking figures from the annual review, which ended in March of this year, the site saw a surge in visitor numbers thanks in part to the display. The numbers to the Tower have been relatively the same since 2009 floating around 2.45 million the site had an increase of nearly 400,000. In monetary terms the 3% increase in visitor numbers translated to 8 million pounds.

Estimates have that the site drew in an additional 4-5 million visitors who came to view the display, but not enter the site as a paying customer. This not only emphasizes the popularity of commemorating the First World War, but the economic benefits in doing so. A number of museums have hosted exhibitions, but this one in particular elicited great praise. Mayor of London Boris Johnson called it, “a unique and poignant focus of remembrance in this centenary year. It has grown rapidly in popularity, to such an extent that it is now a global visitor attraction.”

By marking the centenary of the First World War, we admit to ourselves this is not just an event that took place. We accept that there is a greater significance that requires a public memorializing. The Great War is a part of the public memory and national conscience. When we repeat the myths and images we see a deeper meaning and narrative that is communicated to those who were not alive to remember. And as society has changed, so has the commemoration, but the constancy of it is written in the fabric of public participation and acknowledgement.

The War has turned from an historical event, to a marker of British modernity, and is learned, taught, and remembered through myth and narratives chosen to remember in particular those whose death was intertwined with it.

"Dead Soldier of the First World War"
BBC Archives

Photograph: Courtesy of the BBC

London International Antiquarian Book Fair

Illustrated Manuscript

London International Antiquarian Book Fair 2015

Photograph by: Amanda Chain

There truly is something in London for everyone. The home of Dickens and Keats, London hosted this years International Antiquarian Book Fair. Upon entering, I was shuffled through security needing to check my Tube literature as no books were permitted into the Fair, lest there be any suspicion of thievery.

For anyone with an interest in books, maps, or illustrated manuscripts this was the place for you. There were a number of London Book Dealers represented, with a fair amount of overseas exhibitors. One of the highlights for me was Peter Harrington of London. Peter Harrington is one of the Mayfair Giants as I like to call them. A major book dealership with an influential reputation for attracting some of the world's most precious titles.

Cover of First Edition of House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne

London International Antiquarian Book Fair 2015

Photograph by: Amanda Chain

They exhibited two incredible pieces this weekend. One was F. Scott Fitzgerald's "I Didn't Get Over," two draft manuscripts and typescripts with corrections. Fitzgerald wrote the first draft and the final draft for this short story in 1936 and published it in Esquire magazine in October of that year. As an interwar period enthusiast I've always held a certain fascination for his work and naturally I was drawn to a piece like this. The only thing stopping me from purchasing the set was the mere fact that it cost a 95,000.

The other piece exhibited that I was absolutely in love with was a first edition of Thomas More's Utopia. Now for those of you unfamiliar with his work, thie piece was written back in 1516, and left an indelible mark on western civilization. His ideas on political philosophy are reiterated and reflected in the Twenty-first century. Despite the size, the work was powerful and seeing it made me reflect on how not only small items, but rather more importantly ideas survive through the centuries. This was a tad more expensive than the Fitzgerald manuscripts costing 350,000.

Utopia by Thomas More at the Peter Harrington Display

London International Antiquarian Book Fair 2015

Photograph by: Amanda Chain

Although there were pieces I could afford. I ended up buying a first edition of The Bonadventure by Edmund Blunden. Blunden is better known for his poetry and his timeless classic Undertones of War written about his time serving in the military during the First World War. The Bonadventure is written prior to his service and I was interested in seeing his change in style after his experience in war. His later works were very much defined by the war and I thought perhaps his description of travel might present a different side to his personality as a writer. I purchased the book for 45 from The Keel Row Bookship who are lcated further north in Tyne & Wear and the attendant I spoke to made a mall remark that I must be one of the few people at the fair buying a book for the simple pleasure of reading.

Perhaps this is true, and like art, many are in the business of collecting pieces for their value rather than their enjoyment. I'd like to think however, that there is a personal connection to book dealing. Of the booksellers I met, a number of them mentioned how much they loved their work because they could be close to the ideas and stories they loved. It is a passionate business, but a business nonetheless. Perhaps one day, I'll return years later to claim that Utopia whose price will have surely doubled, but until then, I'm happy with Blunden.

Marlene Dumas: Image as a Burden

The Tate Modern Interior (2015)

Image By: Amanda Chain

Yesterday was the last day of "Image as a Burden" at the Tate Modern. The South African-native and Dutch transplant, Marlene Dumas is known for her portraiture and philosophical interpretations on image and beauty. Her works are taken from secondary sources, never does she have someone sitting in front of her. She uses stills and photographs and interprets those images to create a work distinct from its original form. This exhibit “Image As a Burden” takes its name from a work earlier in her career.

Her work is rife with her own experiences to interpret deeper meaning. There is a sense of familiarity with her work that isn’t like portraiture you may have seen. The details are few, but the emotion and personalities are many, giving the works a relatable quality. Some of the figures she paints are anonymous in the sense that they lack the detail and precision that make the individuals singular, but take on a cartoonish emphasis of emotion that make them rather recognizable.

Some of the figures however, are familiar because they are of individuals with celebrity clout. In an earlier post I mentioned her work "Blue Amy" which is of the late singer Amy Winehouse. There was also a fantastic piece of the late Princess Diana wearing an exquisite pink satin gown. He emphasis on color in these two works demonstrate the incredible range of Dumas whose ability to bring out fabrics and setting are reminiscent to me of the more renown Dutch artist Vermeer.

"Omar and Osama Bin Laden" by Marlene Dumas

Photograph By: Amanda Chain

By far one of the most compelling portraits I saw was actually a pair. The images featured Osama Bin Laden and his son Omar Bin Laden. What made the works so peculiar to me was the emphasis on the juxtaposition of love and hate. Osama Bin Laden as a figure is contentious for a number of reason not least for his role in Al Qaeda. What is less known about Osama is his tenuous relationship with his family cause by his terrorist activities and political beliefs. Omar famously said in an interview in 2009: "My father hated his enemies more than he loved his sons." It is peculiar that Dumas arranged the portraiture in this way: son above the father. It serves as a reminder that behind politics are personalities and relationships, and familial ones especially give deeper insight into the minds of political figures.

At the turn of the century, Dumas became interested in representations of war which frequently took the form of dead terrorists, martyrs, and the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East. She went back to earlier material to illustrate the personal anxiety that comes with global tragedies.

One of the most compelling works was her 2010 work Against the Wall. This large canvas is set on the the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. The wall is seen as an object of religious affection, contention, and barrier to reconciliation between Israel and Palestine. She sets the figures in context of the large architectural structure to make the viewer aware of the scale and landscape and how this juxtaposition plays on the meaning with the physicality of territorial issues.

"Against the Wall" (2010) By Marlene Dumas

Photograph By: Amanda Chain

The loss of Dumas’ mother had a profound effect on her work. A number of her works exhibit loneliness and an attempt to see into the figures rather than see who they appear to be on the outside. In describing her work Dumas wrote: "There is the image (source photography) you start with and the image (the painted image) you end up with, and they are not the same. I wanted to give more attention to what the painting foes to the the image, not only to what the image does to the painting. It is clear that Dumas is attempting to give the viewer the opportunity to truly see. There is so much of a person that an image hides and her work is aimed at displaying intention, motive, feeling and at times disgust through her interpretation. 

Music, Curation, and the End of the Avant-Garde

"Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else" 

by David Balzer

Photography By Amanda Chain

2 May 2015

I rarely get to these coffee house lectures anymore, so I was so pleased to get a ticket for the debate on Music and Curation (and I use capitals for a reason).

When I walked in to Brilliant Corners I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Part of me figured I would be slightly outcast. Nerd at heart with a desire to be a curator one day despite the spiteful reputation they tend to have among artists. This debate, although somewhat cynical in nature raised many valid points and many more questions than could be answered.

Hosted by Pluto Press, the debate was chaired by David Balzer, the author of Curationism: How Curating Took Over the World of Art and Everything Else. There were three other speakers: Frances Morgan, deputy editor of The Wire magazine; Salomé Voegelin, artist and author; and Adam Harper, a music critic. Each were coming from different angles within the industry, and tried to incorporate each other's angles a nuances.

The opening debate surrounded the issue of what is curating? At what point do we call ourselves curators rather than creators and how does that influence music. Of course value and a sense of professionalism come with the connotation of curator, but this is based on pre-conceived notions on what a curator is. There is a sense of authority, and Ms. Voegelin was adamant about this role as an unnecessary one. My favorite analogy she used was that "Because I'm making a salad and people have used carrots and tomatoes does it mean I'm curating a salad, no, I'm creating it." As valid as this may be, it did sit uneasy with me. There should always be a sense of acknowledging the work of others that you then use and to appreciate how they have helped in the creating process. If I were to attempt that sort of outlook in academia or literature I would be deemed a plagiarist and rightly so.

There is a sense however, that curating is simply a fancy word for picking. Is a curator simply there to put the pieces on display and the viewer sit passively by? No there is of course a negotiation and dialogue going on and the responsiveness of the viewer is imperative. I'd like to think of the curator as a communicator. Someone who's job is to make clear the meaning of the work.

I found that the more museums I go to, the more I appreciate a well-curated exhibit. There is a fine balance that requires a mediation of knowledge to take place. Yes, as Ms. Voegelin asserted curating is a socio-political activity, and the sooner museums realize how much is at stake in that relationship of the dialogue the better we as absorbers of culture are. Balzer as he writes in his book, curating has a long history within western history and there is nothing new about the concept, however the process has to evolve with the time. We must escape the colonial narrative that most national museums have, and begin to adopt a new globalized, post-modern perspective.

So in the end did we answer the question does the Avant-Garde still exist? Well to be honest, this was only an afterthought of the debate. As Mr. Harper noted, there is a lot of historical baggage with the term and there are many ways of saying the same thing. Is anything ever new? Aren't the counter-culturalists just finding more from our past and making it contemporary? To be fair, I think there is something to be said about hybridization and blending of works to make something new and different. That is essentially how the genre of Hip Hop began bringing it with it a new dimension of popular culture and avant-garde-ism.

However, as this debate raised many questions and concerns for me as a wannabe curator. However, in the end I find the same to be true. With any position of communication and authority there must be an awareness of that role and an attempt to make it as participatory and educated as possible. For now I leave you with this question: Should we have curators at all, or are we just closing ourself off from a world of possibilities from the disorganized chaos they try to organize for us?

Artist To Watch: Agnes Cecile (Silvia Pelissero)

It is a tough world out there for contemporary artists. One to be on the look out for is the Italian Silvia Pelissero who works under the name agnes-cecile. I came across her work in the Deviant Art network for artists looking for an outlet to share their work. What really caught my eye with Pelissero's work is her contemporary approach to traditional art techniques. In a less morphic way, she captures emotion with manic brush strokes with bold colors against a monochrome backdrop. In each of her pieces there is a single aspect that stands out.

"Another one (inside the shell)"

Agnes Cecile

Image: Courtesy of Art Deviant

This image captures her style perfectly. There is a bold emotion or desire she is trying to get the viewer to see. In this instance it is the underlying morality of "looking on the inside." There is so much vibrancy hidden away that cannot be seen on our skin, and the only way to truly understand others is to look not only within each other, but really see our own beauty on the inside.

This time last year she had a solo exhibition in Rome. What I find interesting about her is that she openly asks for critique from just about anyone. She's not concerned as much about formal appraisal as she is about people engaging with her work on an emotional level. She as an artist is looking to enter into a visual dialogue with viewers.

"Spero tanto tu sia sincera"

Agnes Cecile

Image: Courtesy of Deviant Art

This image is one of my favorite. I think her best conveyance lies in facial expressions. Here she doesn't use color to highlight emotion, but rather she uses line weight in watercolor to define the delicacy within the eyes and cloudiness of the exterior. In this work, the viewer is drawn to the eye and shown sincera or which has come to mean "earnest" from it's old latin root sin cera literally meaning "without wax", meaning no cracks. It denotes authenticity and wholeness in likeness.With all the confusion around the face and hair, the clarity of the eyes illustrate the purity of clarity in what the portrait is seeing, meaning the painting (the real viewer) sees you the viewer with honest eyes.

Although not all of her subject as women, the majority of her work is, and within that it is predominantly portraiture. Although she does use specific models on occasion, there is a certain "everyman" quality to her work. Although she tends to experiment in mixed media, I'd like to see her take a more adventurous approach and work more outside her comfort-zone and do a bit more with dreamscapes, which she has dabbled in. For the moment, I'm quite impressed with her movement and mixed media work.

"Lines hold the memories"

Agnes Cecile

Image: Courtesy of Deviant Art

This final piece "Lines hold the memories" captures what my current research is on: collective memory. She really brings out the notion that memory makes identity. We are who we are by what we've created our image to be. After seeing patients with cognitive degeneration and memory loss, there is a clear vacancy and loss of identity when people forget. So much of who we are is in how we see the past. I leave this piece to be for me a work that signifies the weight of memory on an individual is visible, but the weight of memory on a people is incomprehensible.

Ink and Gold: Art of the Kano at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Kano have left an indelible mark on the art legacy of Japan. As court painters their work embodied the power of the Japanese shoguns through an impressive repertoire of magnificent imagery. The exhibition now on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art includes a number of works that span the centuries-long legacy of the Kano, including sliding doors and folding screens and fans dating as far back as the Fifteenth century.

This exhibition offers visitors a chance to delve into Japanese art and culture as many of the works focus on not only court life, but daily agrarian life throughout Japan's long history. They provide a narrative that is rarely seen due to the sensitive nature of the pieces. Kano art is notorious for its delicacy. Many of the works are extremely sensitive to light, which make it incredible that they have survived in such a condition for so long. Naturally, photography is strictly forbidden and the pieces themselves are displayed on a three-week rotational basis. This is the first time many of the pieces have left Japan making this one of the must see exhibits of the season.

The exhibit loosely followed the narrative of the Kano lineage, but went thematically rather than chronologically, beginning with some of the most delicate and earlier works and ending with examples of the family's enduring legacy. What made these masters so powerful in my opinion was rather than maintain the lineage on a "pure-blood" basis, they would adopt the most promising pupil rather than appoint their own, when a sufficiently skilled heir should not appear.

Tigers in a Bamboo Grove, mid 1630s

Kano Tan'yu

Ink, color, and gold leaf on paper, detail of set of four-panel sliding doors;

each door 72 13/16 x 55 1/2 inches

Nanzen-ji, Kyoto. Important Cultural Property

Image: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

These painters reveal the underlying nature of these works. They are symbols of power. Yes, they are beautiful, but they are also meant to overwhelm the visitor in the same manor the statues of Lamassu were meant to awe a visitor to a Sumerian palace. The representation of fierce animals such as tigers and leopards as shown above in this piece by arguably the greatest Kano painter of all, Kano Tan'yu. This tiger is not present for the majesty of the animal, but rather authority and power. In the full panel set the tiger is attacking a leopard. A formidable prey, but the overwhelming certainty of the image is in the eyes of the tiger as it is abundantly clear to the viewer that the tiger, catching the leopard unawares will succeed in its attack, such perhaps was the intention of not only the Kano Tan'yu, but the shogun for whom he was painting for.

Bishamonten Pursuing an Oni (detail), 1885

Hashimoto Gahõ

Ink and color on paper, hanging scroll, 49 1/2 x 24 3/4 inches

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Image: Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art

However, the most remarkable fact comes from how deep the legacy runs of the Kano's work. Long after the shoguns lost imperial power, and the Kano ceased to have official court patronage, artists continued to study their work. The Kano produced massive books to log their work for future study, and a few of which are on display. Reproductions have been made so that visitors can view what sort of recurring themes came up in Kano art and design detail.

In the Twentieth century when Japan opened up to trading and foreigners a revival of the old school took place and its influence is still evident. Although the pieces aren't dripping in gold, the brush stroke and detail of the ink are similar. With influences of course from Western Art, this new school kept the same themes of power and ancient mythology to create vibrant works in their own right. What I find most enthralling in the piece above by Hashimoto Gahõ (1885). Bishamon is a Japanese Buddhist deity known as the chief of the four heavenly kings. This picture represents an earnest blend of Japanese traditions and myth with Western flair and style.

The exhibit certainly fits the once in a blue moon experience, and for me it was one of the most impressive exhibitions for its scale and due diligence to the material on display. The exhibtion is running until May 10th. If you can make one of the exhibition phases do, as the likelihood of seeing all these pieces in a room together again are next to nil.

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