Can’t you see it is mine? A consideration of the appropriation of space through the use of building materials (earth, clay and bricks) in art making.
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Date
2022
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Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation is to consider the extent to which the materiality of
an artist’s art making materials can demonstrate an appropriation of the space in
which the work is exhibited. The specific medium I have considered is the use of
earth, clay and/or bricks. The dissertation concentrates on artworks that are
exhibited as installations.
The research into this question considers particularly in what ways might artists
appropriate the space purely through the use of their choice of materials. Is the
appropriation dependent only upon the nature of the work, or does the materiality of
the medium constitute an overt appropriation of a gallery space in which the artwork
is exhibited?
The dissertation examines and explores these issues through the application of
research-led methodology and the consequential influence and application of the
results of the practice-led research on my own work.
In the course of considering this influence, this dissertation explores specific works
by Dineo Bopape, Antony Gormley’s Field Series, Walter de Maria’s New York Earth
Room, Jorge Mendez Blake’s The Castle and Charles Simonds’ New York
Dwellings, all of whom have used earth, clay and/or bricks in their work. The dissertation includes a series of photographs and a video of the installation
entitled somewhere between heaven and hell which forms the practical offering of
this project.
I conclude that while the materials contribute to the environment, it is the overall
effect (the environment and atmosphere) of the installation that creates an
appropriation for the viewer.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.