John Kaldor Family Collection

John Kaldor has been collecting art for fifty years. His first buy was a Roy Lichtenstein purchased in 1963 for fifty dollars. His collection has since grown to the value of 35 million dollars worth and is now housed in the new Art Gallery of NSW wing, which bares his own name, The John Kaldor Family Collection.

Kaldors successful background in Textiles enabled him to collect works of art from around the globe. This passion has since seen him establish Kaldor Art Projects, which has been listed as a charitable organization since 2004. This company has supported the creation of more than 20 public artworks that include and are not limited to Sol Lewit, Stephan Vitiello and Thomas Demand.[1]

Since 1969 when his first foray into this field brought Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude to Sydney to wrap Little Bay he has established himself as one of the most prominent patrons of the arts in Australia. Both he and his wife Milgrom have served on various arts committees. [2]

The new collection at the art gallery of NSW is Kaldors personal collection. Most of the pieces have been housed at certain times in his own house. Many works are a testimony to his long-standing relationships with artist. Of these is his bedroom, which has been recreated for the public. Wall drawing #1091:arcs, circles and bands (room) was originally painted by Sol Lewit.[3] Within this collection there are in excess of fifteen Sol Lewit pieces, twelve Christo’s and fourteen Michael Landys’[4]. All three of these artists have been involved in Kaldors Public Art Projects.

Overall the collection is an exciting array of works and insight into a collector’s life. Kaldor and his wife have been involved in all the hangings of works and colour choices for their displays[5]. It is an insightful collection, which documents various temporal and non-temporal works. I believe the Australian public will enjoy a gift which could have so easily have been sold off at various auction houses as a rich and education tool, which invites discourse. This gift to the Australian public further cements John Kaldors great interest in investing in the public’s education and inspiration. 

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[1] Garry Maddox, “A life’s works” review of John Kaldor Family Collection, Art Gallery NSW, Sydney Morning Herald, May7, 2011 http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/a-lifes-works-20110505-1e8rb.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4]Kaldor art Projects “About”. Accessed, June 14, 2012 http://kaldorartprojects.org.au/about/background

[5] Garry Maddox, “A life’s works” review of John Kaldor Family Collection, Art Gallery NSW, Sydney Morning Herald, May7, 2011 http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/a-lifes-works-20110505-1e8rb.html

Bibliography

Art Gallery NSW, Contemp-Galleries-MR-2.pdf (page 1-7) accessed June 14, 2012.

http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/galleries/contemporary/

Kaldor art Projects “About”. Accessed, June 14, 2012 http://kaldorartprojects.org.au/about/background

Maddox, Garry. “A life’s works” Review of John Kaldor Family Collection. Art Gallery of NSW. Sydney Morning Herald, May 7, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2012

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/a-lifes-works-20110505-1e8rb.html

Some Relations between Conceptual and Performance Art.

Frazer Wards article asks the reader to consider the similarities in themes and ideas of both Conceptual and Performance art. It is important in Wards view to consider that the action of performance be recognized as a medium rather than a concept in itself. One that an artist can use to express his or her theory and ideas, like any other medium utilized. By doing so Ward thinks a clear argument can be made to show the conformity of both in regards to the themes and mediums explored.

He elaborates by linking text and language they have in common and why they use them, their exploration of the role of the artist and viewer as well as the dissection of the established hierarchy in western art and existing art practices.

Ward goes on to discuss that both Performance art and Conceptual art share the removal of the object and leave the subject. That they deal with concept rather than medium in a view to engage with the viewer/audience in an open dialogue.  One of the many tools both employ is the removing of the fourth wall set out by previous art making practices. This can be achieved with their use of everyday mediums within a displaced art space that encourages the viewer to better engage with the concepts or theories.

Another similarity to be taken into consideration when viewing these works is the importance of documentation as many works are fleeting moments in time. Many of these works could not exist for prosperity if the documentation had not been completed. The films, photographs and writings are quite often all that is left to show the work once existed. These documentations then become another form of medium to show a concept, once again highlighting the importance of everyday and the subject rather than the object.

However Ward also discusses the very real possibility of both practices unfortunately becoming elitist in their very existence and pursuit of non-elitist art making. As both may be anchored to a historical timeline and the language and views often used expect a certain amount of understanding from the audience about the art practices of the time.

He argues that many of the artists working within theses themes and trying to be rational are in fact on closer inspection very irrational. As their expectations of the audience makes no sense. It has in fact become elitist in its own self-reflection, as to not be an artist’s means you cannot understand. Although this problem too, is also common ground for both Conceptual and Performance Art.

Ward finishes his article by concluding that although both share many similarities the one similarity they do not share is the title of Movement. Performance has been utilized as a medium by many movements where as he argues Conceptual Art is a movement in itself.

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography


Dan Graham, Detumescence, 1969. Via ZieherSmith



Graham, Dan, dan Graham, Pavilions:12March-17April 1983, Kunsthalle Bern/[Redaktion,Jean-Hubert Martin;bersetzung, Caroline Breakspear, Wald von Fellenberg, Marianne Schmidt-Miescher]. Bern: Die Kunsthalle, c1983.
A catalogue written in German showing various works Graham had on display. which includes his writing ROCK-RELIGION, a work about the connections between the Shakers and popular music. It also includes a recording on record (45) by Glenn Branca entitled Acoustic Phenomena, which states clearly to be played loud. this recording was created with Graham for a collaborative work, Stage-Set Utilising Two Way Mirror and Time Delay, 1983. listening to this musical piece created an ambience that could illicit a better understanding of the above work and what perhaps the original audience may have experienced.

Graham, Dan, Dan Graham: [Ausstellung], Kunsthalle BAsel, 28 August-3 October 1976: catalogue.
Exhibition catalogue that includes various stills from films, grahams installations, diagrams and  additional text explaining concept, context and directions. These include Body Press, 1970-72 , Helix/Sprial 1973 and Opposing Mirrors and Video Monitors on Time Delay 1974. This book offered further insight into Grahams practice in the performative field and how it was achieved.

Graham, Dan, Schema (MArch 1966), London: Lisson publictions, c1972. A collection of text and performance pieces including Detumescense 1966 and 1969, which first appeared in National Tatler.
Graham gives further insight to the above piece and what he had in mind when he created it and what its eventual outcome was. I found this to be very insightful.

 Heartney, Eleanor. Art & Today. London: Phaidon Press limited, 2008.

Chapter13. Discusses the fall of the Utopian ideal of architecture and how Contemporary artist today use the medium(sometimes dis-used existing architecture) to build upon and explore todays social and psychological complexities within the community.

Pelzer, Birgit, Dan Graham/Birgit Pelzer, Mark Francis, Beatriz Colomina. London:New York:Phaidon,2001. Chapter 1 pp6-35 Mark Francis in conversations with Dan Graham.

This first interview was useful as it provided many answers to questions about  a series of artworks by the artist. one of the most interesting was Grahams own explanation for his early work HOMES FOR AMERICA, which by his own admission has been much misunderstood. Additionally Grahams explanation of his process for  PERFORMER/AUDIENCE/MIRROR 1977 piece was insightful and helped with my presentation as far as asking a member of the audience to recite it. This source also contained various writings by Graham on his own works, popular culture and additional writers essays and critiques. There is also a Chronology of Grahams selected exhibitions, projects, articles and interviews, at the back of the book.

Bibliography

Charre, Alain. Dan Graham/Alain Charre, Marie-Paule MacDonald, Marc Perelman. Paris: Dis voir, 1995.

Graham, Dan, dan Graham, Pavilions:12March-17April 1983, Kunsthalle Bern/[Redaktion,Jean-Hubert Martin;bersetzung, Caroline Breakspear, Wald von Fellenberg, Marianne Schmidt-Miescher]. Bern: Die Kunsthalle, c1983.

Graham, Dan, Dan Graham: [Ausstellung], Kunsthalle BAsel, 28 August-3 October 1976: catalogue.


Graham, Dan, Schema (MArch 1966), London: Lisson publictions, c1972.

Pelzer, Birgit, Dan Graham/Birgit Pelzer, Mark Francis, Beatriz Colomina. London:New York:Phaidon,2001.

Understanding Installation Art From Duchamp to Holzer Mark Rosenthal SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION:INTERVENTIONS

Site-Specific Installation aims to change the way people view art. It begins by using the site as its starting point. Should the work be moved it no longer resonate with the same meaning.

By utilizing space outside of the cultural, architectural or functionality norm it draws the viewer into a debate about how we look at art. The questions that arise are as important as the finished piece. In fact it could be argued this is the whole point for many of these works. By utilizing the new, forgotten or previously ignored spaces the viewer has to consider the ‘boundaries of art’ and what this means to the present day viewer.

By drawing the viewer’s eye into an area perhaps not considered before it is impossible for them to consider the same space with the preconceived canons as set out by previous periods. This tool now engages the space and audience in a new dialogue about physical borders imagined or otherwise.

Duchamps Mile of String in 1942 shows this by making it physically impossible for the viewer to get close to works of art he considered to be old fashioned. By using this technique not only is it physically impossible to see the last canons he also draws the eye to areas perhaps not considered before within the architectural context and by doing so establishes and shows how the previous canon is antique- like something covered in spider webs -Impenetrable and lost in time.

Daniel Burens work Within and Beyond the Frame, 1973, takes the viewers eye so far out of what was once considered the picture frame (at least within the gallery confines) and asks the viewer to consider the inside and outside world and how art relates to it in the present day. With its movement above the bustling streets its noise may not be heard or even noticed or considered to be art, but it is there nonetheless.  The question is being asked from both within and out of the gallery space.  It shows that art does not have borders.

Most Site-Specific Installation aims to attack. Making itself immovable form site to sight it ceases to exist on completion of the show.It reflects the confined views of a canon by trying to be canon-less.  It cannot be collected, or bought.  It cannot co-exist with the bourgeois notions of what art is. . It often attacks the institution it is housed in and the audience that views it. It creates an argument against a past it is no longer reaching behind to reference.