Saturday, January 8, 2011

Technology as a harbinger of doom? Not really. This work is no Nam June Paik...

I came across some interesting artwork this week called Apple Destroyed Products. The work consisted of photographs of iPhones, iPods, iPads, and MacBooks that had been mutilated in various ways by Michael Tompert and Paul Fairchild. The images are stunning in their beauty. However, this beauty is owed in part to the exquisite look of the Apple products in the first place, all of which remain completely identifiable; nothing has been reduced to a pile of goo. The artists, for their part, state rather unprofoundly that the work is an attempt "to make people think about their relationship with these universally beloved gadgets." Interestingly, this work doesn't make me me examine the relationship I have with my technology in any real manner, nor do I believe the artists were engaging in this process.

First off, this is not about just any technology since only new Apple products were used. The artists were acutely aware that a smashed Ipad would be more elegant than a mutilated Acer laptop or a Blackberry Curve phone. Apple exhibits a level of design and engineering that is hard to match. The artists have a reverence for this fact, given that none of the mutilation renders the products unrecognizable. They too are in awe, and this work is purely aesthetic. In the absence of the artist statement, I would have been tempted to view the work not as a comment on technology or Apple gadgets, but as an indictment of consumer waste. We discard these products often in favor of the next new thing, which is both the genius of Apple innovation (read: marketing) and the extreme selfishness of consumerism. I love progress, but we throw away functioning pieces without a thought for those who don't have access to these devices in the first place. We discard these items into stuffed landfills without regard for environmental impacts, all so we can have a newer device with a chrome finish or better apps. I am guilty of this.

This work falls short, however, of making me really examine my relationship with technology, or with Apple. The fact is, the artists benefited from good design here; they also used technology in the form of digital cameras to document the pieces, undoubtedly printed them with dye sub printing technology, and made sure to submit the works to online venues to get the word out about their show. I only discovered the work when a friend posted a link to Facebook. Technology here has made the work, and the artists have not gone far enough to either loathe or even struggle with the relationship. I see no abject hatred of the destroyed pieces. I see a lack of volume sufficient to comment on the true wastefulness of our culture. I'm sure a thousand bucks worth of new electronics seemed like a lot to the artist, but really, let's multiply that by at least ten-then maybe, maybe, we start to make a point.

I see no personal relationship to the devices evident either. Tompert cites his motivation for the project as watching his sons fight over an iPod Touch because he was too stupid to make sure each boy had the same games installed on his respective device. Big deal. This is not a comment on how Apple products get people worked up into a frenzy, it is a comment on how kids fight over everything. My brother and I fought over games, toys, books, food; we fought over little chocolate eggs my parents laid out as a scavenger hunt every Easter. Kids fight; it's not profound. An adult smashing an iPod out of anger that his kids are fighting is stupid. Reading that snippet of the artist statement made me realize that this work was not about anything more than the fact that the toxic liquid oozing out of a broken screen is super pretty.

Does this matter? Well, yes. In the absence of this vacuous artist statement I was willing to see a glimmer of something more than aesthetic pleasure. The artists didn't take the concept anywhere near far enough, but there was the possibility of a complex message that could be teased out. After reading the artists' drivel, it is clear this is a one-time series bent on gravy-training off Apple beauty while, (wink wink) offering the notion that people should think. This is not enough. All art makes people think something. And right now I think that if artists are not at all articulate, they have a two choices:

1. ask someone smarter to write the statement
2. remain silent

This is a lesson that these two artists, and many others besides, should learn quickly. Meaning isn't solely derived from intentionality, but a bad artist statement hinders meaning in a serious way. All I can focus on here is what I wish the work was and that is a sign of an idea that needs more attention. I am forced to identify all the reasons the artists are wrong about the meaning of their own work. Good art transcends this and inspires meaningful conversation and debate. Simplicity of content is not the same as inane or childish intentions, and sometime words eclipse potential.

Check out the work here:
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/12267/destroyed-apple-products.html

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Kodachrome

Today seems like a good day for a little nostalgia. New year, looking forward, looking back--you get the idea. I received a BFA in photography in 2000 and an MFA in photography in 2004. That means that I honed my craft in the wake of transitions to digital photography. Those transitions were swift and sometimes difficult for many who had been invested in film photography for the better part of their lives. I shot many roles of film, developed many prints, and spent hours bent over chemical baths. And this process was wonderful. There is indeed something magical about watching an image appear on paper or unrolling that film from the reel. I have spent more time on digital processes, but I can still admit with the most ardent film supporters that something intangible is gone from the process.

In my entire life I have only shot one roll of Kodachrome. It was difficult to have processed because it needed to be mailed to a lab. I am more of an instant turnaround time fan. And yet, the colors truly were superior. I can see why it earned legendary status in the photo world and even in popular culture. It was jarring a few years ago to hear the inevitable announcement that Kodak would no longer produce the film. It was simply sad to hear last week that the last role was processed. The last of the chemicals are gone. It made me think of holding unprocessed rolls. Of people discovering rolls years later and revealing the contents, sometimes after the photographer had died. It made think of the excitement and mystery of stumbling upon something and the anticipation of waiting for the reveal. And it made me sad to think that those undeveloped Kodachrome rolls out there in the world will be lost. We have lost a little slice of something monumental here and it warrants reflection.

Check out the Mashable Magazine article here:   
http://mashable.com/2010/12/30/say-goodbye-to-kodachrome/