Jarrad Tait: Anish Kapoor & Conceptual Art.

Week 6- Anish Kapoor Sculpture

Anish Kapoor

Cloud Gate (2004), Millennium Park, Chicago

Celebrated for his gigantic, stainless steel Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago’s Millennium Park, Anish Kapoor is changing the cultural environment with his public works.

1.Research Kapoor's work in order to discuss whether it is conceptual art or not. Explain your answer, using a definition of conceptual art.

In Conceptual art, the idea or concept behind the work is seen as an alot more important aspect than the work itself. By this i mean that the idea in hand has been thought out and planned over and over again to defeat all problems that could appear in the process of making the work; the execution is a very simple and effortless process once all planning is complete. Anish intended on creating exactly what he has created, so i do consider this Conceptual Art.

art in which the idea behind a particular work, and the means of producing it, are more important than the finished work" Conceptual Art Definition, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conceptual+art, (2009)

2. Research 3 quite different works by Kapoor from countries outside New Zealand to discuss the ideas behind the work. Include images of each work on your blog.

'Cloud Gate' Kapoor (2004)

I consider this to be one of Kapoor's most successful works; 'Cloud Gate' (2004) is located in Chicago, costed $23 Million dollars and has to be washed twice a year to keep this visual effect at its peak. Cloud Gate is inspired by the form and shape of Liquid Mercury. 80% of the shape the Kapoor has created reflects only the sky, hence the name "Cloud Gate". It fits economically and does not interrupt the surroundings, and although its arch alone is 4 metres tall, it does not block off anything, yet gives a futuristic essence because of how distorted the reflection is. It enhances the area by reflecting everything that is within sight of the Cloud Gate, including the city skyline, as well as people who are to walk past. Kapoor has created a very powerful visual work, which also brings people together in ways because the size of it gives everyone the ability to interact with the reflection.

'Tall Tree & the Eye' Kapoor (2009)

"Tall Tree & the Eye" (2009) is located in Bilbao, Spain. Like 'Cloud Gate', it consists of eighty spheres that are positioned on three different axis'. At first sight, this appears to be a whole heap of reflective spheres that defy gravity and give a visually interesting appearance. But what this actually is, is a constantly thought over, bulletproof illusion that brings alive the surroundings of the object and reflects them in a way that makes them appear to be constantly slipping, or pouring like
water from a cup. Each sphere is positioned to create this effect, to a point in which if one sphere
were to be moved, it could ruin the whole effect. Each reflection builds up and reflections transfer to neighbours and different sections, until it reaches the top of the tower, being "the Eye" in the title.

Anish Kapoor

Shooting into the Corner, 2008/2009

I chose this work because it is very unlike the other works that i have picked. "Shooting into the Corner" (2008, 2009) was a ongoing exhibition in which Anish fired consists of a cannon developed by Kapoor together with a team of engineers. 11 kg balls of wax, into different corners across the room. In total, 20 tons of wax was fired throughout the exhibition. What powered the cannon, which was developed by Kapoor as well as a team of engineers, was a pneumatic compressor. What i like alot about this work is how Anish has simply fired wax at the wall, and has played no part in how the wax drips or appears, he merely fires wax at the wall. This is not only inspiring but very eye catching to, it is like giving the materials your hands, and the job of doing the work is given to the materials, rather than this concept depending on you applying the materials in a certain manner.

3.Discuss the large scale 'site specific' work that has been installed on a private site in New Zealand.

This large scale 'site specific' work was installed in an outdoor art gallery in the North Island called 'The Farm'. It was intended specifically for a 1000 ac farm owned by a man named Alan Gibbs.

4. Where is the Kapoor's work in New Zealand? What are its form and materials? What are the ideas behind the work?

As said in the previous answer, this work was done specifically for 'the Farm' which was a large outdoor art gallery on a 1000 acre farm, which is owned by Alan Gibbs. The title of the sculpture, came from the site it is in. The Farm, is located in Kaipara Bay, on the Kaipara Harbour; just north of Auckland, which makes it quite close to us. Because it was Kapoor's first outdoor sculpture in fabric, and on top of that the location was in direct route of high speed winds coming from the Tasman Sea, it needed to be suitable for the environment it was situated in and be able to withstand the high powered winds, as well as weather conditions that were to come.

The work was fabricated in a dark red PVC coated custom polyester which was supplied by a Textile company that worked with Ferrari. What supports this work is two identical structural steel circular shapes that weigh over fourty tones each. Like many of Kapoor's other works, the intentions of Kapoor with this work were to play with the viewers mind.

5. Comment on which work by Kapoor is your favourite, and explain why. Are you personally attracted more by the ideas or the aesthetics of the work?

Anish Kapoor

Shooting into the Corner, 2008/2009

As explained in Question 2, the ongoing exhibition "Shoot into the Corner" (2008, 2009) is my favourite work done by Kapoor. the reason for my interest in this is purely because of how the work is treated. Making sculptures takes time and care, and alot of thinking and development on ideas. The way Kapoor has worked in this exhibition however, is quite beautiful. The way the wax hits the wall with such anger, is such an expressive way of showing emotions. Painting a picture of a beautiful women requires skill and focus, but it is still beautiful. This on the other hand requires near no effort, but it is still beautiful. The concept of throwing your material at the canvas, and letting the materials take over from then on; there is an essence of pure beauty in this concept, which is why I chose this, I feel that this type of work is expressive in a whole different manner, and doesn't have a larger, but involves a more messy way of thinking.