phoenicorn's Blog

Art Freck 2: Revenge of Art Freck

2009-09-12T22:08:00Z

Tracy Emin

Well with the success of my last review (and the fact that I really should spend less time on youtube watching “hamster dance”) I have decided to do a second review. Yes when I last checked Art Freck received 60 views, granted 20 of them were by my mum, 15 by my grandmother 10 were made by me when I forgot my password (again) and 10 made by random people when I spammed their inbox on facebook, but my point still stands (whatever it was). So as promised here is the Tracy Emin review.

Today I am going to be reviewing 2 of her works. “My bed” and “Everyone I ever slept with 1963 – 1995” because I feel these are really deep pieces. (Not because I am a tool who only reviews popular art. Honest it’s not)

Let’s start off with “Everyone I ever slept with 1963 – 1995” aka “My Tent”. The whole piece seems like has the feel of a diary that has been conveniently left unguarded on the floor, I guess the right thing to do in that situation would be to raid the innards for suitable blackmail material and juicy gossip. When you eventually prize the lock open of the diary, er… scratch that. When you enter the tent you discover all the dirty secrets were non existent as the 102 names are people who she has literally slept with like the occasion where as a baby she fell asleep in her mother’s arms. I feel this is a shame as I am sure it contains her time in uni where I assume she must have shared a dorm with several of her female uni friends.

At first glance it appears that the tent is just a run of the mill tent that you would probably pick up at argos in some was £29.99 but now £19.99 offer, and you’d probably be right but that doesn’t mean it loses meaning. First off the colours, Blue tends to be a calming colour and yellow could be associated with gold which is associated with wealth, yada, yada, yada. What I am interested in the contradictions in her choices. For instance yellow (which is used for the walls inside the tent) is a symbol of hope in western cultures (like the rising of a new sun (my god did I just say something that corny) where as in Egypt it is a symbol of death (ah… that’s more like it). Yellow is a sign of danger and of cowardice. Blue is calming but also depressing which also contrasts with the joyous and exciting feel of yellow (much like the quiet nerd compared to his loud drunk comical counter-part who likes to dunk the nerds head in the toilet… God I miss college.) Black is used to divide the walls from the floor which could be used to add a void between Emin and everyone else or to represent that one side has a villainous aura about them; also black is used to make colours seem brighter. (Just check CS4 box art if you want proof)

The first name you see on the wall when you enter is that of her boyfriend of the time Billy Childish and his name seems brighter than everyone else. Tracy herself said that he was a huge influence on her, (much like wiki is to me) so it is only natural he would tack center stage. As well as names there are annotations about what each person done but unfortunately they are scattered around the tent so finding out who done what and to whom is very difficult and the fact that I have only seen a picture of the tent because the real thing now resembles my cooking, owing to both being burnt to cinders, there is no real way to spend hours on deciphering that mystery and mailing it to “the sun” newspaper (sun, fire, see what I did there) and making a fortune.

One of the things that were clear from the low resolution Jpeg image that I am using as a reference is the writing on the floor.
“WITH
MYSELF
ALWAYS MYSELF
NEVER
FORGETTING”

Obliviously this is meant to be her and if you are looking for a blindingly oblivious answer as to why she is on the floor you could say she is sleeping or she is the glue that keeps it all together and links everyone, but I would say that she is there to make it as awkward as possible to get out. If she is on the wall she may be tempted to talk to someone else on that same wall leaving anyone on the adjacent wall time to escape while Tracy is distracted, but being on the floor you would have to step over her and risk wakening her up and then having the awkward conversation on why you have to leave coz you dog is having kittens tomorrow and you promised your aunt you would video the occasion (phew don’t think she suspects a thing).

Next up is the unmade bed imaginatively titled “My Bed”

I would love to claim the moral high ground on this piece but my room is in pretty bad shape as it is. (I would have to have a clean up just to call it a tip) The Piece is an unmade bed *gasp* set within a mess of what appears to be random items. I can’t list all of the features of the bed as I am sure the moderators would have words with me, let’s just say the bed was well used and I am sure a lot of fun was had in it. Unlike the previously mentioned piece which was more innocent than the title suggested “my bed” was a lot more sinister when you discovered the origins. The piece was created when she was going through relationship difficulties. This is the result of a nervous breakdown which leads to suicidal depression. This makes reviewing this piece awkward for me as I usually like to place a bit of humor into my reviews. Damn you Emin.

An alternate version even contained a hangman’s noose but I feel that was too oblivious. I like the fact that the piece makes you feel awkward and having the ability to lull you into a false sense of security. All honesty before I researched this piece I thought it was a mere novelty piece and I suppose that’s its charm (much like those novelty peanut cans with springy snakes mixed in with the live ones). The piece is obliviously personal and the only way I could see it getting more personal is if the woman herself was to pose naked on her bed (god I have spent too long writing this article).

Next time purely because I could not get into his recent free gallery exhibition (I am not queuing for 3 hours) Banksy.

The preceding article had 25% more plagiarism (yeay for the internet)

Art Freck Reviews

2009-08-26T20:43:00Z

Well owing to a combination of boredom and some arm twisting from one of the forum members who shall remain anonymous (unless this is a total flop in which case I am passing the blame on to them) I decided to do something constructive with my time and being as my one 14day trial run of WOW ran out (after a mere 6 months) I decided to do a review of various art pieces. Rather than risk getting risk getting hung upside down over some burning coals by the moderators (again) I decided to review more traditional art pieces rather than anything on IFX.

I was originally going to review Jackson Pollack but decided I shall save that for a Special occasion so instead I decided to review the Mona Lisa by Leonardo De Caprio, err no that’s not right. *Checks wiki* Ah, De Vinci. I knew that, just testing you.

As any good review will tell you should start with a controversial statement (Just made that part up to sound like I know what I am doing, which I so totally do and am not making it up as I go!). Well I guess the controversial statement is that the piece is boring.

I suppose this is just me being fickle, I mean the flesh is painted beautifully and the detail in her garments is very nice, but it all just feels too safe. Realistically if you place this piece next to a man who has just been set alight people would flock around the burning man (either out of sheer terror spawned from the hapless victims screams of agony or out of sadistic curiosity in seeing if anyone else gets caught ablaze).

So let’s get down to the nitty gritty (and oh god doesn’t that sound girly). The picture itself is a portrait of a woman sitting with a smug look on her in front of some outdoor scenery. The woman has a smug look on her face as if to say I am better than you, and even goes so far as to avoid looking at you directly as if you are the only drunk at a high class party (oh and apparently pants were mandatory to that party). Composition seems to be based on triangles as her body fits into one right in the centre of the canvas, thus dividing the remainder of the picture into a triangle on either side of her. On a side note, how much of this ****in’ image does she want, attention seeking cow.

There is no doubt that Da Vinci was a master of his craft. Subtle things like a complimentary colour pallet (red tint of her face and hair vs green errr… everything else) are used very well as nothing feels overpowered in this piece. I suppose this is another reason why I find this piece boring as there is no conflict what so ever. (I know the point of this piece is simplicity but still he could have thrown in a set of BEWBZ, or a tiger, on fire, with lightning swords … with bewbz etched on them). This leads me to believe one of the reasons that this piece has become such an icon of art is because of it’s theft in 1911, along with the numerous parodies of the piece such as the pieces done in the Dadaist style. This leads me in a random fashion to my next area of scrutiny, her legs.

As you may have noticed the legs are not painted and this was done for an oblivious reason. You see Da Vinci was an inventor so obliviously the lower half of the painting was of mech legs. Ah yes, you can’t fool me Da Vinci, your conspiracy has been unravelled. Speaking of hidden issues in or around the picture did you know that Da Vinci had no close relationships with any woman which leads me to believe that he painted this so he could get some action with the model (like playing backgammon and if you thought I meant getting down and dirty please get your mind out of the gutter. Actually … … … Okay I am never going to that part of my mind again).

The picture has undoubtedly had an effect on most of the pieces here on IFX as a lot of artist seem to want to blend skin in a similar fashion to Da Vinci where there are no clear transitions of shades (Hard brush with hardness at 0% in Photoshop), so I guess we all owe a lot to this piece but I can’t help but feel if it was created today and placed on any internet art forum it would be quickly forgotten (right after it was stolen and placed on a motivator).

Next time I will slaughter … er I mean provide an unbiased review on the works of Tracy Emin.

All the good/ funny/ informative bits were written by Phoenicorn. Art work in question does not belong to me (obliviously).

Happy birthday DA

2009-08-08T06:57:00Z

DeviArt art is 9 today. Happy birthday to the 3rd greatest art forum (ConceptArt #2 and IFX #1 obliviously)

RIP Matrix online

2009-08-04T17:33:00Z

well I just found out that there was a matrix mmo and it was shut down on the 31st of July.

Don't really like MMORPGs but I figgured it was worth commenting on so yeah I didn't care befor and I still don't really care I barely even knew it existed.

RIP MXO

did u know gollum won an award

2009-07-22T11:16:00Z

Gollum from lord of the rings won an award

click bellow to see his reaction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUNYCGZMtI8

OMG you have to read this

2009-07-21T13:26:00Z

http://darwinawards.com/legends/legends1998-16.html

it's quiet .... too quiet

2009-07-20T08:26:00Z

we need new blood here to keep us on our toes

Just had a call from my tutor. I passed

2009-07-07T10:22:00Z

I passed my foundation art course in spite of being ill and having to miss the last module. woot. after a years break I will progress to uni to do visual communication (illustration). Thanks IFX could not have done it without you

happy wednesday all

2009-07-01T06:09:00Z

Happy wednesday everybody.

You maybe wondering what is so special about today that is worth shouting out and making a post about. well.... absolutly nothing just thought this post may bring a smile to peoples faces.

this will not be a daliy thing so you better enjoy the wednesday happyness or else I will

[article cencored] with a rubber duck and a wooden spoon.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY ALL!

Feel free to post how you will or have spent your happy wednesday.

They owe me a £20

2009-06-16T12:30:00Z

well on monday I reach the ripe old age of 22. An age my first doctors never thought I'd reach so I guess I should rub it in their face and say you lost the bet or something hahaha.

well I will be on holiday over my birthday for a change of scenery (no major party coz I am still getting over the virus). Just so you all know I am getting stornger by the day but still feel a wee bit groggy but great news is I can pick up the old pencil again (my arm is now whole again (with the pencil)).

Well yesterday I visited the exhibition that I was suposted to be in (for the college project) and I must say I was glad it wasn't my first as the space the digital art section was promised never materialised, instead my mates were given half a wall (small wall) where they chold show off 2 pictures. the wall was even complete with pillar standing in the way of the work. this was a real shame for them and TBH it felt like I dodged a bullet.

So anyway Happy Birthday to me on the 22nd of June and to many more years of harrassing everyone on IFX

Tough choice made

2009-06-04T14:04:00Z

First off I am not writing this for sympathy. It has taken me a long time to decide whether to post this or not but I feel this may help others in a similar position.

With a heavy heart I have decided to defer going to university until september 2010. I feel I am on the verge of something (artisticaly) and feel that if I go to university this september it will take me longer to realise my goal. I also feel that if I decided to go to university this year the decision will have been made out of pride and will not be benifitial for my growth as an artist. My final reason for this is the virus I have is going to take a while to get out of my system.

So no rumors circulate about why I went to hospital I shall spill the reason. I have contracted viral menigitis and apparently the doctors couldn't understand how I was still able to stand (I couldn't understand why I had to stop). Pride got in the way of sorting the problem out as I have had headaches for nearly a fortnight. I was going in to college sick because I was unwilling to listen to my body. I have been on anti viral drugs for 10days and it seems to have done the trick. But I still need plenty of rest.

In some ways I needed this to happen as I have learnt more about myself during this time through helping someone in the cubical next to mine in hospital. I finally figgured what makes me tick.

So why have I said all this? First off for the reason that this kind of finalises my desission and second if anyone else is facing a hard choice to tell them they probably know the ansawer but it isn't the ansawer they wanted. The hard rout tends to be the right one.

Some one wise (well perhaps wise isn't the word ) told me on DA that I don't need to suffer anymore. Not to sound like an emo but the only was we learn is through the suffering we get through our own trials (atleast in my opinion) Everyone is saying I have alot of potential and I never doubted that but the one thing in my mind that has always held me back is pride. I have taken the first step to resolving that.

OMG that was quite serious for me better lower the tone abit (can't let you lot think im human)

BEWBZ!

found a problem

2009-05-14T22:40:00Z

well as you all know at the moment I am pretending to be an artisty thing but I have found a problem. I can't keep concentrated on one piece for longer than a few hours. I just get board of the image and want to work on somethin else.

any hints to combat this?

Final major Project underway

2009-04-28T13:07:00Z

well my final major project is a good way in progress so I thought I'd just advertise it here. most of my research and personal discoveries will be posted on this very site so please coppy the link below and show us some support coz this can go to my final grade for my course (emotional blackmail FTW)

Just got a wee bit more to do

2009-02-24T22:20:00Z

well I have nearly finished my college projects (thank god) just got a bit of moding to do and right a brief review which i will do tomorrow.

Other news I have found a kick ass new theme tune (devils never cry) look it up on you tube it is kick ass. May get some more anatomy studies done befor I hit the hay and If I feel up to it an exploded drawing of the muscle structire may be on the works but i make no promises

Nakered but still going

2009-02-06T11:20:00Z

Well I'm absolutly drained but I just need to dig that little bit deeper. I suppose this means an early night to night