The Colors News Machine - Jonathan Chomko

 Computer Arts- Design Matters
October 2013, Issue #219

At first glance, the Colors News Machine appears to be a sculpture, or piece of artwork that incorporates varying media equipment designed to process and relay information to the public. However, not only is it very captivating to look at but it has also been designed as a functional machine to mirrior the spread of gossip and portray how news is distorted, changed and censored before it reaches the eyes of the public.

The machine itself is an interactive installation, which processes a tweet, throughout a series of media equipment to create a 'Chinese whispers' effect. The overall work focuses much more on the concepts behind it than the visual appeal and revolves around the theme of processing information and the mistakes that happen along the way.

There is much debate about whether the piece can actually be classed as a piece of 'artwork' more than a mechanical invention. However, it shows the direction that art is beginning to take in a world reliant on the processing and transferral of information. Interactivity is becoming a big part of 'art' and the success of the piece is that the viewer themselves can see an input that they have created, become distorted into something different in front of their eyes.

'Dalston Anatomy' - Lorenzo Vitturi

Interview by Steve Pill featured in British Journal of Photography
September 2012, volume 160, Issue #7816

'Dalston Anatomy' is a collection of photographs inspired by the bustling Dalston's Ridley Road Market in East London. Vitturi's work often features the vibrant colours found in the market to create visually intriguing pieces that give you a real sense of the different cultures surrounding him.

There are three obvious steps to each of Vitturi's final pieces in the collection. Initially he will seek out something aesthetically vibrant and attractive from the market itself to use as the starting point. In this case the photograph on the right was his inspiration. Occasionally, Vitturi will then embellish prints of his photograph using objects or vivid colour pigments to add another dimension to the work.  He then collects materials; whether it be food or fabric from the market, that relate to the colours and textures visible in the initial photograph and creates temporary sculptures and installations which will only stand for as little as a few minutes. His final piece then becomes a photograph of his work, as this is the only way that the sculpture can be seen for a period of time.

'Broken Hill'- Pratchaya Phinthong

Art Monthly- September 2013 issue 369
Artist profile written by Eliza Williams

"Talks by museum guides are often a distraction, getting in the way of directly experiencing the work itself. But in Thai artist Pratchaya Phinthong’s exhibition, the guide’s talk is the work."(TimeOut- http://www.timeout.com/london/art/pratchaya-phinthong-broken-hill)

Pratchaya Phinthong takes a very historical and political slant to artwork, collecting inspiration from world travel and and important cultural tales. His exhibition at London's Chisenhale gallery was motivated by an important part of Zambian history and was created as 'the end result of a long process of discovery.'

Phinthong's original interpretation of the issue 'what is art?' defies conventional practice as while he encourages participants to take an active role in his work, he is often seen to take a back seat approach. His 'Broken Hill' exhibition provides a perfect example of this interactive artwork. As 'TimeOut' recognise in the quote above, it is in fact Kamfwa Chishala, a guide from the Lusaka National Museum in Zambia who becomes essential to the performance piece; carrying the audience on a historical and eye-opening journey of discovery.

As the profile in 'Art Monthly' reveals; the skull was first discovered in Zambia, 1921 by miners but was transported to London by colonial authorities and later became so important that it was used as evidence to support Charles Darwin's work. The skull used in the exhibition therefore is actually a replica made for the Lusaka Museum and is the piece that Chishala talks so passionately about. This brings into question an interesting concept and is possibly the main idea running throughout Phinthong's exhibition; the blurring between a real artifact and a false replica. Phinthong proves the point that the replica skull is held in higher regard and is therefore more sacred and appreciated than the real one (which is hidden away in London's Natural History Museum). It expresses the view that belief, culture and heritage run stronger than what the eye can see. Just knowing that the real does exist creates enough intrigue for an audience to dismiss the fact that what they are viewing is a fake. The replica has become more meaningful to the Zambian people than the original skull which Phinthong helps the viewer to understand by using Kamfwa Chishala.

Phinthong's strength is his ability to be an artist simply through informing the wider world about what he discovers on his travels. He is able to explore challenging concepts simply by stepping back and 'inviting others to become active participants in the shaping of his art.'

'Weathering Scape' - Tomoko Abe.

Article by Leigh Taylor Mickelson
Ceramics: Art & Perception - 2013 Issue 92
http://ceramicart.com.au/

"Tomoko Abe's approach to clay in many ways echoes our relationship with nature.... Abe works with clay's natural tendencies and, with skilled manipulation and patience, she starts a dialogue with clay... then she see's where it takes her"

 Mickelson effectively sums up how artist Tomoko Abe approaches her work with clay in the above quote. While traditionally, public perception of clay art may be restricted to figurines and vases, Abe manages to modernise the media and create exciting and expressive pieces. The natural material works in a particularly effective way in relation to the wild 'weathered scape' theme and has been uniquely manipulated by the artist to create stunning and intriguing pieces.

The image on the left (courtesy of Pelham Art Center) is an installation called 'View of Beneath the Rain'  and is a mixed media piece created by porcelain casting, plaster and abaca paper and is  measured at 5'8" by 3'8". When seeing the piece in its 3D form (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiQN__59fLU) and observing the movement of the projections and light, the image creates a sense of timelessness and shadow, mimicking the abstract shapes that raindrops create on a surface.