Sunday, October 5, 2008
Commercialism in Cavemanman
Mass reproduction, industrialization, and commercialism have all had a direct hand in the evolution of art from its classical standards. Hirschornn wants to remind the world what it has become, a consumer oriented society. Like Andy Warhol, in the words of Thomas Wolfe, he almost embraces the ‘horribleness’. He chooses not to be another critic, a bringer of clarity, but to “struggle with the chaos.” To this extent Hirschhorn often likes to go even more beyond the unclarity than seems sensible.This explains in full the way in which he went about making Cavemanman. He used a lot of mass culture products and techniques to put together his new reality. He purposely strayed from conventional 'arty' materials and went in an interesting direction. He made use of very accessible materials like tin foil, soda cans, tape, posters, books, and photocopied paper to create a 'collage.' He elicits a response from his audience with both his technique and the information that he provides.
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In order to understand the appearance of reproducibilty in art its necessary to look at the corresponding historical conext. Benjamin attributes our culture's need for a new reality, a reproduced one, to the industrial commercialism in society. Mass reproduction, first in industry; then, as perspective changed, in art. The concept of what is acceptable has changed, and as those distinctions between art and reproduciton have blurred tremendously. Eco responds by saying that our lack our historicity has led us to be over enthusiastic with detail. It has only attributed to the fact that we as a culture have turned away from originality. Warhol and his Pop art took that negativity and accepted it in full. The comparison beteween Hirschhorn and Warhol is interesting. In his piece Hirschhorn also accepts the consumer ideaology and ironically uses it to create something completely 'unique.'
Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." 9/23/08. http://www.marxists.org/reference/ subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm..
Eco, Umberto. Travels in Hyper Reality. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & company. 1968.
"...even though there is only one original: the rest are copies. What counts, however, is not the authenticity of a piece but the amazing information it contains." (Eco 15)
Umberto Eco and Hirschhorn are both in agreement with the looking beyond a prelication and finding its core. In the exhibit there is not one original copy. In fact most of the reading on the walls of the place consists of crude replications like photocopies and duct tape. There is a lot of history on display. The fact that it hangs somewhat cheaply or looks discarded on the floor is not important. The ideas, however, behind the specifity of certain choices made by the artist are key. For example, the cave being made out of duct tape is blatantly fake, but purposefully so. He wants you to know to look beyond the appearance of the cave but the idea that is one. And if you are able to blur the disinction between 'real' and 'fake' you can truly appreciate the message of the artist.
Eco, Umberto. Travels in Hyper Reality. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & company. 1968
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