Artist Lecture #4: Amy Stein

Amy Stein's work absolutely floored me with the insane environments she produced. Though she took ordinary things, she created extraordinary images. The passion for her work shines through in the fact at how hard she worked to produce the photographs that she wanted. Her series "Domesticated" involves the combination of animals in various state of being; some are alive, some dead, and some preserved through taxonomy. She decided to incorporate these elements into this town that had to deal with wild animals on a daily basis. The clarity, lighting, and mood of her images makes her work inescapable. One glance can suck you into it entirely. She completely immersed herself in the culture of this town and their daily plight.
In another series, "Stranded," Stein drove aimlessly across endless highways to find drivers whose cars had broken down for one reason or another. She wanted to photograph the situations they were in and perhaps get a glance into their lives. She began to carry her own version of a survival pack, including food, water, gas, and a few other odds and ends. Though shy to begin with, she eventually overcame her fears and approached these random people with help in her mind. She realized that they were both gaining something out of the experience: her the picture and them help. The images evoke feelings of boredom, exhaustion, frustration, and a wide spectrum of other feelings one could imagine.

Artist Lecture #3: Paul Shambroom

Paul Shambroom is an American artist who focuses on the cultural power aspects of this country. One of his series focuses on varying nuclear sites and bombs. He has documented abandoned nuclear facilities, nuclear warheads that have been adopted as monuments, and people that work in nuclear warfare. His images are strikingly beautiful and some hilarious. He has found his own style in following something that has caused so much fear in the hearts of American citizens. The work he did with people working in the field is incredible. Though many would be frightened to be near any warhead, these people deal with them on an everyday basis. He did a great job capturing their comfort and ease with such a dangerous task. Another series he produced involved various small town council meetings. In the style of the "decisive moment," found by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Shambroom waited until the exact moment of perfect harmony between the council members. He utilized available lighting, which adds to the overall atmospherical quality. He has taken things that we might find scary or mundane and found a way to show them so that they are more accessible and even intriguing. His work definitely has a part in the cultural history of our nation.

Artist Lecture #2: Mark Dion

Mark Dion has made a career as a collection artist. He finds objects, documents them, and places them in various cases. His work is archaeological and anthropological. In 1992, he ventured to Venzuela, traveling around with native tribes. On his trip, he collected different materials and objects and sent them to the museum he was working for. He told them to place the objects on four different tables, but did not give them any instruction on how they should do it. Then, he would find different kinds of animals and insects. If he could correctly identify them, then he would send a list of the names and have his colleagues place them in empty vitrines. His work focuses on the history of natural history. On another entymological endeavor, he took leaf litter from different places and separated it into all its components. He then took a photo with a microscope and presented his images with no concern for scale. For another project, he shut down the Smart Museum in Chicago and with a team, found every living organism that should not be there. For an archaeological project in Switzerland, he took material from beneath some houses at a high elevation. The history of the objects he found was condensed because the objects could not be described in relation to each other. The most interesting project he performed was in Bankside on the coast of the river. The river bank would only show for four hours each day in which he had people either over 65 or under 17 hunt for every manmade object they could find. Over the summer, they cataloged each item, cleaned them, and prepared them to be interred into a giant wardrobe. The final display was a collection of photos of every person who had a part in the project.

Artist Lecture #1: Alix Pearlstein

Alix Pearlstein is an artist who works in sculpture, installation, and dance/choreography. She has found a way to incorporate her love of the three different mediums by combining them in short films. She focuses on dematerialization to the point of non-existence by breaking things down to their absolute core. Her influences include the history of post-modern dance and wants her work to focus on the importance of the performance. She does not necessarily center on the quality or content, but of the physical actions of the performance. One of her first projects was "Two Women," created in 2000, which included one live performer and a magazine cutout of a woman. The two images are laid over each other to interact with each other in an abstract way. There is also a voiceover that gives the two women commands and periodic moans puncture the sound byte. Another project of hers is "Episode" from 2002 which follows the narrative of a family drama. There are four characters and through slight sounds by each, the audience is given their dynamic as father, mother, and two children. She wants her locations to be an indeterminate void so that fill that blank from our own experiences. One project she created called "Forsaken" was made as a response to the Bush administration. She did it in a very pessimistic time, focusing on a person in a great place of power. The general public wonders why this one person should be in charge of everyone else. It had a feeling of the Emperor's new clothes, creating concern that the one person in control is so gullible and easily manipulated.

Artist Entry #5: Juergen Teller

"I depended heavily on the model’s personality; at least, I wanted to depend on this because I’m interested in personal reactions." -Teller

Juergen Teller was born in 1964 in Erlangen, Germany. He studied photography at a school in Munich and left Germany to avoid national service and to learn English. He began photographing such celebrities as Elton John and Kurt Cobain. His work has been featured in such magazines as The Face, Vogue, W, and Details. His work has been showcased in solo exhibits in such places as Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Bologna and shown in group form at prestigious places as the 52nd Venice Biennale. His style moved away from the perfection and glamor of the 80s to a more raw and more personal place. He photographed many models in intimate settings that showed a comfort with the photographer and a comfort in a natural, normal surrounding. Teller has worked on many fashion ad campaigns and has worked alongside Vivienne Westwood and Mark Jacobs on extended projects. His personal work acts as an autobiographical venture into his life. He tends to photograph actual events in his life and the people that appear in it. One of his works is titled "Kate after her 25th Birthday at the Ritz." The images have a personal flare involving comfort, hedonism, and glamor. It looks as though he has uncovered the underbelly of the fashion world that he partakes in.

Artist Website: http://www.designboom.com/portrait/teller_biography.html

Gallery Website: http://www.lehmannmaupin.com/#/artists/juergen-teller/

Artist Interview: http://www.indexmagazine.com/interviews/juergen_teller.shtml

Topic #4: Medici Family History

"Although politically ruthless, Cosimo was highly cultured and promoted letters and arts as well as the Tuscan economy and navy. "

The Medici family traces back to the end of the 12th century in Florence, Italy where they began as part of the patrician class. They were always seen as friends to the common people. Their wealth was amassed mostly in the 13th century through banking and commerce, which brought about more political power. In the 14th century, the gonfaliere, a high ceremonial officer, Salvestro de Medici led the common people in a revolt and became the de facto dictator of the city. He was banished for his cruel regime. Then, Giovanni di Bicci de Medici restored their name and their wealth to the point where they were possibly the wealthiest family in all of Europe. His line continued through many nobleman that became high officials in the government. Many of the members became leaders through wealth, power, and popularity. However, most of their reigns were characterized by a brutal tyranny with a mix of patronage to culture and the arts. They were often banished and invited back by the provocation of the Spanish. Their history is tumultuous, but they continue to be known as one of the most prolific families to donate to and support the arts.

http://galileo.rice.edu/gal/medici.html

Artist Entry #4: Steven Meisel

Steven Meisel has remarkably maintained a career with Italian Vogue for over ten years. He has created every cover and every lead editorial since he began, which is almost unheard of with the normal fashion world demands of the next newest thing. He stands as one of the most prolific fashion photographers of his time and an innovator. He is one of the first to push the relationship between famous actors and fashion. He has collaborated with Madonna on their book SEX, which came out in 1992. Meisel obsessed over beauty at a young age, constantly drawing women from photos in Harper's Bazaar or Vogue rather than playing with toys. He followed that passion with a degree from Parson's in fashion illustration. He continued by photographing models from local agencies who put his images in their books. These images were discovered and he was asked by Seventeen to photograph for them. Since then, he has found a way to convey his political views and questions through icons of beauty. In July 2008, he photographed solely black models for a Vogue issue to confront the rising issue of racism in fashion magazines, runway shows, and ad campaigns.

Artist Website: http://www.artandcommerce.com/AAC/C.aspx?VP=SlideShow_VPage&IAPA=1&STY=A&L4=2U1XC58OBF39&L5=2U1XC583YX5A&L6=2U1XC583YDU0&XX=Artists

Gallery Website: http://www.icp.org/site/c.dnJGKJNsFqG/b.2079967/k.A4A8/Steven_Meisel.htm

Artist Interview: http://www.interviewmagazine.com/blogs/culture/2009-02-27/steven-meisel-icp-puzzle/

Topic #3: Freud's Psychosexual Development

"Fixation at the phallic stage develops a phallic character, who is reckless, resolute, self-assured, and narcissistic--excessively vain and proud. The failure to resolve the conflict can also cause a person to be afraid or incapable of close love."

According to Freud, the development of our personality is effected by a fixation on a particular erogenous zone during growth. There are five different stages that focus on one singular part of the body at a time. During each phase, the body becomes more sensitive in one particular location. The first stage is the oral phase, which begins at birth and lasts till about the age of two. In this stage, infants focus on the mouth as the erogenous zone because it is where they receive nourishment, such as from nursing. If the mother does not deliver on demand or ends nursing at an early age, the child can develop feelings of pessimism, envy, and suspicion. If the mother does deliver on demand, then the child may develop gullibility, an admiration of others, and optimism. The next stage is known as the anal stage, lasting from approximately two till three. This is the normal time that parents begin to potty train their children and the ego is also developing, giving the child a stronger sense of self. Since the child is being told when to go and how to go, a conflict within the id and the ego ignites. The child will either defy his parents and go when he pleases or withhold expulsion of the feces. This results in an anal expulsive character which is messy, careless, disorganized, and defiant. The other extreme is an anal retentive character, which is clean, organized, stingy, obstinate, and passive-aggressive. The third stage moves focus to the phallus. Interest arises in one's own genitals and the genitals of others. Since development is not complete, this does not manifest in a sexual nature. Howver, this is the stage where children must deal with the Oedipus complex for boys and the Electra complex for girls. After that, a period of latency arises where sexual endeavors are ignored and energy is poured into asexual activities. This lasts about six years until puberty strikes and the interest again shifts to the genitals. The less struggle the child had during the psychosexual development, the more chance the child has of building a healthy relationship with another person.

http://www.victorianweb.org/science/freud/develop.html
David B. Stevenson, 1996 Brown University
"Freud's Psychosexual Stages of Development"

Artist Entry #3:

Steven Klein started his career as a painter, but in the early 1990s, he branched off into photography while in Paris. He then moved to New York where he continues to live and work. He has found success as a fashion photographer through his in depth narratives. His pictures are strong and dramatic, depicting a wide array of subject matter. He has worked editorially for magazines such as W and Vogue. Also, he has headed ad campaigns for companies such as Dolce and Gabbana, D Squared, and Guess. Due to his acclaim as a photographer, he has been able to branch out into video installations and publish a number of books. His imagery has the sophistication and has that regal flair that I am looking for with my project. According to his artist statement, he says that his work has no psychological undertones, that he wants his art to be a result of his time spent with the subjects he works with. He starts with an idea then lets his creativity flow through the connection he feels once they work.

Artist Website: http://www.stevenkleinstudio.com/www/index.html

Gallery Website:http://www.icp.org/site/c.dnJGKJNsFqG/b.4783349/k.9B58/Weird_Beauty.htm

Artist Interview: http://www.stevenkleinstudio.com/www/index.html (go to the Press section)

Topic Entry #2: Courtship Disorder Hypothesis

Courtship Disorder: is a theoretical construct in sexology in which a certain set of paraphilias are seen as specific instances of anomalous courtship instincts in men

"The paraphilias can be broadly divided into two categories, those involving anomalous target preferences and those involving anomalous activity preferences."
excerpt from "Preferential rape in the theory of courtship disorder." by Kurt Freund

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtship_disorder

The courtship disorder hypothesis originated from the psychologist Kurt Freund who broke down natural courtship into four phases.
1. Searching and analyzing potential sex parnters
2. Initiating conversation and potential flirtation
3. Slight physical interaction such as touching shoulder or hugging
4. Sexual intercourse
Freund hypothesized that paraphilias result from a disturbance in one of the phases. People with paraphilic conditions intensify one of the four phases and view the other three as minimal concern or as obsolete. The heightened first phase manifests as voyeurism; the subject focuses solely on arousal from watching others whereas others would watch in order to pick a suitable mate. The second phase becomes exhibitionism or telephone scatologia, obscene phone calls. These subjects blow past the conversational norm by flashing genitals or making lewd phone calls to strangers about their own sexual desires. The third phase evolves into frotteurism or toucherism, which are a sexual arousal from rubbing genitals on another fully clothed person. The fourth phase forms into biastophilia, which is categorized as paraphilic rape. The people suffering from these habits take social norms to different extremes that are overly forward and in many ways dangerous and detrimental to others. Freund believes that all of these conditions stem from one underlying disorder that connects all four. By determining the parent condition, psychologists will gain more understanding of these issues and perhaps discover their cause. With knowledge of a cause, preventative and potentially curative methods may be developed. This would eliminate dangers to non-consenting parties.

Artist Entry #2: Rick Castro

“I consider myself a folk artist, because my work is made for, and created with a kindred group. I find my subjects fascinating and become obsessed with wanting to know all about them, be it through photos, film, video, or writing. I'm fascinated with the process of original ideas, and the course it takes to becoming common place. I'm fully aware that whatever is initially considered bizarre will be the standard of the future.
Rick Castro, Hollywood, 2005

Rick Castro lives in Los Angeles and works as a photographer and filmmaker. He got his start as a wardrobe stylist for various fashion designers, which led him to styling wardrobe for major photographers. He learned the craft by watching them work and then tailored his knowledge to his own style. To break away from the constraints of the fashion industry, he started working on his own underground photography, focusing on documentary, fetish, and nude. He wanted to get away from the wardrobe styling that his career centered on. He developed a very severe, raw aesthetic with grainy, intense images that featured rough sexual acts. He is definitely not afraid to place his models into compromising positions and the quote at the beginning of the post aptly describes his mentality. He has published two book of photography and multiple films. He recently jumped back into the high fashion world, working on more controversial ad campaigns and editorials for a vast array of well known magazines and designers. His images ooze of confidence and drip with sexuality. They are very raw and very powerful.

Artist Website: http://www.rickcastro.com/mainpage.html

Gallery: http://www.rickcastro.com/antebellum/antebellum2.html

Interview:http://home.snafu.de/fablab/queerview/099hustlerwhite/interview099ef.html

Topic Entry #1: Paraphilia

Paraphilia:
a condition involving sex fetishes where a person's sexual arousal and gratification depend on fantasizing about, and engaging in, sexual behavior that is atypical and extreme

"The boundary for social as well as sexual deviance is largely determined by cultural and historical context. As such, sexual disorders once considered paraphilias (e.g., homosexuality) are now regarded as variants of normal sexuality; so too, sexual behaviors currently considered normal (e.g., masturbation) were once culturally proscribed." -Martin P. Kafka, M.D.

Sinclair Intimacy Institute 2002
http://health.discovery.com/centers/sex/sexpedia/paraphilia.html

Paraphilia is a natural formation that connects certain acts or objects to sexual pleasure. There are many different subcategories such as fetishism, sadomasochism, voyeurism, and pedophilia. It is unknown exactly what causes a person to develop a paraphilia though links have been made to early stages of life and to the presence of a recurring object, imagery, or experience during sexual gratification. It occurs more often in males than in females, which leads some to believe that a higher level of testosterone makes a person more prone to developing a condition. A paraphilia is not considered when dealing with people who like to experiment or people that enjoy different methods of sexual gratification from time to time, such as dirty talk. A condition develops when a person must experience a certain fetish in order to orgasm or to even be aroused sexually. They depend on it and enjoy it to the extent that considering giving it up is blasphemous. As long as they are not ordered to seek treatment or are encouraged to seek it, then these people continue to go through the same motions. Some treatments have been utilized in deterring paraphilia such as, behavioral modification, hypnosis, and the use of antiandrogens. The antiandrogen drug works by lowering the testosterone levels, which drops the libido to a lower drive and also obstructs constant mental fantasies of sexual situations.

1-19-09 Artist: Larry Sultan

Larry Sultan is a Northern California based photographer who studied at the San Francisco Art Institute. From 1998 to 2003, Sultan worked with an ongoing project entitled "The Valley." This project centered around the San Fernando Valley where eighty percent of adult films in the industry are created. While following a porn star around for a job, Sultan became interested in the juxtaposition of sweaty stars engaging in sex against the middle class suburban homes decorated in family portraits and heirlooms. Rather than focus on the sexual acts present on these sets, Sultan searches for the moments in between takes or scenes where the actors are taking a breather. Some of his most powerful images show the actor staring off into the distance in the midst of lighting and boom equipment in the middle of someone's house in San Fernando Valley. He combines the elements of mundane and eroticism, which leads to the idea that there is a mystery under every facade.

Artist Website:(closest I could find) http://www.artnet.com/artist/715050/larry-sultan.html

Gallery: http://www.sfmoma.org/exhibitions/168

Artist Interview: http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/4aa/4aa422.htm