Methodology/ Interpretation: Eco & Shrigley 3

Eco & Shrigley

In Umberto Eco’s, Travels in Hyperreality, he uses hyperreality to explain the logical point of view for humans. To Eco, art has double meanings, which means that one can only see what is on the surface. Shrigley incorporates this idea into his own work. He attempts to make pieces that allow both the irrational and obvious to be a part of his work. The obvious is the work itself, the illogical comes from the interpretation of the work, or according to Barthes, the “Text”. In Shrigley’s, You Don’t Know Who I Am, the obvious message is that of the letters on the paper, “You do not know who I am, you do not know what I want.” The viewer merely must read the paper to get the basic idea of what the piece is about. However, the unfounded, interpreted message can be different to each viewer, but regardless is more profound than the obvious message.
Shrigley's ability to replicate objects and ideas is also important to note. Although this reproductions are similar in nature, the essence of them is ironic and meaningful. Shrigley makes copies but adds his own style to each one. An uneducated viewer may not be able to distinguish between what is just a replication and what is Shrigley's own touch. Eco covered this when he talked about the Flagler house. He describes the home as a perfect reproduction and almost hard to decipher between the fake and the original. However, Eco also adds that while the "naive visitor" may have an illusion of absolute reality, those who choose to "decipher the panels and the flattening of real against fake and the old on the modern" will see the difference (10).

Eco, Umberto. Travels in Hyperreality: Essays. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1986. 4-7.

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Methodology/ Interpretation: Benjamin & Shrigley 2

Benjamin & Shrigley

Benjamin looks at the levels of meaning in a work similarly to Barthes. He uses the analogies of painter and cameraman to portray his idea. Benjamin feels that the painter must maintain a distance between him and reality in order to see the “total picture”. The cameraman, however, is able to see reality directly and therefore must collage multiple fragments. While the painter must interpret his idea of reality, the cameraman is shown reality head on (XI, Benjamin). In David Shrigley’s piece, I’m Dead, the literal message is clear. One only has to look at the piece to see that it features a dead cat holding a sign that reads, “I’m Dead”. The literal view is that of the “cameraman”, or one who sees the reality of the piece directly. As Barthes said, the work as a whole shows only the literal message, not the deeper, indirect message. One must look deeper, or as a “painter” to see this message. By interpreting the work, the viewer can see the whole picture or the overall idea. The topics Shrigley in his occasionally cynical and darkly humorous pieces range from music, art, politics, religion, and life. If the viewer is able to read past the obvious work, they can see that Shrigley reveals his own identity and his views on the world.

Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." 18 Sept. 2008.

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Andy Warhol Museum Visit

Going to the Warhol museum was something I had been looking forward to doing for a long time. I find his style of work, "Pop Art", to be intriguing because of the way it commercialized every day products. Having learned a bit about Warhol in my Contemporary Art class, I thought I would be prepared for what I would see at the museum. Instead I was completely blown away by the larger than life pieces that defined the phrase, "mass production".

Five pieces in particular interested me:

1.) Silver Clouds: This piece consists of a room filled with silver helium balloons that move with the air currents. This dynamic installation creates a blissful environment that is full of movement. What is so different about this piece is that it is capable of interaction with the viewer. Not only can the balloons explore the space of the room freely but they are able to be touched by the viewer.

2.) Flowers: This series of different sized and colored flowers was featured throughout the museum. The one thing each piece shared in common was four large hibiscus flowers on top of what appears to be a background of grass. Each piece had a different color scheme that featured varying solid colored flowers. This piece appealed to me because of its design aspect and its ability to be easy replicated and mass produced.

3.) Typewriter: This piece, that features an ordinary typewriter, interested me because of its simplicity. The work appears to be unfinished; half of the typewriter is painted on the canvas while the rest is only sketched in pencil. This creative approach to answering the question, "What makes something art?" is highly appealing to anyone who has pondered this question before. I myself often ask myself why something is seen as more artistic than others and Andy Warhol attempts to answer this question. He does this by pushing the boundaries between everyday object and work of art.

4.) Frog: One of my favorite pieces, Frog features a contoured line drawn frog with this outline done in white and its body colored red, yellow, and green. The bright colors of the frog contrasted with the dark background and made the frog stand out as a focal point. The messy lines and the fact that the colors were not kept in the lines gave the piece a childlike quality.

5.) Moon Explorer: Created as part of a children's exhibit, this piece features a robot looking creature drawn with childlike ease and the words "moon explorer" on either side. The complimentary colors used in this piece interested me and I felt that they really helped make the piece appear to have a 3D aspect. The childlike lines of the robot and the lettering made me reminiscent of my own childhood.

Methodology/ Interpretation: Barthes & Shrigley 1

Barthes & Shrigley

In Barthes, From Work to Text, he describes two different levels of meaning between the text and the actual piece of work; literal and concealed. According to Barthes, text cannot be contained into one specific genre; it transcends literature. For example, when reading a work, despite the topic, one can analyze other things such as the creation of culture as an object of study. The text is the principles and the ideas behind the work while the work is concrete. The work can be seen as literal while the text can be interpreted (158). This idea of the work being artificial, while the text is more organic is portrayed in David Shrigley's work. Shrigley creates ironic works of art that force the viewer to search for a deeper message. Although his work may seem very literal and direct, it is only a window through which to view a deeper, more profound message. In Shrigley's work there exists an insight on the various aspects of culture and humanity.
As Barthes said, "the work-in the best of cases-is moderately symbolic; the Text is radically symbolic: a work conceived, perceived and received in its integrally symbolic nature is a text" (158-159). The text lacks closure; it can be interpreted in a variety of ways. When interpreting a work, the viewer must remember to use critical analysis and to process the work instead of just taking it by its appearence. The work may contain metaphors but the text itself conveys an idea through an overall metaphor (158). This notion is also displayed in David Shrigley's work. The viewer can interpret the messages hidden beneath his work however they like.
In From Work To Text Barthes explains because the author is the creator of the work, respect must be given. In order for the world to know of a work's existance, it must be tied to the author. The text, however,is not directly affliated with the author. It is an interweaving of ideas and a collection of thoughts and if the authors name appears in the text it is an a "guest" (161). T he author's work is open to interpretation and in the case of David Shrigley's work, though he may have an intended message; his work is open to the interpretation of the public.



Barthes, Roland. "From Work to Text." Image Music Text. 1977. 155-64.

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From Work to Text Summary

From Work to Text, Roland Barthes

I. Intro.
A. language has changing over time
1. change is due to current developments in social reforms
- Marxism, psychoanalysis
2. challenges 19th century thiknking that humans are in control with idea of unconscious
mind (id) and not being in control
3. text comes from structuralism
- guiding principle in how we think of the world-unquestionable truth

B. proposition 1
1. the text is not a definitive object
-work is concrete, therefore text is less substantial
2. text is understood differently over time
- text is dynamic and fluid
- work is more static and concrete

C. proposition 2
1. text cant be easily classified
2. text can't be contained into one specific genre-goes beyond literature
- cant analyze other things (culture, etc.)
- creation of culture istelf as an object of study
3. critical analysis
- don't take appearance, process it
4. epistgemology
- framework for knowledge againsgt a particular context of living


D. proposition 3
1. two levels of meaning-literal and concealed (interpretation)
-text is the principles behind the work, the work is the book (actual words, paragraphs)
- book is literal, text is how one interprets it
2. work is "moderately symbolic", text is "radically symbolic"-lacks closure
- work may congtain metaphors but the text itself conveys an idea through an overall
metaphor
- work is artificial, text is more organic
- work is window through which we view text

E. proposition 4
1. text is plural, meaning is spread out
-instead of allowing for interpretation of its meaning, it leads to an "explosion" of
meaning because its composed of a "web of significance" without an "origin or
destination"

F. proposition 5
1. author is a "guest" at the reading of the text
2. text is without a source

G. proposition 6
1. work is object of a consumption
-text narrows the distance btwn reading and writing by replacing consumption with
collaborative reading
- difficulty comes when one attempts to consume text in a traditional sense-then it
becomes "unreadable" and boring

H. proposition 7
1. pleasure of consumption
- losing oneself in pleasure of reading text literally as a story
2. text should be nothing other than text, not to be taken literally
-all text can do is let someone read what it is saying, if taken literally it is a story



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In Class Writing #5/ IP #1

America’s obsession with materialism and the demand for what is “better” and “new” is evident in the exhibit, Life on Mars. The artist must portray this modern culture by duplicating what is real. Throughout the exhibit the theme of consumerism was displayed. The demand for “the real thing” and more of it was a common theme (7). For example, in Thomas Hirschhorn’s Cavemanman, he interprets his ideas of politics and American materialism by creating his own literal cave that celebrates and preserves modern culture. As Umberto Eco writes, “the past must be preserved and celebrated in full-scale authentic copy” (6). By recreating the replica of something, one is able to fully appreciate and observe it in its entirety. Eco also remarked on how the environment an artwork is observed in could change the context of how it is interpreted (4). For example, the foreign artists that participated in this exhibit may have interpreted the meaning of Life on Mars differently than a viewer from America may have. This could be because they have a broader sense of the world. As a viewer, I personally tend to be closed minded when it comes to how I view the world around me. One must remember that although others analysis of something may be different than theirs; it does not mean its wrong.

Eco, Umberto. Travels in Hyperreality: Essays. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1986. 4-7.

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