GLOBAL CONTEMPORARY 1980 CE - Present

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS  Characterized by a transcendence of conceptions of art and is supported by technological developments & global awareness  Materials, tools, function, style, and presentation are challenged  Artists frequently use appropriation and “mashups” to devalue or revalue culturally sacred objects  Iconic buildings become a sought-after trademark for cities

THE GATES CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK CITY CHRISTO & JEAN CLAUDE CE - MIXED MEDIA INSTALLATION 7,305 “gates” of free hanging saffron colored fabric panels Framed all the pathways in Central Park, NYC 16ft tall gates forming a continuous river of color Covered 23 miles of footpaths Left up for 16 days After closed, all the materials were recycled

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL WASHINGTON DC MAYA LIN 1982 CE - GRANITE V-Shaped monument cut into the earth with 60,000 casualties of the Vietnam War listed in the order they were killed or reported missing One arm of monument points to Lincoln Memorial the other to Washington Monument Black granite is reflective so viewers can see themselves in the names of the veterans, somber color. Strongly influenced by Minimalist movement

HORN PLAYERS JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT 1983 – ACRYLIC & OIL PAINTSTICK ON 3 CANVAS PANELS Basquiat rebelled against the middle class upbringing he was born into Traditional forms : Triptych, canvas, oil paint Influence of graffiti art Gloriofies African-American musicians: salutes Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie Focus on contrast & juxtaposition Words attributed to musicians misspelled, reference to Charlie “the bird” Parker

SUMMER TREES SONG SU-NAM 1983 – INK ON PAPER Korean Artist using traditional ink on paper Large vertical lines of varying thickness Tonal variations of ink wash Leader of the “Sumukhwa” ink painting in the 1980’s Traditional form of expression in Korea, revitalizes ink painting in a modern context

ANDROGYNE III MAGDELENA ABAKANOWICZ 1985 – BURLAP, RESIN, WOOD, NAILS & STRING Artist often makes figures without heads/arms Stretcher of wood substitutes human legs Figure is hollowed out, just a shell, hardened fiber cast from plaster molds, space is as important as mass Placed to be seen “in the round” Alludes to the brutality of war Artist witnessed mothers arm shot off during WWII

A BOOK FROM THE SKY XU BING – MIXED MEDIA INSTALLATION 400 handmade books placed in rows on the ground One walks beneath the 50 printed scrolls which hang from the ceiling Uses traditional Asian wood block techniques Many of the Chinese characters are of the artists invention, have no meaning Chinese gov’t did not appreciate the work, claimed it had secret subversions (attempt to change the established social order)

PINK PANTHER JEFF KOONS 1988 CE GLAZED PORCELAIN Commentary on celebrity romance, sexuality, commercialism, stereotypes, pop culture and sentimentality Idealized female, overly blonde, red lips, large breasts, red fingernails, overtly fake Life-Sized Kitsch - Art considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garnishes Woman is Jayne Mansfield, a popular screen star

UNTITLED (#228), FROM THE HISTORY PORTRAITS SERIES CINDY SHERMAN PHOTOGRAPH NJ Born Artist Artist appears as photographer, subject, costumer, hairdresser, and makeup artist in each work Comments on gender, identity, society, class distinction Sheds a modern light on great masters This image explores Salome decapitating St. John the Baptist

DANCING AT THE LOUVRE, FROM THE SERIES THE FRENCH COLLECTION, PART I; #1 FAITH RINGGOLD 1991 – ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, TIE-DYED, PIECED FABRIC BORDER NY Born Artist uses American slave art form of the quilt to create her works Quilts are meant to be both beautiful and useful Seen as a traditionally female art form Combines use of paint with quilting Feminist issues dominate Character in quilt takes her friend and 3 daughters to Louvre and dances in front of 3 DaVinci paintings.

TRADE (GIFTS FOR TRADING LAND WITH WHITE PEOPLE) JAUNE QUICK-TO-SEE-SMITH 1992 – OIL & MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS Member of the Salish and Kootenai American Indian tribes Work meant as the “Quincentary (500 th ) Non-Celebration” of European occupation of North America Collage elements and abstract expressionist brush- work Red paint symbolic of bloodshed Newspaper clippings, images of conquest, placed all over Objects grimly mock Indian culture in the eyes of Europeans

EARTH’S CREATION EMILY KAME KNGWARREYE 1994 – SYNTHETIC POLYMER PAINT ON CANVAS Australian aborigine artist Simulates the color and lushness of “green time” in Australia after the rains Dump-dot technique using the brush to pound the color into the canvas and create layers of color and movement 4 panels – 11 meters wide

REBELLIOUS SILENCE, FROM THE WOMEN OF ALLAH SERIES SHIRIN NESHAT (ARTIST) PHOTO BY CYNTHIA PRESTON 1994 – INK ON PHOTOGRAPH Iranian born, raised in US Chador garment keeps women’s bodies from being seen as sexual objects Poem on face is written in Farsi, Persian language; poem expresses piety (religious devotion) Poem is by Iranian woman who writes poetry on gender issues Gun divides into light and dark, adds ominous tension Could be viewed as obedient right-minded woman who is ready to die defending her faith and customs

EN LA BARBERIA NO SE LLORA (NO CRYING ALLOWED IN THE BARBERSHOP) PEPON OSORIO 1994 – MIXED MEDIA INSTALLATION Installation centering on Latino Male Culture: barbershop Challenges viewer to question issues of identity, masculinity, culture “No crying allowed” Photos of Latino men on walls Video screen on headrests play men playing, baby being circumcised, and men crying Kitsch items everywhere as symbols of consumer culture

PISUPO LUA AFE (CORNED BEEF) MICHEL TUFFERY 1994 – MIXED MEDIA Interest in Polynesian heritage Life-sized sculpture of a bull made from corned beef cans Favorite food in Polynesia, exported from New Zealand Canned meat given as gifts on special occasions Major contributor to obesity Caused a fall in traditional skills of fishing, cooking, and agriculture

ELECTRONIC SUPERHIGHWAY NAM JUNE PAIK 1995 CE – MIXED MEDIA INSTALLATION (49-CHANNEL CLOSED-CIRCUIT VIDEO INSTALLATION NEON, STEEL, AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS) Neon lighting outlines 50 states (Alaska & Hawaii on side walls) A camera is turned on the spectator and its TV feed appears in the NY monitors, turning the spectator into a participant in the artwork Neon outlines symbolize maps, fascinations with the interstate highway Paik was intrigued by maps & travel as part of the American experience Neon is also symbolic of motel & restaurant signs Other works in this unit that use new media: Bill Viola, The Crossing Kara Walker, Darkytown Rebellion Mariko Mori, Pure Land

THE CROSSING BILL VIOLA 1996 – VIDEO/SOUND INSTALLATION hTnEhttps:// hTnE  Watch: The Crossing Promoted video as an art form A total environment, entire room dedicated to watching One side a figure approaches, as he stops a flame engulfs him & he disappears Other side a figure slowly walks toward us, and is doused with water, turning into a raging torrent, as it slows, he is gone Implied cycle of purification and destruction

GUGGENHEIM MUESEUM BILBOA, SPAIN FRANK GEHRY 1997 – TITANIUM, GLASS & LIMESTONE Swirling forms and shapes contrast with the industrial landscape of Bilboa From the riverside, the building resembles a boat, referencing Bilboa’s past as a shipping and commercial center Exterior gives no hint as to interior spaces

PURE LAND MARIKO MORI 1998 – COLOR PHOTOGRAPH ON GLASS Creative interpretation of traditional Japanese art forms Romanticized views of popular culture Mori herself appears as if in a vision in the guise of Heian deity Kichijoten Kichijoten is the essence of beauty and harbinger of prosperity Holds a wish granting jewel Animated figures of aliens play musical instruments on clouds Merges consumerism with traditional Japanese imagery

LYING WITH THE WOLF KIKI SMITH 2001 – INK AND PENCIL ON PAPER Theme of work is human body Large wrinkled drawing, pinned to a wall Female strength emphasized in woman lying down with a wild beast Wolf is tamed by her embrace Wolf seen as traditionally evil or dangerous, but not here.

DARKYTOWN REBELLION KARA WALKER 2001 – CUT PAPER AND PROJECTION ON WALL Draws images in white crayon/pencil on large pieces of black paper, cuts with knife Images adhered to wall with wax Traditional silhouette forms Projectors throw colored light onto walls, ceiling & floor Shadows of viewers body mingle with the imagery Exploration of African American antebellum (pre civil war) Viewer becomes part of history

THE SWING (AFTER FRAGONARD) YINKA SHONIBARE 2001 – MIXED MEDIA INSTALLATION Inspired by Fragonard’s The Swing Life-Sized headless mannequin Dress made of African print fabric Flowering vines cast onto the floor 2 men from Fragonard painting are not included, audience takes place of the men (voyeurism) Headless figure was guillotined by the French Revolution

OLD MAN’S CLOTH EL ANATSUI 2003 – ALUMINUM AND COPPER WIRE 1000 drink tops joined together by wire to form a cloth-like hanging Bottle caps from a distillery in Nigeria Converting found materials into a new type of media that is somewhere between painting & sculpture Colorful textures are related to West African textiles Combines elements of his home country, Ghana with global abstraction

STADIA II JULIE MEHRETU 2004 – INK & ACRYLIC ON CANVAS Although abstract, title alludes to meaning Stylized rendering of stadium architecture Forms suggest movement, excitement, frenzy Multiple layers of lines create depth, focus attention around central core from which all colors, shapes and symbols resonate

PREYING MANTRA WANGECHI MUTU 2006 – MIXED MEDIA ON MYLAR Collaged female figures composed of human, animal, object & machine parts Commentary on the female persona in art history Reclines in a relaxed position Green snake interlocks with her fingers, bird feathers in the back of the head Left ear lobe has chicken feet, insect legs, and pinchers Ironic twist on the praying mantis

SHIBBOLETH DORIS SALCEDO INSTALLATION Installation features a large crack that begins as a hairline and then widens to 2 feet in depth Floor of museum was opened and a cast of Colombian rock faces was inserted Interaction between sculpture and space Shibboleth: a word or custom that a person not familiar with a language may mispronounce; used to identify foreigners Crack emphasizes the gap in relationships References racism, keeping people away Now sealed over, represents a scar, commemorating life of underclasses

MAXXI NATIONAL MUSEUM OF XX1 CENTURY ARTS ROME, ITALY ZAHA HADID (ARCHITECT) 2009 – GLASS, STEEL & CEMENT 2 museums, library, auditorium and cafeteria Internal spaces covered by a glass roof, natural light admitted into interior Walls flow & melt into one another

KUI HUA ZI (SUNFLOWER SEEDS) AI WEIWEI SCULPTED AND PAINTED PORCELAIN Installation containing millions of individually handcrafted ceramic pieces resembling sunflower seeds Symbolically represent an ocean of fathomless depth 600 artisans worked for 2 years, each seed is hand- painted Sunflower seeds were eaten as a source of food during the famine era Ideology of Chairman Mao: he was the sun, his followers were the seeds Viewing is limited to sidelines, as when it is walked on it raised harmful ceramic dust