Archive
Debbie Park
Research Studio I
The Archive
Sept. 23, 2012
Hal Foster presents and argues the idea that archival art has a different characteristic and function from other similar practices. His most iterated point is that archival artists, “seeks to make historical information, often lost or displaced, physically present”. Foster also further explains this statement as archival work to be, “factual yet fictive, public yet private”, insinuating that these artists can not only physically present their ideas but can do so in a connection of the disconnected. Which leaves the artist with much to work with in terms of material and in their mission of what they want to represent.
One artist that is mentioned by Foster and can be characterized with his idea is, Mark Dion. Dion, like many other archival artists, presents his artwork with forms that do not necessarily correspond to one another but manages to draw the connection between them. Mark Dion specifically fascinated with not so much nature, but the idea of it and the history that it holds. Mark Dion created a sculptural piece, “Monument to the Birds of Puffin Island” where unlike tradition taxidermy that tries to preserve and present the species in an ideal way, the animals, which happen to be rat in his piece are grotesque, tarred, dead and hanging from a tree. This makes them appear like criminals that were lynched and then tarred to warn the people of punishment. Although taxidermy and lynching have no connection, Dion brilliantly captures history and his message in all of the elements he chose to use. The taxidermy of the rats almost directly insinuates the extinction of an animal because it is primarily used in museums to preserve animals to show to further generations. However, the animal in which he is trying to show the extinction of is not the rat but the birds of Puffin Island. The title of the piece itself and the rats used and hung in a very grotesque manner, tells the viewer that the rats
Research Studio I
The Archive
Sept. 23, 2012
Hal Foster presents and argues the idea that archival art has a different characteristic and function from other similar practices. His most iterated point is that archival artists, “seeks to make historical information, often lost or displaced, physically present”. Foster also further explains this statement as archival work to be, “factual yet fictive, public yet private”, insinuating that these artists can not only physically present their ideas but can do so in a connection of the disconnected. Which leaves the artist with much to work with in terms of material and in their mission of what they want to represent.
One artist that is mentioned by Foster and can be characterized with his idea is, Mark Dion. Dion, like many other archival artists, presents his artwork with forms that do not necessarily correspond to one another but manages to draw the connection between them. Mark Dion specifically fascinated with not so much nature, but the idea of it and the history that it holds. Mark Dion created a sculptural piece, “Monument to the Birds of Puffin Island” where unlike tradition taxidermy that tries to preserve and present the species in an ideal way, the animals, which happen to be rat in his piece are grotesque, tarred, dead and hanging from a tree. This makes them appear like criminals that were lynched and then tarred to warn the people of punishment. Although taxidermy and lynching have no connection, Dion brilliantly captures history and his message in all of the elements he chose to use. The taxidermy of the rats almost directly insinuates the extinction of an animal because it is primarily used in museums to preserve animals to show to further generations. However, the animal in which he is trying to show the extinction of is not the rat but the birds of Puffin Island. The title of the piece itself and the rats used and hung in a very grotesque manner, tells the viewer that the rats