Entartainmentality

Painting can harm your misperception

2012-02-06T02:47:00.000-08:00

Painting can harm your misperception (Ralf Kwaaknijd, digital work, 2012, click for enlargement)

Conceptual art is so easy it sucks. If you want to be impressed by seemingly deep meanings, please buy the above work while it's still available. Don't interpret this work as advice to start painting. Painting is horribly difficult. Any artist still painting is rather outdated, and anyway, misperception is what makes the world go round.

Flamingo Man

2009-11-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

Flamingo Man (Ralf Kwaaknijd in collaboration with unknown Nigerian artist; 45 x 10 x 10 cm, wood & flamingo feather, 2009)

I sold the above Flamingo Man to a friend, at a friend's price to help inspire him in his new studio.

I had to explain it to him, though, because he first questioned me about it, thinking it to be "Art appropriation taken too far, an extra theft, on top of the already physical theft of an enormous amount of african art by western collectors. And in fact a theft of a worse kind. Because you also claim the artistic credit, one would say the one inappropriatable element left the original artist."

So let me post my reply here:

Dear Frank, you still don't get it do you? Flamingo man is precisely a statement about the theft of art from the `primitive' cultures - so `primitive' that Picasso, Giacometti, you name it, all took their forms and ideas and became famous with them.

Apart from the purely visual beauty of Flamingo Man (you will have to admit that the feather is transformative!) I wished to demonstrate that one can steal easily from the unknown `tribal' artist. (S)he cannot protect her/himself. One buys a sculpture, and the material possession opens up a can of worms of artist's rights' infringements.
Perhaps you will recall the utterly shaming history of the song the lion sleeps tonight? Please look it up to see what I mean (I even saw an American performer claiming it as his own in some historic footage, but I don't recall precisely where).

Yet, Flamingo Man can actually help by drawing attention to this, I feel. So yes, you are right, appropriation a step too far, that is precisely the idea. But I do not wish to profit from it. And since I appreciate you taking the time to really reflect on my work, if you wish I will sell it to you for the price that I paid for the sculpture, the flamingo feather you get for free.

This way you can own a real Kwaaknijd, and maybe reappropriate it!

Kind regards, Ralf

(What is art appropriation? Wikipedia:

In the [(visual arts)], to appropriate something means adopting, borrowing, recycling or sampling aspects (or the entire form) of man made visual culture. The Oxford English Dictionary defines appropriation in relation to art as 'the practice or technique of reworking the images or styles contained in earlier works of art, esp. (in later use) in order to provoke critical re-evaluation of well-known pieces by presenting them in new contexts, or to challenge notions of individual creativity or authenticity in art.". The term appropriation refers to the use of borrowed elements in the creation of a new work (as in 'the artist uses appropriation') or refers to the new work itself (as in 'this is a piece of appropriation art'). The artist who uses appropriation may borrow image, sound, objects, forms or styles from art history or [(popular culture)] or other aspects of man made visual culture. Inherent in the process of appropriation is the fact that the new work recontextualizes whatever it borrows to create the new work. In most cases the original 'thing' remains accessible as the original, without change.

)

Hardly Abstract Forest Dunescape

2009-11-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

My, goodness gracious, how lax I've been in keeping up this blog. Painting is a harsh mistress. Happy to show you the result though:

Hardly Abstract Forest Dunescape I (own work, 200 x 260 cm * acrylic and mixed media * 2009)

After the experimental thread on diminishing size and contra-indicative abstractification in the Dunescape series, I decided to return to painting from the basic -though pretty much obsolete, philosophically speaking- figurative perspective. Sometimes old flasks need to be replenished before new frontiers can be crossed, so to say.

This outdated approach I deemed to work best with the exaggerated sizes that are still so prevalent in the modern musea. So there. Gagosian immediately expressed an interest, but the work is not for sale, since later generations will no doubt ridicule it as traditionalist cliché. Nonetheless, some cliché is necessary in any art work, or it becomes unrecognizable as such (like demonstrated in the Hidden in Plain Sight series).

I'm considering donating this work for a charity auction.

Abstract Dunescape ii (Sold)

2009-01-31T15:45:00.000-08:00

Abstract Dunescape i (own work, 8 x 10 cm * mixed media * 2009)

The abstractification in the Dunescape series is taken a step further. Bold, decisive strokes. Challenging our perception of what is landscape, what is manmade pattern, what is abstract?

This work has been sold and is currently unavailable for art investors.

Semi-abstract Dunescape i and ii

2009-01-31T15:28:00.000-08:00

Semi-abstract Dunescape ii (own work, 8 x 11 cm * mixed media * 2008)

The Dunescape series is a quintessential ingredient in the reunification of abstract expressionism with earlier landscape traditions. Above we see the first halfway abstractification in the same postpostmodernly deprecating size, below the second

Semi-abstract Dunescape ii (own work, 8 x 10 cm * mixed media * 2009)

I repeat from the earlier Dunescape post:

To emphasize the stampcollectorality of the current art world, I'm putting up a particularly fine selection from the Dunescape series. Each can be acquired for a mere €5000. However, the entire lot of 4 Dunescapes will be sold for €19995. Art investors, this is a unique opportunity to add a real Kwaaknijd to your collection. There are only a few Dunescapes out there, and most owners aren't selling any time soon. This offer ends 1 March 2009, so don't hesitate too long.

The Dunescape series will be continued in later posts, without the sales opportunity.

The Last Supper sponsored by Bertolli

2009-01-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

The Last Supper sponsored by Bertolli (own work, 10 x 15 cm * mixed media * 2009)

My latest entry in the fantastic Saatchi online Showdown!!! (Rating so far: 6.65 out of 10, with 650 votes...) accompanied by the following postpostmodern explanation:

We see Christ breaking the bread for his apostles, with a reference to the Mount of Olives.

Upon closer inspection, we see that the table is made up of the Bertolli logo. In fact the whole artwork is created on the cover of a Bertolli margarine container. It raises questions, such as: if the Last Supper was enacted today, would there be live coverage from the media? Would it be sponsored for instance by a large margarine producer, under condition that the bread be buttered in prominent view on TV?

This art work is a postpostmodern critique on postmodernism, both in society and more specifically the contemporary art scene. Once again, the size is deliberately small, to underline the absurdity of the fashionable large sizes in contemporary art. Moreover, the advertising and sponsoring by large commercial players has become a trend for which e.g. a gallery like Saatchi's is not ashamed. Art, religion, money, power, advertising, business...are all increasingly entwined. `Father forgive them for they know not what they do.' Bon appetit!

I came across an interesting related post on Carlo Albertoli's blog my latest supper:

30.6.04
a public utility post
last sunday the monthly food magazine that comes with the observer was completely dedicated to italian food.

i will forgive the fact that it used all those worn out clichés you can expect in these occasions: mafia jokes? check
happy families around table? check
pictures of smiling old peasants? check
tuscan villas? check
"insert_name_of_region" the new tuscany? check
etc..? check

i will forgive the fact that the food of northern italy was completely ignored. there's no way you can paint a complete picture of italian food by ignoring the wealth of flavours and wines that come from piedmont in general and the langhe in particular.
no way.

i will forgive all of the above because nowadays i'm older and wiser and more tolerant.
*much* more tolerant.

what i will not forgive though is that the whole of the issue was sponsored by bertolli, which presents its oil as the quintessentially italian product of a quintessentially italian family run producer of centuries old tradition.

the present owners bought the bertolli *brand* in 1994 from the holding company which owned it. just the brand. not the production plants. not the family estate because it never existed in the first place.

moreover, bertolli only packs and resells oil it buys from various sources: not less than 80% comes from spain, greece, turkey, tunisia ( all the big "italian" brands out there - berio, carapelli, carli, sasso etc.. - do the same).

it's not a scam, it is perfectly legal and perfectly detectable: check the bottle and you will see that it only says "packed in italy".

so, next time you want to buy extra virgin olive oil steer clear from the big italian brands: they just add a premium on the greek oil you find on the same shelf at a cheaper price.

Abstract Dunescape i

2009-01-29T16:01:00.000-08:00

Abstract Dunescape i (own work, 8 x 12 cm * mixed media * 2008)

The abstractification in the Dunescape series is a quintessential ingredient in the reunification of abstract expressionism with earlier landscape traditions. The increased monetary influence on art has made size an important element of contemporary art.

I repeat from the earlier Dunescape post:

To emphasize the stampcollectorality of the current art world, I'm putting up a particularly fine selection from the Dunescape series. Each can be acquired for a mere €5000. However, the entire lot of 4 Dunescapes will be sold for €19995. Art investors, this is a unique opportunity to add a real Kwaaknijd to your collection. There are only a few Dunescapes out there, and most owners aren't selling any time soon. This offer ends 1 March 2009, so don't hesitate too long.

More Dunescape series in the coming posts.

Man Woman 2 in the Saatchi Online Gallery

2009-01-24T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I've discovered this wonderful platform for postpostmodernism: the Saatchi Showdown competition!!!!!!!!!

You will be pleased to note that Man Woman 2 received over 659 votes, with an average of 7.04 on a scale of 10 (last time I looked, which was 8 hours before closing).

I had added a nice postpostmodern text, but it seems irretrievably lost after the online election is closed. Perhaps I can reconstruct it a little bit from memory:

Man Woman 2(own work, 4 x 4 x 6 cm * polyethylene and brass on wood * 2009)

`The Man Woman series deconstructs the postmodern belief in sex as raison d'etre. The series also tackles the absurdly large size of contemporary sculpture. In contemporary art, anything can be made into art as long as it is huge. On the purely aesthetic level, the sculpture addresses the ambiguous relation between man and woman: are they locked in struggle or in dance?'

&&&&&

Another picture of the same work:

The Dunescape series 1

2009-01-21T02:37:00.000-08:00

Dunescape with kitchentopppattern(own work, 9 x 12 cm * mixed media * 2009)

To emphasize the stampcollectorality of the current art world, I'm putting up a particularly fine selection from the Dunescape series. Each can be acquired for a mere €5000. However, the entire lot of 4 Dunescapes will be sold for €19995. Art investors, this is a unique opportunity to add a real Kwaaknijd to your collection. There are only a few Dunescapes out there, and most owners aren't selling any time soon. This offer ends 1 March 2009, so don't hesitate too long.

More on the Dunescape series in the coming posts, although I must first comment on a recent entry of mine in the Saatchi online `showdown'.

Series: the stamp collector's only way to understand contemporary art

2009-01-11T15:38:00.001-08:00

My work comes in series. Experience has taught me that the general public, as well as art experts, cannot estimate art outside of the stamp collector's perspective. Art in series is more readily understood, appreciated, collected and marketable.

The Mondrianification series

2009-01-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

Mondrianification of Train Window (own work, 100 x 140 cm * mixed media * 2008)

Mondrianification of Tennis Timetable (Own work, 100 x 140 cm * mixed media * 2008)

Mondrianify your life. See Him everywhere. Such is the influence of a Great Artist on our times. Piet Mondriaan did not just paint bare stripes and rectangles in primary colours...no, He changed our concept and perception of rectangularity and balance, brought it on a Zen level. In honour of this great achievement, I have started the Mondrianification series.

Welcome all to postpostmodernism

2009-01-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to all.

This blog will soon launch a series of posts and art works related to postpostmodernism.

This will mainly be a lot of yadiyadiya, pimped up and ready for marketing. Keep your credit card ready if you want to make a quick buick out of contemporary art.

Enjoy the deconstruction of postmodernism!

Ralf