Sunday 4 May 2014

Performative documents


Exercise 33 - view the video on Hasan and Husain Essop at the V&A exhibition Figures and Fictions and write a short reflective commentary.

Their work is very personal, close to home, clever art work cleverly choreographed - simple, but well conceived images that work on multiple levels.

I found it very interesting listening to the twins as they talked about their spacial awareness of each other as they were developing/building their multiple frame images - knowing instinctively where one twin finished and the other twin began.

Another interesting remark was about the lack of any artwork on the walls as they were growing up - living in a very sterile environment. I wondered if this is one of the reasons why they both chose art, photography in particular, as a medium that enabled them an immediate form of artistic communication? Also their subject matter is very controversial, is this another form of defiance as well as rebellion?

Regardless of the reasons, I particularly like their Coke Cola photograph. The sun bouncing off the white robes intensifies the heat of the images and makes the viewer wish for a cold glass of Coke. Plus, the arrangement of the 'people' looks as they are actually worshipping the Coke Cola sign!

http://www.artthrob.co.za/09apr/images/essop02a.jpg
Hasan and Husain Essop
Thornton Road 2008

 References:
Victoria and Albert Museum - Figures and Fictions

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