Compassion in the Arts

I watched an Art21 video entitled Compassion, which focused on artists William Kentridge, Carrie Mae Weems, and Doris Salcedo. The video covers each artist's artworks and how they explore conscious and the possibility of understanding and reconciling past and present while exposing injustice and expressing tolerance of others.

Video Link: https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s5/compassion/, 54:09

William Kentridge

Kentridge is the first artist featured in the video. He discusses how he used to make charcoal drawings, but he wanted to get away from artworks that would be displayed in galleries. He wanted to do something for his own interest and pleasure. As a result, Kentridge incorporated his charcoal drawings into animations. To him, it did not matter if his animations were confusing because he was not selling them to anyone. Films opened up a new door as he realized that it was possible to make film without a script. He realized that if one works conscientiously and hard at their work, and there is something inside of them that is of interest, that is what will come out. They will be fulfilled. In his later works, such as I am not me, the horse in not mine, he demonstrates the animating process and how he incorporates himself into his animations (16:45 to 21:12 in the video). I thought this process was really interesting. He takes footage of himself walking in different positions, then places pieces of paper that make up the shape of a horse on top of the footage of himself, then takes multiple photos of it. This makes the viewer not understand that he has changed the medium. There is an uncertainty of what he has done, so when viewers look at it they recognize something as it appears (recognizing that eight pieces of paper make up a horse). I think it is good that he does what he wants to do with his artwork without worrying what others think as long as he is fulfilled. In doing this, viewers may not understand the work right away, but they are encouraged to use their senses to make flat image become an image with dimension.

Video Clip: I am not me, the horse is not mine

Willian Kentridge, I am not me, the horse is not mine, 2008, installation, 6 minute animation

Carrie Mae Weems

Weems discusses some of her artworks and how they have to do with her wanting to understand something about her nature, her voice, and where she came from. After she left her home at the age of sixteen, Weems made her way to San Francisco where she was introduced to photography. She used photography to create a series of recreations that revolved around the idea of 1968. This project came from her being inspired by photographs of the Birmingham riots, which she wanted to bring to life. She became interested in knowing her history and how we have arrived at our current state. In order to see how we have come to where we are now, Weems has made several photographic series that look at the drama and sadness of history over the last forty years. These photographic histories explain how people like Obama are able to be in the position they are now. It would not have happened without our history. Weems also let Birmingham students participate in the photographs. I thought this was amazing. Students involved in the photographic recreations were able to learn about histories they were not aware of. They also had to research the topics that were being recreated, which I thought was very crucial. One student stated that when recreating the Kent State shooting in Suspended Belief, Weems's explanation of the history evoked emotion in her. This made the photo more realistic. It is also an interesting choice that Weems kept all the lighting and photography set up in the compositions to show that they are constructed. This project is very educational as it teaches histories and connects the students with stories that are larger than them. She also uses the student's bodies to express the stories in a very effective way.

Carrie Mae Weems, Suspended Belief, 2008, archival pigment print

Doris Salcedo 

Salcedo's work is based on other people's experiences, primarily the experiences of victims or defeated people in third world countries. She describes her work as impotent since she feels like she cannot do anything the prevent or fix problems. She feels that she lacks the power to do so. I thought this was a very interesting way to perceive the art. She uses a minimalist format to display domestic furniture and objects that allude to the disappeared like in Unland: irreversible witness. This features furniture that looks broken, but is somehow held together. It represents the families of victims whose lives must go on without their loved ones. Through collective efforts, these works start with a metal base that holds everything in place. Works like this include objects like hair that stand as subtle hints of something that no longer exists. Her description of incorporating hair into her pieces is particularly fascinating. When embroidering wood with hair, she thought the process was absurd and a waste of energy, but these absurdities are what show the presence of humans. It represents the waste of life as a result of massacres in Colombia. The hair also acts as testimony to human presence and the fragility of life. Salcedo also uses other personal objects that allude to the victims such as shoes. She believes that the more intimate you get with the objects, the more you can give in a piece, so she limits her resources. I think the use of personal items like hair and shoes is very powerful, and it transforms private pain into a public issue that people will acknowledge.

Doris Salcedo, Unland: irreversible witness, 1995-1998, wood, cloth, metal, and hair

Unland, closeup of hair

I enjoyed this video as it allowed the artists to open up about the significance behind their art. It reveals the different ways we might perceive works, the importance to have knowledge of our histories, and the issues that have taken many lives due to lack of justice. The artworks are more than just something pretty to look at; they impact and educate people in distinct ways. This video would benefit anyone who watches as it covers important themes that are current, including creating works that are made to satisfy the artist and disorient the viewer, harmonizing the past and present by reconnecting with histories, revealing injustices inflicted on thousands of innocent people.