Micheal Landy Lecture at UCS.
The idea that Landy’s works were a response to situations of everyday life, the appropriation of materials that were familiar, was interesting as it drew attention to and highlighted his skills at communicating on social issues through the everyday of life.
I particularly liked the concept behind Scrap Heap Services, 1993 as it was making a statement about how certain groups within society (in the Thatcher era) were deemed ‘lesser than’ and therefore considered despensable…hence Landys thousands of cut out figures!! to be swept away.
Micheal Landy’s famous Breakdown, 2001 was about the destruction of his ‘worldly goods’ The concept here based around society’s consumer culture… as Landy said “Commodity is an ideology made material.” Landy. It was interesting to hear how the public responded to him by offering him ‘things’. Which emphasised his point of how intrinsicley linked our society is to material possession and that they provide artifcial elevation to personal value and self esteem
The idea of commodification somehow relates/links in with my recent concepts concerning how via T.V./media we watch nature programs rather than actualy experiencing nature in reality…TV positioning the viewer into a passive role, and disconnected from actual reality. this was discussed in blog – 37 on the 23rd March.
I really liked the ideas and actual reality of the Acts of Kindness, 2011 a project connecting people with people through acts of kindness. It reminded me of Nicholas Bourriauds writings in Relational Aesthetics and Guy Debourd’s ideals that were about expressing art in the everyday of life. Acts of Kindness is quite revolutionary as it connects people with people and I LIKE THAT! its a step towards ‘no man as an island’ J. Donne.
