ICA: R. Crumb's Underground

Edith Newhall writes of the Robert Crumb show at the University of the Arts’ Rosenwald-Wolf gallery in February 2007:

            “Even 10 years ago, long after it had been turning up in galleries in major American             cities and in Europe, comic art as “art” was still hard to sell. If it was art, purists           reasoned, then all commercial art should be reconsidered for loftier status. Nothing that             drastic has happened yet. But comic artists- the darker the better - are increasingly visible in gallery and museum exhibitions. Case in point: Robert Crumb.” “Crumb gets his due in Phila.”, Philadelphia Inquirer (February 2, 2007)

Close to one year later, R. Crumb’s work is back in Philadelphia, this time at the Institute of Contemporary Art. R. “Crumb’s Underground”, curated by Todd Hignite, contains a selection of more than 100 works throughout the comic book artist’s five-decade career. R. Crumb’s “low-art” comics are framed and presented as “fine art”. Loaded with sex, commercialism, and adult social satire, Crumb’s drawings are perverse and guiltily entertaining.

            The show features an array of characters from Crumb’s own Zap Comix and Philadelphia based comic series Yarrowstalk. “ Crumb’s tales of funny animals and misguided souls seeking enlightenment (including Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural, Devil Girl, and his most enduring character, R. Crumb) vibrate with libidinal obsessions, feminist empowerment, racial tension, counterculture paranoia, government repression, and big-business commodification—the hustles and bustles hidden beneath the American dream” (ICA R. Crumb’s Underground Press Release). The illustrative line qualities within his drawings add to the grunginess of his subject matter and characters. Cross-hatching and dark bold lines allow his figures to pop out of the setting they are placed in. Crumb also pays attention to detail as he leaves little quirky comical bits of information and objects hiding within scenes.

            Crumb’s renderings of large Amazon buxom babes appear throughout his work in all formats. Sexually driven “Devil Girl” not only exists on paper, but also becomes a life-size sculpture. This presentation is confrontational as it breaks away from the framed drawings on the wall into the viewer’s space. Another noteworthy reflection upon the exhibition’s layout and design is Hignite’s conscious decision to arrange Crumb’s erotic drawings below and above eye level. This placement highlights the voyeurism within reading and looking at the drawings. “How to Have Fun With a Strong Girl” (2002) complies with this arrangement. In this work, Crumb depicts himself as a scrawny twerp in multiple stages of trying to mount a powerfully built woman. A feminist’s blood would boil at the sight of his victory over the sleeping conquered conquest. Crumb is open and honest with his sexual fantasies, fearlessly cheeky, and an excruciatingly funny satirist of all things modern and progressively high-minded.

         It was beneficial to see this exhibit in conjunction to viewing the UArt’s collection last year. The selection of works at the University of the Arts presented a subtle, less sexually aroused Crumb. Being able to see both sides to Crumb as a comic book and fine artist was interesting. At a glance, R. Crumb’s works might read as perverted doodles on stained placemats and napkins. Look more closely, and these drawings become subversive witty renderings capturing aspects of the human psyche and society. At times these illustrations are shocking, funny and entertaining. Why? Perhaps there’s hilarity in the truth- things we avoid talking about and Crumb’s need to show it.

R. Crumb: Exhibit Review #2

The top floor of the ICA was dedicated almost entirely to R. Crumb's Underground, a show that focused on his comics drawn from the 60s to the present that dealt specifically with, as the catalogue puts it, "social satire, sex, blues and jazz music, mind-altering substances, autobiography, and biography." Perhaps I will betray myself by this observation, but it seemed as though a particular type of woman dominated the exhibit.  In fact, I noticed almost nothing else.  (Freud, shut up!)  His comics depicted this Amazon in various incarnations, and a sculpture of her in a sexual contortion loomed in the entrance to the second room.  In a series of twelve drawings, entitled, "How to Have Fun with a Strong Girl," R. Crumb himself, a scrawny, freckled, bespectacled little man, wrangles with a woman of epic proportions. Crumb, after maintaining his control throughout the grueling encounter, finally succumbs (pun absolutely intentional) once he realizes that his powerful partner has dozed off beneath him.

Because the framed pages are arranged in a grid, the observer must crouch down to read the final row of panels, making it impossible to seem nonchalant or disinterested by the sexual olympics depicted.  This is a very clever decision on the part of the curator.  By placing some of the cartoons well below eye level, the curator insured that those who witness the most graphic of the images make a conscious choice to do so.  I do not mean it protects the prudes--it actually converts them into voyeurs.  How can you be offended by images of R. Crumb cumming if you're the one who knelt down in the first place?

Kate's new artist statement

Please give me feedback!

"My work is a collision between idealism and realism. I am obsessed with translating ordinary objects into unexpected materials. Each sculpture fulfills an impossible function that solves the problems we face when dwelling in reality. As an artist, I suspend disbelief by summoning these contraptions into existence and insisting stubbornly that they actually work."

Stockholder, Herrera, Ritchie, Wilson

This week’s readings and video excerpts highlight various artists’ forms of inspiration, thought processes, and work ethic. Jessica Stockholder, installation artist and sculptor, finds her subject and medium within everyday objects. Arturo Herrera quite similarly sources images from popular media as well as musical arrangements for his abstract collages and video projections.  Also referencing culture of the present and past, Fred Wilson acquires objects from museum collections to create site-specific installations. Applying multimedia and interactive components to his installation art, Matthew Ritchie transfers his imaginative drawings of the universe, mythology, and the natural order of things into elaborate abstract environments.

            All of these artists gather information and inspiration from culture, society, religion and identity. Jessica Stockholder discusses the value of new and old objects in her interview with Klaus Ottoman in the Journal of Contemporary Art. It was peculiar to me that this particular aesthetic in her search for materials was more important than her objects reading as junk. In the art 21video, Stockholder seemed to stress the idea of junk within her work and the importance of the junk’s identity in popular culture. I found her pictorial way of looking at things from a painter’s perspective an interesting application to her installation process. The fusion between each sculpture and their fabricated environment provokes a different mood and interpretation. Stockholder’s approach to installation work revolves around internal logic that develops as she disconnects and conjoins various objects. 

            Arturo Herrera’s collage process is comparable to Stockholder’s installation work. His dissection of magazines, drawings, advertisements, and cartoons form unexpected relationships where there were none before. This abstracting and reworking of an image or multiple images end up producing something new and distinct. Herrera’s manipulation of imagery and experimentation with scale grabbed my attention. His interview with Stephanie Smith highlighting his projection, Les Noces, showcased an interesting way of transferring small-scale collage techniques unto larger formats.

            Along the same parallel as Arturo Herrera, Matthew Ritchie digitally enlarges his drawings to create large installations. These blown up paintings and drawings in their installation state become huge environments that engulf the viewer. His personal narratives of the universe and depictions of symbolic characters are essential to the work. Ritchie is connected to his work through his attempts to represent the entire universe and the structures of knowledge and belief that we use to understand and visualize it.

            Fred Wilson’s heritage and collecting obsession is a key component to his work. His site-specific installations within established museums challenge curatorial practices and organization within collections. His “Duchampian” found-art approach to installations is conceptual and aims to uncover topics that will connect artifacts and historical objects in newfound ways. Wilson’s culture and heritage plays a big role in inspiring his work, which is evident throughout his works that address conflict in racial and cultural identity.

             Jessica Stockholder, Arturo Herrera, Matthew Ritchie, and Fred Wilson are artists that approach structure and installation similarly. Whether it be through the combination of gathering objects to form a new entity, or cutting paper to do the same, these artists show multiple ways of furthering a project outside of its set medium into larger spaces and different presentations.

Artist Series: Ho Suh, Hawkinson, Zittel & Ali

Whether through fabric, gouache, or recycled materials, Do Ho Suh, Tim Hawkinson, Andrea Zittel, and Laylah Ali’s work inform concepts of postmodernism. Rejecting the notion of progress and the idea of the avant-garde, these artists tend to reflect upon the past, eliminate the sense of individualistic identity, and allude to consumer or pop culture.

             Do Ho Suh’s fabric recreations of architecture are far removed from their origins. Though they directly reference personal spaces, they are ghostly and “mute constructions” that show little evidence of the crafter’s hand. This elimination of the artist as “creator” is definitely a postmodern thought.

            Andrea Zittel’s sculptures and installations transform things such as eating, sleeping, bathing, and socializing into artful experiments in living. She directly references consumerism within “A–Z Administrative Services”. Zittel designed this organization to mass-produce homes, furnishings, and vehicles for contemporary consumers. Her standpoint on consumerism as an entrapment hones in on the redundant process of duplicating many of the objects she makes- such as her outfits or personal pods.

            Tim Hawkinson’s collage technique and the implementation of photographing himself to use those pictures within his work are also postmodern. Collage and its borrowed imagery can be seen within the Dada movement, which in itself was postmodern. His use of household items and industrial material also go hand in hand with the appropriation element of postmodernism.

            Laylah Ali’s cartoon characters though colorful and playful looking address societal issues such as discrimination, power and violence. Art 21 shows Ali applying her 2-D works to modern dance. This transfer of what can be seen as “low art” into something that can be viewed as more than drawings on paper, is somewhat progressive and modern in concept. Ali remains a postmodern artist though; in the manner she references pop culture in the media and the stylized execution of her cartoon figures.

            Do Ho Suh, Tim Hawkinson, Andrea Zittel, and Laylah Ali work in different mediums and are inspired by various issues in contemporary culture. What link these artists together are their postmodern concepts and innovative ways of provoking discussions about politics, consumerism, memory, and appropriation.

James G: Ali, Suh, Zittel, Hawkinson

The artists presented this week all seem to speak about postmodern ideas. Layla Ali’s comic books are vague and lowbrow which are then translated into the gallery space. The combination of a high level of interpretation and the lowbrow comic book relates this very similarly to Barry McGee from last week, who worked with graffiti. I think graffiti and comic books are both considered some sort of low art, and postmodern thinking throws this into the “high” forms of art.
Do-Ho Suh and Andrea Zittel both work with this idea of home. Do-Ho Suh makes immense sculptures of houses or living spaces out of fabric. These installations include fabric shelves and fabric stairways. He works with this idea of carrying his house with him wherever he goes. Andrea Zittel is working with ideas about consumerism and daily life. Much like Do-Ho Suh many of her works are portable, but they are also meant to be self sufficient and practical.
Tim Hawkinson is working with machinery to make large installation pieces. Rhythmic dripping, organic air musicals, or a motorized face all work similarly towards making an automated system. He is interesting because he is working completely differently than the other artists in the same sort of installation setting that both Suh and Zittel are utilizing.

James G

Laylah Ali, Do-Ho Suh, Andrea Zittel, and Tim Hawkinson-by RY

Through the exploration of videos and writings on different artists it can, most often, be decided what movement the work can be categorized as. In the particular work of Andrea Zittel, this distinction is one that seems very iffy. With a strong emphasis on progress, Zittel’s work strides to create environments that aid in performance and the enhancement of space. Through pieces that can easily switch uses and stride to stay true to the initial intentions of the materials, this artist creates a strong message on how the world can become a more efficient space. Even in her fabric and textile work Andrea speaks about her intent to not “destroy” the original creation of the material, but instead utilize its shape and form. Some of these tendencies seem to lead conclusions to that of a Post-Modern mind set, but the strong sense of progress pushes my decision to that of a Modernist outlook.
Tim Hawkinson’s work is one that seems to be far more clearly defined in its categorization. Utilizing found objects as well as the inclusion of different types of media and mechanisms, this work falls into that of Post-Modernist ideals. Creating large pieces like Uberorgan, Hawkinson uses found materials such as fishing net while also including multi-media aspects like as photosensitive sensors. These pieces not only appeal to the visual sense, but also the auditory one. Viewers are able to walk through the pieces and in some ways interact with them. Although this artist seems to stride far into a realm of engineering and mapping out these intricate machines, his work style and creative mindset sets him apart from someone who is just creating a mechanic object. This conceptual distinction and Hawkinson’s creative mindset highlights this difference. It is this playful nature that nurtures a strong foundation in the Post-Modernist movement.
Do-Ho Suh is another artist that can be thrown into the category of the Post-Modernist. The work of this particular artist references the thought of a transportable living space which can be easily paired with some of the ideas of Andrea Zittel. Do-Ho Suh’s work however relates more to the idea of nostalgia. In the video Suh states that he created this process in an effort of finding a more active way of dealing with his feeling of longing for home. This displacement into a new city was a great contributor to this artist’s pieces. Sewing large fabric instillations that interact with the architecture that they are housed in, these pieces hang with an astonishing affect. The sheer nature of the fabric used as well as the impeccably sewn structures, establishes an extreme sense of awe when viewed. It is the nature of the work and the ingenuity of the use of materials that pushes the pieces into ideals of interaction and construction seen mostly in the work of Post-Modern artists.
Lastly, the artist Laylah Ali creates works that are also highly influenced also by an idea of memory and nostalgia. This idea of nostalgia however does not reference a distant homeland, but rather the large influence of television and cartoons on the artist’s mindset. Ali states that it was these two things that created her strong connection to the description of figures as two-dimensional forms. In pieces that hold a velvety visual quality because of the use of gauche paints, characters spring to action usually displaying a sort of violent natured act. It seems that Laylah Ali’s work style is one of great rigidity and one that in a sense turns her into a sort of machine. I felt that this idea related to those of Tim Hawkinson in a way, while also the artist can be related to Kara Walker in her stories about the confrontations of racism that she had experienced. The work stands quite distinctly from these two with direct visual references to comics and a color and visual quality of precise methodic decisions. The use of the comic structure for a newer message and meaning strides closely to the Post-Modern way of thought and places this artist decidedly into this category.

Images of Folkert De Jong, a guy I mentioned in class a month ago

Hope some of the images look familiar from the "classic" well known painters!

SAVE THE DATE!



The 11th Annual Postcards From the Edge benefit for Visual AIDS will be hosted by Metro Pictures on January 9-10, 2009.

Preview Party
Friday, January 9, 2009 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Your only chance to get a sneak peek at the entire show.

Benefit Sale - ONE DAY ONLY!
Saturday, January 10, 2009 from 11:00 - 6:00
Over 1500 original postcard-size works of art.
$75 EACH. Buy 4 cards and get 1 free!

Postcards From the Edge is a show and sale of original, postcard-sized artworks on paper by established and emerging artists. Offered on a first-come, first-served basis, each piece is exhibited anonymously, and the identity of the artist is revealed only after the work is purchased. With the playing field leveled, all participants can take home a piece by a famous artist, or one who’s just making his/her debut in the art world. Nonetheless, collectors walk away with something beautiful, a piece of art they love. For more details, visit

Attention Artists!
DEADLINE: Wednesday, December 10, 2008
We are looking for artists to donate a 4" x 6" original work on paper for the exhibition and sale. Painting, drawing, photography, printmaking and mixed media are all welcome. If you would like to participate in Postcards From the Edge, download submission forms at

External Sourcing Documentation and Glass Case Statement

Trapped, 2008. Television screens, Animation © James Giblin

"Trapped", an exhibition utilizing animation and screens, speaks about the troubling relationship that we as humans have to the digital world, which is oftentimes addictive. Three animations that use the upper body as a visual motif are shown on a loop interacting with the rectangular space of the screen in ways that speak to the isolation and self-entrapment that accompanies the widespread excessive use of computers and television. The monochromatic and overwhelmingly minimal quality of the exhibition space seeks to draw parallels between the vastness of the internet as well as reinforce concepts of isolation. "Trapped" is an investigation into this relatively new phenomenon of what can be called "multimedia addiction" that seeks to draw up questions relating to the ultimately solitary experience of digital worlds and addiction in general.

anna's writeup on suh, hawkinso, zittel, ali

Each of these artists could be categorized as Post Modern. Do-Ho Suh, Zittel, and Hawkinson could be seen as Conceptual as well. Zittel creates a 'lifestyle' as art. Do-Ho Suh creates sculptures from fabric (buildings you can fold up and take anywhere). Hawkinson uses his own body through photos, and everyday household and industrial items to create sculpture. Ali's paintings depict societal issues in a comic book style with glimpses of American folk art.

Andrea Zittel's intial inspiration came from a 200 sq ft apartment when she first moved to New York City. Do-Ho Suh's inspiration came from adjusting to noise and trying to get sleep while settling into his new apartment. both are affected by their living conditions, but concentrate on very different aspects of those conditions.

Suh's thought is to create a home you can take with you anywhere. This is a very comforting thought for anyone who's ever emigrated. The only piece of home that can be taken with you is usually just your memory of it. He creates fabric sculptures with a ghost-like feel, creating a sculptural memory of place.

Zittel's inspiration leads her to create her own company, A-Z Administrative Services, to hawk her ideas about daily living. while her company has employed non-established artists and her designs do inspire ideas about sustainable living, the artist is becoming her own corporation. It's ironic that her actual living experience consists of three homes, bi-coastal teaching jobs and businesses, while creating artworks as consumption. She actually seems to be living the ultimate consumer's dream. In the interview she states, "You keep thinking if you get another house, take another vacation, or that if you make more money, that it will free you up. But it only becomes a larger and larger web of entrapment." She doesn't seem to heed her own advice.

Tim Hawkinson's work in some ways is as ecological, in that he uses common household and industrial material to create his pieces. He also photographs his own face in body, as a way of saving time and not having to worry about copyrights, etc. if he was using other people's likenesses.

Laylah Ali's gouache paintings touch on society issues of violence and power. Her figures are stark and flat, like a cross between Egyptian art and Southpark. One of her projects was a collaboration with Dean Moss, who created a dance based on her paintings. This was surprising and scary to her because of the interaction with live people.

Two themes came to mind when learning about these artists. The first was, even though initial inspirations can come from a similar source, they can vary greatly in how we choose to express them. The secon thought was about collaboration. Zittel discusses communes, Ali collaborates with a choreographer, Do-Ho Suh explores the collective in his piece Some/One. It made me think of how this semester is really going by fast. In reworking our artists statements, what do we really want to convey? Each of us has a very different way of making art. How do we take what we've learned collectively to inform our own work?

Exclusively Postmodern

I feel a little bit trigger-happy with the postmodern label, but it seems as though all of these artists fit under that category.

Some of Do-Ho Suh's pieces seem to fit best in the postmodern movement, because he is essentially making replicas of pre-existing places in cloth, which seems to prove the post-modern theory that nothing is original.  His work questions reality by presenting us with a ghostly facsimile of it.

Andrea Zittel's line of art products is undoubtedly postmodern, because of its heavy emphasis on consumerism.  In fact, I found her work incongruous with her statements in the interview.  She talked about how people believe that owning more will free them, but that it is those very possessions that become "a larger and larger web of entrapment." I found this statement hypocritical, as the article mentions that she owns three homes, not to mention that her art comes in the form of "furniture, clothes, food, management units, living structures, even administrative services" that can actually be consumed. Imagine my relief when D.K. Row confronted her about this inconsistency, pointing out, "Aren't you manufacturing layers of consumption for yourself?" Needless to say, she avoided answering the question fully.  She could have so easily stated that her work was a critique of that vicious cycle, but she missed the chance.

Tim Hawkinson's images remind me of the dada collages.  He must fall under the postmodern heading because of his hodgepodge approach to image-making.

Layla Ali's comics are postmodern as well, just as Barry McGee's graffiti was.  Both of their mediums are considered low art and many think that their brand of art has no place in a gallery.  Consider the chain of events: modern artists made original work, which in turn was appropriated for advertising, which the postmodernists used in their work.  This translation of high art into low art back into high art is true of comic book artists as well.