The Gutai Group: Japanese Avant-Garde

The Gutai Bijutsu Kyokai or Gutai Art Association was founded in 1954 by Yoshihara Jiro, Kanayma Akira, Murakami Saburo, Shiraga Kazuo, and Shimamoto Shozo in Osaka, Japan. The Gutai Artists have been likened to abstract expressionist in that their art tended to look at the object in a new way.(IEAS Berkeley) The Gutai artist began to think about objects and thier relation to themselves and how they used them to create art."Gutai art does not change the material but brings it to life. Gutai art does not falsify the material." "If one leaves the material as it is, presenting it just as material, then it starts to tell us something and speaks with a mighty voice."(The Gutai Manifesto) Their works were precursors to the happenings and performance art that would follow in the Western world.(Tate)




http://www.ashiya-web.or.jp/museum/10us/103education/nyumon_us/manifest_us.htm
http://www.tate.org.uk/collections/glossary/definition.jsp?entryId=130
http://ieas.berkeley.edu/events/2003.02.06.html

Performance Art

Playing with behaviors of everyday life.

A mirror is normally used to look back at oneself. You see an imitation of yourself. Something that is you and, at the same time, isn't you, but merely a reflection of light.
In the "Mirrors" exercise you are looking at an imitation of yourself in the mirror, but unlike normal circumstances its not only you looking back. This makes me think of how alike people are and how important the idea of self image is to us. We all have an idea of who we are, but what does that come from?

Logos

A logo is a an image used to represent a company, group, institution or an individual. They are used as a visual description of the entity and become apart of
an identity to the public. Many of the best logos are also the simplest. They are easy to remember and recognize. A successful logo tells you something about the company, group, or individual it represents. The Dove logo is a good example of a successful logo. It uses a very basic silhouette of a dove that is still very recognizable.
What is the difference between a sign, symbol, a logo, and an icon?(http://www.logoorange.com/logodesign-D.php,10/18/2007)

Class Discussion: Duchamp

The piece as a very complex idea behind it. The ideas are not always prevalent when you first look at it. My first impression of it was that it had something to do with machines and looked modern. I think the overall concept behind the painting is too complex to really fully understand without Duchamp's notes. Visually the piece didn't do much for me either because the images are so foreign but not very pleasing to the eye.