Off Brick Lane. Beauty. Picture by @bablu121
Internal Objects and the Objectified Self
“Lacan revises and enriches the myth of Narcissus, so passionately in love with his image that he plunges into the water and is drowned.”[1]
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
The mirror holds peril. Revealing truths unwanted or enticing the loss of the self to an objectified world. The creation of our self-identity begins with how we respond to our image in the mirror in infancy. We either recognize the ‘other’ and begin the process of socialization or we retreat to find the maternal object and become locked in the death wish.[2] Psychoanalytical theory is of course more complex and involved than that simple description. But the significance in the simplified description is the relationship of self to object. We begin to understand we are an object which occupies space, distinct from others or we seek the comfort and reassurance of objects to satisfy our longing, beginning to see everything as an object available to satisfy us.
In Kleinian theory, the ‘internal object’ is “a mental and emotional image of an external object that has been taken inside the self. The character of the internal object is coloured by aspects of the self that have been projected into it. A complex interaction continues throughout life between the world of internalised figures and objects and in the real world…the state of the internal object is considered to be of prime importance to the development and mental health of the individual.”[3]
We are bound to objects as a means to understand the world, ourselves and the complex relationships we have throughout life. Any kind of exploration of self and identity must perforce include a discussion of objects. This ‘Me’ of Mine has delved into several aspects of this ‘object relationship’, through the work of Kate Murdoch and memory association with personal identity development, Annabel Dover and the complex personal codes and emotions imposed on objects, Cathy Lomax and objects which represent self-image and emotional states and now with the work of Hayley Harrison and her use of objects as an expression of an inner self:
“I think we have to be in the ‘right’ place both internally and externally and that’s when a conversation occurs. For me self-recognition through the external is experienced in its ‘purest’ form when we are here, now, rather than through our pasts or futures. We can be taken off guard by something, something perhaps poetic that throws us into the present. Whatever that something is, we just have to come into relationship with it. When we experience one of these rare conversations between the internal and external I believe we come back to ourselves, much like Jacques Lacan’s famous discourse with the sardine can. Ultimately within these moments we are looking into a mirror.”
Read more of my interview with Hayley, Speak Me Many Times .
Read past interviews with Kate Murdoch, Annabel Dover and Cathy Lomax.
[1] Roundinesco, Elisabeth, “The Mirror Stage: an obliterated archive” from The Cambridge Companion to Lacan, edited by Jean-Michel Rabaté, 2003, Cambridge University Press, accessed online at: http://artsite.arts.ucsb.edu/~arts1a/outlines/The_Cambridge_Companion_to_Lacan.pdf , 25 June 2013
[2] Ibid.
[3] Melanie Klein Trust, http://www.melanie-klein-trust.org.uk/internal-objects ,accessed 25 June 2013
ArtiLinki – next meet up on the 21st feb – London
We have recently partnered with ArtiLink, a young business who has created a social network dedicated to artists from all kind of artistic fields, creative professionals or cultural structures. Their website offers them one more visibility solution for free and it is also possible to buy a premium account to increase his visibility. Artists can put all the medium they want on their profiles and their actualities, and follow the people or structures they like to be informed of their projects.
From Charlotte Canario, artistic creation – “Our goal is to create links between arts, people and their different activities, that is why we organize meetings each month in Lyon since a year and a half where people can gather them, bring their books and share about their projects, in a convivial way !”
The meeting begins usually at 19 pm and ends around 23 pm. The first part of the meeting is for networking, then a second part is dedicated to a showcases, where 5 or 6 people (artists, associations, musicians…etc.) come to present their work to the gathering. It can take the form of a concert, a performance, a PowerPoint presentation, a dance show… We try to mix as most as possible the fields of intervention!
The first ArtLinki meet up of 2013 is this Thursday 21st February and is taking place at StrongRooms and what a program they have put together!
– ACME TV : Company of The Year Acme is an independent production company
– AND NOW WEE : Fashion Design Brand which draws it’s inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of East London.
– CYRUS MAHBOUBIAN is a London-based photographer working in analogue materials.
– MARK : graffiti artist for 26 years now and have life-long experience painting graffiti murals in the United Kingdom and abroad.
– Live Art by Street Artists from LSD Magazine
– KOMA JAZZ : Dj live set all Night long
WHERE – STRONGROOMS | 120-124 Curtain Road Shoreditch London EC2A 3SQ.
WHEN – 21st February 2103 | 6 to 11pm
See you there!
Sniders Lane Project
Sniders Lane Project – Presented by Just Another Agency.
Who would have thought that spending a weekend sitting in an alley by a dumpster could be so much fun. At the end of the Semi-Permanent conference Just Another Agency and Sister Bella hooked us up with the last instalment bringing a new location into the Melbourne lane ways mix.
It all kicked off on the Saturday with five talented artists, two large scissor lifts and a trunk full of Ironlak spray paint. The artists, Sear, Sirum, Dvate, Cam Scale and Deb worked on their pieces from early morning to well into the evening. Each artist was inspired by a preselected colour palet that was already laid out by Does who painted the mural on the back wall a few moths ago. Watching the progression of each piece was really enjoyable and seeing the end result of all the pieces fused into a mural was spectacular.
On the seven day the artists rested. The public wafted in and out of Sniders all day Sunday to check out the new work and we all just kicked back, drank beer and admired the art. Kirpy stopped by to add his stencils to a door way in the alley not only showing us his shear talent but also showing the intricacies that go into his work. We were happy to relax and watch Kirpy do his thing. By the end of the weekend the lane was complete. So make sure you add Sniders Lane to the tourist trail and why not stop off for a drink at Sister Bella too.
Enjoy the photos below © Chasinghosts.com as well as the interview with just another agencies owner Toby
You can view the full set of photos from Chasinghosts.com
It’s your funeral by Guerilla Zoo
Everyone needs live performance in their lives, everyone needs to get out there and enjoy moments with each other. It gets better if what you see is something unique or at least different with what you are used to see.
It’s Your Funeral, a new monthly event by Guerrilla Zoo founder James Elphick and The Late Night Shop Collective’s Charlie Buckitt may just be the answer and sounds like a good and quirky night out.
You will have understand by now that you are up for a twisted and macabre event which takes the form of a theatrical New Orleans jazz style funeral experience of mournful humour and morbid performance! It’s Your Funeral is a dark tragicomedy journey, breathing fresh life into grim tall tales of the dead.
The event is launching on Thursday 11th April 2013 and then will run every 2nd thursday of the month in the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club
More information can be found on the It’s Your Funeral website
What – It’s Your Funeral
When – 11/04/13 then every second thursday of the month
Where – Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club | 42-44 POLLARD ROW LONDON E2 6NB
Eeeefun at Shoreditch Studios
Shoreditch as always will be hotting up at the week end with street art, dance and good music. Zack and his team at eeeefun throwing a party this Saturday 16th April 2011. Best of all, mention ART-PIE and get your names on the guestlist by emailing eeeefunparty@gmail.com!
From Zack
We’re hosting a party on Saturday 16th April at Shoreditch Studios in London where we’ll be recording the international brand film for a cutting-edge new electric scooter. As well as appearing in the commercial, everyone who attends will also get the chance to show off their artistic talents and submit their creative design for an eeeeFUN scooter.
The best one designed on the day will go into commercial production, with the winner getting their very own e45 scooter with their design on. We’re looking for street artists and designers, plus musicians, actors, DJs and dancers (as well as people who just want to enjoy a free party).
More info here – www.facebook.com/eeeefun
Meet Tristan Eaton, an artist from Los Angeles
Tristan Eaton is an American artist from Los Angeles. He is a graffiti artist, illustrator, toy designer and also a street art muralist.
Eaton was born in 1978, in Los Angeles, California.
Going from places to places
When he was 8 years old, his family moved to London, England. At age 16, they moved back to the United States but this time to Detroit, Michigan. While Eaton loved the city of Detroit, he always wanted to live in a big city and thus, moved to New York when he was 20 years old.
During his teenage years, Eaton painted everything, from dumpsters to billboards, wherever he lived. He had a troubled childhood and was arrested many times for shoplifting and making graffiti.
He used art as an escape from reality and also to escape from legal authorities by providing artistic evidence to judges, principles and police officers.
“I am not a graffiti artist”
Eaton became interested in graffiti when he was in London and upon moving to Detroit he started doing a lot of graffiti, mainly due to lack of police regulation. He doesn’t consider himself a graffiti artist but more of a muralist.
His graffiti work does not consist of letters but mostly characters. For his graffiti work, he never focused on using just spray paint but painted with whatever he could get his hands on. According to him, good graffiti is painting something big and beautiful but illegally. Everything else is mural work for him.
A keen interest in comic books
His interest in comic books also peaked during his time in London. He was inspired by the 2000AD Magazine by British illustrators. He would draw characters from comic books, such as Jack Kirby, early X-Men, Silver Surfer and even the anime film, Akira. At 18, he made his first toy for Fisher Price, which was the beginning of many to come. His creativity led him to becoming a leader in advertising.
He was a regular consultant for many clients, such as Hasbro, Pepsi and Nike.
Eaton was approached by Kidrobot designer, Paul Budnitz, who offered him to work as an art director on an animated film called Kidrobot. Kidrobot became so popular they stopped working on it and started producing designer toys, mainly action figures.
The action figures were made on a limited edition basis and were inspired by the work of famous graffiti artists and hip-hop culture. Eaton believed these toys allowed people to purchase something which tied fine art with consumerism, because fine art is extremely expensive while consumerism is affordable and available to the masses.
This idea gave birth to these limited edition designer toys that led Eaton to become internationally famous with a huge fan base.
Eaton wanted to showcase his art to the lower-class of the urban cities he visited. He believed everybody had the right to have access to fine art and they did not just had to see gray buildings and big billboards. With this intention, he created remarkable murals all over the country.
Inspirations and where to see Tristan’s works
Eaton claims his artwork is inspired from Os Gemeos, Mode 2, Takishi Murikami and many others. His creations can be viewed at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and some of his collection at the Museum of Modern Art is permanent. On his website, Eaton states “outdoor, public art is the most important to me. Public art has the ability to inspire and transform our communities.” It is obvious how important it is for Eaton to share his art with the rest of the world.
Currently, Eaton is the President and Creative Director at Thunderdog Studios Inc. Thunderdog is a prominent brand for designer toys and a creative agency based in New York. Thunderdog is the backbone of all of Eaton’s work. His team at Thunderdog helps him put together big projects, such as toys and video collaborations. Tristan Eaton happily resides in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
More on Tristan Eaton’s website
Ludo, a street artist by nature
LUDO is a French Street Artist who is enjoying enjoyed a very successful first solo show in Zurich at the Starkat Gallery.
LUDO’s style is very particular and his pieces always depict ominous and imaginary plants which always seem to want to grab you as you walk past them. His street art series is actually called Nature’s Revenge which he has been focusing on for the past two years or so. A way perhaps to warn you all about the irreversible force of Dame Nature.
The show is on until the 7/05/2011
LUDO took the opportunity while in Zurich to splash a few of his mighty plants. Photo © Roman @ Starkat Gallery
10 cinemagraphs that will amaze you
You may have seen those before or you may have not. but cinemagraphs, as they are called, are hot right now in the design world, blogs and social media platforms.
We published before about this new type of media which are still photographs in which a minor and repeated movement occurs. Cinemagraphs, which are usually published in an animated GIF format, can give the illusion that the viewer is watching a video.
They are commonly produced by taking a series of photographs or a video recording, and, using image editing software, compositing the photographs or the video frames into a seamless loop of sequential frames.
We browsed the web and put together a collection of 10 awesome cinemagraphs that will amaze you hopefully.
One of the more common cinemagraphs, the pouring visual or liquid flow are high effective. For example, the pouring wine example below show that there is no imprint left on the glass or change in level from the bottle, the only movement comes from the constant flow of wine.
Another effect used in cinemagraphy is the movement of objects as the first example below shows. You can see the a train from the New York underground Subway network. Without anybody being captured in the entire scene, the train pulls into the station and departs instantly.
The term “cinemagraph” was coined by U.S. photographers Kevin Burg and Jamie Beck, who used the technique to animate their fashion and news photographs beginning in early 2011. The technique of those images existed before, it was e.g. already used for the advertisement of the game Mirror’s Edge back in 2008.
Another common effect in cinemagraphy is applied to humans or animals and can give the viewer a quirky, chilling ot event sometime quite scary output. I’ll let you be the judge of the examples below
Paint chip mosaic
3,074 paint chips in 36 colours, a few glue guns and a bit of elbow grease and you get that well-know face.