Vulnerability

1       1.   The theme of vulnerability is reflected in many different ways in the works of the artists. Additionally, the artists are experiencing vulnerability while producing artwork that reflects vulnerability.  Though each artist presents a situation that is unique, they all manage to speak to some level of vulnerability, and what seems to come hand in hand with this theme is a level of discomfort. In the piece by Grey Muldoon, he attempts to place a very personal situation and feeling into a public place.  Setting up a situation that involves pill bottles and potatoes, he creates a sign for viewers that reads: “Artist’s Statement: Another sob story. My mother died. These are her pill bottles. The last thing she could do was peel potatoes. She was tough and wonderful. Join me.”

      The concept of the work is interesting. As a rule, in our culture, people do not tend to allow our personal issues and losses to become so public and accessible.  In that context, it is interesting to note the response given to the piece by passersby when the work was displayed on the streets of Edmonton. As observed by Joshua Schwebel, most “regular” people who were not involved in the festival did not stop and interact with the piece.  However, a few individuals who were associated with the festival did.  Although Muldoon claims that he was not dissatisfied with these results, Schwebel makes an interesting point when reviewing the artist’s work.  Wuldoon’s apparent intention for the piece was to “make spaces in public for discussing painful losses of close family members.” With this being said, Schwebel concludes that Muldoon’s work was not successful in this effort.

      The idea of failure and success of an artist’s work is also a theme that makes its way into this festival. Expanding off of Grey Muldoon’s work and Schwebel’s perception that it was not successful, is, in a way, allowing the artist himself to become a victim of vulnerability. Throughout the festival, blog artists’ works are viewed and then judged by the viewer as a strong piece or not. But an artist taking these risks and putting ones self “out there”, captures the theme of vulnerability all on its own.

      In Sara French’s piece, the artist has chosen to embody a character. This character, though he is not currently alive, is not fictional and therefore has a set history tied to him. Those who know of him have preconceived ideas of how he should be and how he should act if his character is portrayed. The man that Sara French has chosen to embody is the Greek Cynic and philosopher Diogenes. In her piece, she dresses up in what appears to be a nude coloured toga and socks  and wears a very theatrical mask that is meant to represent Diogenes.  Her interaction with the people around her in her first performance (there are three) is observed as rather stiff and is difficult for the people passing by to interact with her or react to her. The second performance was judged as more successful than the first.  In itself, the act of this performance and her willingness to leave herelf open to public observation is an example of vulnerability.  However, as was the case with Grey Muldoon, the risk and element of vulnerability is exacerbated due to the fact that she is attempting to portray and develop a known and recognizable human being.

2        2.    In many cases, I feel that vulnerability in artwork is a common unspoken factor. As a young artist who is trying to find one’s way through the art world, every action and every risk is an act of vulnerability, whether it is obvious or not. In my own work, vulnerability is a dominant theme and I have produced many pieces where vulnerability is the main concept behind the work.  Many of the themes that I choose to speak to through art are based on personal experiences and intimate themes such as relationships, dreams, etc. There have been a few pieces where I have chosen to use fish as a representation of myself. In my first year of study at Brock University, I created a piece that included a live fish placed within a box filled with mirrors. This was intended to represent my feelings of being thrown into the art world and having my actions observed by so many people, leaving me feeling rather mindless and small. In my third year, I also chose to use fish as a representation in my work.  In this case, the small and colourful beta fish was intended to represent more of a sense of panic.  The use of the fish was a part of mixed media piece that showcased parts of recurring dreams I have experienced, involving fish and water.

3.      I think in a lot of the artists’ work they display vulnerability in a very obvious, literal way. When reading the description of all of the art works, I could see how easily vulnerability became the theme of the festival, as well as the substance of the works of these artists. I also feel that, if I was able to see these pieces for myself, I would be able to quickly identify that vulnerability was a theme and focus in their creation.  What stands out in my mind as the most interesting and subtle factor behind all of these pieces is the feeling the artist may have been experiencing when presenting and creating these works. Yes, it is obvious that vulnerability is present within Muldoon’s work when he talks to the loss of a loved one, and in French’s work when she embodies a character that is rather vulnerable.  But what truly emerges through these pieces is an empathy with how the artist must feel when presenting these works to the public. To me that feeling of vulnerability, though it may be subtle and hiding behind the actual work, is far more real because it directly affects the artist. As an artist myself, I find that component of vulnerability in the message of these works far more relatable and powerful.