Artist References from Session 2
Ed Ruscha
Ed Ruscha (pronounced Roo-Shay) is a living American pop artist whose practice expands across drawing, painting, print, photography and video. Ruscha became prominent in the mid 1960's, when he started to produce his word paintings that he is commonly associated with nowadays. The words appear meaningless; originally depicted by themself, sometimes mimicking a noise or thought rather than a noun or adjective.
Ruscha uses these words (he began painting sentences as the series developed) as a critique of the consumer culture he is surrounded by living in LA. His choice of words can often be ambigious - as in - they seem mysterious as to why he would wish to paint them. Often funny, they all have a bold presence similar to advertisements.
Bob & Roberta Smith
Much like many famous film stars and musicians, Patrick Brill is a contemporary British artist who works under a different name; in this case Bob & Roberta Smith. A catchy name can have a profound affect on your career as an artist, and this is similar to our own group name BRISTOL DIVING SCHOOL. It becomes easier for people to associate particular ideas with you as an artist if you have a name that works like a brand. What if you changed your name to Adidas?
Bob & Roberta Smith makes artwork that resembles protest placards, or hand-made signs. They appear a bit clumsy as he discards craftsmanship for concept and immediacy. Often a satirical comment on the art world or current political topics, the words inspired by the Dodgeball tournament will be portrayed in a similar manner.
Mark Titchner
Mark Titchner is a contemporary British artist who has a created a distinctive style within his practice that consists of large text prints, sculpture, music and video work. The large prints often appear as slick graphical designs, sporting a symmetrical motif similar to old war propaganda posters. There is an underlying sensation of importance delivered by the symmetry of an image, and Titchner has manipulated the fonts in his work to emphasise this.
The text comes from an array of sources, including pop and heavy metal song lyrics, philosophical ideas and the Bible. However, taken out of their context, they become the words of the artist. This series of works became ever-more complex when the artworks started to be shown in the public realm outside the galleries and exhibitions. Placed next to an actual billboard advertisement, it becomes difficult to distinguish the difference and meaning of the works.
The slogans created from session 2 will function in a similar manner when placed in the offices and display windows of the Beachcroft lawyer's firm.
