1. What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?
When I hear the word claymation I think of animation using clay and stop- motion photography. Having this form of art can make the clay into life like shapes to make it quite realistic and create a story.
2. What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes awry'?
The term surrealistic basically portrays an unrealistic version of the garden of eden. The Garden of eden is suppose to be a absolute paradise when earth was once perfect but Djurberg creates this surrealistic portrayal of a terrifying garden. This installation is used to recreate nightmare like dreams and to express them through the artwork. The plants are massive and a scale which in its self is surrealistic the room where the art is dark and gives off an essence of fear to vistors to the exhibition.
The term all “that is natural goes awry” I think means that when first seeing this installation it appears fearly natural apart from the scale but I think when you look into it a bit more you can see the dream like art really coming out to see the surrealism in the work the darkness of course adds to this and makes it seem as though the plants are vicious and evil as though possessed. This makes the plants natural beauty kind of fade visitors can really only see the hell like garden of eden. Also the claymation display takes a terrifying turn from an expected sexual encounter to one girl stripping the flesh from the other showing natural also going awry.
3. What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?
Djurberg confronts the audience with a range of complex emotions like fear, disgust and curiosity. She creates extremely disturbing scenes that is not generally seen by people and which is seen to be very wrong in society and shows the viewers them so they can have these emotions. Djorberg makes many of these surrealistic type claymations to really oppose what is seen in everyday life.
Classic examples of these disturbing scenes is people have limbs torn off where blood spills everywhere. Or like the below image where a scary clown like person squeezes breast milk out everwhere as it is a horrific face doing something which is not generally
seen. “she exposes the innate
fear of what is not understood and confronts viewers with the complexity of emotions.”
fear of what is not understood and confronts viewers with the complexity of emotions.”
Image taken from http://www.howardhouse.net/artists/askabananababy/HH04116deta.html
4. How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?
Djurberg plays with the idea of childrens stories by creating a story line where there is a main favoured character who appears very childlike and innocent as they almost appear cute as they have large eyes and other small facial features. The storyline is very similar as their is always a problem which occurs in childrens books. The idea of the childbooks story is definitely from the characters and their appearance as good or innocent and the storyline as there is a problem encountered in the story. The only difference is that Djurbergs characters have very surrealistic problems which are far more disturbing then any other story and they don’t get a happy ending.
5. There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?
6.
I think the current trend to create these disturbing pieces that artists do is simply as it gets reactions from viewers. I think people are far more likely to look at something which is far out of the ordinary and not the stereotypical art which shows beautiful images but shows the absolute opposite which shocks people and uses the element of surprise to make people view their work to try understand it.
7. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?
I think tthe piece “experiment” got selected for the Venice Biennale simply due to it being so out of the ordinary and viewing exactly what people would never want to experience. Djurbergs work demands reactions from the viewers and keeps people watching as even though it makes people disgusted it also intrigues them as it is never a predictable storyline but one which will keep twisting to make more and more lasting impressions on the viewer.
7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.
7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.
I watched quite a few of Djurbergs work on YouTube and I find her work extremely interesting as I have not really seen art in this form before, I have seen claymation but never to be used to create these disturbing images which really made me cringe. I found all of them very shocking really and I think that is due to not expecting what is in her videos but I think that is exactly the reaction she wants as it did really leave a lasting impression on me and is not art which is simply not noticed. I find a lot of her work contradicts the real world and I think argues ideas such as religion and beliefs such as her garden of Eden it just goes to show no one really knows what the garden of Eden or whether or not there beliefs are true.
'Experiment' (2009) Venice Biennale
References:
a few pages from book “turn into me” Nathalie djurberg
publisher :Fondazione Prada; Har/DVD/Bk edition (November 1, 2008)
Hey zach~i agree with how the styles of Nathalie Djurberg, i think she want to show us something real under the nature and peace of people. we could say " Hi " with everyone or smile on face all the time but that may not what we really want to. so that is her work try to manifest real people real world.
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for some reason undiscovered your pictures do not work ?? however.. i like how you portray nathalies work as she shows us super natural sections of people and images that make your mind think. i enjoyed reading this because i agree with so much of what you have to say. even down to when u describe her making her just to get a different reaction from the public. cheers zach was an honour to read.
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