ICA Field TRip

At the ICA, I sketched two pieces that greatly interested me:

"Odessa, Ukraine, August 11, 1995" by Rineke Dijkstra
"Suzanne, Walking, Leather Skirt" by Julian Opie

To describe artwork and its form, subject, and content; to compare and contrast two works from different artists and whether the artists achieved their goals

The first piece, “Odessa . . .” by Rineke Dijkstra is a color photograph of a young boy holding two dolls. The form of the boy is placed centrally in the page, and the doll he holds in each of his arms gives the piece of sense of symmetry. This symmetry unites the entire piece, as does the repetition of the human form. The entire piece is based around the organic forms of the human body; the subject matter portrays both real and simulated bodies (ie the boy and the dolls).

The second piece, “Suzanne, Walking . . .” by Julian Opie is a digital animation of a “woman” wearing a leather skirt and walking in place. Her form is highly stylized, and is nearly geometric (Esp. her head – it has become a simple circle). The piece is monochromatic, and is given a sense of unity by its strong, simple black lines and shapes, which describe the form of the woman. The body of the woman, where the dress is not located, is represented by a thick black outline. Contrastingly, the dress is an actual digital image (black and white) of the leather dress that was being worn by the “real” Suzanne as she was filmed.

These pieces bear many similarities. They are both depictions of the human form, specifically a singular human form. The subject matter in the piece is located in the center of the foreground, which is the most straightforward way for the artist to show that it is the most important aspect of the piece. The pieces are also similar in that they are both seemingly related to time, although in very different ways. “Odessa. . .,” which is a static photograph, seems to represent a specific single moment in time, as alluded to by the inclusion of the date in the full title (ie “Odessa Ukraine, August 11, 1995). This title gives the piece the feeling of a true “snapshot.” The second piece, “Suzanne,” relates to time in that it seemingly shows the passage of time, because the subject matter is walking across the screen. However, in some ways, “Suzanne . . .” is just as static as the still photograph of “Odessa . . .” because the figure in the piece does not actually create any progress as she walks, nor does her manner of walking change in the least bit.

The pieces differ greatly, despite their similarities. The boy in “Odessa . . .” is a highly specific subject, whereas the woman in “Suzanne . . .” is stylized and generalized. The boy’s intense facial expression, and especially expressive eyes and mouth, contrast the empty circle that has come to represent “Suzanne”’s head.