Artist Research and "The Postmodern Animal."

For my Artist Research I started by looking in to collage artists that used natural imagery in their pieces. Two collage based artists that I especially liked the styles of their work are John Stezaker and Merve Ozaslan. Both John Stezaker and Merve Ozaslan work with old black and white photos, Stezaker focusing on the use of Hollywood head shots and portraits and Ozaslan working with more everyday photos from different decades.

Both artists create a surrealist feel to their works through their composition choices. Stezaker makes simplistic choices in composition, by either using straight forward layering of shapes or single cuts in images. A series of his works I am particularly influenced by are the Mask series, with 'Mask XIV' pictured below. A post card has been layered over a signed celebrity head shot disguising the identity of a famous portrait and creating a new face as the post card scene creates the illusion of a human formed from the curvatures of the cave pictured.

John Stezaker, Mask XIV, 2006

Merve Ozaslan uses more complex structures, often combining natural scenes amongst man made cities which adds depth and illusion. My particular favourites are Ozaslan's works which replace the human figure with that of scenery, such as 'Hug' pictured below. The simple action of removing a figure is very effective in creating feeling and a narrative. The removal of a person with another left visible implies themes such as time, loss and memory. I particularly like the bold simplicity of removing a figure compared to some of Ozaslan's other works and the varied feelings that could create on the viewer.

Merve Ozaslan, Hug.

I have currently been reading through 'The Postmodern Animal' by Steve Baker to learn more about the different ways animals have been used and depicted in contemporary art. While reading I discovered artist duo Olly and Suzi, described as 'animal-endorising' artists which is what I am trying to create in my own work. Olly and Suzi work in photography and painting and aim to make pieces that reflect their immediate encounters with animals in their own natural habitats. They aim not to prettify animals or be over sentimental, but admire them for what they are and that be enough. Experiencing being around large, dangerous animals is an important aspect of the work for the artists, creating an element of perfomance. Olly and Suzi describe the existence of dangerous animals in relation to humans as a reminder to 'keep us in check' and to remind us 'we aren't the boss of everything.' I like this humbling approach placed on the audience and one of my favourite pieces of theirs I have discovered is 'Shark Bite' pictured below in which the Shark bites the painting they have created. Both the photo and the painting with the shark's added touch are exhibited together, to remove any lack of belief the viewer might have about the encounter and create a sense of reality and presence of the animal itself.