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Research |
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Research Materials Relating to the Study of Identity |
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- Tracey Emin - Strangeland, Sceptre Publishing, 2005, ISBN:0340769440
 - Strangelend is a unique work in that it takes the form of a personal journal, one which is brutally honest and sublimely magical at times. It is interesting because firstly it’s a personal expression of identity, and it’s also shaping the publics perception of the identity of Tracey Emin. Previously, Emin has created works of art, which take the form of written pages, and so this book blurs the line between literature and visual art.
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- Frida Kahlo - An Intimate Self Portrait, Harry N. Abrams, 2005, ISBN:0810959542 - Frida Kahlo’s intimate journal, which is as much a sequential work of art as it is traditional diary, it charts a period of great suffering towards the end of her life. Her combination of emotive colours and poetic writings (in Spanish although the book contains translation), add a further layer and expression of identity, as it’s literally a composition, a collage even, of works of art and personal writings. This colourfulness is a great reflection of Kahlo’s larger than life character and as such is a wonderful testament to her life.
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- A Special Enquiry with Aldous Huxley into the Nature and Character of Various States of Consciousness, Milton H. Erickson - The highly intelligent Aldus Huxley, critically acclaimed author of ‘Brave New World’, worked with Dr. Milton Erickson, perhaps the world’s most sophisticated and experienced hypnotist, on a series of exploration into the nature of consciousness. The bulk of much of that study was tragically lost during a house-fire; however some documents survive, and describe probably the most experimental study of human capability ever conducted. This work looks at the very core of what forms our identity, it pushes the boundaries of what the mind is capable of, and this can only be beneficial if applied to the visual arts. This has a strong connection to Surrealist automative techniques and theory, but goes straight to the core of the psychological principles involved.
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- Derek Tastes of Earwax (Understanding Synaesthesia), Horizon, BBC, 2004 - This episode of Horizon aired on the BBC in 2004, and is available as a full transcript on the BBC website. The programme discusses Synaesthesia, which is a relatively new concept in our understanding of the human mind. It describes a blending of the senses, where a sound can evoke a colour, or a picture can suggest a sound, in fact it can apply to any such linking of any of our senses.
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- Art of the Twentieth Century - A Reader, Gaiger, J & Wood, P (Eds), Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2003 - This collection of essays by art critics covers many of the significant themes and debates raised during the course of the last century of art. This is especially useful to me, in terms of gaining an understanding of artists working within the context of identity, and also broadening my knowledge of contemporary art practice. Of special note is the essay by Amelia Jones ‘Body Art: Performing the Subject’, which looks at gender issues and the intersubjective nature of examples of body art, including work by Ana Mendieta and Mary Kelly.
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- Self-Awareness and the Regulation of Emotional Intensity, Silvia P,J, Journal: Self and Identity, Volume 1, Number 1, 01 January 2002 - This journal article looks at the link between an individual’s self-regulation of emotion and their self-awareness. It argues for a link between the two, proposing that individuals who have a tendency to regulate their emotional state (an inhibition standard) suppress happy emotions when in a state of high self-awareness (i.e. looking in the mirror), as opposed to these individuals that feel comfortable expressing their emotions, where high self-awareness had no effect on emotional intensity. The affect of this amplification for people with inhibition standards appears to apply also to facial expressions and other psychological measures.
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- Frida Kahlo Exhibition - Tate Modern, 2005 - The Frida Kahlo exhibition was held at the Tate Modern between 9th June and 9th November 2005. It represented a significant collection of many of her best-known works spanning her entire career, many of which had been loaned from other countries. The exhibition provided an excellent opportunity to review Kahlo’s progression as a unique female artist and in particular the manner in which she with the visual representation of the self, and the exploration of her multi-faceted identity. “I never painted my dreams, I painted my own reality” (Frida Kahlo).
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- Helnwein, Honnef, K. & Helnwein, G, The Russian State Museum (St. Petersburg), Konemann UK Ltd, 1999, ISBN:3829014481 - Helnwein frequently presents us with self-portraits, either in his realist style, photographically, or using mixed media, a style that he has adopted more and more from the 90’s onwards. He often employs visual devices such as medical implements or bandages to create a sense of horror, often focusing on the wounded child. This mask of pain has projected itself further than the confines of canvas, with Helnwein previously walking the streets of his home town, covered in fake blood and bandages, an element of 'shock' that has continued through much of his work to date. Helnwein is an artist with a strong sense of identity.
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- Francis Bacon - Exhibition at Tate Britain (2003) - Francis Bacon’s figurative style and ability to seemingly capture the raw human condition, made this exhibition very relevant to my study of identity. Bacon’s insistence on protecting the surface of his paintings with heavy varnish is perhaps an interesting reflection of Bacon’s personality. Her would often destroy works that he felt did not meet his own high standards, and so perhaps it isn’t surprising that he should seek to protect the works that he was to release into the world.
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- ArtShock - The Human Canvas, Channel 4, 14/03/06 - A contoversial look into the world of performance/body artists who challenge our understanding of the human body with piercing, scarring, cosmetic surgery and other body adaptions in the name of art. The programme featured work from the following artists and groups; Orlan, Ron Athey, Franko B, Kira O'Reilly, Alison Newstead, Pure Circus, Psycho Cyborgs and Sonique Flesh.
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- A Cyborg Manifesto, Donna Haraway, 1991 - Although something of a feminist manifesto, the work does look at the role of technology and science in art, and how the increasingly technological world will change the art world. This has been useful as a grounding text in the role of technology in art, and relates to some of my DNA works.
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- Reflections on ‘Strangers on a Train, Kruse - A London based art project, which brings together artists to explore art issues and collaborate in unique ways. Strangers on a train, focuses on the concept of artistic identity and the shifting roles that present themselves in the art making and exhibiting process. This suggests the idea that we adopt different roles as an artist throughout the process of creating artwork. In fact, by allowing the modification of artworks by other artists in the group, we’re looking at ownership as well as role.
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- Pepperell, Robert. The Posthuman Condition, Consciousness Beyond the Brain - Are we going to ultimately destroy ourselves through our ever increasingly play-like use of emerging technologies? This isn’t about individual identity but how we identify with the plight of the human race, thus it has provided another perspective in this study, and solidifies the link between human, technology and destiny. The text also briefly looks at technological possibilities such as genetic modification, which is something that distantly echoes the ‘strangers on a train’ works by Kruse. Looking at how modification changes the nature of things, whether that be a website (web2.0/hacking) artwork (vandalism/collaboration) or even life itself as in GATTACA. My work on shifting identities through multiple congruent websites could be enhanced by incorporating this element. Just as our opinions, values and on occasion – beliefs change through our social interactions, the modification of digital works of art, which attempt to explore this shifting of identity, could be a useful avenue of exploration for this study.
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- On & Off:The Expanding Domain of Internet Art - Notes: Internet art provides cost advantage (cheaper to use than traditional media). Exhibiting works is easier, 24/7 and truly global. No need to please the market or art institutions. Check out New York Times article “Internet Art Survives, but the Boom is over” (March 31, 2004). Art of the Internet has become Art based on the Internet.
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- A Human Dimension to New Media, Scarlet Cheng - Notes: Challenge to the argument that new media is the death of face-to-face interaction. Tech-art is another term for net.art “We wanted to take it out of the academic or institutional setting, these works were so dynamic" Mark Tribe (rhizome.org). Many pieces aren't meant to be sold. Problems of the future-- is there tech support for the art when things break down? Unpredictability and randomness are often part of net.art works. Tech tools used to create works are mostly used in industry/business.
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- The Swamp Man Experiment, Knowing One’s Own Mind, Donald Davidson, 1987 - Swampman could have been ‘made’ to that exact atonomical structure in numerous ways (including by design?) and as such the way in which we relate to or interpret him would be very different. This logic concludes that it is not until swampman starts interracting with the environment that we can attribute any meaning to his communications. Therefore to copy the structure, the data, is not to copy the identity. This reasoning is based upon the principle of semantic externalism, the claim that a persons communication (expression) is defined in part by their casual history.
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- John Locke - An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) - Locke's theory of identity, puts forward the idea that personal identity exists in consciousness not in the brian, and that we all begin with a 'empty slate' so to speak, on which we form assosiations through experience of the world. This forms the basis of the insanity plea in Law, i.e. you cannot be responsible for something which you were unconscious of. John Locke's ideas on the self and identity are widely believed to have formed the basis of modern theory on the subject, he defines the self as a continuity of consciousness.
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- David Hume - The Bundle Theory of Self - David Hume - The Bundle Theory of Self, Hume see's identitiy not as something of substance, that materially exists, but of sensory experience, causation, contiguity and resemblances. This is similar idea to my work on our transition between multiple identities, the difference being that Hume sees identity as all encompassing, whereas I prefer to treat it as entirely fluid and non-singular.
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- Social Relationships and Identity, Don Slater - Internet should be considered a social space in it’s own right, rather than a complex object nested within another social space. Identities and communication produced on the Internet should be looked at in terms of how they are sustained using the resources of the Internet. ‘You are what you type’ refers to the fact that it is more difficult to verify an identity online than it is face-to-face (no body language incongruence). Notions of ‘real’ or ‘authentic’ identities are deconstructed, in favour of a model of identity as performance. Real/fixed identity in core reality seen as oppressive and false, where online identity is seen as fluid, dynamic with shifting associations and boundaries. Liberation of identities ‘fixed in bodies’ (modern materialism, scientism). Cyberliberatianism is the liberation of mind from body. Body has become problematic as a ground for understanding identity. Internet allows the exaggeration of gender and sexuality. Key concept: Identity as Performance
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Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor E Frankl - A book telling a first hand account on experiences of the Nazi concentration camps during the second World War. The author discusses issues of identity and self in the context of survival.
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Websites |
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- Michelle Sales - US based visual artist, who explores the storage and erosion of memories through the process of layering. The 'Identity' series is especially relevant, with body casts showing the fragmentation and networking of memories within the human body.
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- Theory Cards - theory.org.uk trading cards featuring key historical figures who have shaped our understanding of identity from a cultural, social and gendered perspective.
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- ArtLab - Collection of artworks and related projects from the University of Westminster.
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- Theory.org.uk - A site by David Gauntlett, covering many aspects of Identity.
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- Jess Cross - US-based artist working on Identity issues, especially in her 'Identity Series' which involves projecting images over portraits.
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- Barbara Steele - UK-based artist who had created a series of textured identity works, using 'finger touch on paper'.
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Journals |
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- Oxford Art Journal, Oxford University Press, ISSN:0142-6540, Online ISSN:1741-7287 - The Oxford Art Journal has an international reputation for publishing innovative critical work in art history, and has played a major role in recent rethinking of the discipline. It is committed to the political analysis of visual art and material representation from a variety of theoretical perspectives, and has carried work addressing themes from Antiquity to contemporary art practice. In addition it carries extended review of major contributions to the field.
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- Self & Identity, Psychology Press, part of the Taylor & Francis Group, ISSN:1529-8868, Online ISSN:1529-8876
- Self and Identity is devoted to the study of these social and psychological processes of the self, including both its agentic aspects, as well as the perceived and construed aspects as reflected in its mental representations. The Journal aims to bring together work on self and identity undertaken by researchers across different subdisciplines within psychology (e.g., social, personality, clinical, development, cognitive), as well as across other social and behavioral disciplines (e.g., sociology, family studies, anthropology, neuroscience). Special emphasis is placed on theories and research that are generative in opening new terrain for future investigation. A second continual motivating goal of the journal, will be work that offers integration at the level of basic processes. The Journal publishes empirical articles of all lengths, and occasional theoretical pieces.
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Artists and Collaborators |
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Art Resources and Press |
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- www.artnet.com - Fine art network, for researching art market prices and trends.
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Wikipedia Articles |
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Visitor(s) Online