Undressing China: The Photography of Ren Hang | Emma Roche

Ren Hang was a self-taught photographer and poet living in Beijing, China before his death at 29 years old earlier this year. Born in Changchun, Jilin Province, China in 1987, Hang went on to study marketing in a university in Beijing. He became interested in photography but seemed skeptical at first but continued to shoot until he realized that photography was his true passion. Hangs work became known through the Internet and quickly gained the attention it deserved. Although many of his websites were shut down due to their content, a new website would quickly turn up in its place.

His photography mostly consisted of nude portraits of both women and men. Hang mainly shot them in his Beijing apartment, using close friends as his models. He had said that the reason he used his companions as models is because it made the shoot more comfortable for both of them. Hang insisted that all shoots must have an element of fun to them or else why bother? His type of work closely relates to the work of Ryan McGinley, a photographer who also uses friends as models in different settings that are familiar to them. McGinley is an American photographer who also creates nude portraits often in dramatic landscapes often outside in natural environments. Similar to Hang McGinley’s work also displays themes of sexuality and the body.  

As Hang created these nude works in Beijing he came across many problems with the authorities over the years. In China, sex is a very taboo subject- it is never talked about openly nor displayed in public. The authorities in China are doing their very best to censor Ren Hang’s work because of the nude imagery. Hang has had many exhibitions shut down by police due to the fact that nude work was displayed. Hang has also been arrested on different occasions purely for shooting nude images outside of his apartment. Even with these restrictions in place, Hang stated that he feels most relaxed shooting in China as it is where he was born and bred.

Hangs work is very focused on the body, both its shape and form. Hang likes to explore the different boundaries of the body by shooting with numerous models in a range of different poses. This work is usually shot using a 35mm film camera. A lot of the poses in Hangs photographs are very confrontational. These images force the viewer to look at these naked bodies, often giving full eye contact to the spectator. Although themes of innocence and vulnerability can be seen throughout Hangs work, there is also a strong presence of sexuality. This seems to relate back to China’s photo restrictions. These images show that even with these restrictions in place, the people of China do and will continue to talk and be open about their sexuality. Hang agreed that bodies are to be explored not hidden, and these photographs testify to that.

Despite China’s distaste with these images, Hangs work has been recognized on a global level. Having taken part in over 50 solo and group exhibitions, he is now a well-respected photographer. This work was also featured in an exhibition curated by Ai Weiwei, called ‘’Fuck Off 2’’ which opened in the Netherlands in 2013. Ai Weiwei is probably the most well known Chinese artist. Most famous for his sculptures and installations, his work attempts to bring attention to the human rights problems facing the globe.

Hangs second solo exhibition ‘’In addition to sleep’’ which was showcased from April to May in 2014 in the Vasli Souza gallery in Malmo, Sweden was a huge success. This exhibition featured some of Hangs best work. This particular body of work showed its freethinking models desire to be released from traditional Chinese values. This can be seen by the attitudes of the models, which are very matter of fact, rather than being coy. Although every image in this exhibition contains different parts of the body, they don’t in any way resemble pornographic images. Hangs photographs almost de-eroticize the body rather than eroticize the body, which is the sole purpose of pornography. This is very comforting to witness in today’s age where both women and men are constantly being over sexualized in the media. 

Ren Hang successfully used different kinds of animals to draw our attention to our animalistic nature. In doing so, he showed the viewer that we have many things in common with animals and are in fact animals ourselves. By also incorporating nature and natural elements such as plants into these nude portraits this hints at the viewer to focus on the body. By bringing our attention to the body in this way it is as if we are only really viewing the body being photographed for the first time. Juxtaposed to this, often when we view traditional nude photographs we do not really take much notice of the body whereas in Hangs work this is not the case. The body now becomes more fascinating due to the use of setting and objects.

The artistic images in this exhibition are also shot and curated in such a way that these photographs almost feel like an invitation to look. The viewer does not feel ashamed or uncomfortable as one might while looking at traditional nudes because it feels forbidden.

Hangs work are mostly interiors shot in his apartment in Beijing but he did shoot exteriors in public places from time to time. Some of these images are in such amazing natural locations that they seem to be superimposed. Because of the unbelievable settings that Hang chooses often times the nude aspect of the image can seem to be using special effects. However Hang never uses any tools such as Photoshop to edit backgrounds. All of his astonishing images are authentic. Interestingly enough, Hang  mentioned in interviews that at one point he did shoot landscape photographs but his fans didn’t really appreciate them and that is part of the reason why his work mainly consists of nude portraits.

Ren Hangs nude photographic works are at the forefront of Chinese as well as modern photography. In this new age of Feminist body positivity these images make an important contribution to how we view our bodies. These images are easy to access and can be found at http://renhang.org/

Words by Emma Roche

Previously published on Tribe - http://tribemedia.org/undressing-china-the-photography-of-ren-hang/

Participating in Text as Dissent and Distraction | Jeanette Joy Harris

The viability of the spoken word has been reconsidered since the campaign tactics of the 2016 US presidential election have changed the nature of political speech, the platforms by which it is expressed and the means in which its content is corroborated. Leaders name call. Twitter is social communication turned rogue political. Facts and alternate facts cannot be differentiated.

Twentieth century political theorist Hannah Arendt told us in her 1958 work Human Condition that public space is defined and maintained by the speech and actions of others. But as the polarity between fact and fiction is replaced by a continuum of opinions, feelings, and reason, the way in which we engage with text, in all its forms, is evolving.

An example of this can be found in a 9 January 2017 comment that President Trump’s advisor Kellyanne Conway made to CNN’s Chris Cuomo that, “you [the public] always want to go by what’s come out of his [Donald Trump’s] mouth rather than look at what’s in his heart.” (1) US Press Secretary Sean Spicer, in a response to President Trump’s accusations that former President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower in a tweet on 4 March 2017, suggested in a press conference on 6 March 2017 that Trump’s allegations aren’t necessarily literal. (2) Most notably, President Trump’s timeline of the firing of former FBI Director James Comey contradicts the story that his communications staff released to the press. (3)

The dismissal of words as the basis of politics, is frustrating if not frightening.  But no matter our desire to criticize Conway, Spicer, and others for eschewing the truth of President Trump’s Twitter feed, liberal supporters and activists do much of the same thing, and it can be seen clearly in works by artists Tania Bruguera, Jenny Holzer, and Bob Slayer. All three artists use text as way to invite, though not necessarily clarify, political agendas.    

In 2015 Tania Bruguera and several volunteers performed a 100-hour public reading of Hannah Arendt’s Origins of Totalitarianism. Arendt’s work, published in 1951, was a comprehensive analysis of the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany and Russia in the early 20th century. Spanning over 400 pages, Arendt’s work is academic, dense and, in many ways difficult to follow since English was not her native language. Simply put, it is not the most exciting read. Bruguera was arrested by the Cuban government after the reading, which took place in her home, was complete, but her arrest was not necessary because the performance drew large crowds. In a lecture at the University of Houston in 2016, Bruguera admitted that at many times during the performance the only attendees were the readers themselves.

Tania Bruguera reading The Origins of Totalitarianism (2015)

In 2016 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Bob Slayer organized “IraqOut&Loud,” a public reading of the Chilcot Report.  Released in July 2016, seven years after its commission, the Chilcot Report investigated the United Kingdom’s participation in the Iraq War and determined, among other things, that Tony Blair’s government had not sufficiently exhausted peace keeping diplomatic measures and that Saddam Hussein posed no urgent threat to the United Kingdom. Within a month of its publication, Slayer had procured a small venue at the Festival, a stand alone garden shed, and coordinated a reading of the entire report with no intermissions. Participants could sign up for slots, some even reading at 3 am. The format was inclusive. Five people sat in the shed, taking turns reading the text in 10-15 minute increments. Each hour the assembled group was rotated. Slayer’s performance, the reading of 12 volumes and 2.6 million words was successfully completed before the end of Festival.

Bob Slayer, IraqOut&Loud (2016)

Recently on show at Alden Projects in New York City was “REJOICE! OUR TIMES ARE INTOLERABLE: Jenny Holzer’s Street Posters, 1977 – 1982. Choosing a selection of 100 posters from Holzer’s “Inflammatory Essays” (1977 - 1982) and “Truisms,” (1977 – 1979), Alden Projects has displayed square coloured sheets of paper that have statements written by Holzer and other thinkers, expressing frustration, outrage, arrogance, prophesies, and lamentations. Originally pasted throughout Manhattan by Holzer, the exhibition asks viewers to mentally shift through what the gallery says are “manifesto-like statements.”

Text is central in all three shows and yet our understanding of the show does not depend on a reading of the text. In the case of Bruguera’s performance of Origins, we do not have to attend the performance to know that Bruguera is accusing Cuba of totalitarianism. For Slayer, the complicated militaristic, economic, and political language is, in most cases, undecipherable and yet we know in our participation that we are accusing the British government of irresponsibility. When seeing Holzer’s work, we do not, and probably won’t, read all of the posters because we know that they are protesting government, ignorance, and passivity.  

Using tactics that Trump dissenters criticize, these artists have used language to engage us politically while simultaneously ignoring the detail and specificity of the associated text. While Origins is a brilliant work of political theory, it is known to contain mis-representations of Stalin’s Russia due to a lack of available information at the time of it’s writing. Chilcot Report, though damning to the UK government, has issues as well. Reporting indicated that there was significant political manoeuvring when decisions were made about which sections would be released to the public. Further, there were unanswered questions regarding the culpability of Tony Blair and the way he communicated the Iraq operation to Parliament and the public. Holzer’s exhibition surely admits that no one will take the time to read all 100 posters.

These criticisms should not, however, detract from the power of each of these artists’ texts, particularly for Slayer. Reading and listening is a form of active participation and an element of  community. In “IraqOut&Loud”, I sat in a shed with strangers. As I looked around the metal building and its duct tape construction banding together microphones, video cameras and oscillating fans, I was keenly aware of the differences between myself and my fellow participants. I began thinking about why this activity was important to them. As each of us spoke, we struggled through reading esoteric words, foreign names, and military jargon. Some of us imbued the text with character, be it emotional, pensive, or sympathetic. Others read the report with an air of icy detachment, critical of its legitimacy. After our portion of the reading was over, my group gathered outside and spoke of the experience and the difficulty of performing an institutional text. It was as if reading the text, no matter is ambiguity, brought us together in a discussion that was grounded in a shared political experience even if it was just reading in a garden shed. Even though we might not have understood the political nuances of the text, we had engaged in a meaningful political experience.  

In the case of both Trump supporters and his critics, it is important to understand that political speech or public texts, as Arendt points out, is the basis of our community but it must be used to encourage community building, political specificity and problem solving not diffuse discussion through generalities. That is to say, if Trump’s Twitter feed incites an inclusive debate that begins a serious discussion of legislation, the coherency of the tweet itself isn’t as important. If, however, his tweets generate empty and aggrandized pronouncements that continue to divide an already rocky public sphere, the future of public space is in danger. On the other hand and in the case of Bruguera, Slayer, and Holzer, if the reading of public texts motivates dissenters to organize, then they have served an important political purpose. However, if the works generate empty aggrandized pronouncements of frustration, disgust, and division that do not assist in the reconciliation of our public, their opportunity will be lost.

REJOICE! OUR TIMES ARE INTOLERABLE: Jenny Holzer's Street Posters, 1977 - 1982

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBgs9pBnbj0

2.http://www.marketwatch.com/story/spicer-says-trumps-wiretap-claim-wasnt-meant-to-be-literal-2017-03-13

3.http://www.salon.com/2017/05/11/donald-trump-contradicts-his-own-white-house-about-james-comey-firing-timeline/

**********************

Jeanette Joy Harris is a writer and artist interested in the intersection of performance and political dialogue. She has a BA in government from Texas Woman’s University and an MscR in the history of art from the University of Edinburgh. She is a visiting scholar at the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College and workshopped with the International Performance Association in Venice. Joy has lectured and presented at University of Cambridge, University of Brighton, Edinburgh College of Art, University of North Texas, and Texas Woman’s University. She has written for Texas Tribune, Glasstire, Beautiful Decay, and This is Tomorrow. Her art has been shown throughout the world including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Miami, London, and the Netherlands. www.jeanettejoyharris.me  

Conor Clinch - 'Fresh' | Elly Collins

Conor Clinch is recognised as one of Ireland’s top fashion photographers. Coming from North Dublin’s Coolock, Fresh documents the characters and charisma of his surroundings through a beautifully produced photobook. Though largely discussed and covered by the media in terms of his fashion photography, discussing Clinch’s work in terms of portraiture offers a fresh outlook on the young photographer’s portfolio.

Clinch’s passion for photography began at an early age, buying his first camera at age 14 before truly knowing how to use it. However, from capturing self-portraits and still life objects Clinch’s passion developed into an infatuation with capturing the character of friends, models, and strangers through his lens. Speaking with RTÉ presenter Darren Kennedy, Clinch acknowledges that, ‘Your job as a photographer isn’t just to take photographs, it’s about really connecting with the person.’ (1) Fresh shows Clinch’s dedication to capturing this connection as we see a collection of intimate portraits of models and young men taken from the street.

Finding acclaim on Sky One’s Ones to Watch, Clinch was selected as Rankin’s protegé on the show. Rankin as a founder of iconic magazine Dazed & Confused is praised as one of the most influential names in fashion. In terms of his photographic practice, Rankin has photographed everyone from the Queen of England to David Bowie and boasts an impressive body of work stretching over decades. As for having such an iconic artist as your mentor, Clinch describes the experience as amazing and has discussed how it has influenced and strengthened his work. Clinch says, ‘He pointed out my strengths and weaknesses. My strengths: working with natural light and showing personality through the photographs. My weaknesses: trying to work my style into a studio and replicating what I do with natural light on a more commercial level. He told me not to change my style to make money – to stay true to myself.” (2) As for Rankin’s faith in the young photographer, the respect is mutual - 'Every day I look at the work of very talented young photographers; but very rarely does one stop me in my tracks. Conor Clinch is one of those rarities.’ (3)

In an age where many people have access to smartphones and cameras, Clinch uniquely captures the individuality of his subjects. Commanding the viewer’s attention, Clinch’s portraits stand out in a society of endless scrolling and selfies.  The young photographer himself thinks that the increased accessibility of photography is a positive thing, yet acknowledges the differences in intention. Speaking on Spin1038, Clinch noted that, ‘everyone has a smart phone.. Anyone can take a photograph but then again there is a photographer and there is someone who just take photographs.’ (4)

Fresh sees Clinch’s use of Samsung NX30 and Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom transform the way we view smartphone photography and portraiture. The Fresh project and publication was created with the assistance of Rankin, his team, and the Samsung’s ‘Launching People’ campaign. Growing up in North Dublin, Clinch’s early work was heavily influenced by his surroundings. Fresh examines the ‘lad’ culture present in working class areas, with a specific interest in the pride these young men take in their appearance.

Taking inspiration from David Urbanke and Alasdair McLellan, Clinch’s style sees a frank and intimate depiction of his subjects with non distracting backgrounds. Fresh sees blocks of pastel colours behind the Clinch’s collection of lads. The soft tones contrast with the lads which pose before them. Pairing this soft colours with the hard young men gives Clinch’s images a depth and visual texture which enrich the photographic portraits.

Talking about some of the young men featured in Fresh with Darren Kennedy, Clinch talks about that very edge that makes his subjects so interesting. Describing that, ‘that tough hard man attitude that he has kind of drew me in. Walking down the street like he owns it’. (5) Having had the idea in mind for a while, Samsung and Rankin allowed Clinch’s vision to become a paperback and digital reality. Clinch’s fascination with young, working class men came from his own upbringings in Coolock, North Dublin. In his early years of photographing and meeting other creatives Clinch took inspiration from what he knew and understood, which allowed him to develop his unique style. This deep interest and personal involvement with what Clinch photographs give him the ‘ability to see and capture the honesty and vulnerability of his subjects comes out in a very organic and perhaps effortless way.’ (6)

Speaking with Sinéad Baker of University Times, the young photographer offered advice for those hoping to break into the industry, “Absorb yourself in it. If you want to do it, you’ve got to do it every day and you’ve got to be super passionate about it”. (7) Indeed, Clinch stays true to his own advice, as his successful career evolved from his dedication to his craft. Despite his young age, Conor Clinch has undeniably made a name for himself in the world of photography. As Rankin states in the foreward, ‘Fresh is an apt name for this book, capturing young men and their attitudes to clothes in a unique way. But the word ‘Fresh’ could just as easily be used to describe Conor’s work. He evokes a unique view of the world which is entirely his own.’

Contact & Follow:

www.conorclinch.com

https://www.instagram.com/conorclinch

https://twitter.com/conorclinch

1. RTÉ2, Conor Clinch, #TRENDING, (October 2014). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A096pDE0BH4

2. Deirdre McQuillan, ‘The Snapper: The Teenage Dublin Photographer Rankin is Raving about’, Irish Times, (May 2014). http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-snapper-the-teenage-dublin-photographer-rankin-is-raving-about-1.1806851

3. http://www.conorclinch.com/about/

4. Spin1038, ‘Coolock’s Conor Clinch has Rankin Raving’, Spin1038, (May 2014). http://www.spin1038.com/spin-talk/coolocks-conor-clinch-has-rankin-raving

5. RTÉ2, Conor Clinch, #TRENDING.

6. Ann Ravinther and Filipe Phitzgerard,’ Conor Clinch - Irish, Young and Talented’, Fword, https://www.fwordmag.com/single-post/2016/05/06/Conor-Clinch-Irish-Young-and-Talented

7. Sinéad Baker, ‘London’s Hottest Photographer is an Irish Teenager’, University Times, (November, 2015) http://www.universitytimes.ie/2015/11/londons-hottest-photographer-is-an-irish-teenager/

All Images from www.conorclinch.com

Words by Elly Collins

VB46: Analysing the Controversy Surrounding Vanessa Beecroft's Practice | Elly Collins

The work of Vanessa Beecroft may look familiar to many due to her artistic collaboration with Kanye West. Working on the runway performances of the Yeezy fashion line and the music video for ‘Runaway’ Beecroft and Kanye West have created many striking and memorable pieces together. However, long before Beecroft’s involvement with Kanye West, she has been promoting her own brand and unique style of performance. Beecroft's primary method of artistic practice involves large scale projects which frequently include female models who are more often than not presented in the nude or wearing barely-there items of clothing or lingerie. Her work has provoked many reactions from members of the art world and spectators. Beecroft’s practice is regarded by some as sexist and degrading, while on the other end of the spectrum, her work is loved as revolutionary and thought provoking.

adidas Originals x Kanye West YEEZY SEASON 1 © Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for adidas

The titles of Vanessa Beecroft's art pieces promote the very specific brand of the artist, and while also documenting the number of performances she has completed. Beecroft's art often stands to embody the contemporary geographical or social circumstance. The works are conceptualized with a specific site in mind, resulting in the performances being ephemeral and distinct in their location. However, Vanessa Beecroft has seen huge support from galleries and institutions who might not otherwise be as willing to support performance art. Beecroft's 'performances' are intensely documented through video and extensive photographs in order to preserve and publish this otherwise transitory experience. The photographs act as an enticement for the institutions, creating subsequent exhibitions and sales of the expensive souvenirs.

In 2001, Vanessa Beecroft began to work on her performance piece VB46 which was to take place at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills. Like many other of her performance works, Beecroft sought out a group of around 30 young women, with a very specific physical appearance. The advertisement for the position was posted in various locations throughout Los Angeles, reading

“Needed: 20–30 nude models, eighteen plus, skinny, tall androgynous body, very small breasts, available to pose nude. Preferably with short hair, boyish cut, blond, and fair. Will be covered in body makeup. Will wear Manolo Blahnik shoes.”

The specificity of Beecroft's practice extended not only to the types of bodies that she needed for VB 46 but also to the models behavior during the art piece. Beecroft's instruction to the models leaves very little room for activity or deviation from their stoic presence within the Gagosian. The instruction states;

"Do not talk, do not interact with others, do not whisper, do not laugh, do not move theatrically, do not move too quickly, do not move too slowly, be simple, be detached, be classic, be unapproachable, be tall, be strong, do not be sexy, do not be rigid, do not be casual, assume the state of mind that you prefer (calm, strong, neutral, indifferent, proud, polite, superior), behave as if you were dressed, behave as if no one were in the room, you are like an image, do not establish contact with the outside ." —Vanessa Beecroft"

The statement gives an insight into the so called live performance conducted by the artist and her team. Many critics and theorists view her performance pieces as 'Live Paintings', by which the subject matter we would usually only be confronted with in a painting, the classic female nude, is presented to the viewer in a gallery setting and also the way in which the works are composed. The spectator is confronted with the real body of the female nude, in its frankness, a situation which may cause a sense of discomfort to those used to seeing it on a canvas or a screen. However, aside from the model's actual real life presence, the instruction given to the models highlights how very little of Beecroft's performance can be understood as "live".

Yves Klein – Anthropometry Performance, 1960.

Beecroft's practice draws some interesting similarities and differences with Yves Klein, an artist who also attracted controversy through his artistic practice. Both artists distance themselves their chosen medium; the female body by presenting it as the primary focus of their artworks and using the body as a tool rather than treating participants as individuals. In contrast to Klein's models painting themselves, Beecroft's are designed by a team of make up artists; a feature which can be read as symptomatic of modern culture and the fashion world. Although both artist's rely on an index to document their work, Klein utilizes the painted print of the female body, while Beecroft relies on modern technology to record an ephemeral performance.

As previously mentioned, Vanessa Beecroft's practice is often reflective of the social or geographical position in which they take place. VB46 was Beecroft's first performance in Los Angeles, and therefore can be interpreted as a commentary on the work's location. Issuing a performance in Beverly Hills, VB46 may be read as a response to the City of Angels, with whitewashed beautiful figures posing in a white gallery which may be viewed as a form of contemporary heaven in an artistic realm. The models bleached appearance may signify a number of things, the sun of California, the interest in the speculation of whiteness, the purity of the female nude body, but it may also represent the mass infiltration of aspiring actresses, models and entertainers hoping to make their break in LA. By extracting these young hopefuls from the casting couch or auditions and placing them against the backdrop of a contemporary art gallery space, Beecroft highlights the strangeness of the uniformity and blatant objectification of women in the entertainment and fashion industries. Jennifer Doyle argues that 'Beecroft's installations are deliberately provocative- ‘clusters of naked and nearly naked skeletal women stare vacantly in space and mime the posture of haute couture, citing the conceptual runway antics of the season's hottest designers’.(1) Beecroft's practice holds many strong links to commodification and the commercial, both visually and theoretically.

Vanessa Beecroft, VB46 at the Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles, 2011. © Gagosian Gallery

The problem with Beecroft's insistency on the models remaining 'like an image', is that it perpetuates the image of the female body, in this case nude, as passive, objectified and arguably 'for sale'. Steinmetz, Cassils and Leary note that 'The process of production, selection, and manipulation in Beecroft's photographs serve to uphold dominant ideologies in the interest of brokering high-end luxury commodities.' (2) The models are lined up as if on a factory production line, with almost identical appearances, presented as commodities of Beecroft's project. VB46, among many of her other projects allows for the audience to behold a full scopophilic and fetishistic view on the passive, purified female nude. Beecroft herself notes in regards to VB46 'I recognize that the more I try to make the image minimal and pure the more fetishistic it looks.'(3) However, this reading of Beecroft's practice by many critics may also point to a problematic social issue rather than the artist's work itself. The constant objectification and sexualisation stands as a negative reflection of our own societal views and values, rather than the artist's display of these women.

As we have seen, there is a redemptive positive and even feminist reading applicable to VB46, as Jennifer Doyle notes that, 'On its face, Beecroft's work seems to forward a feminist critique of the art world by literalizing the place of women as objects of consumption/contemplation.' (4) However, upon deeper investigation and behind the scenes, Beecroft's practice tells a very different and unsettling story. Doyle further notes that her work 'adopts the pose of a critique of the objectification of women in art, but the power of that critique is all but completely dismantled by the institution that mounts it. (5)

As we know, There is a strong tradition of expressing feminist concerns in performance art, with artists such as Carolee Schneeman, Yoko Ono and Valie Export, among others, utilizing the female body in their performance to highlight or express gender inequality and a range of problems surrounding the female body in society. Their work offers a poignant expression of female issues through use of the artist’s body as subject matter. However by explicitly using other's bodies instead of the artist's own, does Vanessa Beecroft in fact become a part of the problem critics praise her for highlighting? The shift that occurs in this change of subject representation has huge effects on the negative perception of her work. Steinmetz, Cassils and Leary argue that 'Beecroft places the bodies of other women in positions potentially exploitative and demeaning rather than using her own body as a ground for experimentation.' (6)

The advertisement for a seemingly Aryan type models caught the attention of then students of California Institute of Arts students and feminist activist group Toxic Titties. Heather Cassils and Clover Leary, who fit the physical description, applied for the position, and were subsequently two of Beecroft’s first picks for the performance. Although many critics view Beecroft's performance pieces as a critique of the fashion industry, there is a troubling truth that stands behind the artworks.The disparity between Beecroft's precise and aesthetic final pieces and the process which occurs behind the scenes is startlingly described by Cassils and Leary in 'Behind Enemy Lines: Toxic Titties Infiltrate Vanessa Beecroft' also written with Julia Steinmetz. Both recall how each model was subject to hair bleaching and full bodily hair removal, the full extent of which was only revealed at the waxing salon by the apologetic beautician. As well as a complete makeover of the models physical appearance, they were givens strict instructions on how to behave during the show. Cassils and Leary also describe how Beecroft's presence was often mediated by another member of her team. 'Beecroft would whisper instructions into the ear of a male production manager, who would then relay instructions to the models, putting herself in the position of male authority and power only.' (7)

Vanessa Beecroft, VB46 at the Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles, 2011. © Gagosian Gallery

It is perhaps Beecroft's attempt to represent an esthetically striking artwork, which dismisses the pain of the process that makes her work so disturbing. In contrast to an artist like Santiago Sierra, who openly exploits the participants in his artworks such as 160cm Line Tattooed on 4 people el gallo arte contemporaneo. Salamanca December 2000, Beecroft's practice is shrouded in secrecy and even guilt. In a conversation with Heather Cassils, Beecroft stated that,' I have never come in contact with the models before.. It makes me feel guilty. (8) The stoic, futurist and even alien representation of the female body is one which offers a stark look on the use of the woman's body in mass media, art and more generally as a commodity. Yet Leary and Cassil's description of their treatment and anxieties during the duration of their time "working" under Beecroft illustrates the extreme, almost torturous lengths the artist and her team are willing to impose on models to produce a visually striking piece of art. Doyle perfectly articulates this tension, stating that Beecroft's work 'finalizes the marriage of art and fashion, and renders visible the libidinal dynamics of art consumption: gorgeous bodies served up to paying customers under the guise of aesthetic contemplation and enjoyment.' (9)

In conclusion, Beecroft's VB46 as well as her other artworks hold subjective and very diverse meanings. Beecroft herself gives very little of her intended meaning or political agenda away to viewers. Lucy Soutter's description of female artists working with narrative photography in the 1990s called Panty Photographers, is also very apt in describing Beecroft's practice. Soutter states 'As far as I can tell, panty photographer's like to keep their politics as ambiguous as their imagery; the potential that their stance might actually be masochistic, misogynistic, or crassly materialistic is another optional overlay, to be retained or discarded by the viewer at whim.' (10) The ambiguity of Beecroft's intended message allows for both positive and negative interpretations to her work, with undeniable controversy.

Vanessa Beecroft, VB46 at the Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles, 2011. © Dusan Reljin

1. Jennifer Doyle, 'White Sex: Vaginal Davis does Vanessa Beecroft', Sex Objects: Art and the Dialectics of Desire, (Minneapolis, London: University of Minnesota Press, 2006), 122.

2.Julia Steinmetz, Heather Cassils and Clover Leary, 'Behind Enemy Lines: Toxic Titties Infiltrate Vanessa Beecroft'. in Signs, 31:3, New Feminist Theories of Visual Culture (Spring 2006), 777.

3. Marcella Beccaria, Vanessa Beecroft: Performances 1993-2003, (Milan: Skira; London: Thames and Hudson,2003), 325.

4. Doyle, 'White Sex', 129.

5. Ibid, 132.

6. Steinmetz, Cassils and Leary, 'Behind Enemy Lines', 765.

7. Ibid, 760.

8. Heather Cassils, 'Conversation during a break between photo and video shoots at the Sony sound Stage, Culver City, CA., October 2003', (ibid), 760.

9. Doyle,' White Sex', 122.

10. Lucy Soutter, 'Dial ‘P’ for Panties: Narrative Photography in the 1990s.', Afterimage, (vol. 27, no. 4, January/February 2000), 12.

Lin Tianmiao - Preserving the Past and Critiquing the Current | Elly Collins

Lin Tianmiao is praised as being one of China's most influential and successful female artists in contemporary practice. Establishing herself in both the domestic and international art market, Lin Tianmiao's global success rivals that of her male contemporaries such as Ai Wei Wei, Yue Minjun, and Xu Bing to name but a few. Lin Tianmiao is best known for her work with fabric, namely white cotton and silk. Many of her works involve the process of 'binding', in which the artist covers various objects in multiple layers of thread. This process  holds an ominous quality, as Sam Gaskin notes that 'the act of slowly, precisely binding items with thread seems like it could be either a kindness or an aggression, applying bandages or bonds.' (1)  In the interview with Gaskin, Lin states, 'because the work takes a long time, I have all these feelings: smothering, protecting and transforming.'(2) These contrasting elements may be understood as representing Lin's conflicting feelings about the Chinese society in which she produces her artworks. Lin's binding process can be understood as a protecting of the past,  albeit in a  constricting and stifling manner.

Lin Tianmiao's fascination with thread winding and binding stems from her childhood experiences. As a child, Lin helped her mother to wind thread and sort it into balls. Although this was a task that  Lin recalls resenting, it is an exercise which continually returns to in her own artistic practice. Lin's  nostalgic longing for a way of life gone-by is a recurrent theme in work, often combined with a poignant critique of the present and technological, economic and industrial changes in contemporary China. By investing herself in such a large, time consuming and meticulous projects, Lin Tianmiao distances herself from her surroundings while simultaneously tackling  societal issues. Lin’s work can be seen to embody the dual qualities of soft and gentle with a threatening and even violent undertone.  

Lin began her professional career during uncertain socio-political times in China, following the collapse of the Cultural Revolution. During the mid 1990s, Lin and her husband, conceptual and video artist Wang Gongxin, lived and worked in a compact apartment in Beijing. In an interview with Luise Guest, Lin Tianmiao stated that she was 'disturbed by many aspects of contemporary China—the food scares, the pollution, the politics.'(3) Despite this however, Lin also explained that she could not become an artist until she had returned to China from her time in America, specifying that 'It is my country, and it creates such strong feelings in me.'(4) Returning from New York in 1995, Lin Tianmiao and Wang Gongxin were coming back to a rapidly changing and developing Chinese culture and economic climate. The China that they had left when migrating to America was becoming a relic of the past, with technologies, objects  and sensibilities becoming obsolete.

In Lin Tianmiao’s Bound and Unbound, (1995-1997), the artist battles with the idea of preservation and nostalgia. Bound and Unbound consists of approximately 800 household objects and utensils, which were tightly bound in white cotton thread. Often displayed above the objects was a video installation of the artist's hands cutting thread with a large and threatening pair of scissors was projected onto a screen created by thousands of tautly stretched thread  either wrapped around perpendicular horizontal poles, or hanging from the ceiling.

Sun Yunfan, in an interview with Lin Tianmiao, discusses the cultural and historic importance of white cotton thread in a Chinese context. The material holds a special resonance for the generations during the 1960s and 70s, 'when Chinese economic central planning was at its height.' During this time, white cotton gloves were distributed among state owned work units, with Sun stating that, 'the old uniforms and gloves were valuable commodities that could be exchanged with relatives and friends.'(5) For Bound Unbound, Lin uses signature white cotton to meticulously bind a range of domestic objects. Lin Tianmiao produced Bound Unbound during years which China was becoming internationally known as a centre for mass production. This rapid acceleration into the global market prompted nationwide urbanization, and society and living circumstances for Chinese citizens was quickly changing. These objects, which 'belonged to a class of once coveted domestic necessities that were rapidly  becoming obsolete', are transformed into relics of a bygone era, doubly through the use of white cotton. (6) Sun further supports the notion that Lin's treatment of these objects emphasizes a respect for these quotidian objects, stating that 'the wrapping has the effect of gently dignify the thrift, self-reliance, and domestic skills they embodied, even as these virtues were under assault in China's aggressively commercial, rapidly modernizing cities.'(7) Lin eloquently transforms once essential daily objects into remnants and reminders of the past through a process of intense thread binding. Sarah Suzuki notes that Lin Tianmiao's wrapping of ordinary objects, as in Bound and Unbound, is like a 'Zen-like, meditative action, turning them into monochromatic, ghostly still lives'.(8)

As previously discussed, Lin's use of white cotton held various connotations in Chinese society, and the use of silk in more recent pieces similarly holds a number of cultural associations which strengthen and deepen meaning in her work. The significance of silk, in Chinese culture as discussed by Luise Guest, was 'a measure of wealth and opulence, a sign of social status, a bargaining chip with western nations, a symbol of China's imperial past rejected during the revolutionary era.'(9)  Therefore, Lin's later practice seeks to reassert the beauty and magnitude of silk as a medium in Chinese culture, while also representing a nostalgic longing for the past. Silk's connotations with the grandeur of Imperial China are here manipulated by Lin Tianmiao to bring the minds of her contemporaries to a period of wealth and nationalism in China's past. Lin's reversion to the more the traditional medium of silk similarly reflects the significance of her use of white cotton; as it serves as a reminder of the past, acting as a critique of the rapidly changing contemporary Chinese culture as a result of globalization and industrial development.

Reaction (2013) on display at Tarrawarra Museum of Art, Australia.

Silk also signifies a return to a simpler way of life through its connection to the natural. Guest notes that the medium of silk 'remains firmly bound to nature and to the lifecycle of the silkworm and the mulberry leaves upon which they feed.' (10) Though not completely obsolete, it may be argued that the natural presence within China's cityscape was diminishing, giving way to large scale apartment complexes, like the multiple high rise complexes in her native Beijing. The strong natural connection with silk is also interestingly used by Lin in relation to the subject matter of her later work.  In her works Reaction (2013), Bonsai Tree (2012) and All the Same (2011), Lin Tianmiao uses silk to emphasize her message of mortality and  criticism of material culture in China. Guest states that, 'there is a dark undercurrent beneath Lin Tianmiao's work, a realization of the frailty of the corporeal body.'(11)

Bonsai Tree (2012)

Reaction is comprised of plastic skulls wrapped in pink silk, which have been intercepted with everyday items such as shovels, trumpets and iron. Lin, when speaking of this works states that it is a critique of the way people in Beijing, as well as broader China, are bound to their work and their roles. However, Lin subverts these tools and changes them into something useless, playing on the idea of what is actually useful in society. Sun notes that the tension between the delicate, beautiful and colorful artworks and the macabre undertone could 'be interpreted as a critique of the increasingly materialistic and fiercely competitive nature of contemporary Chinese society which values extreme displays of opulence far more highly than individual human lives.'(12) Lin's perception that Chinese culture places more value in materiality than the individual is also expressed in Bonsai Tree. Bonsai Tree's political message is arguably more discernible than that of All The Same and Reaction, due to its depiction of 'living' human beings rather than just bones. The work comprises of a bonsai tree bound in beautiful blue silk thread which is suspended above a pile of miniscule human figures used in architectural models. Contrasting with the blue bonsai, these tiny figures are covered in gold leaf. Scattered beneath the tree, Smith notes that they are 'strewn around as if unimportant—thus evoking Lin's sense of 'the people' in a society where external pressures and self-imposed goals drive most to soul-diminishing "sameness", today determined less by political ideology than by commercialism.'(13)  Similarly, All The Same, articulates issues concerning individuality (or lack there-of) and mortality in Chinese culture.  All The Same is constructed of 180 fabricated human bones, which have been bound in coloured silk. The reduction of the human form to the bones alone eradicates all kinds of differences; gender, race, beliefs.

All the Same (2011) on display at Tarrawarra Museum of Art, Australia.

In contrast to Bound and Unbound, Lin's aforementioned artworks incorporating silk mummify elements of the human rather than objects, switching her focus from the material to individual.  However, by binding artificial bones and small architectural figurines, arguably transform the human into object. Lin Tianmiao states that, 'this is a world in which the individual counts for little.' (14) Lin's artworks, All The Same, Reaction and Bonsai Tree, thus offer the individual as an art object. Arguably, these works provide the 'individual' present with some recognition, which may not otherwise be obtained in a 'society of extreme homogeneity'.(15) These works not only offer a critique of the treatment of the individual in China, but also present a symptomatic solution in the age of commercialism, by transforming the person into object.

Lin Tianmiao's practice offers an interpretation of a diminishing Chinese culture with Wu Hung noting that  through her 'request for a "thread", she tries to "pull" lost memories back to present life then demonstrate that the previous life offers directions for the present life.' (16) Lin Tianmiao  adapts the traditional materials of cotton and silk to express a modern commentary of Chinese culture. Through Lin Tianmiao's practice, there is an evident respect for the individual and humanity, as expressed in the aforementioned artworks. However, Lin's respect for her chosen materials is also palpable in her artworks. Guest comments upon the innovative techniques employed by female Chinese artists when working with textiles. She states that although 'Mao Zedong said that embroidery is not revolutionary. Interestingly, however, some female contemporary Chinese artists have chosen to work with thread and textiles... In experimental, maybe even revolutionary ways.' (17) Indeed, Lin Tianmiao's innovative use and display of cotton and silk express a unique perspective and interpretation of contemporary Chinese culture.

Lin Tianmiao beautifully articulates her own reactions to the changing Chinese culture through her unique artistic practice. Lin has previously states that she realized, that 'to be an artist you must first find your own character, form your own opinions, and way of living. Truly, being an artist is a state of mind as much as a way of life.' (18)  Lin Tianmiao artworks allow for a visually striking yet poignant interpretation of contemporary Chinese culture, with the artist stating,'I am just showing my understanding of, or reaction to things.' (19) Through an adaptation of traditional imagery and textiles, Lin Tianmiao offers a nostalgic view of the past, while simultaneously providing her personal commentary of the contemporary.

Words by Elly Collins

1. Sam Gaskin, 'Lin Tianmiao Speaks to artnet News About the Art of Endurance', artnet (News), (2015), unpaginated.

2. Lin Tianmiao in Gaskin, 'Lin Tianmiao Speaks to artnet News About the Art of Endurance', unpaginated.

3. Lin Tianmiao in Luise Guest, '"No Feminism in China": An Interview with Lin Tianmiao', The Culture Trip, (2013), unpaginated.

4. Ibid.

5. Sun Yunfan, 'Interview: Lin Tianmiao on Art, Influence, and 'Bodily Reaction' as Inspiration', Asia Society, (2012), unpaginated.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Sarah Suzuki, 'Lin Tianmiao' in Cornelia H. Butler and Alexandra Schwartz, eds., Modern Women: Women Artists at the Museum of Modern Art, (New York: Museum of Modern Art: Distributed in the United States and Canada by D.A.P./ Distributed Art Publishers, 2010), 405.

9. Guest, '"No Feminism in China", unpaginated.

10. Ibid.

11. Luise Guest, 'Material Practices: Stitching, Fabric, and Textiles in the work of Contemporary  Chinese Artists', DailyServing, (2014), unpaginated.

12. Sun, 'Interview: Lin Tianmiao on Art, Influence, and 'Bodily Reaction' as Inspiration', unpaginated.

13. Karen Smith, 'Woven Labours', Art in America, Brandt Publications , 100:9, (2012), 144.

14. Ibid.

15. Sun, 'Interview: Lin Tianmiao on Art, Influence, and 'Bodily Reaction' as Inspiration', unpaginated.

16. Sue Wang, 'Lin Tianmiao's Language of Thread and the Meaning', Cafa Art Info, (2012), unpaginated.

17. Guests 'Material Practices', unpaginated.

18. Lin Tianmiao in Karen Smith, 'Lin Tianmiao' in Non Zero, (Beijing: Timezone 8, 2004), 14.

19. Sun, 'Interview: Lin Tianmiao on Art, Influence, and 'Bodily Reaction' as  Inspiration', unpaginated.