this is one of Priya's wonderful seed pod drawings from her blog found here. |
The story involves eminent Chinese artist Ai Weiwei pictured below...
artist Ai Weiwei with his sunflower seeds |
You will find a series of articles here on this artist at the UK's Guardian website which cover this artist's story over time - particularly the personal cost to him of speaking out about the Government of his country..
Read here:
Ai Weiwei: 'I have to speak for people who are afraid'
This autumn, Ai Weiwei, China's most outspoken artist, will take over Tate Modern's Turbine Hall. He talks about how his art and politics are indistinguishable
NB click above on title to see more images.
A close-up photograph of some of the seeds, each kiln-fired twice: once before being hand-painted, once again after. Each is unique |
Ai Weiwei poses with a handful of seeds at a press view |
Sunflower seeds are an omnipresent Chinese snack, but also were a common food during the harsh years of the Cultural Revolution. Some may also think of sweatshop-powered globalisation |
Tate Modern staff lay out the seeds 'You can trudge over them, walk or skip or dance on these seeds, all of them Made in China. Or scoop up handfuls and let them run through your fingers, in the knowledge that someone, an old lady or a small-town teenager in Jingdezhen, has delicately picked up each one and anointed it with a small brush. Every seed is painted by hand. The town that once made porcelain for the imperial court has been saved from bankruptcy by making sunflower seeds.' |
12 comments:
My pleasure Sophie :-)
Priya,
This was so wonderful to be able to post on this... thanks again for letting me know about this!
Sophie
mm i found this [the tate sunflower seeds] via designboom
who send a simply spiffing newsletter with all sorts of lovely art events on it
thanks for the tip India... good to know...
S
off to see this on saturday and looking forward to it...but i believe you can no longer walk on it...dust and asthma...which is a shame as the texture and sound would be a big part of the work.
another lovely blog Sophie..i'm looking forward to exploring it
going to sign up for designbloom...thanks India
Hi Sally,
how wonderful to be going to see this...sadly without being able to step onto it.
Love to hear what you think afterwards!
thanks for visiting Sally,
see you,
S
extraordinairement génial et démesuré... il y a tellement d'intention dans cette création. J'en suis époustouflée...
Merci Dom!
S
are the seeds real, or ceramic?
ceramic Em...
they look pretty real though...and to think each is hand made and painted!
S
Ceramic seeds, amazing! So many, yes, it would be extra special to walk on them, sacred even, but I can see that wouldn't work for the masses for long.
Yes...they did put up the rope to keep people from walking on them pretty quickly Maggie... as you say it was bound to happen.... intriguing work though...
thanks for popping in!
S
Post a Comment