Richard Wentworth
is primarily known as a sculptor, with various highly acclaimed works shown in
famous galleries and exhibitions. Wentworth is also known as an artist,
photographer, lecturer and curator. Born in Samoa, he studied and has lived in Britain
for most of his life.
As a
photographer, Wentworth is highly recognised for his series, Making Do
and Getting By. This series has a common thread to that of his sculptural
pieces, where everyday objects are taken out of their usual place –where they
belong- and are completely repurposed. Wentworth captured these images in a
perchance manner while wandering around the streets of cities in search for the
presence of wonder. This is unlike his work with his sculptural pieces, where
he manipulates the objects himself to tell a certain story.
The
unknown narrative is a powerful part to this photographic series, as the
photographed objects are seen as rather ordinary, but they each have their own
unique story. Viewers are left wondering, “How did that get there?” The
familiar becomes the unfamiliar; mass-produced objects gain a sense of wonder
and adorn a crown of quirkiness.
Wentworth
finds a symbolic triumph over the materialistic world, where things have order
and are seen to be designed for a specific purpose. He challenges us on how we
perceive everyday objects and the connotations that go along with them. A
gumboot is used as a doorstop, a teacup props open a window, a bottle cap
transforms into an ash tray. These new uses of the different objects may seem
to be the result of a simple act, but there is a story behind why and how a
particular object is given a completely new function. The underlying thought,
which provoked the action, was taken in order to adapt to a need. As the
result of acts of improvisation and resourcefulness, human beings make
do with what they have in order to get by and carry
on with their lives. Although the viewer cannot see a human form present in the
photo, the viewer sees instead the outcome of the human’s behaviour.
The
organisational nature of human beings tends to lead to objects being stacked,
grouped, or propped together. When something is taken from its original place
of belonging and given a new use entirely, an ambiguity is formed in the
objects identity; and the organisational order is broken. A common theme of
Wentworth’s is to cause or find contrasts and juxtapositions, either between
different objects themselves, or between the object and its former and current
context. This often lends to humour being found in these paradoxical pictures.
An
element of wonder that that is greatly treasured is that of humour. If
something can scream out to you amidst the busyness of life and cause
you to notice it, it may be something deeply saddening, or cause you to become angry, it may be thought-provoking, or simply something that brings you to smile or chuckle to yourself. Humour helps us bear these more serious times. She can sweep us away from our harsh realities for a few moments, which is why we welcome her with open arms.
"Smile
and let the world wonder why" -Unknown.
{Sources:}
1) http://www.gupmagazine.com/blog/120-making-do-and-getting-by
2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2001/oct/09/artsfeatures.arts
3)http://www.sculpture.org.uk/RichardWentworth/biography/http://camberwellillustration1.blogspot.com/2009/12/richard-wentworth-making-do-and-getting.html
4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wentworth_(artist)
1) http://www.gupmagazine.com/blog/120-making-do-and-getting-by
2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2001/oct/09/artsfeatures.arts
3)http://www.sculpture.org.uk/RichardWentworth/biography/http://camberwellillustration1.blogspot.com/2009/12/richard-wentworth-making-do-and-getting.html
4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wentworth_(artist)
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