Fairy tales and story telling in contemporary art - Essay Example

?Introduction The ability to send a message with the use of contemporary art is one that provides for different expressions when looking at the work.An approach which several artists have taken is to tell a story or to display fairy tales through the contemporary art. This alters the meaning of the work and creates an expression which relates to several of the concepts of today. When examining various artists, it can be seen that the stories which are told imply a deeper message that is universal in nature. At the same time, there is the ability to apply techniques and concepts which intertwine both the past myths as well as the present applications with the style of contemporary art. Revitalization of Fairy Tales The fairy tales which are given throughout time are based on different myths which were passed down in various cultures. This included fables about religious beliefs which were propagated at different times. This was also inclusive of oral story telling which involved stories that had morals and which were told so others would not disobey specific laws within society. Many looked at this aspect as one which was based on the cultural implications of a society, specifically with the need to have rule and law over the land while allowing those in a given area to have the moral applications surrounding the art. The works were furthered with various performing art forms which could be used to construct the stories and to show the outcome and morals of specific stories so the legends and the lessons could be told to future generations (Sobol, 122). The concept of storytelling and fairy tales as an indicator of society and moral aspects in culture can be transferred to the same ideologies which are used in contemporary society. The art and technique of storytelling is one which remains the same, specifically with showing characters, revitalizing the conflict of a given situation and of showing a moral from this conflict and overcoming the problems which are a part of the society. The emphasis of techniques; however, have altered, specifically because of the contemporary outlooks of various experiences. For instance, the emergence of technology and various interests of younger children have led to different ways to present the materials so it is applicable to the contemporary setting. However, the overall mythology remains the same within a given society, specifically to represent the morality of a specific tradition (Greene, Baker, 81). Not only does modern art create an understanding of the changes of myth from tradition. The concept of passing down oral traditions is one which is able to combine the ideology of primitivism to the current issues which are in society. By showing this, there is an understanding that primitivism is the same as today, specifically as the fairy tales, stories and other myths are reflections of current events. However, the myths are one which is misunderstood because of specific understanding and change within society as well as the collective and political influences of the time. The display of contemporary art gives the ability to take the primitive myth and change it into one which reflects the same complexities and problems which are a part of society today (Hiller, 7). The changes from primitivism and into the contemporary outlook are then furthered by the ideology of how the contemporary art is one which can uphold the myths. The myth becomes a reality through the new depictions and creates a sense of changing into the realistic conflicts of today. As the reality is expressed through the specific pieces of art, there is the ability to understand how myth is one which is a part of the contemporary culture. The change of myth is based only on the social and cultural understandings. There is also a sense of importance with the myth as it shows the idea of the other and becomes a source of how society misunderstands and misinterprets the idea of the myth, specifically because there is the belief that it is not realistic. By contemporary artists changing the idea of the myth into one which is based on the conflicts of reality, there is the ability to change the separation of the other into one which is intertwined with the issues of today, which turns the contemporary art into one which is based on the theory of conceptual art forms (Corris, 15). Work of Paula Rego The first representative which combines the fairy tale elements with the contemporary aspects is Paula Rego. The rhetoric which Rego combines with the work is to look into the fairy tales which were used in the past centuries within Europe, all which were used to teach moral stories. The Grimm fairy tales and other approaches to the moral stories are often the subject matter of Rego. These are combined with the concept of aesthetics of danger. The forms and techniques are combined with a sense of displeasure as the main character tells the story in the art work by presenting the conflict which occurs. This works because of the familiarity with the stories as well as the ideologies which are based on many of the characters from fairy tales. The oral story telling, books and the TV renditions then allow the work to be based specifically on the conflicts which arise in the works as the main emphasis of the story (MacEdo, 67). An example of Rego’s work which shows this aspect is “Snow White,” as seen in figure 1. Figure 1: Snow White (Rego, 1995). This figure depicts the conflict of the most well – known part of Snow White when the apple is swallowed by the mother who desires to destroy Snow White. The conflict is highlighted with the figure falling on the floor and holding her neck while showing the look of pain in the lines of the face as well as through the clutch of her fist on her skirt. The conflict is furthered with the background and the several colors which highlight the facial features of Snow White while using several colors to show the layers of conflict at this point. This focus on the conflict through the technique of background colors and lines, as well as the story which is told at this point is one which most can look at and understand the story before the poisoned apple and also which leads to understanding the outcome of Snow White living happily ever after (Bonner, 2). When looking at works such as these, it can be seen that the fairy tale is one which has a different element of telling a moral to a story. The example of Snow White is similar to the other paintings by Rego. Each takes the idea of the myth or fairy tale and adds in a realistic element which changes the understanding of the fairy tale. Through the aesthetics, Rego is able to change the fairy tale. This gives it a sense of humanitarian outlooks, or brings the idea of the soul to what most would consider a childhood fantasy. By taking the fantasy and using aesthetics to turn it into something which is more real, the spectator is able to understand a different perspective to the fairy tale (Warner, 3). The important element of this is to combine the natural with the unnatural and to allow the fairy tale to seem realistic. Adding in specific elements then allows one to gain recognition with the fairy tale and the realistic elements which come from believing in the morality of the stories (Windling, 42). Works of Rina Banerjee Another similar set of works which can be seen with fairy tales and myths is Rina Benerjee. Most of the works of this artist are based on the Asian and Indian influences of myths which have been passed down through the centuries. The main concept that is associated with this comes from Banerjee’s background, specifically with her earlier life spent in India and then moving into America. The combination of ideals is inclusive of culture, myth and fairy tales, all which intertwine to show the idea of the other through her specific works. For instance, several of her works focus on the myth of culture, specifically which comes from India, as well as the misperceptions of this culture that are in the Western world. By using the ideal of the exotic with the mythologies that are known to Banerjee, there is the ability to create a connection to the stereotypes of the other and to the realities of what really exists and is held as valuable in a culture which is unknown in the Western setting (Banerjee, 1). An example of this can be seen with the rendition “Excessive Endowment”, as seen in Figure 2. Figure 2: Excessive Endowment (Banerjee, 1). In this particular piece, there is a combination of the West and the East. The idea of endowment is one which comes from the myths of India, specifically when one is endowed with particular gifts. The individual several hands of the middle figure and the elements surrounding it come from the worship of the Durga, a goddess of Kolkata, where Banerjee is from. This is combined with the elements used to fight and to endow others with. The rendition of the myth; however, is combined with a mask as well as unknown elements. This shows the cross of cultures which creates the unknown of the figure and the inability to recognize the other and the foreign elements. These aspects allow the piece to cross culture and to show a line between myth and reality as one which belongs to the other and is not understood (Bryan - Wilson, 15). The specific approach which Banerjee continues to take with her artwork is based on a combination of the elements and myths of India, combined with the unknown and the other which is in the current state where Banerjee shows her work of the Western states. Banerjee shows a possession of her own past and identity through this, while showing her present state as being unknown and belonging to the other. At the same time, several of the installations which Banerjee uses with her different focuses is based on the ability to show how the cross cultural elements are related and how each shows the same ideal of the other. For instance, another piece shows a combination of the Lord Shiva and of Eve, as well as the snake which intertwines both. The line is one which shows the power of the Shiva through the snake, well – known to the Indian culture. It then states that “Eve was fooled” through the same snake and Adam was taken away. This particular nursery rhyme is then combined with both mythologies, showing their similarities, cultural relationships and the ideal of worship and mythology as one which belongs to the culture and which is valued as the other. The overall ideal is then to show the possession of the past in both cultures while making a significant ideal that both are a part of the other because of misunderstandings and stereotypes (Goldstein, 7). Works of the Chapman Brothers Another approach which is taken with the contemporary artists is through the works of the Chapman Brothers. The main component of these works is based on re-creating myths and changing the fairy tales into a new type of story through the art work. By doing this, the brothers are able to represent a new story and sense of myth which is presented in the ideal of modern day culture. The stories which are told are able to not only represent the contemporary ideal of a fairy tale, but also approach the concept of how one is able to build a specific type of mythology by showing a sense of the real combined with the mystical, all which relates to a sense of creating the other. The other then becomes one which is further presented by the ability to create an icon, specifically because it seems natural but is slightly misunderstood by the present culture and society (Young, 9). There are several examples where the Chapman Brothers are able to recreate and invent myth at the same time. One is through their depiction of the old zombie stories, as seen in Figure 3. Figure 3: Zombie Toys of Chapman Brothers (Chapman Brothers, 1). This is one of several images that are displayed in an installation and sculpture type art. Each panel moves through one aspect of destruction which occurs and which slowly transfigures the different toys into zombies by attaching their heads and bodies together. Through each of these images, one moves through the story of a war, what created zombies and the mythology which is associated with this. An important panel which is used in this creation is that of a crucifixion of the Christ figure by the zombies, followed by the ideology of what it means to be in hell. These features are known to come from several myths of destruction, ranging from the crucifixion to the war stories from the Nazi time frame, all to show the same elements which have repeated throughout history (Clark, 82). The ideology which is shown in this installation art, as well as through the icons, is based on the idea not only of showing zombie toys and the creation of hell. There are several elements of myth which are combined and which can be interpreted through the story which is told. Specifically, the Chapman Brothers use the several images to depict the creation of the Apocalypse, which signifies the time of the end of the world. Each of the panels shows an element of the end of the world, such as the Holocaust, wars which have occurred and through the mythology of creating hell and zombies which have occurred. The myth is then not only represented as a fairy tale which is passed down, but becomes a reality of what men have done throughout time and continue to do to create their own Apocalypse. The main ideology is to show how there is a blurred line in the reality and the myth which occurs; however, both go unrecognized in understanding the depths of myth and how close it is to the political, cultural and social realities in which individual’s live (Harris, 201). Conclusion The concept of telling fairy tales and stories in contemporary art is one which is able to combine the past and the present into a realistic approach of what myth means. When looking at each of the artists, it can be seen that there is an element of reality that exists within the creation of the fairy tales, all which are based on the climax of the fairy tale. This is furthered with telling stories which show how the myth creates a sense of otherness, even though the stereotypes are only based on cultural aspects. The other is furthered with the division which is often made with the fairy tale and its association with the contemporary beliefs and cultures which continue to cause questions among individuals in society. The ideology of the visual and the telling of the story is then based on showing how the age old myths relate to current culture, society and reality. Bibliography Banerjee, Rina. “Art of Rina Banerjee.” 2011. Retrieved from: http://rinabanerjee.com/home.html. Banerjee, Rina. “Excessive Endowment.” 2004. 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Greenwood Publishing Group: New York, 1996. Harris, Jonathan. Inside the Death Drive: Excess and Apocalypse in the World of the Chapman Brothers. Liverpool University Press: UK, 2010. Hiller, Susan. The Myth of Primitivism. Routledge: New York, 1991. Huyssen, A. “The Terror of History the Temptation of Myth.” October 15 (2), 1989. MacEdo, Ana. “Through the Looking Glass: Paula Rego’s Visual Rhetoric, an “Aesthetics of Danger.” Textual Practice 15 (1). Rego, Paula. Snow White. The Saatchi Gallery, 1995 Retrieved from: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/artpages/rego_paula_swallows_poisoned_apple.htm. Sobol, Joseph. “Contemporary Storytelling: Revived Traditional Art and Protean Social Agents.” Storytelling, Self and Society 4 (2), 2008. Warner, Marina. “Out of an Old Toy Chest.” The Journal of Aesthetic Education 43 (2), 2009. Windling, T. “Snow, Glass, Apples: The Story of Snow White.” Cherokee Publishing 15 (12), 2007. Young, Alan. Hamlet and the Visual Arts, 1709-1900. Rosemont Publishing and Printing: New Jersey, 2002. Read More