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What is an ‘installation’ or a ‘tableau’?
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A designed and staged scene of a three-dimensional environment
Who is Sandy Skoglund?
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A contemporary artist who has been exhibiting nationally and
internationally since 1973. Besides creating her sculptural
installations she also teaches at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
She is 55 years old.
How does Skoglund create her works?
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Each animal figure is sculpted in clay by her. Many of her early
installations were created in an apartment that she rented next to
hers.
Why does Skoglund photograph her installations?
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Photography (until early 1980’s) was considered an art form that
‘captured scenes’ from the real world. Skoglund questions these basic
photographic functions. When she creates a fantasy environment and
then photographs it she is commenting on the basic nature of reality.
By doing this, she documents a work of pure fantasy as she would a
‘real’ one.
Why does she use such a limited color scheme?
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By using only one color in the background she hopes to flatten the
scene, giving it a more nightmarish quality. Exaggerating the color
intensity she hopes to suggest a world out of control.
What does Skoglund wish to communicate by creating her installations?
- "I try to suggest things," she says, " I want to create
possibilities of interpretation."
What is a theme within many of the installations?
- In her installations, Skoglund juxtaposes animals in
everyday settings giving the environment a
surreal quality.
(Surrealism was developed in the 1920’s by artists who created
fantastic works based on dreams, memories and feelings.)
To see works by artist George Segal:
http://www.pbs.org/georgesegal/index/
Who is George Segal?
George Segal was a contemporary American artist born in 19244 in New
York City. He grew up on a chicken farm in New Jersey and became an
art teacher. He soon moved back to New York City to show his work.
In the late 1950's most painters were creating abstract art. Segal
was not comfortable with that and wanted to express 'real'
experiences. While teaching an adult ed. art class he assigned for
his students to bring in "junk" for sculpture. One of his students as
scientist at Johnson&Johnson brought in boxes of bandages. The rest
is history as they say. He started to wrap models in these plaster
bandages and then cutting them off to create life-size 'real' figures
that he then places within installations. Our Dog Walker sculpture
will work with both of the above artists and create an installation.
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