
Change
Season 6 Episode 1 | 54m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
Featuring artists Catherine Opie, El Anatsui, and Ai Weiwei.
How do artists respond to a world in flux? In what ways do artists act as agents of change, and what kinds of aesthetic choices do they make to express it? This episode features artists who bear witness, through their work, to transformation--cultural, material, and aesthetic--and actively engage communities as collaborators and subjects.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback

Change
Season 6 Episode 1 | 54m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
How do artists respond to a world in flux? In what ways do artists act as agents of change, and what kinds of aesthetic choices do they make to express it? This episode features artists who bear witness, through their work, to transformation--cultural, material, and aesthetic--and actively engage communities as collaborators and subjects.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch ART21
ART21 is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
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Everyday Icons
Learn more about the artists featured in "Everyday Icons," see discussion questions, a glossary, and more.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[ atmospheric electronic music ] ♪ ♪ - I UNDERSTOOD FROM A REALLY YOUNG AGE THAT WORK HAD THIS POTENTIAL TO CONVEY TIME.
- I THINK MY WORK HAS PRINCIPALLY BEEN ABOUT CHANGE, NONFIXITY OF THINGS.
- I THINK I'M INTERESTED IN ART BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS DEALING WITH NEW POSSIBILITIES.
- WHAT?
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SAY, HUH?
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SAY TO THE CAMERA?
YOU GOT TO LOOK AT THE CAMERA.
THE CAMERA'S OVER THERE.
NO, NOT THERE.
IT'S OVER THERE.
LOOK, SUNNY.
CAMERA'S THERE.
I UNDERSTOOD FROM A REALLY YOUNG AGE THAT WORK HAD THIS POTENTIAL TO CONVEY TIME.
IT WAS LITERALLY GOING TO THE TOLEDO ART MUSEUM OR CLEVELAND AND STANDING BEFORE A LOT OF THE MASTERS, REALIZING WHAT THAT DEPICTED IN RELATIONSHIP TO A NARRATIVE OF THE TIME.
THE EARLY PORTRAITS OF MY FRIENDS IS BECAUSE OF HANS HOLBEIN.
I WAS LOOKING AT HOLBEIN IN RELATIONSHIP TO MAKING THAT WORK, ESPECIALLY THE IMPORTANCE OF A HISTORY OF AESTHETICS WHEN YOU MIGHT BE PHOTOGRAPHING SUBJECTS THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT OR LOOK AT.
IT COULDN'T BE LIKE A DIANE ARBUS PHOTOGRAPH.
IT HAD TO COMPLETELY FOCUS ON THE BODY AND ALSO COLOR.
I HAD TO SEDUCE THE VIEWER IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
GIRLFRIENDS,I THINK, WILL ALWAYS BE ONGOING.
I THINK THAT IT'S GONNA BE JUST A COLLECTION OF IMAGES THAT I CONTINUE THROUGHOUT MY LIFE HOPEFULLY.
DIANA NYAD IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BODY OF WORK WHEN I EXHIBIT IT NEXT.
I LIKE THIS BLUE.
I THINK IT'S GOOD TO PHOTOGRAPH IT ON A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN LAST YEAR.
THE PHOTOGRAPH OF HER BACK IS, TO ME, JUST, LIKE, ONE OF THESE PERFECT, AMAZING BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THIS 61-YEAR-OLD, POWERFUL WOMAN.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO, BUDDY.
ALL RIGHT.
I WANT YOU TO TRY TO GO IN YOUR HEAD WHERE YOU'RE GOING WHEN YOU'RE SWIMMING, OKAY?
I JUST WANT YOU TO BE IN THAT PLACE A BIT.
OKAY, BLINK, AND THEN OPEN YOUR EYES.
[ shutter clicks ] AND LOOK RIGHT INTO THE CAMERA, DI.
[ shutter clicks ] - [ indistinct speech ] - YEAH.
HOW'S THE LIGHT LOOK, NICOLE?
- IT'S GOOD.
HERTHE SHADOW'S A LITTLE DARK.
- CAN I SEE?
I LIKE THAT, WITH THE CAP ON AND THE GOGGLES TOO.
- I LIKE IT TOO.
- I THINK IT'S GOOD.
- YEAH.
- I LOVE THAT.
- THAT'S COOL.
- THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.
WELL, I THINK MAYBE I NEED THE 80 LENS.
YEAH.
[ shutter clicks ] [ shutter clicks ] I DON'T THINK THAT SURFERSWOULD HAVE EXISTED, IN TERMS OF ME MAKING THEM, IF I HADN'T MADE THE ICEHOUSES.
THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SURFERSAND ICEHOUSES IS THIS NOTION OF A TEMPORARY COMMUNITY THAT EXISTS ON THE WATER.
ONE IS A FROZEN TEMPORARY COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER IS A COMMUNITY THAT IS OUT IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
BOTH OF THEM CONTAIN THAT KIND OF METAPHOR OF WAITING.
YOU CAN SLOW DOWN.
YOU CAN STOP.
AND YOU CAN MAYBE EVEN HAVE AN ETHEREAL MOMENT.
[ birds squawking ] THE TRICK IS TO NOT SPILL THE COFFEE.
IT'S OKAY IF THE CAMERA DROPS, BUT THE COFFEE.
I GREW UP IN SANDUSKY, OHIO, AND WE LEFT WHEN I WAS 13 TO MOVE TO CALIFORNIA.
SANDUSKY, OHIO IS THE SOMEWHAT SMALL TOWN THAT'S LOCATED RIGHT ON LAKE ERIE.
IT'S MOST KNOWN FOR CEDAR POINT AMUSEMENT PARK, WHERE EVERYBODY FROM THE MIDWEST COMES.
CLEVELAND IS ABOUT 45 MINUTES NORTH OF SANDUSKY.
WHEN THE CLEVELAND CLINIC APPROACHED ME TO DO A BODY OF WORK, I IMMEDIATELY PROPOSED THAT I WOULD GO AND PHOTOGRAPH LAKE ERIE, AND SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I WANTED TO GO BACK TO SANDUSKY.
ONE THING I DON'T LIKE IS HOW THE BIRDS GO IN MY HORIZON.
I WOULD PREFER THAT THEY WOULD GO AWAY.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME EVER THAT I'VE EVER BEEN ABLE TO DO A PCE THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO STAY THERE FOR THE LIFE OF THE BUILDING.
[ shutter clicks ] THE FACT THAT I WAS COMMISSIONED ALLOWED ME TO SPEND A YEAR GOING IN AND OUT ON SIX DIFFERENT TRIPS TO MY HOMETOWN AND LOOK AT IT AGAIN THROUGH A 50-YEAR-OLD PHOTOGRAPHER'S EYES.
I DON'T REALLY LIKE THE WAVES BREAKING THAT MUCH IN IT.
AW, IT GOT ME WET.
[ shutter clicks ] [ shutter clicks ] EVERY SEASON THAT'S REPRESENTED IN THE PCE IS FOUR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THAT SEASON.
EXCEPT FOR WINTER HAS FIVE.
AND WINTER HAS FIVE, SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS THINK THAT THE FROZEN LANDSCAPE WILL NEVER DISAPPEAR.
THIS IS SUNRISE.
THIS IS SUNSET.
THIS IS SUNRISE IN THE SAME LOCATION.
YOU'LL SEE THE FOOT TRACKS HERE.
I LOVE THAT A CAREFUL VIEWER WILL PICK UP THAT LITTLE MOMENT THAT THAT IS THE SAME PLACE AT DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT DAYS.
BUT I LOVE THAT THE LITTLE ANIMAL FOOTPRINTS ARE HERE.
AND THEN THERE'S JUST A SLIGHT BAND OF PINK IN THE SKY.
JUST DOESUGH ALL THESE CRAZY THINGS.
SITTING WITH IT ISN'T SITTING WITH IT FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE HOW I PHOTOGRAPH PORTRAITS AS WELL.
I MAKE DECISIONS FAIRLY QUICKLY.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I CAN WALK INTO THE STUDIO THREE DAYS IN A ROW AND HAVE IT HOLD ME.
AND NOW THE BIGGEST QUESTION IS: "AMUSEMENT PARK OR SAILBOAT?"
NOW, I COULD DO AWAY WITH THE CEDAR POINT ONE ALTOGETHER AND GO TO THAT REALLY ETHEREAL FOG ONE.
SEE HOW ATTACHED I AM TO CEDAR POINT AS A PLACE.
IT'S PRETTY NICE.
[ laughing ] IT'S A LITTLE SAD.
SO THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE TO LET YOUR NOSTALGIA GO AWAY, IF YOU CAN.
I DON'T KNOW.
[ laughs ] I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN LET I THINK SO, ULTIMATELY, TO MAKE A BETTER PCE, YEAH.
SO...
THE FACT THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE IN A HOSPITAL SETTING THAT CAN BE LIFE-CHANGING FOR PEOPLE FOR EITHER GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS.
TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLACE THAT'S ETHEREAL TO ALMOST ESCAPE TO.
AND I THINK OF CHANGE IN A CERTAIN WAY AS ESCAPE IN MY MIND.
LIKE, THEY WEIGH OUT TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF THE SAME.
AND I SUPPOSE THAT'S, UM THAT MIGHT BE MORE PERSONAL.
YOU KNOW?
IT MIGHT HAVE IT MIGHT HAVE MORE OF A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP TO ACTUALLY WHAT THIS PLACE DID TO ME WHEN I WAS A KID WAS THAT I WAS ALLOWED TO ESCAPE, SOMETIMES, SITUATIONS THAT WERE REALLY HARD ON ME ON AN EMOTIONAL LEVEL WITHIN OUR FAMILY.
AND LITERALLY, I USED THE LANDSCAPE TO CHANGE MY EMOTIONAL STATE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT KIND OF COMES UP FOR ME IN RELATIONSHIP TO, OFTEN, HOW I PHOTOGRAPH A PLACE.
AS I FIND THIS, WHAT I DEEM AS A AS A SAFE PLACE TO GO.
[ indistinct announcements over P.A. ]
THERE WERE YEARS THAT I EMPTIED OUT AMERICAN CITIES.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY EMPTYING OUT, THAT I JUST WANTED TO LOOK AT THE SPECIFICITY OF IDENTITY THROUGH THE ARCHITECTURE.
AND SO THERE WEREN'T PEOPLE IN THOSE BIG PANORAMAS.
I THINK IT STARTED WITH THE BODY OF WORK IN AND AROUND HOME.
I WAS BACK ON THE STREET WITH A CAMERA IN MY HAND LIKE I WAS IN THE EARLY '80s IN SAN FRANCISCO.
AND I WAS LOOKING AT THESE GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT HAD COME TOGETHER, EITHER TO CELEBRATE U.S.C.
FOOTBALL OR MARTIN LUTHER KING OR A RALLY AGAINST 31 REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS.
I REALIZED THAT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO NO LONGER EMPTY OUT THE LANDSCAPE.
BUT TO FULFILL THIS OTHER KIND OF NOTION OF CREATING DOCUMENTS OF OUR TIME.
I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE AMERICAN LANDSCAPES, THE NOTION OF AMERICAN LANDSCAPE IN TERMS OF AN IDENTITY.
[ birds chirping ] OH, MY GOSH.
THE TREES ARE AMAZING.
- OH, YEAH.
WISTERIA?
- NO.
- NO?
- JACARANDAS.
- OH, RIGHT.
- YEAH, WISTERIA'S KIND OF A VINE THAT GROWS OVER THINGS.
- OH, YEAH.
WHAT - BUT PEOPLE FROM THE MIDWEST SAY, "JACK-UH-RAN-DUH."
[ sniffs ] OKAY, LET'S GO SEE OUR GARAGE FRIENDS AND SEE IF THEY'RE NICE AND LET ME TAKE A PICTURE OF THEM.
IT'S KIND OF A PERFECT PORTRAIT DAY.
- MM-HMM.
- HEY, GUYS.
HOW'S IT GOING?
HEY, HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY?
YOU KNOW, I LIVE UP THE STREET, AND I ALWAYS COME HERE AND GET MY TIRES FIXED.
I'M DOING A PHOTO SERIES OF SHOPKEEPERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD DO A PORTRAIT OF YOU.
OKAY.
OKAY, READY?
RIGHT HERE WITH ME.
JUST RELAX.
[ shutter clicks ] GOOD.
LET ME LOOK AT THAT.
AH...VERY GOOD.
NOW, RIGHT HERE.
OKAY, MUY BIEN.
THAT'S IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
- HAVE A GOOD TIME.
THANK YOU.
- YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I REALLY SHOULD LEARN HOW TO SPEAK SPANISH.
- I KNOW.
- IT'S REALLY RIDICULOUS.
I LIVE IN LOS ANGELES, AND I CAN'T SPEAK SPANISH.
YOU STUDIED FRENCH.
- I KNOW.
- WHAT GOOD IS THAT FOR YOU HERE, HUH?
I STUDIED GERMAN.
IT'S NOT REALLY WORKING FOR US, OUR LANGUAGES.
- I KNOW.
- SEE WHY THAT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT?
[ shutter clicks ] AND AGAIN.
[ shutter clicks ] PERFECTO.
AND AGAIN.
[ shutter clicks ] [ shutter clicks ] LET ME LOOK AT MY FOCUS.
WELL, I LIKE HOW THE WINDOW FRAMED HER.
- YEAH.
- THAT'S NICE.
- YEAH.
- THAT'S A REALLY KIND FACE.
- YEAH.
- SO...
THE CURATOR JENS HOFFMANN APPROACHED A GROUP OF PHOTOGRAPHERS.
AND HE WANTED TO EXTEND THE BODY OF WORK THAT THE FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, THE F.S.A.
DID IN THE 1930s UNDER ROOSEVELT THAT WAS HEADED BY ROY STRYKER.
AND ROY STRYKER WAS THE ONE WHO GOT DOROTHEA LANGE AND WALKER EVANS TO MAKE THESE GREAT DOCUMENTS OF THE DEPRESSION.
THE CURATOR JENS HOFFMANN ASKED A GROUP OF CONTEMPORARY ART PHOTOGRAPHERS TO BASICALLY BELIEVE THAT HE IS ROY STRYKER.
AND HE'S REEXAMINING AND INVOKING THE F.S.A.
PERIOD OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
AND I CHOSE TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SHOPKEEPERS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK IS MORE THAN THE COLOR IN THESE THAT WORK THE BEST FOR ME IS THE QUALITY OF LIGHT, THAT I HAVE THE DAYLIGHT IN IT.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN YOU'RE BALANCING STROBE WITH DAYLIGHT AND THAT'S WHY I TOOK DOWN THE ONE OF HIM, LIKE, SMILING IN THE GROCERY STORE, IS BECAUSE IT WAS TOO STROBE-Y.
AND THE SAME WITH THE MANAGER, IT READ TOO MUCH AS PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY, ACTUALLY.
IT'S TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM KIND OF A JOURNALIST READ.
AND FOR ME, PART OF THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS WITH LIGHT IN AN IMAGE, THAT I NEED IT TO BE BALANCED BETWEEN STROBE AND DAYLIGHT, FOR IT TO BE EFFECTIVE AND FOR IT TO WORK FOR ME.
MAYBE...
I THINK THIS IS A LOVELY PORTRAIT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ONE WILL MAKE IT.
I LIKE IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A GOOD ENOUGH PHOTOGRAPH.
BUT WHAT I KNOW RIGHT NOW IN LOOKING AT THESE IS, THESE FOUR DO SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT I CAN BE HELD WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT DAY COMING INTO THE STUDIO AND THE NEXT DAY.
BUT AS YOU MAKE MORE, THAT'S THE THING WITH EDITING, THEN YOU GO, LIKE, "OH, WELL, THIS ISN'T GONNA WORK NOW."
YOU JUST MOVE IT AROUND AND YOU MOVE IT AROUND UNTIL IT FEELS LIKE THIS RIGHT BALANCE TO YOU.
OH, MY GOSH.
HE'S GETTING SO CUTE.
- RANDY HEAVY.
- ARE YOU HEAVY?
LOOK AT IT.
DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE DOG?
OOH, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT CLEARED UP THE WAY IT DID.
- I KNOW.
THE SUN STARTED COMING OUT.
I WAS LIKE, "WOW."
- I KNOW.
OKAY, YOU WANT TO YOU WANT TO GO PICK STUFF, BUD?
LET'S GO TO THE GARDEN.
- WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE GARDEN.
- NO.
- UH-OH.
- YEAH, THEN YOU CAN COME BACK AND PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
- CAN I GO TOO, DADDY?
- HUH?
- CAN I GO TOO?
- YEAH, YOU GUYS CAN GO.
YOU CAN GO.
- NO PRACTICE TODAY - I KNOW.
- SO YOU'RE FREE.
- YEAH, YOU WANT TO COME DOWN TO THE GARDEN?
YOU GUYS HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE GARDEN IN AWHILE.
HEY, OLIVER, DO YOU WANT TO GET YOUR SCOOTER?
- I'M FINE.
- NO?
OKAY.
AGH!
OH!
ASHLEY!
[ laughs ] SEE, THIS IS WHY I NEED TO START PLAYING CATCH WITH OLIVER.
HUH?
- LOOK.
- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DRIVES ME AS A PHOTOGRAPHER IS JUST EXTREME CURIOSITY.
ALL RIGHT.
ARE YOU TALLER THAN ME NOW?
- I THINK THAT'S IT.
ALMOST.
- OH, MY GOD.
YOU ARE.
- ALL RIGHT, THAT'S IT.
- EARLY ON, I WAS ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE FORMATION OF COMMUNITY IN RELATIONSHIP TO FINDING MYSELF WITHIN THE POPULACE.
ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I HAVE BEEN DRIVEN TO THE IDEA OF CREATING MOMENTS OF REPRESENTATION OF MY TIME IS, NOT ONLY FINDING MYSELF WITHIN THAT, IT'S ALSO THIS UNBELIEVABLE HUMAN NEED.
NO WORRIES.
THERE YOU GO.
YOU JUST PUT THAT IN THE COMPOST.
SO IT SEEMS, IN A CERTAIN WAY, I'M ALLOWING MYSELF TO GO BACK TO THOSE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY ROOTS.
IT'S, LIKE, WHERE I LAND AND WHAT I OBSERVE IS WHAT I'M MAKING IMAGES OF.
- LIMBO TIME!
- WHOA.
- RACE YOU!
- I REALLY WANTED TO PLAY.
- NO, YOU GET TO PLAY RIGHT AFTER WE WALK IN THE HOUSE.
- WHY WALKING INTO THE HOUSE?
- IT'S HOW THEY FINISH THE PCE.
THEY'RE FILMING US.
- WHAT?
- OH, LOOK.
I GOT A BOX.
- THIS IS A GROUP PHOTOGRAPH.
AND IN A GROUP PHOTOGRAPH, YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT KINSHIP, YOU KNOW.
KINSHIP, IT'S A PARTICULAR GROUP.
AND THEN THEY HAPPEN TO BE CLOSE TOGETHER.
ORIGINALLY, THEY WERE SPREAD WIDE APART.
YOU KNOW, SO WHAT I'VE TRIED TO DO IS, TO BRING THEM TOGETHER SO THAT THEY ARE A GROUP.
I COME FROM A FAMILY OF VERY MANY PEOPLE, ABOUT 32 SIBLINGS, ANDAND PROBABLY THIS IS A REFLECTION OF THAT.
I WAS BORN IN GHANA.
MY MOM DIED WHEN I WAS TODDLER, PRETTY YOUNG, ABOUT TWO OR THREE.
AND SO I HAD TO LIVE WITH MY MATERNAL UNCLE, YOU KNOW, A REVEREND.
AND WE LIVED IN A MISSION HOUSE OFF THE PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL.
MY LIFE REVOLVED ONLY AROUND A MISSION HOUSE AND THE CHURCH, SCHOOL, CHURCH, YOU KNOW.
AND I REMEMBER THAT AS A KID, PRE-KINDERGARTEN, I WAS INTRIGUED BY WRITINGS ON THE DOORS OF OFFICES, YOU KNOW, OR EVEN CLASSROOMS, YOU KNOW, THAT I SAW AROUND ME.
AND I USED TO SIT DOWN AND TRY TO EMULATE, YOU KNOW, THOSE WRITINGS.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY MEANT, BUT, UH AND I REMEMBER THAT THE LETTER "G" WAS MORE INTRIGUING TO ME THAN ALL OTHERSALL OF WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHY.
MAYBE BECAUSE IT HAS SO MANY APPENDAGES OR IT'S NOT LIKE "C" OR THE OTHERS.
IT'S A "C" WITH SOMETHING ELSE ON IT.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS INTRIGUING TO ME.
I WENT TO ART SCHOOL IN GHANA, WHICH WAS AN OFFSHOOT OF THE GOLDSMITHS ART SCHOOL IN LONDON.
AT THE TIME I WENT TO UNIVERSITY, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY WHO WAS LIVING AS AN ARTIST.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNEW ABOUT ART TEACHERS.
I MET ART TEACHERS IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL.
BUT THERE WERE MORE TEACHERS THAN ARTISTS, YOU KNOW.
AND THEN I WAS WONDERING HOW ONE WAS GOING TO BE AN ARTIST LIVING PURELY ON ART.
WE KNEW ABOUT DOCTORS.
WE KNEW ABOUT LAWYERS.
I CONSTANTLY KEPT THINKING, "WHAT PRECISELY DO YOU DO AS AN ARTIST?"
I THINK THAT HAS HELPED FOCUS ME A LOT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST TO CONCENTRATE ON THE PRACTICE OF ART AND SEE WHAT I CAN GET OUT OF IT.
AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, I DO NOT PROVIDE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR MY WORKS.
THERE'S NO ONE PARTICULAR WAY THAT THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE INSTALLED.
- SO TO THE LEFT A LITTLE BIT.
RIGHT THERE.
ALL RIGHT, SPEAR AWAY.
- SINCE THEY ARE SO FREE AND SO LOOSE AND SO FLEXIBLE, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO HAVE A SPECIFIC FORMAT FOR ANY ONE OF THEM AT ANYTIME.
- I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SPACE THAT I CAN HIT.
- AMANDA?
- YEAH?
- OKAY IF WE START SNIPPING THE TIES OFF?
- I THINK IT IS, YEAH.
- OKAY.
YEAH.
START SNIPPING THOSE TIES.
WHEN THEY LIFT THAT BAR OUT, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO LIFT UP THE WORK, YEAH.
- WE'RE GOOD.
LIFT UP THE BAR.
[ tool whirring ] - STRESSED WORLDIS THE TITLE THAT I GIVE MY CURRENT WORK.
YEAH, I WANT TO CREATE SOME...
SOME CRAZY HERE.
- YEAH.
- YEAH.
OKAY.
OKAY.
OKAY.
THERE ARE SO MANY CONFLICTS GOING ON IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, MAN-MADE CONFLICTS, NATURAL CONFLICTS: EARTHQUAKES, TSUNAMIS, WARS.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT ALL THESE LEAVE YOU IN A STATE OF KIND OF SIEGE.
YEAH, YOUR MIND IS IN A STATE OF SIEGE.
I THINK IT'S OKAY.
- IT'S NICE.
[ metal clinking ] - BE CAREFUL OF YOUR WRISTS, MAN.
- THE MEDIA I'VE WORKED WITH SO FAR HAVE BEEN METAL, CERAMIC, AND WOOD IN DIFFERENT FORMS.
WORKING WITH STRIPS OF WOOD, I CHANGED MY APPROACH A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, BY WORKING NOT WITH STRIPS OF WOOD THAT'S PROCESSED, BUT THEN WOOD WHICH HAS BEEN USED BY HUMANS... AND THEN TRANSFORM IT INTO SOMETHING THAT YOU CONTEMPLATE, NOT SOMETHING YOU USE.
I LIKE THE DRAPE OF THAT.
OKAY, SALLY, I WANT SOME RELAXATION IN SOME PLACES, AND, YEAH.
- IT'S DIFFERENT EVERY TIME.
- YEAH, EVERY TIME IT'S DIFFERENT.
THAT'S THE WHOLE IDEA.
SUPPOSED TO CHANGE WITH EVERY VENUE AND EVERY SPACE.
THE CERAMIC PCES BELONG TO A SERIES THAT I DID.
IT WAS CALLED BROKEN POTS.
IN MOST PARTS OF AFRICA, WHEN A POT IS BROKEN, IT'S NOT THE END OF ITS LIFE.
THIS IDEA OF REGENERATION, YOU KNOW, GIVING FORM TO NEW LIFE, BRINGING ABOUT NEW HOPE, YOU KNOW.
AND I DID THESE PCES AT THE TIME THAT ALSO ALREADY IN NIGERIA.
AND THE ECONOMY OF GHANA WAS REALLY AT ITS LOWEST POINT.
YOU KNOW, AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS MY OWN WAY OF AFFIRMING SOMETHING POSITIVE, DESTRUCTION AS A PREREQUISITE FOR NEW IDEAS OR FOR NEW GROWTH.
WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH THE BOTTLE CAPS, I WAS PURELY DOING SCULPTURE.
AND SOMEHOW, INADVERTENTLY, THE COLOR SCHEME OF THE BOTTLE CAPS HAPPENED TO REPLICATE THAT OF A VERY POPULAR FABRIC IN GHANA, THE KENTE CLOTH.
COLORS OF KENTE CLOTH ARE TRADITIONALLY THE REDS, THE BLACKS, THE éLOWS.
THAT CREATED PROBLEMS, BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE START LOOKING AT IT AS TEXTILES, THE TENDENCY IS FOR THEM TO STOP LOOKING FOR ANY MEANING BEYOND THAT.
WHAT ARE BOTTLE CAPS?
LIQUOR.
HOW DID LIQUOR COME INTO MY CULTURE?
AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
THREE CONTINENTS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE INITIAL IDEAS THAT I HAD ABOUT BOTTLE CAPS.
WHEN THE EUROPEAN TRADERS CAME TO AFRICA FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY BROUGHT ITEMS TO TRADE WITH, THINGS LIKE DRINK, BECAUSE, EVENTUALLY, DRINKS WERE EXCHANGED FOR SLAVES WHO WERE BROUGHT TO AMERICA TO GROW MORE COTTON AND SUGARCANE TO MAKE MORE DRINK AND THEN SHIP TO EUROPE.
SO THE IDEA OF THREE CONTINENTS, YOU KNOW, AND HOW DRINK WAS A LINK FACTOR BETWEEN THE THREE.
WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH THESE BOTTLE CAPS, I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE A VERY SHORT RUN.
THEN AS TIME WENT ON, I SAW THAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE JUST ENDLESS.
INITIALLY, I WASN'T CONCERNED WITH COLOR.
NOW I'M CONCERNED WITH COLOR LIKE A PAINTER.
EVEN THE MODES OF DISPLAY, THEY ARE BEGINNING TO EXPAND.
THEY HAPPEN TO BE DISPLAYED PREDOMINANTLY ON THE WALL.
[ laughs ] BUT IT COULD BE ON ANYTHING.
IT COULD BE ON THE FLOOR.
I'VE SHOWED A COUPLE OF THEM ON HEDGES, YOU KNOW, ON PLANTS.
YOU KNOW, THE CONCERNS OF A SCULPTOR AND THE CONCERNS OF A PAINTER ARE INHERENT IN EACH OF THE WORKS THAT I DO.
I WENT TO NIGERIA BECAUSE I HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO TEACH IN THE UNIVERSITY.
I'VE LIVED IN NIGERIA ABOUT 36 YEARS NOW.
MY ASSISTANTS ARE YOUNG MEN FROM AROUND THE VICINITY OF THE STUDIO.
BASICALLY, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO JUST FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL AND AWAITING ENTRY INTO UNIVERSITY.
IT TAKES QUITE SOME TIME FOR PEOPLE TO PASS THE UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAM.
AND SO WHILE THEY ARE WAITING AND PREPARING FOR THAT DAY, FIND TIME TO HELP ME IN THE STUDIO AND EARN SOMEA LIVING.
PROBABLY BECAUSE I PAY SO WELL THAT A LOT OF THEM DO COME TO ASK WHETHER THEY COULD HELP.
ANYBODY I BRING IN HAS TO UNDERGO SOME BASIC TRAINING ON HOW TO STITCH THE PCES TOGETHER, SOME BASIC SKILLS.
THE WHOLE PROCESS AND END PRODUCT ALL HAVE TO DO WITH FREEDOM, FLEXIBILITY, YOU KNOW.
SO RIGHT FROM THE INSTRUCTIONS THEY, YOU KNOW YOU LEAVE A LOT OF ROOM FOR PEOPLE TO PLAY AROUND.
SO THE RESULTING WORK TENDS TO HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY IN IT.
BASICALLY, I WORK IN THIS WAY THAT WHERE I PICK A MEDIUM OR A PROCESS, AND I WORK WITH IT FOR A LONG PERIOD, YEARS.
AND IT HAS TO TAKE SOMETHING MORE POWERFUL OR MORE DEMANDING TO REALLY TAKE ME AWAY FROM IT.
AT THE BACK OF MY MIND, I'M SERIOUSLY LOOKING OUT FOR ANYTHING THAT CAN COME AND DISPLACE THIS.
[ laughs ] BUT IT WOULD TAKE SOMETHING REALLY STRONG TO DO THAT, BECAUSE I FIND THAT EACH DAY I GO INTO HANDLE THESE BOTTLE CAPS, THEY KEEP GENERATING FRESH IDEAS.
I LIVED WITH MY MATERNAL UNCLE IN A DIFFERENT TOWN FROM WHERE MY FATHER AND THE REST OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS LIVED.
AND SO I HAD VERY LITTLE EXPOSURE TO THE TEXTILES TRADITION THAT WAS VERY STRONG WITH THEM.
AND IN ART SCHOOL, WE WERE INTRODUCED TO ALL THE AREAS OF ART.
AND THE ONE THAT LEAST ATTRACTED ME WAS TEXTILES.
YOU KNOW?
[ laughs ] BUT THENI FIND IT INTRIGUING THAT WHAT I DO NOW IS VERY MUCH ALIGNED TOLIKE ME TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM TEXTILES, BUT TEXTILES IS FOLLOWING [ laughs ] FOLLOWING ME.
I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK THE IDEA OF RECYCLE, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS KICKED AGAINST IT.
RECYCLING HAS TO DO WITH THE INDUSTRIAL PROCESS, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I DO.
I DON'T, FOR INSTANCE, RETAIN THE BOTTLE CAPS BACK AS BOTTLE CAPS.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, A NEW LIFE.
AND MAKE THEM NOT OBJECTS THAT DO SOMETHING UTILITARIAN, BUT OBJECTS OF CONTEMPLATION.
[ metal clinking ] HERE WE GO.
COME AROUND HERE LIKE THIS.
GO LIKE THAT.
OKAY, IT'S A VERY LONG [ laughs ] IT'S A VERY LONG ROUTE.
OKAY, SO LET'S START FROM HERE.
ACTUALLY, THE RIVER SHOULD BE EMPTYING OUT.
AND THEN THE SOURCE SHOULD BE - COMING OUT - IN THE MIDDLE OF, YEAH.
SO THIS ONE'S COME.
THIS IS CALLED DIGITAL RIVER.
AND IT'S COMPOSED OF DIGITS, YOU KNOW.
AND SO IT COMPELS ONE TO ALWAYS TRY TO PLAY AROUND WITH IT.
THIS WAY.
IT SHOULD BEGIN TO SWING BACK... YEAH.
SO THAT IT WOULD END MAYBE SOMEWHERE HERE.
THE RIVERS FLOW.
THEY DO CHANGE THEIR COURSE.
AND YOU KNOW, THEY CUT OUT OXBOW LAKES.
AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND YOU KNOW, I THINK MY WORK HAS PRINCIPALLY BEEN ABOUT CHANGE, YOU KNOW, AND NONFIXITY OF THINGS.
YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THINGS ARE THERE, AND THEY HAVE TO GROW OLD AND CHANGE AND DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS, YOU KNOW.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE I'M OLD NOW.
[ laughs ] - SOUND WORK OKAY BACK THERE?
IT IS A BITTERSWEET HONOR TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE A REMARKABLE PCE OF PUBLIC ART BY ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST CREATIVE AND COURAGEOUS PUBLIC CITIZENS, AI WEIWEI.
AI WEIWEI COULD NOT BE WITH US HERE FOR THIS UNVEILING OF HIS LATEST WORK, CIRCLE OF ANIMALS/ZODIAC HEADS.
EVEN THOUGH HE COULD NOT BE WITH US PHYSICALLY, HE CONTINUES TO SPEAK TO US, TO DELIGHT US, TO CHALLENGE US THROUGH HIS ART.
IN ITS SCALE AND ACCESSIBILITY, CIRCLES OF ANIMALS/ZODIAC HEADS FOLLOWS IN NEW YORK CITY'S PROUD TRADITION OF PRESENTING UNFORGETTABLE PUBLIC ART THAT EVERYONE CAN ENJOY.
AI WEIWEI BELIEVES THAT ART SHOULD BE FOR EVERYONE.
AND WE COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
- WE CALL HIM, IN CHINESE... [ speaking Chinese ] WHICH IS TEACHER AI.
AND HE'S ALWAYS VERY CONSCIOUS THAT IF WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT SOMETHING NEW.
FOR EVERY PROJECT HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S LEARNING INVOLVED.
AND IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, DOING ANY MENIAL TASK.
- HE GIVES A LOT OF FREEDOM, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW.
HE'S NOT THE KIND OF ARTIST THAT IMPOSES HIS CREATIVE DECISIONS ON HIS ASSISTANTS AND COWORKERS TO BE EXECUTED, YOU KNOW.
- WELL, WITH ANY PROPOSAL WE GET, WHAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO WEIWEI IS THE SPACE AND HOW HE CAN USE THE SPACE.
HE HAS A LOT OF CRAFTSMEN AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING WITH HIM.
AS HE WORKS DIRECTLY WITH US, HE WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THEM.
- THE STUDIO ALWAYS USED TO BE IN A STATE OF CONSTANT FLUX, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS MANY PEOPLE COMING, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THAT WE CALL VOLUNTEERS.
YOU KNOW, THEY COME FOR A CERTAIN KIND OF INTEREST.
MOSTLY CHINESE, MOSTLY YOUNG PEOPLE.
OFTEN ARE NOT RELATED TO ART AT ALL, YOU KNOW.
WE HAVE HOUSEWIVES REALLY COMING TO OUR PLACE AND TELLING WEIWEI THAT THEY THINK HIS WORK HAS SOME KIND OF MEANING AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF IT.
AND USUALLY, HE JUST HE FEELS LIKE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH PASSION TO GO THIS WAY, AND HE ACCEPTS IT, YOU KNOW, - EVERY DAY PEOPLE ARE COMING UP TO US AND GIVING US PROPOSALS OF SOMETHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP WEIWEI.
YOU KNOW, AT FIRST WE THOUGHT, "OKAY, MAYBE WE SHOULD STAY QUIET A BIT, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO UPSET THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT."
BUT THEN WE THINK, "WHAT WOULD WEIWEI DO?"
AND HE WOULD PROBABLY MAKE THE MOST NOISE OF ANYBODY.
SO I THINK WE STILL HE'S STILL VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT HE DOES.
HE DOESN'T JUST MAKE NOISE TO MAKE IT.
SO I THINK WE'RE THINKING WE'RE TRYING TO THINK VERY CLEARLY ABOUT THE RIGHT APPROACH, BUT I DON'T THINK WE THINK THE RIGHT WAY IS TO BE QUIET.
- THAT'S TRUE.
DON'T BE QUIET.
- IT'S SAD NOT TO SEE HIM, BECAUSE HE'S A VERY ENTERTAINING AND VERY CHARISMATIC FIGURE.
HE'S GOOD TO BE AROUND.
IT'S BEEN VERY STRANGE, OBVIOUSLY, INSTALLING A SHOW WITHOUT THE ARTIST.
YOU KNOW, NORMALLY, THAT'S A PREREQUISITE.
AND YOU REALLY WAIT FOR THE ARTIST TO COME.
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE OUR OWN IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO USE THE GALLERY AND WHAT WE WANT, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS THINGS TO CHANGE.
WE DECIDED TO PUT THE POSTERS UP, BECAUSE NORMALLY, AN ARTIST IS HERE, AND WE HAD ARRANGED INTERVIEWS, AND WE WOULD EXPECT HIM TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT ACTUALLY GETTING HIS VOICE OUT THERE WAS IMPORTANT.
AND WE JUST CHOSE A SMALL SELECTION OF VERY PERTINENT, TIMELESS QUOTES.
AS IS WELL-KNOWN, AI WEIWEI IS THE SON OF A VERY FAMOUS POET, AI QING.
HE GREW UP KNOWING THAT ART WAS BOTH VERY POWERFUL AND VERY CONTROVERSIAL.
HE KIND OF RAN AWAY FROM THAT AND RAN AWAY FROM CHINA IN THE LATE '80s AND WENT TO NEW YORK, HAD A PERIOD OF, I GUESS, REFLECTION AND ABSORBING THINGS.
HE WAS MAKING WORK, BUT HE WASN'T REALLY PURSUING A STRONG CAREER AS AN ARTIST.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THOSE TWO INFLUENCES WHEN HE FINALLY CAME BACK TO CHINA IN THE MID '90s REALLY SET HIM UP TO TAKE A STAND AND ENTER THE CHINESE CULTURAL WORLD AND ART WORLD WITH A VERY STRONG VOICE.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WORKS IN THE SHOW THAT, FOR ME, ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND VERY POIGNANT.
THERE'S THE SECURITY CAMERA, WHICH IS MADE IN MARBLE, AND WE'RE PRESENTING ON A PLINTH.
YOU KNOW, SECURITY CAMERAS ARE VERY PREVALENT FOR IN ALL OF OUR LIVES.
THEY KIND OF ARE THE BACKGROUND TO OUR LIVES.
AND WE TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED.
FOR HIM, IT WAS VERY PRESENT.
IT WASN'T JUST IN THE BACKGROUND, BUT HE WAS, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY UNDER SURVEILLANCE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
HE, IN ONE WAY, TOOK THAT QUITE LIGHTLY.
HE WASHE WOULD CHAT TO THE SECURITY GUARDS, SORT OF PLAINCLOTHES PEOPLE WHO WOULD COME AND STAND OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE.
AND HE'S SORT OF SHAKE THEIR HANDS AND YOU KNOW, HE WAS QUITE RELAXED WHEN WE SAID, "ISN'T THIS DISTURBING?"
BUT, OBVIOUSLY, IT IS DISTURBING.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENED HAS BEEN TERRIBLE.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THAT IS THATWHY HE'S MADE THIS KIND OF MONUMENT IN MARBLE OF A SECURITY CAMERA.
HE ADOPTED ANOTHER STRATEGY, WHICH WAS TO PUT HIS LIFE IN AS PUBLIC A VIEW AS POSSIBLE.
WHEN I WENT TO SEE HIM IN THE STUDIO, HE TWEETED, YOU KNOW, 20 TIMES DURING OUR FIRST HOUR-LONG MEETING.
AND I GUESS THE PRINCIPLE IS THAT AS LONG AS EVERYTHING IS OUT IN THE OPEN, THERE'S NOTHING TO SPY ON.
SO HE HAD NOTHING TO HIDE, ACTUALLY.
HE WORKS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
BUT EACH ONE OF THOSE WAYS, HE USES IN ITS OWN TERMS AND AS SIMPLY AND CLEARLY AND STRONGLY AS POSSIBLE TO GIVE TESTIMONY TO THE WORLD HE'S LIVING IN.
[ indistinct conversation ] [ cat meows ] - HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME AN ARTIST?
- UH, HOW?
THE DECISION IS NOT MADE VERY I SHOULD SAY NOT VERY SERIOUSLY.
I MEAN, THIS IS A THERE'S NOT MUCH CHOICE THERE WHEN I STARTED TO DO ART.
YOU'RE EITHER NON-ARTIST, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN BE A WORKER, FARMER, OR SOLDIER.
OR YOU BECOME SOMEBODY WHO, AT THAT TIME, WHAT WE WOULD CALL ART WORKER, YOU KNOW.
SO SINCE I'M A BIT FAMILIAR WITH ART BECAUSE MY FATHER, SO I JUST PICKED UP THIS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL.
YOU KNOW, I SPENT YEARS... MM, I CALL MYSELF AN ARTIST, BUT NOT REALLY.
I DON'T HAVE MANY WORKS OR NOTHING PEOPLE WOULD APPRECIATE TILL VERY LATE, YOU KNOW, 2004, I START TO HAVE SHOWS.
AND...WHICH SURPRISED ME ALSO, YOU KNOW.
YOU'RE ALWAYS SOMEONE.
YOU'RE CAPABLE TO BE OR YOU KNOW, WELL, THEY SAY YOU CAN MAKE CHANDELIERS, YOU ARE A CHANDELIER MAKER.
AND IT'S VERY CONVINCING.
I MEAN, IT'S MORE CONVINCING THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
THAT'S WHY THEY CALL ME POLITICAL ACTIVIST, I GUESS.
ACTUALLY, I NEVER REALLY RETHINK ABOUT MY WORK.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY PASSED.
IT'S A CROOKED COFFIN.
I THINK, YEAH, YOU CAN USE IT AS A TABLE TOO, TO TAKE A NAP OR SOMETHING.
THE MEDIA IS THE MESSAGE.
I MEAN, IN MANY CASES, WHICH IS TRUE, NOT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IN THE CLASSIC SENSE.
IT CARRIES THE FULL INTENTION AND THE MEANING.
ONCE YOU CHANGE IT, IT'S SO VERY DISTURBING.
YEAH, THOSE ARE REALLY ARE USELESS OBJECTS.
I'M VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN THIS SO-CALLED USELESS OBJECT.
I MEAN, YOU IT TAKES PERFECT CRAFTSMANSHIP, BEAUTIFUL MATERIAL, AND CAREFULLY MEASURED AND CRAFTED.
BUT THE SAME TIME, IT'S REALLY USELESS.
I MEAN... YOU NEED SOMETHING PEOPLE CAN REALIZE IS ART.
YOU KNOW, OTHERWISE, THEY THINK YOU ARE TOO POLITICAL OR YOU'RE TOOYOU'RE "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
IT'S NOT ART."
OR "YOU'LL NEVER GET IT," YOU KNOW.
SO SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SAY, "OH, I'M AN ARTIST."
YOU KNOW.
"I CAN DO THIS."
[ laughs ] I THINK I'M INTERESTED IN THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY, SO-CALLED ARTIST, ONLY BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS DEALING WITH NEW POSSIBILITIES.
THE AUDIO COMPONENT OF THIS HARVARD BACKPACK INSTALLATION IS THE READING OF THE 5,000 NAMES OF THE DEAD STUDENTS VICTIMIZED BY THE EARTHQUAKE.
[ female speaking in Chinese ] [ male speaking in Chinese ] [ male speaking in Chinese ] [ male speaking in Chinese ] [ male speaking in Chinese ] [ female speaking in Chinese ] [ male speaking in Chinese ] [ female speaking in Chinese ] [ female speaking in Chinese ] [ male speaking in Chinese ] [ male speaking in Chinese ] MY CARPENTERS ALWAYS NEED JOB.
THEY ALWAYS SAY, "WEIWEI, WHAT NEXT WE CAN DO?"
SO II REALLY HAVE NO IDEAS WHAT YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A I DON'T HAVE SO MUCH IDEAS.
I SAID, "THEN MAYBE WE TRY THIS BALL."
IT COME FROM PLASTIC PET TOY.
AND THEY SAID, "THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT."
SO I SAID, "OKAY, THAT'S THE PURPOSE."
SO IT TAKE THEM, LIKE, A YEAR OR SO, YOU KNOW, TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS STRUCTURE WITHOUT NAILS.
GRADUALLY, IT BECOME A GAME FOR THEM.
AND THEY REALLY LOVE IT.
EVENIT'S HAVE NO PURPOSE, BUT THEY ACCEPT IT, BECAUSE SO DIFFICULT.
YEAH, I MEAN, SURVEILLANCE HAS A VERY CLEAR MEANING.
IT'S TO MONITOR, YOU KNOW OR SECRETLYSECRETLY MONITOR PEOPLE'S BEHAVING OR...
BUT ONCE IT'S BECOME MARBLE, IT'S ONLY BEING WATCHED.
IT'S NOT FUNCTIONING ANYMORE, YOU KNOW.
[ siren blaring, traffic ] male announcer: NEXT TIME ON ART IN THE 21ST CENTURY... - I TRIED TO BUILD AN OBJECT COMPLEX ENOUGH TO START FEELING LIKE IT'S ALIVE.
- ALL OF THEM ARE DRAWN WITH EITHER A BUCKET OR A CAN.
- WITHOUT DRAWING, MY IDEAS CAN'T PERCOLATE.
- THE CORE OF WHAT WE MAKE IS ENERGY.
announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ART IN THE 21ST CENTURY AND ITS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE AT: ART IN THE 21ST CENTURY IS AVAILABLE ON DVD.
THE COMPANION BOOK IS ALSO AVAILABLE.
TO ORDER, VISIT US ONLINE AT: OR CALL PBS HOME VIDEO AT:
Art in the Twenty-First Century, "Change"
Premieres Friday, April 13, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings. (30s)
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