Untitled by Wangechi

Wangechi Mutu’s untitled in the 2003 mixed collage on mylar, uses coll ages that are both elegant and perverse to show the human body. He uses the female body, in which he show the beautiful, the disease, the weak parts of women, or the human body. Together, this enables us to see the complexity of the human body and mind.

I quickly was drawn to the overall shape of the lady, especially from torso up. I notice the gracefulness of her hand, how she embraces her body. Her brown torso from a glamour model shows simplicity and friendliness for brown is a neutral color. Though elegant, the brown elegant torso is very dependable, for it is only when accompany with other part of the body, the skin disease of Wangechi art work that we are able to truly see how beautiful that part of the human body truly is. Then I was drawn to her eyes. Pity, Pain, distress, shame, crime, hurt and complicity arises from her silent but trickery eyes. This proves how puzzles one can be as they try to figure out an individual. This piece of work able me to understand that we sometimes try to figure out life too much, by making things complicated for ourselves that we miss that everyone is just human.

Then, I notice the different color usage on her back, her head and her legs. They were supposed to represent skin diseases. The skin disease on her back was green with white polka dots. On her back, there is an eager looking man half women that is grasping on her back with spider hand which is not letting go anytime soon because they seems attached to her body. By having this man like character attached to the green color shin disease as it blends with it let me know that it might be the cause of it. Our unsolved mysteries, our unsettle desires and need do nothing but make us sick. Women look for comfort in men as does men in women, it is our eagerness for something that sometimes dope not exist that is making us sick.

Her head with no hair that is sliding up enable us to see her lovely eyes and her full mouth. The skin disease appears more delightful with the light yellow and green color. Then, form torso down, her skin disease are quite noticeable with their vibrant color. Dark brown, yellow and red are the color that is on her legs. On her ankle and a little up, the color red is uses and the skin disease look as if it were to explode. This color indicates danger. However, the majority of the color uses on her leg is yellow a meaningful, and important color because it be a symbol of the sun. Despite all those color, one color present in the disease are the white polka dots. To have in a disease sign of purity, cleanliness and innocence contradict the color white.

There is a lot of artificial extension that replace the missing body parts, even though they are not the body parts f the body, they are disturbing. However, by assembling them together to make to human body, Wangechi creates a beauty.

I later notice the red bubbles that are being release by a red champagne bottle that is partly a women with black and white elegant legs. There are butterflies wondering around her wondering around for nectar a beautiful flower. Her color is able to attract the butterflies and other creatures that seem to find comfort in women

Just like his former work, Wangechi has many works with prosthetic collage that emphasizes on the beauty of women for her connection with nature and many things that surround her. Because of her knowledge of creation, Wangechi makes her a machine.

In the untitled, mixed media collage and painting on vellum Wangechi makes her with some motorcycle parts. Her technology parts represent how far she has comes; she is now made of new things, motorcycle parts. Despite all, she still remains sexy and elegant for her gracefulness is always present. Her longed arms and legs on a black knees sock with a black heel are able to demonstrate that. She now becomes a machine for her capability of creation.

A machine parts is situated on both her neck and around her waist which where all the creation is taking place. Then I notice her creation out of her. Her creature comes out of her stomach which is still attached to her which states that this is her doing. Between herself and her creation is a pile of blood which shows how blood can be seeing in a different light. Blood are usually connected with death and crime; however, in this case women take bloods and accompany it with new understanding. Wangechi is letting you see that anyone that are able to see thing in a new light that are able to see are because of the machine that women’s are. For the roles women have, women can be see as a machine. This futurist painting all white and brown with little color of blue enable to see that not only the power of women over creation but as become a powerful instrument, a machine.

One difference between the women is the hair, in Wangechi former painting, the lady draw was hairless, howe ver, in this latter, not only does the lady have nice curly brown hair but also something that is coming out of her brain. It is a whit tube with orange at the bottom and the top. Having something comes out of her brain let the viewers know the capability of women.

Base on Wangechi works, the importance of objects are mention. We sometimes forget the meanings of things mostly because we forget to compare it to things. One collage might puzzle many but and assemble of collages that is able to create or makes the body parts let us appreciate things more.

Tom Philllip's Humument

Page 30

Page 30

On page 30 of Tom Phillips' A Humument, Phillips compares our uncontrollable emotions that we expresses to the different seasons of life because both can be so unpredictable which sometimes leads to the regretful choices that we often make. With its uses of color, Phillips’s parallel work show the power of light and dark, summer and winter, the sun and the moon, sane and insane, and cold and hot. Phillips demonstrates it is only when an individual take his time to think, when he does not react by emotions that they can clearly see what the world has to offer.

To began, the first thing that struck me is the parallel style that exists in Phillips’ work. He diagonally divided his work by is uses of color. In the bright side, there are different uses of yellow which represent the color that is evoke by light, by the sun. From the right top to the bottom corner will be found Indian yellow, chrome yellow, gamboges, cadmium yellow, cadmium orange and rust. All of these lights, color represent different emotions that are not easily manage which make it extremely hard for individuals to use common sense. In the bright morning, Phillip’s explains that in a young man name Jackson goes home in July. July is the warmest month of the northern hemisphere for Phillip purposely chooses this moth to show how sometimes the heat plays in the emotions of individuals. To continue, Phillips explains that Jackson sees himself as “wing-room love poet” who is how every man and women let themselves empower by lust and butterfly in their stomach. Suddenly they are turn into “poet”, they want to express themselves. Man are turned into dreamer, they have let lust take over their life. Every action that are made, their every line or their every thought is about women. As we go down, the light, the brightness starts to fade. The color is as pale as the opposite color. As the heat diminuend, Phillip shows that is when that Julian was noticing what was happening to him. “Julian in poetry nitzs- My dear” he stated surprisingly.

As I look closely at the shape of the right piece of Phillip work, I notice how unbalance, chaotic the outskirts of that side of his work. Many cuts and holes can be found which in other words explains what have become of men in distress. Their life has become disorderly, uncontrollable, and antisocial since they have became blinded by the light, the heat of the sun. In that period of time, the period of love, of emotions men have became weak.

To continue, the other side of piece of work, the color is very pale, the color gray represents tranquility, calm and stillness, the opposition of disorder. Comparing to the opposite work it is more clean, and pure. Phillip shows that the mind of the man has become saner for it is ability to control its thoughts. In other to control what is revolving around him he must behaves like a brick, or like a moon which is clarifying the way for the world but does not show any emotions. This kind of life is a balance life since gray is not either black or white but a shade between those two colors.

The Character is able to think more clearly about “stuff” and acting like a “love-poets”. By living this kind of life, one is able to process his or her thoughts. Viewers can see that the mind of the individual is more rested because they are able o reflect to their past and noticed that they are “tired of ming eyes glasses.” Phillip wants to show that it is it minds that plays an important role on the decision of men. The mind is the stream of consciousness and it is manifested as the combinations of ones thoughts, perception, emotions and imagination

The border of this work and as a whole demonstrates stability, contrary to the opposite side of the Phillip piece of work. Phillips through art and poetry is able to send a message to the world about the ability and the power of the mind of an individual. It is up to them to decide whether they will remains blinded or whether they will try to learn to control their life.