I love the work of Tom Otterness. I've admired his public art for years, and always have considered him one of my biggest influences. We have a specific thing in common: We both utilize the approachability of the cartoon image in order to convey a more thought provoking idea or expression. I was asked once about my approach, and i said that it's like carving an important message onto the chest of a fluffy bunny. the fluffy bunny being the cartoon, the message being the idea i want to convey. Otterness definitely outdid my statement though, in 1977, he actually killed a dog as part of a looped video installation, something which he apologized profusely for later in his career.
This is how i think of Toms sculptures... when you see them in public you are drawn to them because of their innocence and approachability, and then, you're hit over the head with meaningful artistic missives. not too far from killing an innocent animal, minus the blatent law breaking and disgusting morals.
I'm willing to bet that Tom has no use goofy whacky cartoon animation that exists for the purpose of entertaining the mob, or worse, children of the mob. The difference between art and entertainment can often be summed up as attempting to either make the audience laugh, or think. I've never had an interest in amusing people. Tom Otterness's images are filled with urban tales that hold up his social commentary.
and the vehicle that he chooses to use, public bronze sculpture, eliminates any pretension that would interfere with his message. check out his site, chances are he has a public art project to check out very close by.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Influence: Tom Otterness....
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18 comments:
Botero.
Fernando Botero is rad. otterness is quite the nyc version of him. I don't think Tom ventures into painting at all though.
"The difference between art and entertainment can often be summed up as attempting to either make the audience laugh, or think"
well said patrick.
this post seems like it easily brings up two other artists who work within the genre of "cartoons". one is david shrigley. the dog story immediately made me think of his sculpture of a taxidermied cat holding a sign that reads, "I AM DEAD". while shrigley's cat is not a cartoon, his medium of choice is definitely drawings and text on paper that can be likened to what is traditionally called comic. however, the content is often times so attracted to what is not typical in the reading of the image as to retain humor and entertainment while simultaneously changing our expectation of what it is to laugh. the other artist that it is easy to think of in this context is jeff koons. koons of courses has suffered the reality of the court system for his use of jim davis' characters in his porcelain sculptures.
i am interested in these kinds of artists, you included, who choose to work within the languages of mass culture- "mob" culture- as it seems like they are out there attempting to broaden the reach of the delicious freedoms that only art can remind us of. i can't say that i condone otterness' killing of a dog and also i wonder where david got the cat and can only hope that it was a beloved pet that had recently passed, i can appreciate that animal cruelty is a reality that many people grow up with as a vaguely defined value. a critique of the commercial food industry would have almost all meat eaters reassessing their own morality concerning the treatment of animals. anyway.
i saw Tom Otterness walking down the sidewalk this morning on my way home from Whole Foods. I wouldn't have recognized him except that I had seen his picture on your blog yesterday! ha!
we're so fortunate to have so many of his sculptures around New York City.
No we aren't he is a disgusting dog killer.
oh and that first picture should be called his self portrait depicting his greed for all the government money he slops up, hypocrite, seems to like to pretend money is evil but he just begs for it.
artgardenfairy,
"oh and that first picture should be called his self portrait depicting his greed for all the government money he slops up, hypocrite, seems to like to pretend money is evil but he just begs for it"
if you want to say things like this you have to back it up, otherwise, it comes off as an angry misinformed, spiteful statement. I invite your explanation.
What need to back up- it's public knowledge He is a "Public Artist" he is funded by taxes "public money" there is no mystery. Tax dollars are taken to fund him he even belonged to Colab a group created to take advantage of getting money from the Government.
Colab:
"Some 25 years ago, in 1977, a group of young artists got together for the rather cynical purpose of forming an "alternative space" in order to obtain federal and state grant money"
And now he just keeps on rolling in public money. And I know a lot of people do, but sick dog killers are just that sick. He does not deserve the money channeled from hard working people's taxes to fund art.
i have no problem with public funding of artists. Toms art is highly visible and adds greatly to public spaces.
sounds to me that you personally do not like tom, due to his activities early in his life, or his success. that's fine, but he's not running for office here, he's creating art!
tax money is used for all kinds of things within a democracy, we can't all agree. But, I prefer to fund an artist than to fund a war with hard working peoples tax dollars.
"He does not deserve the money channeled from hard working people's taxes to fund art"
highly subjective statement, many people, myself included, think that he DOES deserve it.
and.. I personally have received many forms of govt. funding for my work. do you condemn that as well? I know many don't like my films. and.. I never killed a dog, but i did steal a car once. I also beat up a weaker kid in the fourth grade.
I wish you much success, and to all people who don't feel the need to slaughter an innocent animal then display it for attention. I don't want my money funneled by some committee to a killer either, I love supporting art for deserving people. I hope Otterness continues to decline. Glad this is out in the open people will make up their own minds but me, and others, don't care for people who kill. Tom or any other artist who is found to be a person taking innocent lives for attention I will always think is disgusting.
yeah.. i agree with you about that. it was a disgusting act. and i understand how you feel.. i do however think that people do stupid things, especially when we're younger, and should be forgiven if they truly feel regret... i'm no saint, so it's difficult for me to morally put myself above someone else.
as for tom.. i really do like his art! i'm not about to call him up for pet sitting though!
I guess this means that I'm also a greedy bureaucratic pig for being paid by the state (specifically, my university) for developing characters for an EXPERIMENTAL program to help kids with the SATs, right?
To complain about how money is being spent on stuff like this is sort of fickle if you're not actively complaining and petitioning about all the other "poor" decisions being made by the government.
But, let's be honest, are you going to belittle someone who killed a dog and regrets doing it while corrupt politician X sits in his mansion without a hint of remorse while he sucks down an expensive wine?
Also, Pat, did you get my emails about the judging being pushed back a week?
I do not believe his apology. He kills the dog 1977, shows it later edited to be looped over and over in video form in the 80's, if he was so sorry why bring it out and sit there watching it occur over and over and then use it in a show. 25 is not "so young" and 77 to the 80's he was even older. His apologies are always issued right when a big money commission is up for consideration.
Just because I think he is disgusting does not mean I don't also think "politician X" is also disgusting. I am talking about this post and this artist and No I don't think he deserves money from the gov. You have no idea what I as a person have funded. I do not look kindly on killers of any kind.
And no that also doesn't mean I think people who get gov money are as disgusting as Otterness. Unless of course you are an Otterness who has slaughtered an innocent creature for fun, to show off and only issued words when money was on the line.
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For someone that speaks through art, he chose meaningless lip service to put his critics at bay regarding the dog film. Donating a commissioned fee to an animal charity would speak much more loudly.
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