Artist Presentation On Jeff Walls

1. Artist PresentationOn Jeff Walls Art 106 Melaku Aklilu 2011

2. Biographic Information • Biographic Information • Canadian born in 1946 • innovative artist with PHD in art and History • transparencies, and then displayed on light boards. • Very famous for his art work like using Photographic Transparencies and lit in fluorescent light boxes,

3. Jeff Wall’s Art Dead Troops Talk The storyteller The Destroyed Room

4. Dead Troops Talk • Self explaining horror between • War Between Afghanistan and Soviet Union in the 80’s. • Scene involves • real actors with soldier’s outfits and boots. • Interesting background color as well as color used to imitate blood • Scene looks real and triggers different emotions. • Scene could be interpreted in various ways depending on who is looking at • Horrifying • Comical ( funny) when picture is viewed individually . • Costly • Worthless • Involves life and death • Sad and leaves unforgettable memory like a scar • history with horror as the soldiers communicate with each other following their tragic deaths.  • Each soldier appears to react differently to his own death, exemplifying the various personalities of the men, which is still present after death.  • Some are serious or shocked at their own death, while others think it is quite humorous.

5. Dead Troops Talk • The artist made these creative images, the Dead Troops, to illustrate how terrifying a war scene is and to make his viewer to re-think and realize the ultimate consequences that a war has on people financially, physically and emotionally. Each art or pictures talks to us differently and tells us different things.

6. A Sudden Gust of Wind • It looks like in a farm some where in Asia people traveling winds blowing their stuff up. • Grass field, and water pond or lake • Hats , cloths , and other stuff flying on the air.

7. Summary /A sudden Gust of wind • This picture, A sudden Gust of wind, I think the artist is trying to allow the viewers to experience and see that life’s journey has tribulations along the way. The wind is blowing there stuff away unexpected at broad day light in somewhere in Asia. Similar picture was drawn by Jeff wall’s known as Jeff’s version.

8. The Storyteller/ Jeff Wall’s version • Almost a duplicate of A Sudden Gust of Wind • I believe Jeff made this version from his point of view to tell another story and real moment in time. • Unlike the “A sudden Gust of Wind”, this one looks more city like, lacks greenery, and dry land. • Used Light to bring the scene to life. • Believed to be using 100s of pictures taken over a year to create this scene.  

9. Summary /Jeff Wall’s version • The picture shows that even through the tribulations in life, you can clear your own way to develop your path in life that suites you best.  Even though the first and second image looks to have similar message, they are different; this drawing reminds me of a story or place, but the photograph shows the reality of life.

10. The Destroyed Room 1978 Pictures from viewers perspectives • Slum( ghetto), • Carles Violence • Anger • Hurricane, tornado • Sad • Bad tenants • Vandalized or abandoned house • Family destroyed from man or nature made disasters. • Typical low income neighborhood

11. Summary /The Destroyed Room • This picture shows an unleash violence. The artist wants to show the secrets of disorganized family that could not get any volunteer to clean up after a violent situation or separation and abandoned the house all to gather. He is also to let his viewers know that what has accomplished over the years could become a waste if divorce occurred.

12. In conclusion • I really enjoyed doing my presentation on Jeff Wall’s work. Reading about him made me re-think about his work and helped me to realize how much time he has put to study , test, organized things to create or give the kind of realistic effect he has given to all his art. I really like the “ Dead Troops talk “ because each pictures has different meaning and when I look at the whole pictures together, they kind of remind me of make me think of the holocaust. The people in the picture are helping each other (the survivors) to get to safety. The artist wants to show to the world that in tough situation, where you feel helpless, you can still help someone.

13. References • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Wall • http://images.nymag.com/arts/art/reviews/jeffwall070305_560.jpg • https://sakai.unc.edu/portal/site/c659acb0-4bc5-4d3e-a65c-32817be68688/page/cf4de973-dfd7-4916-b772-96e33063401f