Mark Dion Art Studio Presentation by: Alana Hussain Lydia Morris Alex Cload Introduction to Mark Dion

• Mark Dion (Born 1961) is an American Sculptor and Installation artist. • He studied Fine Art at The Hartford Art School, the Visual Arts School in New York and later followed an independent program at the Whitney Museum of American Art before returning to Hartford to complete his BFA. • Between 1986 -1990, he worked as Ashley Bickerton’s (Conceptual artist) studio assistant. • Due to his unique methods and style, Dion has earned himself a great reputation for his installations throughout the USA and Europe.

DION, Mark, ‘Mobile Gull Appreciation Unit’, 8th April 2011 What are his influences?

• If we have time: Dion is interested in the way that scientists Here is a short video clip to explain perceive nature and how that affects our culture. how Dion processes the scientific information he has collected to later transform it into artworks. • He focuses his practice on subjects regarding the Please only watch up to 1:06 for this natural sciences including archaeology, ecology information and zoology. https://art21.org/watch/extended- play/mark-dion-methodology- short/ ‘Nature is one of the most sophisticated arenas for the production of ideology’ -Mark Dion Who are his influences?

• Joseph Beuys (1921-86) – German Sculptor and Installation artist who

worked with socialist and humanist BEUYS, Joseph, ‘7000 Oak Trees’, Kassel, Germany, ideas 1982

• Robert Smithson (1938-73) – American artist who used photography to document his sculpture and landscape/ land art.

SMITHSON, Robert, ‘Ithaca Mirror Trail’, Ithaca, New York, 1969 Journal article we used for research Book we used for research:

We used the book ‘Cabinet of Curiosities: Mark Dion and the University as installation’

Summary of Book: This book is compiled of richly illustrated essays that have recorded the processes and methods that Mark Dion goes through during the making of his installations, sculptures, drawings and so forth. The essays aim to dissect and critically analyse Dion’s numerous exhibition and comments on the similarities between Dion’s practice and the scientific ideologies regarding nature and culture. E-book : Colleen J. Sheehy Cabinet of Curiosities: Mark Dion and the University as Installation ( Press, 2006) Scholarly article we used for research Artist’s website we used for research: Artwork we have chosen to focus on: What materials and medias have they used? How have they considered the appearance of this work? Form: Scale: Colour: Texture: Space: Volume: Links between the parts: Relationship between the elements: Why did Dion make these choices? What is the focal/ central point? What could the title be referring to? What does the work remind us of? What does Dion generally explore in their practice? What is this piece telling us and what is it trying to do?

• The wheelbarrow represents Noah’s ark • The writing on the wheelbarrow’s handle states: ‘If the current extinction rate continues, over one …(The rest of the text is hidden by the Polar bear’s paw but we believe this to say either one third or one quarter, etc.)… the earth’s plant and animal species will vanish by the year 2000’ • This piece is telling the audience that it is up to humans which animal species are permitted to live and which are left to die out. • The presence of the cuddly toys suggests that people pick to save the animals that they perceive as cute (as DION, Mark, ‘Survival of the Cutest (Who gets on well as marketable as toys to the public) the Ark?)’, 2004. • Therefore, the piece is trying to open our eyes to this Mark DION Survival of the Cutest, (Who gets on the Ark?) bias so that we may learn to treat all animals fairly and from 'Wheelbarrows of Progress' with William Shefferine protect them all regardless of their appearance 1990 Toy stuffed animals, white enamel on red steel, wood and rubber wheelbarrow Wheelbarrow: 25 x 27 x 55 1/2 inches, overall: 42x57x43 inches What feelings and reactions are evoked through this piece? Everyone will react to this piece differently but some may feel: • Guilty due to their bias over which animals they would rather protect • Betrayed by the media who only seem to show adverts campaigning for the conservation of ‘cute’ animals in order to get more money • Angry that this bias exists • Shocked at the fact that so many species have died out already and that more are to face the same fate • Determined to act upon this information Have they been influenced by other artists?

• Dion often collaborates with volunteers or research teams for his projects. • He worked alone in the creation of this piece but we can still identify similarities between the works belonging to Dion, Joseph Beuys and Robert Smithson who are political and sculpture/ landscape artists. • We can also recognise a similarity between this piece and the practice of Ashley Bickerton whom Dion worked for who is also a conceptual artist. BICKERTON, Ashley L'Almanac 16 Installation view Le Constortium, Dijon, France February 2--June 5, 2016 Are there any social, historical, political or religious influences being shown?

• Social: We believe that Dion is trying to open the public’s eyes to the biases that circulate the topic of animal conservation. • Historical: This piece may be representing the history of animal poaching, discovery and the courses we have taken regarding the mistakes we have made leading to the need for animal protection. • Political: There are political influences behind this piece as we can identify that Dion is hoping to change the fact that humans completely dictate the lives and survival of animals. • Religious: The religious influences are found through the reference to Noah’s ark which is represented through the wheelbarrow Our opinions of the work

Alana’s opinion:

Lydia’s opinion:

Alex’s opinion: I feel very passionately about this piece as it is brutally honest in its narrative and is backed up by scientific research making it’s statement credible. References and citations/ Bibliography/ sources

Slide 2 Image of Mark Dion:https://art21.org/artist/mark-dion/ Information used in the introduction and information on Dion’s life/art projects found at: http://www.tanyabonakdargallery.com/artists/mark-dion/series

Image of Seagull Sculpture: DION, Mark, ‘Mobile Gull Appreciation Unit’, 8th April 2011 The Southbank Centre Makes Final Preparations For The Festival Of Britain Anniversary Celebrations. Photography. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Accessed Feb 11, 2018. https://quest.eb.com/search/115_3848096/1/115_3848096/cite. Information on Mark Dion’s life and education found at:http://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e- 7000096765 …Which had been influenced by: •True Stories (exh. cat., essay I. BLAZWICK and E. DEXTER, , ICA, 1992) •L. G. CORRIN, M. KWON and N. BRYSON: Mark Dion (London, 1997) [includes selection of artist’s writings] •Mark Dion: Thames Dig, 26 October 1999–27 February 2000 (exh. cat., London, Tate, 1999) •W. J. T. MITCHELL: ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Biocybernetic Reproduction’, Modernism/Modernity, 10/3 (2003), pp. 481–500 •C. COPELAND: ‘Mark Dion Considered’, Exposure, 42/1 (Spring 2009), pp. 44–8 External resources •Dion, Mark: Tate Thames Dig, 1999, Tate (London) Link to info on Ashley Bickerton: http://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e- 7000096706?product=groveart#oao-9781884446054-e-7000096706 Slide 3 Information on Dion’s influences and quote found at: http://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e- 7000096765 Video clip found at:https: //art21.org/watch/extended-play/mark-dion-methodology-short/ Slide 4 Information on Joseph Beuys and image of BEUYS, Joseph, ‘7000 Oak Trees’, Kassel, Germany, 1982found at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/joseph-beuys-747

Information on Robert Smithson and image of SMITHSON, Robert, ‘Ithaca Mirror Trail’, Ithaca, New York, 1969 found at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/robert-smithson-4541 Slide 6 E-book: Sheehy, Colleen J., ed. Cabinet of Curiosities : Mark Dion and the University as Installation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2006. Accessed February 11, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/reading/detail.action?docID=310870# - Found using https://www.reading.ac.uk/library/ Summary of E-book (above link) found at: https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/cabinet-of-curiosities Slide 17 Image of ‘Survival of the Cutest’, 2004 found at :https://learn.bu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-2510627-dt-content-rid- 8499837_1/courses/14fallcfaar680_dl/week03/cfaar680_W3L1T05_contemporary.htm Referencing for ‘Survival of the Cutest’, 2004 found at: http://www.tanyabonakdargallery.com/artists/mark- dion/emodal/sculpture-and-installation Slide 19 Image of Ashley Bickerton’s :L'Almanac 16, Installation view, Le Constortium, Dijon, France, February 2--June 5, 2016, found at: http://www.lehmannmaupin.com/artists/ashley-bickerton