Year8VisualArts

PATRICIAPICCININI
Term3AssessmentTask
Seeyourclassteacherfortheduedate.
Inthistaskyouwillbeassessedonthefollowingoutcomes:
1.Yourabilitytointerpretandevaluateartworksandtourunderstanding
ofartcriticism.
2.Yourabilitytounderstandandexplainartworksandyourunderstanding
ofarthistory.
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Class:___________________________________________
DueDate:________________________________________

LevelsofAchievement
Outcomes
4.7exploreaspectsofpracticeincriticaland
historicalinterpretationsofart
4.8exploresthefunctionofandrelationships
betweenartistartworkworldaudience
4.9beginstoacknowledgethatartcanbe
interpretedfromdifferentviewpoints
4.10recognisesthatartcriticismandarthistory
constructmeaning

StaffUseOnly
Mark

Comment

/40

High

Satisfactory Progressing

STBA

PATRICIAPICCININI
HistoricalStudy
Throughouthistory,artistshaverespondedtoadvancesintechnologyandusedthemto
createartworks.Fromtheinventionofoilpaintstothecreationoftheinternet,artistshaveused
everyavailabletechnology(Definition:knowledge,tools,skills,equipment).Theuseofuptodate
technologiesmakestheirartworksmorerelevant,moreinterestingandallowsthemtoreachlarger
audiences.Inthelate19th Centuryandthebeginningofthe20th Centuryartistswereabletocarry
paintintubes,therefore,theywereabletoworkoutdoorsanddocumentadvanceshappening
aroundthemsuchas:massproductioninfactories,inventionofthemotorcar,silentmovies(sound
camelater)andmachinesmadefortheFirstWorldWar.
PatriciaPiccininilooksatthecurrentchangesintechnologyinourworldsuchasgenetic
engineeringandvirtualreality.Shemakesartworksaboutthesesubjectsusingthelatestmedia
(materials)andtechnology.PatriciaPiccininispecialisesincreatingstrangesuperreallifeforms.
Herongoinginterestinwiththepossibilitiesofbiotechnology
Biotechnologyistechnologybased
onbiology,especiallywhenusedin
canbeseeninmanyofherworkswhereshecombinesthe
agriculture,foodscience,and
mechanical,manmadeandengineeredwiththenaturaland
medicine.
organic.Shewilloftenmakelifesizesculpturesmoldedfrom Installation:asitespecificartwork,
silicone,acrylicandothermaterialsbutalsoworksdigitally,in usuallytemporary.Installationscreatedby
oneormoreartiststypicallyinvolvean
theformoffilm,photographyormultimediainstallations.
arrangementofobjectsand/oruseof
mediatailoredtothesite

InherworkPatriciaPiccininidealswiththetechnology
thatwecanseeintheoutsideworld(suchasmanufacturedconsumergoods)buther
greatestconcernisthetechnologythatisabletoenterourinnerworld(suchasgeneticand
bioengineering).
PiccininidealswiththeissueofbiotechnologyinherseriesProteinLattice(1997).
Picturedbelowarethreeimagesfromthisseries.

Theseimagesshowalaboratorymousebeingphotographedwithanattractivefemalemodel.
Thislaboratorymousehadbeeninthenewsatthetimebecausescientistshadinjecteditwith
humanstemcells.Overtime,ahumaneargrewfromthestemcells,onthemousesback.
Piccininisaysoftheimagesofthemouse,itwasthe...firstpracticaldemonstrationofthenew
technologyoftissueengineering(thecloningofhumanandanimaltissue).WhenIsawthat
mouse,Iknewmyworldwouldneverbethesameagain.

CriticalStudy
PatriciaPiccininidescribesmuchofsciencetodayasartificialnature.IntheseriesProtein
Latticetheartificialcreationofahumanear(onthebackofalaboratorymouse)questionsthe
ethics(morals,values)ofmodernscience.Whatisnotsounusualtooureyesistheperfectnose,
eyes,poutylipsandperfectskinofthefemalemodelinthispicture.Isthispictureofanaturally
beautifulwoman,awomanthathasbeendigitallyenhancedafterphotographing,orawomanthat
hasbeengeneticallyperfected?Piccininiis,perhaps,makingapointthatwecanbeexperimented
onjustlikethelabrat.
Inherartworks,GameBoysAdvancedandStillLifewithStemCells,Piccininilooksatthe
possiblefutureofscienceinmoredetail.InGameBoysAdvancedweseetwoboysplayingwith
theirhandheldGameBoyconsoles.Atleasttheylookliketwoboys...theyaretherightheightto
beboysandaredressedlikeyoungboys,butwhenyoulookatthemmoreclosely,thewrinkleson
theirfacesshowthattheyaremucholder.Inthemedia,weareshownthattobeyoungistobe
beautifulandpeoplespendmanymillionsofdollarsinanefforttokeeplookingyouthful.Perhaps
theseboysarepartofafuturesocietythathastriedtofreezetimeinordertostayyoungforever.

PatriciaPiccinini
GameBoysAdvanced,2002
silicone,polyurethane,clothing,humanhair
variable
(Detail)

PatriciaPiccinini
StillLifeWithStem
Cells,2002
silicone,
polyurethane,
clothing,human
hairvariable

StillLifewithStemCellscontraststhestrangewiththefamiliar.Inthissculpture/installationyou
canseealittlegirlplayingwithstrangefleshylumpsonthefloor.Thetitleoftheworksuggeststhat
thesecreatureswerecreatedfromstemcells(singlecellsthatcanbecollectedandthenusedto
becomeanycellinthehumanbody).Scientistsarecurrentlyresearchingtheuseofstemcells,and
throughherartworkPiccininiisaskingthequestionWhatinfactarewegoingtogetfromthisnew
technology?
Thereisabeautifulrelationshipbetweenthelittlegirlandthesestrangecreaturesavery
caringone.TheartistsaysIliketheideathatwhatwewantfromthistechnologyandwhatweget
couldbeverydifferent.Piccininialsoshowshowstrangenewtechnologiesquicklybecomea
normalpartofoureverydaylives.Thelittlegirldoesnotseemsurprisedorhorrifiedbyherstrange
organicplaythings.
ThereareotherimportantquestionsraisedinPatriciapiccininisartworksuchasWhowill
haveaccesstothistechnology?Willitjustberichpeople?
CyclepupsarePiccininistadpolelikemotorcycle

embryos.Theyrepresentablendingoftechnologyand
nature.Cyclepupsreversetheideaofthegenetic
engineeringofnatureintoageneticnaturalisationof
engineering.However,itislesseasytobeluredinto
believingintheembryonic(growing)motorcycles.
Obviouslytherearelimitstoourbeliefinwhatwecando
withtechnology.

PatriciaPiccinini
Superevolution,20002001
8080cm
DigitalCtypeprint
Editionof30

Patricia
Piccinini
Cyclepups:
Angel,
2005
fibreglass,
automotive
paint,
leatherand
stainless
steel
40110
50cm

Answerthefollowingquestionsbyreadingtheinformationprovided,lookingat
theexamplesandbyresearchingfurtheraboutthisartist.
1. Whatnewtechnologiesdidartistsseeintheoutsideworldinthelate19th andearly20th century?
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2. ListfourquestionsthatareraisedbyPatriciaPiccininisartwork.

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3. WhatisPatriciaPiccininisayingabouttheinfluenceofScienceonourlivesinProteinLattice?
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4. DescribethesculptureGameBoysAdvancedusingthefollowingwords:

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Clothing,strange,height,familiar,culture,future,science,technology,audience
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5. HowdoestheappearanceofPatriciaPiccininisartworksgrabaudienceattention?

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6. WhatcommentdoyouthinkisbeingmadeaboutthebeautyindustryintheProteinLattice
Photographs?
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7. Usingthreelinesforeachsentence,finishthesesentences:

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Theartwork,StillLifewithStemCellsshowstheaudience:
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ThesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenSuperevolutionandCyclepupsare:
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8. DescribetheenvironmentpicturedinSuperevolution.Howdoesthisenvironmentaffectthe
wayyouseetheartwork?
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9.ImagineyouhavebeenaskedtowritetheintroductiontoanexhibitioncatalogueforPatricia
Piccininisexhibition.ThegallerywantsyoutodescribeandexplainPiccininisartworksforpeople
whohaveneverseenherworkbefore.
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