EXHIBITIONISM: The Art of Display: Jacqueline Langfeld
The next artist from East Wing Nine‘s EXHIBITIONISM at The Courtauld Institute of Art is Jacqueline Langfeld…
In her work Straw Dogs, Paper Warriors Langfeld relates to the following verse from Tao Te Ching:
‘Heaven and Earth are impartial;
They see the ten thousand things as straw dogs.
The wise are impartial;
They see the people as straw dogs.’
In some Chinese rituals, the figures of dogs made out of straw and paper were used and revered; afterwards, these effigies were burnt and discarded. The Paper Warrior Series I was created as an expression of the artist‘s thoughts about the role of humans in the world. She points to its irrelevance by saying: ‘If we ceased to exist the planet would survive and heal, not missing our departure.’
Her work refers to human attempts to reconcile the abovementioned contingency through the desperate claims of survival and domination. The Paper Warriors point to the odd mix of futility and heroism; although created from easily destructible materials they usurp the notions of power, strength and courage.
The phrase ‘Paper Warrior’ immediately points to the contradiction between form and meaning. The temporality and impermanence of the material the figures are made of are crucial. The stitched fragments of reused materials that constitute the anthropomorphic forms serve as a commentary on the human condition; the evident signs of impermanence and mortality are intertwined with the aspirations of heroism and memorable deeds. It seems, however, that these tormented and fragmentary figures are predestined to failure.
The fragile skeletons of wires covered with stitched cardboard not only emphasise the emptiness of the figures but also give the impression of vulnerability. The exposure of their support reveals the ephemeral nature and temporality of their construction. This emphasis on their constructedness is ambiguous: it may be perceived as revealing of the artificiality of the figures and propose their reading as uncompleted artefacts. On the other hand we can approach these gaps as a comment on human nature, its fragmentation and impossibility of achieving completeness and self-sufficiency. The stitched figures rely on the world surrounding them not only inasmuch as they are constructed out of the discarded materials, but also in the fact that their identity is constituted by the relation to a context external to them. This is to say that warriors need war in order to fulfil their destiny.
The Paper Warriors evoke mixed feelings of compassion and ridicule; they represent an absurd situation where human aspirations are incompatible with the pathetic conditions they are inscribed in.
Langfeld chose to put her figures directly on the floor which helps to establish a more direct dialogue with the viewer. This is crucial with regards to this work, as the artist tackles the theme that relates most to the human condition. The figures invite intimate contemplation and serve as a rather particular mirror; the image they produce at the same time distorts and exposes the reality we live in.
Paper Warrior Series I (I-V), 2008
Willow, steel, card, paper cording, string
