Sequential Images Self Study: Monkey Madness

 After sequential image practice in class, we looked at further artists using sequential images and though I have looked at Jurgen Klauke before for this project I was interested in this image from images I showed in class, Formalising Boredom.

Jürgen Klauke (1980) Formalisierung der Langewiele

Klauke has other images from this series and the exhibition blurb states that these images were moving into a more post-punk aesthetic. 'In the three-part photo sequence, the artist himself and another darkly dressed young man are seen attacking a whitewashed brick wall with various weapons, holding a pistol to its chest and driving an axe into it. In the process, the two appear highly concentrated, making the already enigmatic scene even more absurd.' (Artfacts, 2022) I chose this series due to its existential nature, it represents the boredom of society and results in extreme acts.  the characters are isolated and  feels as we are all alone with our own rituals. ‘Formalisierung der Langeweile' is regarded as a milestone in Klauke's oeuvre, marking the end of a narcissistic preoccupation with his own person and a turn towards the examination of society.' (Media Art Net, n.d.)

Jürgen Klauke (1980) Formalisierung der Langewiele

I enjoy making work of my own rituals and one of these is making monkey's I do this as a realxing exercise.  This monkey however was a special monkey for thsi project so he was originally going to e a Bauhaus Monkey based on Bauhaus design.  Bauhaus began in 1919 and was originally an architectural movement that wanted to bring togtehr all artforms in unity. Walter Gropius wrote; 'So let us then create a new guild of craftsmen, free of the divisive class pretensions that attempted to raise an arrogant barrier between craftsmen and artists! Let us together will, conceive, and create the new building of the future, which will unite everything in a single form—architecture and sculpture and painting—and which will one day rise heavenwards from the hands of a million craftsmen as a crystalline symbol of a new and coming faith' (Getty, n.d) Bauhaus aimed to bring artists and craftsman together so they could create a functional design, functionalism was the aim of the movement.  I wanted to consider these ideas including some of these images whilst creating my monkey.

Bauhaus Design 

Bauhaus Ausstellung 1923 (Bauhaus Exhibition)

After considering these ideas I began creating my monkey this consisted of my usual sewing box, a pair of socks and various felt squares.  I documents ed the process however the final images were the final monkey!  I shot these image on my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II.  The settings I started with were Aperture priority, monotone, F3.5, ISO 400, varying shutter speed with focal distance. 

Once I had made the Monkey (this took me all afternoon as he was rather complicated!) and I had shot all the images I created a contact sheet on a contact sheet generator 

I took around 100 images as I was working and my final images for the sequential piece. Although I wanted Bauhaus - my monkey is much more Dada - like this!

Hugo Ball, a poet and Dadaist, wearing a Cubist costume at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich in 1916.

I used black and white as although my monkey actually very colourful I wanted the final images to look more like this Dada image above.

In class we are gong to use Pixlr for these images however at home I will be using Photoshop.  My final images were taken using these settings

I chose a higher ISO as I wanted a more 'grainy' look and I underexposed by -1 to just deepen the shadow slightly

On Photoshop, I created a new file and then in the dialog box chose A3, landscape, 300dpi and a black background for my images. I then opened each image and I did not adjust the images at all they were as taken in-camera I just selected them copied and pasted into the canvas and then used the transform control to adjust size and I used the move tool to place them correctly on the canvas.  I then used the text tool to add the title and my name. I used Bauhaus 93 font at 36pts.

These are my final sequential images

Reflection

This sequence actually took much longer than my usual sequences as I created the monkey and this took time I think it was in the spirit of Bauhaus as this uses many different art skills and craft skills to create this piece. The monkey though is far more in the spirit of dada and he lives for this moment!  I leave you with a final image.... his most colourful self.

References

Artfacts (2022) Jürgen Klauke: Formalisierung der Langeweile [Online] https://artfacts.net/exhibition/juergen-klauke:-formalisierung-der-langeweile/1005805, Accessed 11/01/2025

Getty J.P. Trust (n.d.)www.getty.edu.. Bauhaus. [online] Available at: https://www.getty.edu/research/exhibitions_events/exhibitions/bauhaus/new_artist/history/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2025].

Media Art Net (n.d.). Media Art Net | Klauke, Jürgen: Formalized Boredom. Medienkunstnetz.de. [online] doi:http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/formalisierung-der-langeweile/.Accessed 11/01/2025