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Diana Shpungin &
Nicole Engelmann
collaborative artist statement
The interaction of friends and enemies is a common theme that runs through this body of work. How can two completely opposite ideas exist together in harmony? Can someone be a close friend and a silent enemy? Can camaraderie, love, intimacy, compassion, understanding and commonality exist simultaneously with hate, jealousy, difference, competition, bitterness, and resentment? Most relationships, whether it is platonic, romantic or familial envelop these dualities, it is a with or without you state of being.The work specifically explores this between the interactions of two women, a blonde and a brunette. "You are my best friend and I hate you" captures the complexity of this human relationship. Inner struggles of their interactions are examined through an ongoing series of experiments involving the voluntary de-individualization of power, denial of the selfish vantage point, and refusal to compromise.
Within the work, the color gray is utilized as a contrived neutral. Though it is understood that there is no authentic "neutral". The masking of personalities is attempted, but unavoidably the women's individualities subtly surface.Elements of control and constraint are persistent throughout the work. This mental working process creates a body of artwork with a strange mixture of tension and enjoyment. Tense, perhaps by the situations demand to give up and surrender ego. Joyful, because the artwork gives an excuse to perform ridiculous actions. The action of making the work is a ritual, a ritual of performing intuitive acts in safe private spaces. These intimate acts are made public solely through the eye of the camera.In conjunction with an art historical context, the work borrows from performance, installation, theater, film and movie making trickery.
The work reveals the artifice of artmaking and exposes this as a necessary and purposeful element utilizing ideas found in practices such as acting, film, photography, painting and sculpture. The use of new technology as a tool to revisit historically explored ideas is of great interest. For example, replacing the idea of endurance art with that of the video loop. Additionally thematic issues of violence, body, media, fashion, sexuality, humor and childhood play are explored.
Using the projected image(s) in an installation form is the primary method of execution. It allows the viewer to step into a secret world of nonsensical behaviors.
diana shpungin / nicole engelmann
Collaborative Projects: 2000- 2009
Diana Shpungin &
Nicole Engelmann
collaborative artist statement
The interaction of friends and enemies is a common theme that runs through this body of work. How can two completely opposite ideas exist together in harmony? Can someone be a close friend and a silent enemy? Can camaraderie, love, intimacy, compassion, understanding and commonality exist simultaneously with hate, jealousy, difference, competition, bitterness, and resentment? Most relationships, whether it is platonic, romantic or familial envelop these dualities, it is a with or without you state of being.The work specifically explores this between the interactions of two women, a blonde and a brunette. "You are my best friend and I hate you" captures the complexity of this human relationship. Inner struggles of their interactions are examined through an ongoing series of experiments involving the voluntary de-individualization of power, denial of the selfish vantage point, and refusal to compromise.
Within the work, the color gray is utilized as a contrived neutral. Though it is understood that there is no authentic "neutral". The masking of personalities is attempted, but unavoidably the women's individualities subtly surface.Elements of control and constraint are persistent throughout the work. This mental working process creates a body of artwork with a strange mixture of tension and enjoyment. Tense, perhaps by the situations demand to give up and surrender ego. Joyful, because the artwork gives an excuse to perform ridiculous actions. The action of making the work is a ritual, a ritual of performing intuitive acts in safe private spaces. These intimate acts are made public solely through the eye of the camera.In conjunction with an art historical context, the work borrows from performance, installation, theater, film and movie making trickery.
The work reveals the artifice of artmaking and exposes this as a necessary and purposeful element utilizing ideas found in practices such as acting, film, photography, painting and sculpture. The use of new technology as a tool to revisit historically explored ideas is of great interest. For example, replacing the idea of endurance art with that of the video loop. Additionally thematic issues of violence, body, media, fashion, sexuality, humor and childhood play are explored.
Using the projected image(s) in an installation form is the primary method of execution. It allows the viewer to step into a secret world of nonsensical behaviors.
