Andrea Zittel is a contemporary
artist that creates works inspired by her everyday life and what it
encompasses. Within this general theme, Zittel focuses on, as the curator of
the New Museum of Contemporary art, Trevor Smith, said, “Her own lifestyle as a
vehicle for experimentation to raise questions about responsibility and
emancipation in a consumer culture in which promises of leisure-time freedom
have worn thin.” (Smith, 1) In other words, Zittel reflects sustainability and
utility in her work. The pieces she creates embody both characteristics as she
continues to question what is really needed to go about day-to-day life? In
everyday life, there are many different aspects and Zittel touched on each of
them. Among these aspects include eating, furniture, clothes and housing
(shelter).
When
it comes to food, Zittel has the initiative to waste and use as little as
possible. For instance, as quoted by Catherine Grove about her eating
implements, “Each object was designed to be as multi-functional as possible:
the container, for example, could be used as a bowl, a holder and a vase.”
(Grant, 1) Additionally, in some of the furniture she creates, she maintains
this same concept of using as little as possible to eat. Her tables such as A-Z Dishless Dining Table and Designated Dining Table contain little
pockets where one would put food. This eliminates the use of additional dishes
in the daily eating ritual.
Other kinds of furniture Zittel
makes are made to fit into small spaces like her starting place in Brooklyn.
The space was a 200-foot storefront in which she utilized the back as her
living space. Differently, she makes pieces as well that are living spaces on
their own. Examples of these include her A-Z
Yard Yachts, A-Z Homestead Units and A-Z
Travel Trailers, in which all compact the living needs of people into one
modern, compact space. Also, Zittel exhibited a similar kind of project on an
island in which she lived for a time.
Finally, Zittel applied the same
process to clothes. Early on in her career when posed with the normal need to
wear something nice everyday, the poor artist realized she could not afford
this society norm. Instead of conforming and buying a bunch of nice outfits,
Zittel created pieces in which she would wear in 6-month increments everyday.
She refers to these as her uniforms. Although she no longer sports these
uniforms for her attire, she established a program in which other artists who
are not yet established use her layout designs of uniforms and make them their
own to sell.
Overall,
Zittel says in an interview that, “My
process was to use myself as my own guinea pig and to use my own experiences to
try to construct an understanding of the world at large.” (Khiu, 104) So
basically Zittel uses the needs of her life to construct art to fit that mold.
As she often makes a point of saying about herself, Zittel likes rules because
of the creativity they inspire. Often times, the need to do something in
everyday life acts as her rules and her creativity is her solution to this
problem. In the end, Zittel’s art is something that she not only creates, but
fully lives.
Works Cited
Grant, Catherine M. "MoMA | The
Collection | Andrea Zittel. (American, Born 1965)." MoMA | The Museum
of Modern Art. Oxford University Press, 2009. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=7525>.
Khiu, Jacqueline. "Life's
Work." Artservr.com. Surveillance Arts. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.
<http://zittel.artservr.com/texts/14.pdf>.
Smith, Trevor. "Andrea Zittel ::
NewMuseum.org." New Museum :: NewMuseum.org. New Museum of
Contemporary Art, 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/397>.
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