Lecture / Confrontations 2: Benjamin Lignel: ‘Under the influence’
The second Confrontations lecture of this academic year, organised by the St Lucas University College of Art and Design Antwerp, Jewellery Design|Silversmithing department, was held to support the department’s research project ‘Afterschool’. This project concentrates on strengthening a postgraduate practice and all its implications, through a variety of means.
Contemporary jewellery artist and researcher Liesbet Bussche briefly introduced the audience to French jewellery artist, writer and recent editor of Art Jewelry Forum, Benjamin Lignel. In the context of ‘Afterschool’ he was invited to hold his lecture ‘Under the influence’.
Contemporary jewellery artist and researcher Liesbet Bussche briefly introduced the audience to French jewellery artist, writer and recent editor of Art Jewelry Forum, Benjamin Lignel. In the context of ‘Afterschool’ he was invited to hold his lecture ‘Under the influence’.
introduction
Benjamin Lignel started his lecture by distancing himself from the view that a jewellery artist’s practice is mostly influenced by their biographical and cultural environment. To contextualise his work accurately, he identified his main influences.
First, Lignel stated that, as a young student of art history, he wrote a thesis on the work of the German artist Anselm Kiefer. Not only was he intrigued by the ideological ambiguity of Kiefer’s work; he also admired Kiefer’s ambition to address controversial issues. Later, Lignel’s work was directly influenced by American artist Ida Applebroog, who depicts domestic, contemporary social issues in her suggestive, figurative paintings. Lignel explained that both Kiefer and Applebrook hint at forms of oppression in their work, without revealing the identity of this fluid malevolence. Lignel also identified similar ambiguities in the work of jewellery artists Sophie Hanagarth and Melanie Bilenker.
After studying art history, Lignel finished an MA in furniture design at the Royal College of Art in London where, like all other designers, he began outsourcing the manufacture and production of his designs. During his studies he designed his first jewel, and continued designing both jewellery and furniture. Lignel states that, when he encountered contemporary art jewellery, he also encountered the field’s resistance to a designer approach, as it has issues with both serial production and outsourcing. According to Lignel, in short, the problem with outsourcing is the fear of losing the maker’s mark, his or her personal vocabulary.
First, Lignel stated that, as a young student of art history, he wrote a thesis on the work of the German artist Anselm Kiefer. Not only was he intrigued by the ideological ambiguity of Kiefer’s work; he also admired Kiefer’s ambition to address controversial issues. Later, Lignel’s work was directly influenced by American artist Ida Applebroog, who depicts domestic, contemporary social issues in her suggestive, figurative paintings. Lignel explained that both Kiefer and Applebrook hint at forms of oppression in their work, without revealing the identity of this fluid malevolence. Lignel also identified similar ambiguities in the work of jewellery artists Sophie Hanagarth and Melanie Bilenker.
After studying art history, Lignel finished an MA in furniture design at the Royal College of Art in London where, like all other designers, he began outsourcing the manufacture and production of his designs. During his studies he designed his first jewel, and continued designing both jewellery and furniture. Lignel states that, when he encountered contemporary art jewellery, he also encountered the field’s resistance to a designer approach, as it has issues with both serial production and outsourcing. According to Lignel, in short, the problem with outsourcing is the fear of losing the maker’s mark, his or her personal vocabulary.
Repetition, absence, uncanny and mediation
In the second part of the lecture, Lignel presented his work through four recurrent themes, all influenced by art and design.
The first of these is repetition. While showing artwork by Andy Warhol, Lignel discussed the idea that repetition would devalue ‘the original’, which is strong in our culture and with which we agree. This perception came from cultural philosopher Walter Benjamin, who claimed that ‘the presence of the original is the prerequisite to the concept of authenticity’. Contemporary art jewellery has largely adopted this hypothesis, and tends to be suspicious of serial production. Lignel expressed his concern with this point of view, since he believes that, if a design is good once, it will be good 20 times. In addition, he expressed his belief that equating uniqueness with authenticity is often a marketing device, and has little to do with the work itself.
To illustrate these beliefs, he designed the work ‘Happy Family Mrs’ for the purpose of reproduction. To question the overlap between beauty and health products in French pharmacies, the work, a set of three rings, mimics both the visual structure of pills in their box and the gesture of popping pills out of their boxes. Lignel explains the need for reproduction by the fact that a one-off piece would have gotten caught up in comments on its technique, diverting attention from the concept.
The first of these is repetition. While showing artwork by Andy Warhol, Lignel discussed the idea that repetition would devalue ‘the original’, which is strong in our culture and with which we agree. This perception came from cultural philosopher Walter Benjamin, who claimed that ‘the presence of the original is the prerequisite to the concept of authenticity’. Contemporary art jewellery has largely adopted this hypothesis, and tends to be suspicious of serial production. Lignel expressed his concern with this point of view, since he believes that, if a design is good once, it will be good 20 times. In addition, he expressed his belief that equating uniqueness with authenticity is often a marketing device, and has little to do with the work itself.
To illustrate these beliefs, he designed the work ‘Happy Family Mrs’ for the purpose of reproduction. To question the overlap between beauty and health products in French pharmacies, the work, a set of three rings, mimics both the visual structure of pills in their box and the gesture of popping pills out of their boxes. Lignel explains the need for reproduction by the fact that a one-off piece would have gotten caught up in comments on its technique, diverting attention from the concept.
A very different facet of repetition was highlighted when Lignel described the work ‘Some of my best friends are men’, for which he collaborated with photographer Elene Usdin. It is the invitation to their exhibition of the size of a poster, featuring the gallery owner with a real, 3D, gold-coloured safety pin pierced through the paper (and seemingly through the gallery-owner’s blouse) at nipple height. The text on the poster reads: ‘Some of my best friends are men’. When folding out the poster one practically hugs the depicted gallery owner while reading the accompanying text.
In case of printed matter there is no question of an original or a reproduction, only repetition. Benjamin Lignel sent this and other postcards, posters and booklets to people within or outside the field of jewellery, as he finds the distribution of printed images by post the best way to communicate about (his) contemporary jewellery. Keeping in mind that there is no such thing as a neutral page, and considering that printing is an easily accessible medium, he questions why we should let others (journalists, museums, galleries) stage it for us.
In case of printed matter there is no question of an original or a reproduction, only repetition. Benjamin Lignel sent this and other postcards, posters and booklets to people within or outside the field of jewellery, as he finds the distribution of printed images by post the best way to communicate about (his) contemporary jewellery. Keeping in mind that there is no such thing as a neutral page, and considering that printing is an easily accessible medium, he questions why we should let others (journalists, museums, galleries) stage it for us.
The second recurrent theme in Lignel’s work is absence. To illustrate this, he showed a picture of his work entitled ‘Goblets’, a commission for vessels at a pre-wedding ceremony. It consists of two silver stems; each of them has three prolonged contraptions attached. The cupped right hands of the bride and groom are needed for them to function as vessels. The absence of the user functions as a design element.
Lignel found the third theme hard to sum up, since it leans toward the Freudian notion of the uncanny, something that is both common and alien at the same time. His works fitting this description are from the recent past, the last five years, and use the body as a point of reference.
This third theme became clearer when he showed a picture of his own mother wearing his work ‘Getting old sucks’. It consists of two black metal reproductions of air valves for inflatable toys, in the form of brooches. They hang heavy on her shirt’s fabric. As Lignel explained, air valves are common objects, but here their context is not, and they are therefore alien. The unwelcome association caricatures the effect of the aged body, by adding limp valves to the breast of a post-menopausal woman. Depending on your viewpoint, it can be seen as a humiliating gesture, or as a means to question the male conceit that women have a sexual sell-by date, or both.
Another work that illustrates the third theme is ‘Thinking of you’ (portraits). Lignel explained that this piece works as sentimental jewellery, but instead of a locket with hair or a photograph, he has reproduced the ear of two people. Upon completion of the work, he placed an advertisement in the newspaper to date the piece. These ‘ears’, made out of spray-painted sheet metal with matching skin colour, are worn as brooches. Both brooch and ear are conventional shapes (common), but their unexpected relocation, worn on the body at breast height, causes resistance on the part of onlookers (alien).
This third theme became clearer when he showed a picture of his own mother wearing his work ‘Getting old sucks’. It consists of two black metal reproductions of air valves for inflatable toys, in the form of brooches. They hang heavy on her shirt’s fabric. As Lignel explained, air valves are common objects, but here their context is not, and they are therefore alien. The unwelcome association caricatures the effect of the aged body, by adding limp valves to the breast of a post-menopausal woman. Depending on your viewpoint, it can be seen as a humiliating gesture, or as a means to question the male conceit that women have a sexual sell-by date, or both.
Another work that illustrates the third theme is ‘Thinking of you’ (portraits). Lignel explained that this piece works as sentimental jewellery, but instead of a locket with hair or a photograph, he has reproduced the ear of two people. Upon completion of the work, he placed an advertisement in the newspaper to date the piece. These ‘ears’, made out of spray-painted sheet metal with matching skin colour, are worn as brooches. Both brooch and ear are conventional shapes (common), but their unexpected relocation, worn on the body at breast height, causes resistance on the part of onlookers (alien).
The last theme, mediation, was described by Lignel as the various instruments used by the artist, and their commercial or institutional partners, to explain their work to the public (museum wall texts, captions in catalogues, images). Lignel extended his research into jewellery augmentation strategies, and translated those into mediation/display augmentation strategies. As an example he showed pictures of some pieces in the ‘Supplément’ series; inflated, gold-plated, testicle-shaped brooches. These enlarged forms can be added on to the body for beautification. In his last exhibition, he pasted a large print next to those brooches, depicting a fictitious genealogy of all his inflated work. While using the recognisable conventions of cultural genealogy, the text has been replaced with XXs and OOs, to force the viewer to concentrate on it as an authoritative form.
Other works underlining the importance of mediation make up the recent ‘Reflectors’ series. Lignel explained that art jewellery is heavily influenced by the place it is in. Playing on this, he made a series of gold-plated cylindrical brooches by hand, each one as remarkable as the next. By deliberately exhibiting them as if they were mass-produced items, with obvious resemblance to a shoe-store display (shiny logo and boxes included), the pieces were transformed into numbers in a predictable sequence.
Other works underlining the importance of mediation make up the recent ‘Reflectors’ series. Lignel explained that art jewellery is heavily influenced by the place it is in. Playing on this, he made a series of gold-plated cylindrical brooches by hand, each one as remarkable as the next. By deliberately exhibiting them as if they were mass-produced items, with obvious resemblance to a shoe-store display (shiny logo and boxes included), the pieces were transformed into numbers in a predictable sequence.
Roundup
Benjamin Lignel finished his lecture by pointing out that the audience had in fact not seen any jewellery at all. Because he undertook substantial mediation activities after he finished his work at the workbench, the audience came out thinking that they had seen ‘real’ jewellery.
Mediation in a contemporary jewellery artist’s practice involves various activities which could be allocated to various professions: as Lignel pointed out, he did bench-work as a craftsman; (partial) outsourcing as an entrepreneur or designer; wrote and explained as a commentator; photographed the work as a photographer (or had it photographed); took care of shipping and inviting for exhibitions as a promoter; and sometimes even staged exhibitions as a curator.
Benjamin Lignel concluded that the meticulous execution of these combined activities limits the uncertainty factor of one’s artistic profession.
After the lecture, the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions. Since the audience consisted mostly of contemporary jewellery artists and students, most questions were directed at the conclusion of the lecture and the role of others (galleries for example) in it.
Text: Broes van Iterson
www.broesvi.com
broesvitrine.blogspot.nl/
Mediation in a contemporary jewellery artist’s practice involves various activities which could be allocated to various professions: as Lignel pointed out, he did bench-work as a craftsman; (partial) outsourcing as an entrepreneur or designer; wrote and explained as a commentator; photographed the work as a photographer (or had it photographed); took care of shipping and inviting for exhibitions as a promoter; and sometimes even staged exhibitions as a curator.
Benjamin Lignel concluded that the meticulous execution of these combined activities limits the uncertainty factor of one’s artistic profession.
After the lecture, the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions. Since the audience consisted mostly of contemporary jewellery artists and students, most questions were directed at the conclusion of the lecture and the role of others (galleries for example) in it.
Text: Broes van Iterson
www.broesvi.com
broesvitrine.blogspot.nl/
