images.artnet.com
One of Basiony's later works in particular, titled 'Thirty Days of Running in Place' (2010), showcases his multimedia talents and flair for experimentation. For this piece, Basiony clothed himself in a full-body plastic suit covered in sensors designed to monitor physiological changes (i.e. the amount of sweat he produced)-and jogged around the room. The data collected by the sensors was then translated and projected onto a screen in the form of colorful geometric shapes on a grid. His physiological changes were directly responsible for what appeared on the screen.
Following Basiony's death, surviving footage from 'Thirty Days of Running in Place' was combined with and played alongside footage from the Egyptian riots (filmed by Basiony just days before his death)- and included in an exhibition at the Venice Bienalle. This posthumous exhibition was put together by friends and colleagues of Basiony. One of those responsible for putting together the exhibition, curator Aida Eltorie, said of the piece: "He is tackling the idea of consumerism, being consumed and wasted...It was very much about his state of mind, and about what he felt about being an Egyptian." Basiony's expended energy and aimless jogging seems to reflect the futility and frustration of fighting a repressive regime-but he returned to it day after day with persistence and determination-always producing something visually pleasing yet physically unidentifiable on the projected screens. He was contributing to something beautiful each day, even if he could not put a recognizable form or face to it.
Plastic covered Basiony- beezandhoney.blogspot.com
Part II: Should an artist be political in their life? In their art?
In my opinion- absolutely! Some of my favorite works of art have been politically charged and inspired. I think first of artists like Theodore Gericault and Jacques Louis David, whose works were thinly veiled political metaphors and social criticisms- think Oath of the Horatii (1784) or The Coronation of Napoleon (1806)- and have arguably become some of the most revered and admired pieces of their era. Literature has also been greatly improved by political commentary. One of my favorite authors, George Orwell, used masterpieces like "1984" and "Animal Farm" to discuss political views (particularly associated with Socialism) and warn readers of the risks associated with the abuse of power. The results were some of the most endearing written works of the past century. Music has been greatly affected too. Green Day's critically and commercially successful album 'American Idiot' was able to capitalize on the uneasy social and political climate created by the Bush administration, and put into artistic existence the sentiments of millions of like-minded people who had been unable to articulate their discomfort.
Without politics and art existing in the same world, none of the aforementioned works (and thousands more I didn't mention) would exist, and the inspirational pool left for future artists would be greatly diminished. In other words-how could I speak against politics in art when it has spawned some of my favorite works?
Being a politically conscious artist can also aid in public opinion and popularity. The term 'social conscience' has been applied more and more to politically aware artists in the past few years- and while not everyone may agree on the message in the work, I have never heard 'social conscience' used as a put down. It is simply another unwritten expectation for the modern renaissance man or woman. The easiest way to become socially conscious and politically aware is to involve oneself in the process- so I believe that an artist should be politically active and aware in their life (or inactive...but only if that is a conscious and planned decision). The most well-respected and admired artists can be seen almost as arbiters of social taste and opinion- and becoming politically aware is the most logical beginning for those aspiring to that height.
Also, if, as Isabelle Graw suggests in her book 'High Price', fame can be achieved most easily out of controversy and scandal, then why back away from one of the most polarizing topics on Earth? That of politics and power.
Without politics and art existing in the same world, none of the aforementioned works (and thousands more I didn't mention) would exist, and the inspirational pool left for future artists would be greatly diminished. In other words-how could I speak against politics in art when it has spawned some of my favorite works?
Being a politically conscious artist can also aid in public opinion and popularity. The term 'social conscience' has been applied more and more to politically aware artists in the past few years- and while not everyone may agree on the message in the work, I have never heard 'social conscience' used as a put down. It is simply another unwritten expectation for the modern renaissance man or woman. The easiest way to become socially conscious and politically aware is to involve oneself in the process- so I believe that an artist should be politically active and aware in their life (or inactive...but only if that is a conscious and planned decision). The most well-respected and admired artists can be seen almost as arbiters of social taste and opinion- and becoming politically aware is the most logical beginning for those aspiring to that height.
Also, if, as Isabelle Graw suggests in her book 'High Price', fame can be achieved most easily out of controversy and scandal, then why back away from one of the most polarizing topics on Earth? That of politics and power.
