Doug Aitken, House, 2010. Via Regen Projects
Regen Projects is currently exhibiting Doug Aitken’s recent work: House. The work is both fiction and narrative—a duality that exists in much of his work. The video of his parents sitting calmly face to face as their home is demolished around them and its surrounding installation of debris provides a dramatized element to an event that actually occurred in Aitken’s life.
Sex, 2010. Via NYT Magazine.
In addition to the central installation of House, the exhibition has several wall hangings, titled living words, that incorporate whole internal ecosystems. The piece SEX ruminates on a central fixture of human life and connects it to the natural world.
More story after the jump…
Still from House, 2010. Via NYT Magazine
The demolition of his long time house in Venice, California provided the inspiration for House, but more importantly, documentation of the actual destruction of Aitken’s bungalow is included in the film. The reality of House is that it doesn’t provide such a simple separation between “real” and “staged,” as Aitken has carefully included his own parents in the video as well as the footage from his own home’s demise. The complexity of Aitken’s work lies in this consideration.
Sleepwalkers, 2007. Via Art Info
SEX, looking like a prop in a music video, is also an aspect of his fixation on rock and roll. Music and sound, rather than a secondary element in Aitken’s work, he considers to be central. Simply put, “You could definitely say I’ve been obsessed with sound.” Perhaps his most famous piece, Sleepwalkers, which was projected onto MOMA—while silent—featured musicians like Cat Power and Seu Jorge.
Doug Aitken. Via Art Info
Related Links:
Doug Aitken [Official Site]
Regen Projects [Official Site]
Art review: Doug Aitken at Regen Projects [LATimes]
