Cornelia Parker is a British contemporary artists. Her current exhibition in Tate Britain explores Shattered pieces of a garden shed, she transforms everyday objects in ways that highlight issues of our time. Cornelia Parker studied at Gloucester College of Art, and is well known for her large scale installations. She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1997.
Parker manipulates materials to get viewers to interpret how they see and appreciate the everyday.
Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View
"the restored contents of a garden shed exploded by the British Army at the request of the artist Cornelia Parker. The surviving pieces have been used by Parker to create an installation suspended from the ceiling as if held mid-explosion"
Source: Tate
The combination of visual and verbal allusions, triggers cultural metaphors and personal associations, which allow the viewer to witness the transformation of the most ordinary objects into something compelling and extraordinary.
Thirty Pieces of Silver
The above installation included flattened silver objects, including plates, spoons, candlesticks, trophies, cigarette cases, teapots and trombones. objects are arranged into thirty disc-shaped groups, which are hung from the ceiling.
"Silver is commemorative, the objects are landmarks in people’s lives. I wanted to change their meaning, their visibility, their worth, that is why I flattened them, consigning them all to the same fate"
Source : Tate
During our visit we also came across the below, by Hew Locke .
Hew Locke - The Procession
"A procession is part and parcel of the cycle of life; people gather and move together to celebrate, worship, protest, mourn, escape or even to better themselves"
Source: Tate
The installation takes inspiration from real events and histories. The figures are carrying historical and cultural baggage, you can really feel the art and the strong meaning of Lockes vision. All of these are inspired by the tradition of Caribbean carnivals, with 150 hand-made, life-sized figures of men, women, children and horses.