Week 8 — Artist — Joseph DeLappe & Micol Hebron
Artist: Joseph DeLappe
Media: Performance, Sculpture, Drawing, Painting, Imaging
Website: http://www.delappe.net/
Instagram: josephdelappe
Artist: Micol Hebron
Media: Video, Performance, Installation, Photography, Interdisciplinary
Website: http://micolhebron.artcodeinc.com/
Instagram: unicornkiller1
Born in San Francisco, Joseph DeLappe is a Professor of Games and Tactical Media at Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland. He has had his art featured in thirteen different countries across the world. One of his most recent projects “Killbox”, a video game about drone warfare, was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland for best computer game. Micol Hebron was born on July 23, 1972, and is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Chapman University. Most of her work has been done in southern California often expressing feminist messages. Hebron has worked with several museums such as the Utah Museum of Contemporary and LACMA and a curator and conservator.
One of DeLappe’s pieces called “Thoughts and Prayers” is a twenty-foot long cardboard sculpture of an AR15 assault rifle. The sculpture was made by cutting and folding large pieces of cardboard allowing for great detail and crisp, sharp lines. The sculpture is the dull beige color of cardboard and is laid on its side in the middle of the gallery space. In one of Hebron’s series entitled “In Decent Exposure,” the sixth photograph depicts a clothed Hebron shopping at a grocery store being mirrored by a nude Hebron. The photograph is in black and white and the setting of the photo seems normal to any grocery store.
DeLappe’s “Thoughts and Prayers” is about the conversation revolving around the uncontrollable gun violence in the United States. The size and position of the sculpture are meant to convey the prevalence of the issue and how it is unavoidable no matter where you are. In the title “Thoughts and Prayers,” DeLappe intends for it to contrast with the harsh message that the piece is conveying. DeLappe wants viewers to understand that while people say “Thoughts and Prayers” in response to shootings as a message of solidarity, the obvious causes are still going on unaddressed. Hebron’s sixth photo in “In Decent Exposure” is meant to convey the power that clothes have in our society. While in both depictions Hebron is grocery shopping, the depiction of her is the socially acceptable one whereas her without clothes isn’t. By incorporating both versions of herself in the photo, Hebron conveys to viewers that clothes are very superficial yet have a strong cultural significance. She shows how in both situations she is accomplishing the same task, yet one form of herself is more acceptable than another. Both DeLappe and Hebron’s art revolve around social commentary and political issues. Both are unapologetic in the statements that they are making an attempt to express their views in an easily understood way. Compared to Hebron’s art, DeLappe’s art is often large and makes a statement about the government. Hebron’s art, on the other hand, is not as large and can usually fit in a frame. Hebron’s art usually makes statements revolving around feminist ideas.
I found both DeLappe and Hebron’s art to be very intriguing. I was surprised by the upfront nature of Hebron’s art and I thought that it was very effective in communicating the message that she wanted to the viewer. The overt nature of her art I thought was necessary for conveying her message because the only way we could destigmatize and discuss feminist issues is to express them outright. I also like the work that DeLappe he has done as well. I like how large and detailed his pieces are and how simply they can convey a complicated subject in an approachable way. The simplicity of DeLappe’s work resonates with me because I often try to convey a clear message in my artwork in an approachable manner.
