Artist Lecture - Mika Rottenberg

Mika Rottenberg said that she likes to utilize certain signifiers to actually de-signify, so point to specific ambiguities. In the way that marbled linoleum can reference a store floor, but can be one of many many different kinds of store. In this way, she said she sometimes utilizes this strategy to "erase culture" in a work.

Erasing culture is an interesting idea. Upon hearing her say that, I thought of it in a negative sense, but seeing her use made me realize that erasing culture can make a piece more universal. The strategy is also a fantastic way to work with the hide/reveal balance. I think of other examples of "erasing culture", and the other end of the spectrum presents itself. The multi-culture rich environments of Blade Runner or 5th Element's dystopian future show a muddy, twisted, confused mix and mash of cultural signifiers that seems to signal the melting pot/tossed salad gone haywire. These two ends of a spectrum have their uses, perhaps the subtractive strategy (as opposed to the additive) would be a good element for me to consider in trying to make my works "universal".

Another element of cultural, or at least social, signifier is her use of the marxist extension of people to things, back to people. People made all things, so things can be considered extension of people. Her connection of bodily functions to mechanical functions in very Rube Goldberg-esque machinations certainly illustrates this in a visceral way.

This leads to another method in her work, using the work as a mirror, to show the viewer processes in their own life, and compare/contrast the subjective internal with the objective external. The level of engagement (mostly accomplished with close-up shots of the mechanical and the corporeal, and with high key post sound work) is an element I'm trying to understand. I'd prefer a more subtle approach in my own work, yet have so far found my work to be somewhat lacking in its engagement. While Mika's approach seems (and is appropriate for her work) wildly heavy-handed, I need to add some seductiveness to my work to be more successful with the level of engagement it functions on.