Artist Research: Alexis Rockman: illustration, painting, fantasy, empirical

fact
Artist:

Museum.http://www.artspace.com/alexis_rockman

AlexisRockmanwasbornin1962inNewYork,
NewYork.Hisworkisinspiredbyhistravelsaround
theworld,includingMadagascar,Brazil,Tazmania,
andAntarctica.Asachild,Rockmanremembers
thinkinghewouldgrowuptobeascientistwhilehe
waslivinginPerufortwoyearswithhismother,who
wasanarcheologist.Hiscompositecreaturesdeal
withdystopianchallengesinfuturisticworldsfilled
withenvironmentaldestructionandtoxicsituations.
Inrecentyears,RockmanworkedwithdirectorAng
Leeonthe2012filmLifeofPi,towhichhehelped
withbyaddingsketchesandwatercolorsofvarious
imaginative,underwatercreatures.HegothisBFAat
theSchoolofVisualArts,NewYork,NY,1985.His
workhasbeenexhibitedinternationallythroughsolo
andgroupexhibitions,andhisworkispartofvarious
permanentcollectionsinprominentinstitutionssuch
asTheBaltimoreMuseumofArtandtheBrooklyn

TheFarm(crop),2000,oiloncanvas|StillLife(crop),1991,oilonwood|

StillLife(crop),1993,
oilandlaqueronwood

ArtCriticism:ArtworkAFableForTomorrow
Growingupinthe60sand70s,Rockmanwasinfluencedbytheatmosphereofpoliticaland
environmentalactivism.Heuseshisworktomakecommentstowardsaperspectiveontheimaginable(anderrily
possible)future:acomplex,dystopianworldalteredbymansinnovations,alterations,andtoxins.Rockmanstudies
outsideofthestudio;hehasspentweekscampingintherainforestandtookashipthroughtheAntarcticPeninsula.
Itsimportantforhimtowitnesstheshiftingofourenvironmentandthesystems(suchastheAmericanfarming
industry)thatwecreatetocontroltheenvironmentforourbenefit.InRockmansfuturisticprojections,heplays
withourpredispositionsonnormality.Inhis20012004paintingSeaWorld,heillustratedvariousimaginaryand
extinctcreaturesbyrecontextualizingthemhepaintedtheminathemeparkwhereanaudiencewatchesthem
performtricks.Ina2010articlefromNPR,JoannaMarsh,curatoroftheSmithsonianArtMuseuminWashington,

Artist Research: Alexis Rockman: illustration, painting, fantasy, empirical

fact
D.C.explainsthatRockmansmanipulationwithourideaofnormalityispartofhissignaturestyletomakethe
familiarseemforeigntomakeourworldseemotherworldly."ShewasspeakingabouthisexhibitionAFableFor
Tomorrow,wherehisworkplayedwithmacabreideasofartificialselectionandtheincreasedmanipulationof
naturebyhumans.Thesemanipulatedanimals,especiallythoseinhis2000workTheFarm,becomepostmodern
symbolsofdangerorcautionthataskustorethinksystemssuchascloningandthefarmingindustry,andissues
suchasclimatechange.

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/18/131420189/paintingthefuturerockmanblendsreality
fantasy

East82ndStreet,2007,oilonwood|ForestfortheTrees,2008,oilandacryliconwood

ArtCriticism:TheWorld:
Rockmanusesablendofempiricalfactandfantasy,alongwithhisinterestsinarthistory,activism,andthe
naturalsciencestodepictdamagingmomentstowardstheecosystemfromhumanhistory,suchastheIndustrial
Revolutionandthenaturaldisastersweareexperiencingtoday.Rockmanconstantlymentionshismemoryofthe
AmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory(specificallyitsdioramas)whilegrowingup,andtheinfluenceithadonhim.
Inan2010interviewfromArtinAmerica,RockmancitesRobertSmithsonasaninfluencetowardsthisinterest,
HetalkedspecificallyaboutlookingatdioramasattheMuseumofNaturalHistory,andthengoingtoCentralPark
andseeinggarbageinthepondandimaginingthatasaprimordiallandscape.So,Ifeltanaffinitywithhimeven
thoughmyworkwasntanythinglikehis.Rockmanusesdioramasasaculturallyunderstood,
scientific/educationalgeographyforhispaintings.Viewerscangenerallyrecognizehispaintingsaslandscapes
constructedbyman;thiswayofworkingallowsRockmansconcernwiththedilapidatingenvironmenttobe
understoodfromastandpointofanyonethatseverwalkedthroughamuseumorlearnedabouttheirnatural
surroundingsfromeducationalillustrationsinatextbook.Rockmanusesculturalconstructsalongwitha
postmodernappropriationofcreatures,alongwithhisimaginationandpersonalexperiencestomakehisviewers
awareofpotentialandcurrentecologicalconcerns.
http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/newsfeatures/magazine/alexisrockman/

Artist Research: Alexis Rockman: illustration, painting, fantasy, empirical

fact

Bronx Zoo, 2012-2013, oil on wood

http://www.brooklynrail.org/2013/10/art/alexis-rockman-with-jonathan-t-d-neil
Recontextualize:toplaceinadifferentcontext
Empiricalfact:basedontestingorexperimenting(hereRockmanusesnaturalhistory,botanical
illustrations,museumdioramas,andsciencefictionfilmsashisempiricalknowledge)
Fantasy:theformingofmentalimages,especiallywondrousorstrangefancies;imaginativeconc
eptualizing.
Sublime:aqualityofgreatnessorgrandeurthatinspiresaweandwonder(HudsonRiverSchool)
Activism:thepolicyoractionofusingvigorouscampaigningtobringaboutpoliticalorsocial
change
Art History: Recontextualization is a popular method of representing imagery in
Postmodern theory that re-examines the codes or symbolism that cultural perspectives place
on certain images by placing them in new contexts. In Bronx Zoo, Rockman represents
various creatures that he has seen in real life, scientific illustrations, fossils, and textbooks,
and places them in the environment of an imagined, futuristic, apocalyptic, overgrown and
flooded pathway of the Brooklyn Zoo. He uses Empirical knowledge gained through actual
observations in the field and conversations with ecologists to cite his credibility, adding
another level of gravity to his work. To contrast that empirical knowledge and to add tension,
Rockman uses his personal touch of fantasy to emphasize (and perhaps critique) mans hand
in the manipulation of nature. He constantly cites the mannerisms of naturalism and the
sublime, both concepts used in the Hudson River School to emphasize awe of nature and
pastoral scenes of tranquility and promising, fruitful exploration of new territory.
http://alexisrockman.net/projects/wonderful-world

Artist Research: Alexis Rockman: illustration, painting, fantasy, empirical

fact

Folio69v,AberdeenBestiary
English,12thcentury

IlluminatedManuscript,pigmentandgoldleafonvellum

AmongtheSierraNevadaMountains
AlbertBierstadt,1868,oiloncanvas
http://fineartarchives.com/albertbierstadtamongthe
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/translat/69v.htisierranevadamountains/

ArtHistory:BestiariesandtheHudsonRiverSchool

ManifestDestiny,20032004,oilandacryliconwood

http://eyelevel.si.edu/2011/05/alexisrockmansmanifestdestinytobecomepartofamericanarts
collection.html
AlexisRockmanhasexplicitlycitedHudsonRiverSchoolpaintingsasasourceofinspiration.
SinceAmericanpaintersfromtheHudsonRiverSchoolusedelementsoftheSublimetoexpressthe
Arcadianvisionofaparadisiacalnewfrontier,Rockmancitesthisasaparadoxinhiswork.Insteadof
usingaweandmonumentalitytoexpressidealsofpromise,possibility,andanewUtopianfuture,heuses
aweandmonumentalitytoillustrateadirelydystopian,propheticallyapocalypticfuture.Presentinghis
canvasasanaquarium,RockmanpresentsscenessuchasthoseinManifestDestiny,amassive8x24foot
muralthatderailsthedreamofparadise.
http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/art/reviews/n_10325/
Wecanmakeconnectionstomedievalbestiariesandtheirdarkage,Europeanversionofgenetic
manipulationthroughillustration.FolktalesmixedwiththeattributionofChristianmorals,wordof
mouth,andfantasticstoriesoftravelbroughtskewedideasofexoticanimalstomedievaltowns,which
werethenreappropriatedwithknownanimalslocaltothearea.Takeforexamplethesalamander,
whichwasananimalattributedwiththedevilwithskinsocolditcouldwithstandflames,andwassaidto

Artist Research: Alexis Rockman: illustration, painting, fantasy, empirical

fact
bemadefromadeadmansspineandleftbehindasbestos.Wecanseethattakingpleasureinthefantasy
ofanimalmanipulationhasbeeninexistencesince5 thcenturyEurope,andlongbeforewhenancient
civilizationscreatedfablesaboutmagicalbeaststoillustratehumancharacteristics.
StructuralFrame:
1. Whatdoyourecognizeinthisworkfromyourexperiencesfromtheworld?Whatcodesareattachedto
thosesymbols?
2. Inwhatcontextscanthesesymbolsoftechnologicalinnovationsandgeneticallymodifiedplantsand
animalsbeseentoday?Howdoesthiscontextaffectthereadingofthem?
3. Whatroledoestheartistplayinthecreationofthesecreaturesandenvironments?
4. HowdoyouthinkanaudiencemightreadRockmansfantasticcreations?Doesheenjoymakingthem,and
ifso,whatdoesthatsayabouthumanbehavior?
SubjectiveFrame:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Whatemotionsdoyoufeelfortheseanimals?
HowdidRockmanusefantasytomanipulatetheseanimals?
Listsixadjectivesthatdescribetheenvironmentsyouseeintheseworks.
Usingtheseadjectiveswriteaparagraphtodescribetheartworktosomebodyasiftheyarenotlookingat
it.
Whatdoyouthinktheartistspersonalexperienceiswiththesubjectsinhisartworks?
Whatpartsoftheimagesdoyourecognizefromlife,andwhatpartshavebeenaltered?
HowdothefeelingsofHudsonRiverValleypaintersworkdifferfromthatofRockmans?

CulturalFrame:
1. WhatcontemporaryissuesintheworlddoesRockmanbringupinhiswork?
2. Insociety,technologicaladvancescanbeseenasacatalysttofurtherthecommongood.Howdoes
Rockmanpresenttechnology?
3. Howwouldyouillustrateyourinteractionswithanimalsoryourenvironment,fromtheperspectiveofa
dailybasis?
4. DoyouseeanysimilaritiesbetweenthewayMedievalBestiariesdepictedanimals,andthewayAlexis
Rockmanpresentsanimals?

Artmaking:

Students will create collages of composite creatures from magazines and printouts.
Students will sketch isolated body parts of local animals and relate those body parts to certain functions
that help them survive. These sketches must be based on empirical facts.
Students will sketch isolated body parts of exotic animals and relate those body parts to certain functions
that help them survive. These sketches must be based on empirical facts, but can also be based on fantasy.
Students will choose to use collage or drawing methods to create an investigation into a specific
environmental issue- either local or global- and design a creature that can live through futuristic,
environmental hazards, dangers, or disasters.