works in focus:
collection connections

Huu Nghia Joey Nguyen

Robert Klippel

Richard Hamilton

Joey Nguyen's artwork is composed of found objects and appropriated images. He raises issues of wastage, consumerism and the relationship between nature, man and machine in our society. Robert Klippel and Richard Hamilton, like Nguyen, have used similar strategies to construct their artworks. Observe artworks by these artists and make a list of the materials used and their origins. Are they natural or 'man-made'? Consider how aspects of nature, man and the machine have been suggested simultaneously. Debate how these artists have represented everyday objects as extraordinary things and utilised images out of their original context.

Research Dada and Surrealist art practices. Propose if an artist's labour resides with the hands or with the mind. Are they makers of images/objects or makers of meaning? Research a variety of artists and examples of their work to support your case. Suggest how Klippel, Hamilton and Nguyen have been influenced by Dada and Surrealism and yet have also responded to their contemporary worlds.

Read Nguyen's artist statement. Closely inspect his sculpture. Assess if the meaning of his work is dependent on the materials used or how an audience interprets them. Consider what you think audiences value more, the material or the conceptual nature of an artwork? Observe people viewing artworks in a gallery, interview them and draw some conclusions.