Artist Research - Giles Walker

Schools and Colleges are called a place of learning, I hope one day to experience this first hand. This is my unshakable opinion however I recall being shown a video in a GCSE art class and it has stuck deep in the back of my mind for the last few years. Trying to find this video on the internet took quite some finding but it was worth it because I knew this artist and his work would be perfect for my project. Giles Walker is a English scrap artist, the work that so embedded itself in my memory is his dark, mechanical rendition of the last supper, an image that is rife with relationships which has been

interrupted through art countless times. Giles walker has spoken on numerous occasions about his work which explores the relationship between society and religion. Works that explore the relationship between people and their god have always interested me, I myself am a godless rogue and although I’m not outwardly anti-religious I’m of the unflappable opinion that the world would be better off without it. Walker is still something of an unknown, perhaps like so many artists fame will come to him after his death. His website describes him more by his work than by his personality. In a world full of artists who also are huge personalities like Ai Wei Wei or Jeff Koons it’s refreshing to find someone whose focused my on their work than who they are. The last supper interests me for its underlying themes, use of scrap objects but primarily because the whole instillation is animatronic, it’s one of the best truly kinetic modern art pieces I can find. His kinetic sculpture are made from materials he’s found in scrap yards across Europe, he’s also a member of the guerrilla-art group ‘The Mutoid Waste Company’. It would be nice to think that he is an upcoming artists but seeing as he is close to fifty he had better come up pretty quickly, he has however exhibited all across the world and is well known enough that a bumpkin art student like me has heard of him. I’m thoroughly smitten with his work, the use of found retro objects is really interesting, combined with complex themes, animatronics and audio each one of his works is inspiring. How Walkers work relates to the question of Relationships isn't as simple as how Wyeth’s work does. Walkers work looks at the relationship between people and the things we throw away, much of his art comes from waste items so perhaps he’s adapting peoples relationship with the stuff we throw away. His work explore the relationship people have with their deity, several articles I found on the work mention that the work was offensive to people of the Christian faith. The work reminds me a lot of when I researched Gunther Von Hagens pieces on religion, so often starkly realistic depictions of the bare bones of faith are the most offensive, it doesn't take a scholar to realise why. In a lot of Walkers work he draws attention to the plight of the homeless, when his work ‘The Last Supper’ was on display he organised a feast for the homeless with the proceeds. The relationship between financially secure people and the homeless is a hot topic in art, the work of Banksy often touches on the subject. Part of why it’s such a good topic to discuss in art is the complex series of emotions which lead to people helping the less fortunate, I often wonder if its guilt, altruism of obligation which drives people to empty their pockets of loose change. I’m without any doubt his work will have a big effect on my project. I’ll analyse his work ‘The Last Supper’ at more length later.