Piplotti Rist

First off something I thought was cool was that her name is not really Piplotti it is actually Elizabeth Charlotte.  She got her name from her childhood name Lotti and her favorite kids character Pippi.  Interesting. Pippi was a character that was definitely out of the ordinary which reflects Piplotti completely.  

Some facts about her.  She was born in Switzerland.  She was a member of Les Reines which is shown in some of her work.  She and her group are featured in her videos.  She has a common law husband and a son named HImalaya (interesting name).  She directed a movie in 2009 called Pepperminta.  She currently lives in Zurich and Los Angeles. 

Her work focuses and explores female sexuality and media culture.  She tends to merge visions of fantasy with everyday life.  You can definitely see this in every one of her pieces.  In her work she shows not necessarily women but things that can represent women or that symbolize women, such as flowers.  Not flowers for beauty but flowers and their reproduction ways and the way that they look resemble female parts.  Her media is definitely mixed and intertwined with reality but also fantasy.  You can see all the colors in her work mixed in with everyday life.  It is an interesting contrast because I think it works.  I think it works with her message that she is trying to show.   She is a video artists but that it is not the only work that she does.  Her are some images of her work other than her video art.  

Contemplating the Void (2010)

Partit amistos- sentiments electronics (2010)

I was looking at some of her work and I guess I would describe her as sort of abstract.  But I also would say she's not abstract at all, because abstract , to me, is something that you just do, something that does not have any reason or rhyme but is done through expression of the artist.  I would also argue that All artists express themselves.  So what I am trying to say is that all abstract art is expression but not all expression is abstract art.  Back to Piplotti Rist.  Her work may seem abstract and yet its means so much.  I think that there is rhyme and reason to every single one of her pieces.  Some reasons are harder to find in certain pieces and in others its really easy.  For example the piece that I am about to show you, that was done in 2003, is called I Want to See How You See.  Okay I know that we all saw this video before but I want to reshow you the video and I want you to keep an open mind.  Listen to the words that she says, they are my favorite part.  “I see. You see. I see you seeing. You see me seeing. I want to show what I see. You want to show what you see. Nirvana in the rose garden”.

Yes, at first glance it looks like Piplotti is on an acid trip but if you look closer I think what she is trying to say is basically look or view things in different perspectives.  Don't be so narrow minded like every other person on this world.  Many people look at something and just see it, they don't analyze and see a deeper meaning.  Different perspectives can be very powerful.  Seeing something through someone else's eyes.  Being in someone else's shoes. We should all be more open mined. We should all see something in a different perspective and I think that is what she tries to say in most of her videos.